Getting a pet is an exciting experience, but many people don’t fully appreciate the gravity of the situation. Even if you’re bringing home a relatively stationary pet (i.e., a fish or turtle), it takes a lot more time, effort, and money than you might realize. So, it’s imperative to prepare yourself and your home as much as possible before bringing your new friend to live with you.

When you get a new pet, it’s imperative to get it checked out by your vet. If your new furry friend is young, your vet will likely recommend spaying or neutering the animal. However, some pet owners may not understand why it’s necessary.

While we love getting outside and playing in a winter wonderland on milder days, as we all know, winter presents safety hazards for everyone, including our pets.

Our pets can suffer from allergies just like people. When the immune system mistakenly identifies a harmless substance (an allergen) as a threat and attacks it, this causes the symptoms we associate with allergies.

Quirky, derpy, snuggly, aloof, playful, lazy, fuzzy, and frisky are all words that are often used to describe one of mankind’s favorite pets, Felis catus, the domestic cat. While each cat is wildly different with its own personality and unique features, these animals are a delight to live with and a wonder to care for.

Pets can be fairly destructive in our homes, and cats scratch for a variety of instinctive reasons like maintaining healthy claws, helping them stretch, marking their territory, and just because it seems to feel good.

It’s normal for all dogs to lick their paws from time to time, as a part of their regular self-grooming routine. If yours, however, always seems to be licking or biting at its paws, it could be an indication of something deeper going on, and our veterinarian at Compassion Animal Hospital in Woodland Park can help you get to the bottom of it.

Choosing food for your dog or cat, however, isn’t always as simple as choosing healthy food for yourself. Thankfully, there are lots of great pet food formulations available ready-to-go, complete with all the calories and nutrition your pet needs.