FCVC Blog - We Talk Pets
Keeping pet owners in the know
Adopt a Pet in Need on Valentines
One in five Americans will take their pets into consideration on Feb. 14, according to a new study by the National Retail Federation, a trade association. Out of a total of $18.9 billion spent on the holiday, consumers will drop $703 million on their furrier companions
Smile Fido! February is National Pet Dental Health Month
It’s National Pet Dental Health Month
(But its not just for dogs!)
Has your pet had a dental checkup lately?
Don’t turn your nose to Fido’s or Fluffy’s bad breath! That odor might signify a serious health risk, with the potential to damage not only your pet’s teeth and gums but its internal organs as well.
Visit the Zoo Day with Zoo Lights Denver
Full Circle understands the need for conservation efforts that can save many species that are endangered and close to extinction. In order to house those animals, zoo keepers have created habitats that can protect the animals and hopefully ensure their continued existence and possible regrowth. Today is Visit the Zoo Day and you have an added incentive to see the Zoo Lights Denver exhibit during this holiday season which runs until January 6th in Denver.
Holiday Travel? Boarding Your Cat For the First Time Tips
Americans tend to be a mobile lot, traveling quite a bit – especially during the holidays. 68% of Americans own a pet – approximately 85 million households, according to the 2017-2018 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA). For those of us who are pet owners, traveling means thinking about how to care for your pets. We generally involve family, friends and neighbors in helping out. During the holidays that can be difficult, because they may all be traveling, too. So you may resort to boarding your pets. Dogs may find this easier than their feline counterparts. We have some boarding your cat for the first time tips and even if you’re an old hand at this, you may find it helpful.
Holiday Shop Online and Donate to Charity at the Same Time
These days there are many ways to holiday shop online and donate to charity. We recommend that you double-up and make your dollars count twice by shopping at those outlets that will benefit your pet friends in need. Our friends at Animal Wellness Magazine came up with this list of 12 businesses that give back – supporting animals in need:
What to Know About Bringing Home a New Puppy
Puppies at Christmas can often be just too cute to avoid bringing home a new puppy. If you do this, we hope it will be from the over-abundance found in shelters and rescues. Yes, they do often have puppies. However, please consider older animals, too, and not just the puppies. But when you do get a new ball of fur, there are a few things you may want to do to help during the adjustment phase as your new puppy settles in. From our friends at Pet.WebMD:
4 Tips for Giving Pets as Christmas Gifts
With Christmas just around the corner, FCVC feels like you do – pets are wonderful and everyone should have one, or two or more. (Hopefully that elicited a smile). But then again maybe, or maybe not. Having pets is a personal decision that each of us has to decide if that works for our circumstances. So then, giving pets as Christmas gifts may require thinking through what the personal biases are of the new owners and how that pet fits for their needs. We found these tips that may help you in deciding whether or not to give a pet as a gift. From our friends at Pets.WebMD:
Celebrate National Day of the Horse with Friends
FCVC celebrates the National Day of the Horse for our equine friends (also known as equids). While our veterinary practice is mainly dogs and cats, we have a passion for horses!
As in the resolution that created the republics Day of the Horse, we also encourage people to be mindful of how the horse has helped shape our history and the joy of having horses.
Dog Treats – a Gingerbread House Recipe for the Dogs
Because today is Gingerbread House Day, we thought we would be a little different and bring you a gingerbread dog house recipe.
We know the holidays are chock full of baked goods and treats for the humans. The good news is, with a few choice ingredients for a gingerbread house recipe for the dogs, you can make a pet safe Christmas treat your canine friends will give you the five star paws of excellence for.
Dealing with Christmas Holiday Stress for Pets
FCVC understands being prepared to deal with Christmas holiday stress for pets is one of the last things to check off your list. But you can have happier holidays with reduced excitement from your favorite pet friends through a little preparation. Everyone will enjoy the holidays!
National Mutt Day aka National Mixed Breed Dog Day
FCVC is an advocate of taking care of animals in the best way possible. We support National Mutt Day as an effort to bring awareness to the plight of so many homeless cats and dogs and other pets. If you can support another pet at your house be sure to check out the adoption agencies and shelters caring for a multitude of pets. There are over 17,000 shelters in the USA. You can use the Adopt-A-Pet search widget on our home page to view many of these available pets.
Meow! All December for Cat Lovers Month
FCVC loves cats (and dogs), and since the month of December was declared Cat Lovers Month, we thought to bring you some kitty tidbits from our friends at Figo:
Support Your Hometown Small Business Saturday November 30
As a locally owned small business, FCVC supports Small Business Saturday November 30th.
This unofficial shopping holiday now has 70% awareness among U.S. consumers, with 64% of survey respondents indicating that their primary motivation for shopping on the day after Black Friday was to support their local community.
National Animal Shelter & Rescue Appreciation Week
This week is National Animal Shelter & Rescue Appreciation Week. FCVC wants to celebrate by thanking all the amazing shelters and rescues who help save the lives of animals every day. During this week, people are encouraged to become acquainted with their local shelters and rescues to learn how they can give back. We have included here information about pet ownership in America.
