Veterinary Blog

The animals we share our lives with are family members, soul mates, and best friends.

They give so much to us, and we turn to them for comfort, entertainment, and companionship. In exchange, we do our best to ensure they have everything they need (and most things they want!). However, because it’s so terrifying to think of your pet in a life-threatening situation, most owners fall a little short in the pet emergency department.

That’s why The Pet Experts at Springbrook Animal Care Center want to take a moment to review the basics of pet CPR.

Encouraging the maintenance of a healthy weight for your furry friend is an essential part of responsible pet ownership. Pet obesity is associated with health problems and a decreased lifespan.

With so many pets in the United States weighing in over an ideal level, this is an oft neglected and misunderstood area of animal care. The pet experts at Springbrook Animal Care Center are here to help you better understand the management of healthy pet weight.

Dogs are fantastic company, but they’re not always concerned with putting their best paw forward. This shouldn’t exclude them from participating, but it does mean they’d benefit from a little planning and preparation. The pet experts of Springbrook Animal Care Center hope our tips and tricks help them become the best guest ever.

Stress can take a serious toll on our mental and physical health, and studies show that we are more stressed out than ever. Thankfully, relaxation has proven benefits, such as lowering our blood pressure, boosting our immune system, combating depression, protection against cancer, and so much more. Even though most of us know we should make more time for relaxation, it can seem hard to fit it into busy schedules.

That’s where pets come in! Living with a pet means we have a built-in reason to play more, exercise more, and have more fun overall. The Pet Experts at Springbrook Animal Care Center want to tell you more about the health benefits of relaxing with pets, and how to make sure you’re getting the most out of your time together.

There are many delightful perks to dog ownership – that cute face, those sweet ears, the endless snuggles and unconditional love…we could go on and on. Of course, all those weird activities your dog engages in (from butt sniffing to stealing your socks) are just par for the course when it comes to having a canine companion, right?

However, some of you may be wondering what drives these strange dog behaviors and whether you should be worried about any of them. The Pet Experts at Springbrook Animal Care Center are here to answer some of your most burning questions!

You may view the veterinary hospital lobby as a place to relax and catch up on emails or reading, but your pet probably has a vastly different experience. The waiting room can be a stressful or even scary place for pets, and situations can escalate quickly in such a fast-paced, overwhelming environment.

At Springbrook Animal Care Center, we want all our patients to feel safe and experience as little stress as possible when they come to visit. With this in mind, The Pet Experts want to share some tips for veterinary hospital lobby etiquette and safety.

When it comes to pets, it’s easy to underestimate the importance of dental hygiene – until you encounter a problem. Most pets have some form of dental disease by the age of 3, and without proper intervention, this can lead to pain, tooth loss, and major health complications later on.

Fortunately, all it takes to combat these sobering statistics is a little awareness and commitment. Let The Pet Experts at Springbrook Animal Care Center help you change your pet’s life for the better with proper pet dental care!

Most animal lovers have experienced a moment when time with their furry friend has positively impacted their mood or overall well-being. In fact scientists are learning more and more all the time about the importance of the human-animal bond and how it affects our physical and mental health.

The Pet Experts at Springbrook Animal Care Center know more than most how much pets can help those in need, especially when it comes to children. That is why they put so much effort into supporting community projects involving pets, and most of all pets helping children with disabilities.

Another year has come to a close, and the pet experts at Springbrook Animal Care Center couldn’t be happier with the accomplishments and growth we’ve seen in 2018. As we prepare for another busy year of providing exceptional care to Chicagoland pets, our thoughts naturally turn to one of our most popular educational resources: our pet care blogs!

We’re thrilled that so many of you are reading our blogs, and we want to highlight some of our most popular posts from the past year. Without further ado, we present The Pet Expert’s top 5 pet care blogs of 2018!

Many people are aware of how dangerous overheating in pets can be, but what about the cold? In fact, pets can be at risk for medical problems in cold weather, and are just as likely to get hypothermia (low body temperature) or frostbite as their owners.

It’s a common misconception that a pet’s fur protects them from the cold. In reality, fur is not adequate protection from the elements, especially in extreme weather or if your pet is not acclimated to colder temperatures.

Like humans, pets will tolerate cold to different degrees, depending on their age, breed, coat density, nutritional stores, overall general health, and physical conditioning.  Northern breeds of dog can tolerate cold weather better than a short haired chihuahua, for example. But keep in mind that all dogs (and cats!) need shelter from winter wind, cold, and wet.