Posts in Category: Puppies & Kittens

So you’ve taken the plunge and adopted a new kitten – congratulations! Get ready to be entertained, delighted, and perhaps a little frustrated… at times. Most of all, if you haven’t already, be prepared to fall head over heels for your adorable new friend!

These early days and weeks with your new little furball are fleeting and at Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center, we want to help you get a great start by sharing some of our favorite kitten care tips. After all, making sure your kitten is a happy, healthy, and a well-adjusted member of your family is a top priority!

Sharing your life with a pet can bring great joy and fulfillment. And, it’s exciting to think about bringing home that cute cat or adorable dog. But before diving in, it’s important (and smart!) to think about and consider your own lifestyle, and how a certain pet breed or species may be a better choice for you.

Each type of pet requires different housing, exercise, feeding, grooming, veterinary care and demands on your time. Pets also have their own personalities and energy levels, so a good personality fit, along with activity needs that match your own, should be considered as well. We at Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center are here to help you explore the questions that will prepare you to choose the right pet for the way you live. And, with Adopt a Shelter Pet Month in full swing, the timing couldn’t be better for this topic! Continue…

Few companion animals are as captivating as the wonderfully delightful housecat. Their beauty, grace, and mysterious nature draws us to them, even if they don’t always return our affection when or how we want them to. Cat behavior is certainly perplexing, but by making a concerted effort to deepen our understanding of their instincts and desires, we can improve our relationships with them and create happier, more harmonious lives together.

Cat Behavior: Body Language

Cat behavior can range from cute to puzzling to downright annoying. It can be challenging to interpret what our cats want, but paying attention to their body language can give us clues as to what they’re thinking. Cats tend to show their affection for humans through head butting, twitching their tails, or rubbing their cheeks or bodies against us. Meowing is generally reserved for communication with humans and may signal hunger, happiness, or a desire to play. Continue…

Dealing with your pet’s poop is one of the less glamorous aspects of pet ownership, but it’s just as necessary to their health and well-being as proper diet, exercise, and quality medical care. Having a puppy who eats poop, however, is something that many new pet owners weren’t expecting and aren’t sure how to deal with.

Poop-eating, also called coprophagia, is actually a normal – albeit gross–dog behavior. At Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center we believe in tackling life’s stinky questions head on, and we are happy help you figure out why your puppy eats poop and what you can do about it.

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Each year in the United States, 83% of pet dogs and 91% of pet cats are spayed or neutered. Having your pet “fixed” has many advantages; besides reducing pet overpopulation, spaying and neutering can reduce the risk of certain cancers and ameliorate behavioral problems in many cases.

While both spaying and neutering are surgical procedures, neutering is relatively simple and straightforward. A traditional spay, however, where the entire reproductive system is removed from the body through an incision in the abdomen, is considered major abdominal surgery.

Traditional spay surgery remained relatively unchanged for decades, until now. Laparoscopic surgery has changed everything in the world of veterinary medicine, and we are thrilled to share this exciting information with our readers and clients. Continue…

Here at Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center, we are gearing up for one of our favorite holidays! No, it’s not National Corn Dog Day on March 19th (although that one sounds pretty good to us too). We’re talking about National Puppy Day, March 23rd.

Animal behaviorist and author Colleen Paige founded national Puppy Day in 2006, as a way to encourage shelter puppy adoption, while also educating the public about abusive dog breeding practices. A lifelong animal lover, Paige also founded National Dog Day and National Cat Day. Continue…

Bringing a new puppy home is truly a one-of-a-kind experience. Those adorable paws, sweet puppy breath, sleepy snuggles, and sweet kisses not only cement the bond between you and your pup, but also make the more tedious tasks, such as house training, all the more bearable during your new puppy care time together.

Your newest family member needs much more than food and water to grow into a happy and thriving adult dog. At Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center we consider it our mission to provide you with the tools and support to help your new companion live a long and healthy life. Continue…