One Happy Dog

This blog was brought to you by Pet Care Center of Apopka in Apopka, River Oaks Animal Hospital in Longwood, East Lake Animal Clinic in Sorrento…all of which are part of Central Florida Vets! We are proud to provide exceptional veterinary care to the pets (cats, dogs) and people in our Florida community! Our team and skilled veterinarians are excited to get to know you and your pet! Visit our website at http://centralfloridavets.com/ today to learn more about our three veterinary practices. 

Cat Steals Dog Bed

This blog was brought to you by Pet Care Center of Apopka in Apopka, River Oaks Animal Hospital in Longwood, East Lake Animal Clinic in Sorrento…all of which are part of Central Florida Vets! We are proud to provide exceptional veterinary care to the pets (cats, dogs) and people in our Florida community! Our team and skilled veterinarians are excited to get to know you and your pet! Visit our website at http://centralfloridavets.com/ today to learn more about our three veterinary practices. 

2011 Most Popular Pet Names

Most popular feline names for females
1. Bella
2. Chloe
3. Lucy
4. Sophie
5. Lily
6. Molly
7. Gracie
8. Princess
9. Sasha
10. Cleo
Most popular feline names for males
1. Max
2. Oliver
3.Tiger
4. Charlie
5. Simba
6. Buddy
7. Smokey
8. Tigger
9. Jack
10. Sammy
Most popular canine names for females
1. Bella
2. Lucy
3. Molly
4. Daisy
5. Maggie
6. Sophie
7. Chloe
8. Sadie
9. Lola
10. Bailey
Most Popular canine names for males
1. Max
2. Buddy
3. Charlie
4. Rocky
5. Bailey
6. Jake
7. Cooper
8. Jack
9. Toby
10. Cody
VPI's compete list of popular pet names for 2011 will be released in early January, 2012.

Today is National Pet Travel Safety Day

Today is National Pet Travel Safety Day! The mission of this day is to save lives by creating awareness of the vital need for pet safety in all areas of travel. Safe Travels! 

 

Dog Waits for Santa

Holiday Pet Gifts

Are you looking for a gift for your canine friend that is sure to get the tails wagging and paws pouncing this holiday season? For the safety conscious pet, you could always get them a new travel carrier or car seat harness. Or for the sophisticated pet, try some baked doggie goods from your local doggie bakery. If purchasing special goodies from bakeries isn’t your thing, make your own doggie treats! For the owner on a budget or for the pet who has everything, the gift of time is the top gift for any pet this year.

 

 

Tick Prevention

Here in Florida we have just seen the first real cold front come in, and dragged out our winter woolies thinking how cold it is. Of course, along with the realization that actually, compared to most states we are merely a little cooler, pet lovers need to realize that we are in peak tick season.

There are a number of reasons for this:

1. If you live by a state park and have wildlife such as deer or turkeys straying into your property, you need to realize they are the biggest carrier of ticks, particularly turkeys. As the weather cools, they are more likely to venture further out of the park and into your garden to find food. At the same time, you are less likely to be using your lawn service for pesticide control.

2. With cooler days, we tend in Florida to set about gardening much more enthusiastically, and a very common talk is to redo all the mulch beds. This much is then placed close to the walls of the house and if not from a pre-bagged reputable source can be a major hidey hole for ticks, which then look to your nice cozy house for shelter.

3. Christmas Trees! Yes, that beautiful spruce you got that came freshly delivered from the Carolina's will very often bring some hitchhikers with them, including the possibility of ticks carrying diseases.

Please ensure your pets are protected against ticks. We nearly lost a young, male 4 year old dog from tick borne bacteria that caused his spleen to swell and as the parasite borne by the tick invaded his system his blood platelet dropped to such a point, he needed a life-saving transfusion.

A lot of pet owners are unaware that some of the preventatives sold may only control fleas not ticks, so please ask one of our staff what is the best for your circumstance.

In addition, keep a fine toothed comb by the door or a close bristled brush the pet as soon as they come in from a walk or playtime outside. This simple action can stop the ticks attaching. It is also the reason that we seldom see cats with ticks....they constantly groom themselves.

Don't forget, you are not just protecting your dogs from ticks, but your family too.