Piper Glen Animal Hospital Blog

Ensuring your pet maintains a healthy weight is one way to help keep Fido or Kitty in your life for a long time. This week included the National Pet Obesity Awareness Day. Many us spend countless hours worrying about the health of our pets, but many of our pets are overweight or obese. “What’s one more treat?” The reality is those extra treats add up and can lead to some serious health issues for your dog or cat. Those extra treats, too much food at mealtimes, and lack of exercise all contribute to obesity. It is so easy to over-feed your pet without even realizing it.   A decrease in exercise due to poor weather conditions (snow, ice, or persistent rain storms) without a corresponding reduction in the amount of kibble in your dog’s bowl can quickly lead to a gain of a few extra pounds. Even using an inaccurate measuring cup can be a source of overfeeding. Weighing your pet’s food with a kitchen scale, or using a measuring cup specifically designed for your pet’s br...

We share ideas from  Dr. Nancy Kay, DVM, DACVIM   on how to care for your senior dog with hearing loss.  The most common form of deafness in dogs is age-related hearing loss (ARHL). Most dogs experience some degree of ARHL, beginning sometime during their “third trimester” of life. ARHL begins by impairing perception of middle to high frequency sounds, but encompasses the entire range of sound frequencies as it progresses.  It is suspected that most people don’t recognize their dog’s hearing loss until it is almost, if not fully, complete. They may mistakenly interpret their dog’s partial hearing loss as a behavioral issue, sometimes referred to as “selective hearing.”  How you can help your dog with hearing loss? Observing your beloved dog become less responsive because of hearing loss can evoke a laundry list of emotions such as sadness, frustration, and discouragement. While there may not be a good way to restore your dog’s ...