The go-or-stay decision for a summer hike happens before you ever reach the trailhead: below 70 degrees most dogs do fine, in the 70s carry extra water and shorten the route if you see your dog get hot, and above 85 the safest call for all but the fittest, heat-conditioned dogs is to stay home. [...]

Daily brushing remains the most effective at-home dental care for dogs and cats, but wipes, gels, water additives, and dental chews all earn a real place in the routine when brushing is not realistic. What matters most is consistency: a wipe used every single day does more for your pet's mouth than a toothbrush that [...]

For a structural entropion in an adult dog, surgery is the best and most lasting fix, because the problem is mechanical: the eyelid rolls inward and fur or lashes rub the eye with every blink, and only repositioning the lid stops it. Drops and ointments can soothe the surface, but they do not change the [...]

Could Your Pet's "Sensitive Stomach" Actually Be an Underlying Disease? Most pet owners can tell the difference between an isolated upset stomach and a problem that keeps returning. Maybe your dog vomits every few days before breakfast, or your cat has started throwing up often enough that you've begun anticipating it. Repeated vomiting has a [...]

Trusting someone else with your dog is a real leap, whether you are leaving them at a boarding facility overnight, enrolling them in daycare three times a week, or handing them to a groomer for an hour. The pet services industry is largely unregulated, which means the quality of care your dog receives depends almost [...]

Immune-mediated blood diseases ask a lot of pet owners to accept a strange truth: the thing making their pet so sick is the pet's own immune system. Conditions like immune-mediated hemolytic anemia and immune-mediated thrombocytopenia occur when the body mistakenly destroys its own red blood cells or clotting factors, causing symptoms that can range from [...]

Is your dog taking a little longer to get up from a nap, or is your cat suddenly chatty at night? As pets reach their golden years, subtle changes may be normal aging or early signs of a manageable health issue. It can be hard to tell the difference, and that is exactly why screening [...]

Safer Choices for Training, Chews, and Toys: Gentle Tools That Protect Your Dog Every item you choose for your dog, from a collar or harness to a chew or toy, affects their body, behavior, and your relationship together. Some equipment distributes pressure safely, while others concentrate force on vulnerable areas like the trachea, cervical spine, [...]

Lumps and Bumps: Knowing When to Worry You're petting your dog or cat and suddenly your hand brushes against something unexpected: a lump. The first thought is often panic. Is it serious? Should you call the vet immediately? Not every mass is dangerous; some are just harmless cysts, while others signal infection or something more [...]

If your dog returns from daycare or the groomer and develops a dry, hacking cough a few days later, kennel cough could be the cause. This common respiratory infection spreads quickly but is usually mild with proper care. With timely veterinary attention and vaccination, most dogs recover fully without complications. At Northwood Veterinary Hospital, our [...]