Animal Skin and Allergy Clinic Blog

You wouldn’t suffer all allergy season without taking some medication or visiting your doctor for relief, and you pets shouldn’t have to, either! If your critter is one of the unlucky who are affected, there is help out there. The Animal Skin and Allergy Clinic has the information and tools to help you recognize pet allergies. There are compelling reasons why you shouldn’t wait to treat.

Summertime brings out a special kind of excitement every year. With beautiful trees budding, flowers blossoming, and long, warm sunsets, summer truly makes its mark. However, along with this amazing mosaic comes a plethora of possible allergens. You have probably seen pollen floating in the air in the summer, some days thick as fog. Perhaps you suffer from seasonal allergies and know that they can become much worse in the heat. 

External parasites can cause major discomfort and occasionally serious potential health concerns for your pets. In order to properly protect your pet from these unwanted visitors, it is important to understand how parasites can affect your pet’s health. The team at Animal Skin and Allergy Clinic is here to help you determine how to keep your pets safe from a wide range of parasites.

From lawn mowers buzzing to big, beautiful blossoms, spring and summer bring great outdoor opportunities, yard and garden prep, and, oh yeah, allergies.

Many of us suffer from the sneezing season often brought on by pollens, grasses, mold, and you name it. But if your pet has been itching more than usual, they, too, may suffer from this affliction. Instead of the respiratory syndrome that we see in people, cats and dogs most commonly present with skin issues.

Pollen is one of the environmental allergens that cause a reaction in some pet companions. Does your pet have pollen allergies? Read on to learn more from the team at Animal Skin and Allergy Clinic.

Has the changing weather had an impact on how you are feeling? Seasonal allergies are a common theme this time of year, along with more mosquitoes, ticks, flies, fleas, and the like. 

This is true for our pet companions too. Like us, pets are making the shift into a new season, too. The great news is that this can be an amazing time of year for both exercise and activities in the great outdoors – if you keep your pet protected.

The team at Animal Skin and Allergy Clinic is here to explain how seasonal changes affect pets and what you can do to keep your pet safe and feeling their best.

Spring is just around the corner! You and your pet may be heartily anticipating longer days, but more outside time can increase exposure to potential threats. This begs the question: is your backyard free of hazards? 

Beyond potentially poisonous chemicals like bait, fertilizers or pesticides, the plants about to pop through top soil could result in a pet poisoning. To create an environment that ensures their well-being (and all but guarantees spring pet safety), we must establish a proactive approach to dangerous springtime plants.

Your pet’s paws are more than just adorable. They are what allows for those romps in the fields, a good swimming session, digging in the dirt, and even some special bonding moments. Who can resist that gentle paw in your lap when you least expect it?

Paws are certainly tough, but they also take a beating. Paws come into close contact with the world around them, and are constantly exposed to moisture, allergens, irritants, and other dangers. It’s no wonder that paw problems in pets aren’t uncommon.

Savvy pet owners know how overwhelming it can be to take in all of the available information in the age of the Internet. You could literally spend days trying to sort through news stories, new scientific studies, veterinary blogs, and Facebook posts to try to find the best information.

Thankfully, pet owners in Washington state are catching on to the fact that the professionals at Animal Skin and Allergy Clinic have done a lot of the hard work for you already. Get yourself up to speed by catching up on our top five veterinary blogs of 2018.

For pet owners who have a yard, it’s important to consider certain factors such as size and accessibility. If a four-legged friend is very lucky, they’ll also have someplace to enjoy a good nap and take in scenic views of wildlife. As an extension of your home, backyards are usually safe for pets provided they’re fully fenced, reinforced, and gated. But what about not-so-obvious dangers to pet safety?

Pest-Free Zone

We all like to think our backyards are clean and pest/parasite-free, but, unfortunately, we can’t control the great outdoors. We can, however, do our part to reduce the impact bugs have on our lives. Continue…

People spend an inordinate amount of time saving up for vacations, or planning activities designed to stimulate the senses. In fact, this preoccupation with our own entertainment motivates us to work longer hours, cut coupons, and invest in the art of patiently waiting for the right moment to appear. This endless pursuit got us thinking about the cats we know and love.

If they were to create something that truly knocked their proverbial socks off, would they build a catio? You bet!

A Taste of Freedom

Without exposure to predators, parasites, or vehicular accidents, indoor-only felines can live two decades (or more!). However, strictly indoor cats commonly have fewer opportunities to exert themselves and exhibit their natural behaviors. Some form of enrichment should be provided and with obesity and diabetes on the rise, it’s worth it to consider the benefits of a catio. Continue…