Our hospital only uses non-adjuvanted vaccines. An adjuvant is added to a vaccine to stimulate the immune system to react to the vaccine and thus increase the effectiveness of the vaccine (i.e. to make antibodies to protect your cat in the future). Unfortunately, many of the adjuvanted vaccines have come under scrutiny and may be [...]

Protecting Your Dog from Disease Protecting your dog from a disease is better than treating a disease once it occurs. That is why many veterinarians and dog owners rely on vaccines. They work so well that some dog diseases are rarely seen anymore. This is because most dogs have developed protection by receiving the right [...]

If you are like most people, you want to know what you are paying for and why things cost what they do. You will find that veterinary providers are all different, and you may find that the prices for things like spay and neuter surgeries are quite variable. What costs $45 at one clinic might [...]

American Dog Tick American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) is the most commonly identified species responsible for transmitting Rickettsia rickettsii, which causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever in humans. The American dog tick can also transmit tularemia. This tick is widely distributed east of the Rocky Mountains and also occurs in limited areas on the Pacific Coast. D. variabilis larvae and nymphs feed [...]

We are somewhat lucky in that none of the ticks we tend to see locally are big biters. Oh, they attach well and will stay attached to a host for a long time, but they don’t shove their mouthparts in to the point that their heads are buried. Some of the ticks commonly seen in [...]

This may be best done outdoors, so you can make a mess without worrying. The next best place is the bathroom, where walls and floors are washable or wipe-able. Gently pull your dog’s ear straight up and hold it with one hand. Fill the ear canal with cleaning solution (don’t use water!), holding the ear [...]