All About Those Reindeer: 7 fun facts

If I could be a veterinarian for Santa’s reindeer, I think my life would be complete.  Spending afternoons with the jolly ole fellow, sipping egg nog, and discussing how to best care for the sleigh-pulling team who bring joy to so many. Bucket list: complete!

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Leigh Hofmeister
National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week: How can you help?

Animal adoption is near and very dear to my heart.  All of my animals have entered my life through some form of adoption whether it be an actual organization like the Humane Society or an owner surrender.  An extraordinary number of animals are shuffled through rescue groups, animal shelters, the Humane Society & the SPCA.  And unfortunately, I don’t see this changing any time soon.  As the veterinary community works tirelessly to educate the public, it seems there are still animals without homes.  So, what can you do to help?  Aside from the obvious: Adopt!  There are many ways you can lend a hand to your local shelter.

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Leigh Hofmeister
Feline fur babies: 4 tips to care for your cat

My cat, Samson, turned 11 years old last month. I cannot believe he is a senior. Did you know senior cats age roughly 2 years for every 6 months that we age? Samson was my first pet as an adult woman, and he has been with me through countless moves, meeting my husband, and now 2 human babies! He is the best cat and I hope I can keep him around for another 11 years (wishful thinking?!). I know there are many of you who enjoy your feline fur babies so I thought I would write a post giving a few tips on how to take care of these wonderful creatures.

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Leigh Hofmeister
Summer safety: 5 tips to keep your pets safe in the summer heat

Anyone else feel like the summers keep getting hotter each year? I love the warm weather and actually prefer the summer days. And so do all of my animals!  My dogs love to swim and my cat roams the house chasing the warmest sunbeam he can find.  But the heat can be dangerous to us and to our animal companions.  Here are 5 tips to keep your fur baby safe for the rest of the summer!

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Leigh Hofmeister
Ask Dr. Leigh: How do we go about adding another dog to our family?

Our current dog, Bridie, a 3-year-old terrier-lab mix, is the perfect dog.  She loves other dogs and gets to spend plenty of time playing and running in a pack on the weekends at our friend’s farm.  She also spends time with one or more other dogs when she stays with the dog sitter while we are away.  Her only fault is that she becomes extremely possessive when any of us (especially me) pays attention to another dog.  She allows them in our car and in our home so long as we don’t try to pet them!  We are moving and would like at least one more dog – one that is a little more territorial (for some security) – do you have any suggestions as to how we can make the transition easier on Bridie and the rest of the family?

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Leigh Hofmeister
Finicky Felines: 3 ways to create a positive vet visit

Ever heard the statement, “Dogs have owners, cats have servants”?   Anyone who has invited a feline friend into their family can vouch for how true that statement is.  Cats are wonderful companions (on their terms, of course) and actually outrank dogs as the more popular pet.  However, when it comes to veterinary care, the numbers drop dramatically - more dogs are seen regularly for check-ups than their feline counterparts.  Why?

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Leigh Hofmeister
White Coat Syndrome? 5 ways to ease your dog's anxiety at the vet

Having a dog (see separate blog post on cats) who is stressed at the veterinary clinic is not an easy situation for you or the veterinary staff. It breaks my heart when animals do not enjoy their visit with me, but more importantly it takes away from my ability to completely examine the animal, it creates more negativity in the animal’s mind, and it is a stressor for you! So, what can you do? How can you help your dog to have a positive experience?

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Leigh Hofmeister