The right way to introduce a Dog and Cat

Many pet owners feel their house isn’t complete until they’ve added a puppy and a cat to the family. It’s easy, as long as you stick to a few steps.

Under no circumstances should you let them work out things on their own.

That technique is far too stressful, even in the best circumstances. It is important to keep in mind that inductions can be dangerous, especially for the cat. Some dogs see cats as prey, and even those that are easy going may react instinctively to a cat on the run.

Introductions must be supervised and handled with planning, care and patience.

Grain free diets - are they better?

Choosing a diet for your dog is a task not to be taken lightly. Grain free and gluten free pet diets have become very popular.
With an increase in the number of people choosing to eat a grain free or gluten free diet there has been a corresponding increase in the number of grain free and gluten free diets available for pets.
Many people assume that grain free diets are ‘more natural’ and carbohydrate free. The growing number of these products on the market is giving the misperception that grain is bad for pets.

New Hills K/D + Mobility Diet

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition often associated with advanced age. According to recent data 1 out of 3 cats will develop CKD in his lifetime and 1 out of 10 dogs will develop CKD. It is also common for senior pets to develop age related conditions such as reduced mobility or cognitive dysfunction which can significantly impact the quality of life of both the pet and pet owner. Studies have shown that 80% of dogs greater than 8 years of age suffer from decreased mobility, and that 90% of cats over the age of 12 suffer from degenerative joint disease (DJD). Nutrition can play a key role in managing these age related conditions. This is why Hills nutritionists and veterinarians developed the new Hills Prescription Diet K/D + Mobility for cats and K/D + Mobility for dogs. This clinical nutrition not only helps to support your pets’ kidney function it also helps support their mobility and increase cognitive alertness and vitality. In fact the nutrition of k/d is clinically tested to improve and lengthen your pets quality of life. Hills K/D + Mobility is available for cats and dogs in both a biscuit and wet food form. Make an appointment and come into the clinic to discuss these diets with the vets.

Chronic Kidney Failure in Cats

Unfortunately kidney failure is fairly common in older cats. Over time the small filtering units of the kidney, called nephrons, begin to fail. Initially only a small percentage will fail, which leads to the remaining nephrons working harder to compensate. In turn the overworked nephrons begin to fail also and it is an ongoing irreversible cycle.