November Pet Holidays Fill the Calendar
We have rolled off the October Halloween holiday into November pet holidays and in this brand new month with more human and pet celebration / awareness days. This is the list for November
When is National Cat Day? Your Cat Probably Knows…
You might be confused about “when is national cat day” ? As there are multiple days celebrating cats (and dogs) on the yearly calendar. There is global, international, world, national, national feral, happy, and black cat appreciation day. Whew! Our feline friends have managed to get onto the calendar for a bunch of days! (It might be a little competition with all the days that their dog friends have on the calendar.) 🙂 So as a short review, we bring you this video:
National Feral Cat Day aka Global Cat Day
FCVC knows there are many, many feral cats in the world. They do not have forever homes and they generally would not be comfortable there, having been raised in the wild. But each of us can help to reduce the problem. Foremost, by having our own pets spayed and neutered. Then by helping support those programs that trap, neuter and return feral cats.
Fall Toxic Pet Dangers to Watch Out For
FCVC vets know that danger can pop up at any time for our pets and not just from an injury. Each season brings its own kind of dangers. From holiday candy and foods that can be lethal, to flu, allergies, pesticide use, school project glues and more!
As part of this weeks emphasis on Animal Welfare. here are a few concerns for our pets as we enter the fall season:
Here’s to Celebrating National Vet Tech Week 2019!
Full Circle Veterinary Care is happy to acknowledge National Vet Tech Week in honor of all the veterinary technicians we have had the pleasure of working with. Vet techs have an amazing skill set and they do a wonderful job helping vet doctors give your pets the best possible care. We hope you will view the video and glimpse a small part of what a vet tech does. We appreciate them – we hope you will, too!
Pitbull Awareness Month 2019 – Myths vs Facts
As October is Pit Bull Awareness Month and Pit Bull Awareness Day is on Oct. 27th, Sunday, we are bringing awareness to the myths vs. the facts about pit bulls. We hope you will spend the three minutes to view this video created by the Salt Lake County Animal Services:
During Adopt a Shelter Dog Month – Get a Free Pet Physical Exam
October is exciting for kids in anticipation of Halloween and adults thinking about the perfect party costumes. However, you could make a world of difference in a shelter dog or cat’s life by adopting one during Adopt a Shelter Dog Month. The ASPCA started this event and we bring from their site the ways you can participate this month:
Walking the Dog During National Walk Your Dog Week Fights Canine Obesity
FCVC cares about you and your pets. There are multiple reasons for walking the dog, but the two most important are – its good for them and its good for you.
Your next question might be – “Why do we need a whole week to talk about walking the dog?”. Unfortunately, many pet owners and their pets don’t get the activity in that they should. Some don’t realize that they aren’t doing it on a regular emphasis.
So this week is really a reminder that it’s good to get out and walk and say, “Who let the dogs out!”
Animal Safety and Protection Tips For Your Pets
Protecting the safety of your dog or cat is a pet owner’s primary responsibility. FCVC knows this isn’t easy in the world we live in. Things just happen. However, you can have take preparedness steps so that you are caught totally off-guard. This October, observe National Animal Safety and Protection Month by using these pet safety tips:
Ready To Adopt-A-Dog This Month?
Focusing on Adopt-A-Dog month Full Circle Veterinary Care is offering a FREE physical exam for any dog or cat adopted from The Humane Society or any animal rescue organization. (A $55 value.) Your new pet must be examined by one of our veterinarians within two weeks of the adoption date. Please call for an appointment at 970-587-5140.
Oct 1 National FirePup Day
National FirePup Day could also be called Fire Protection Learning and Awareness Day, but FirePup Day is much catchier. October 1st is the birthday for FirePup, the NFSC dalmation cartoon character.
Celebrating (Booku !) October Pet Holidays
FCVC wants to get the month off to a good start by telling you what we will be talking about all month long on our We Talk Pets blog. While not every celebration is a fun day (like National Fire Pup Day or National Plush Animal Lovers Day), we do try to mix in the fun with the seriousness.
With September quickly behind us, October blows us into autumn with a busy month for pet recognition holidays. So in case you were wondering, our friends at DogTipper.com assembled this (not so short!) list for you to keep track:
Celebrate International Cat Day August 8th
Also known as World Cat Day, it’s a holiday which was created in 2002 and is used to not only celebrate the friendship that humans and cats share but also to advocate for the safety and well-being of cats. This holiday is celebrated annually on August 8th.
July 15th is National Get Out of the Dog House Day
Monday July 15, is “Get Out of the Dog House Day .” If you’re in trouble with a loved one, today is supposed to be your day for a reprieve. This day is like a get out of jail free card from the game Monopoly. Use it to apologize, mend hurts and get back to normal.
Feeding a Raw Dog Food Diet Carries Risks
High levels of harmful bacteria found in many raw meat dog foods may be dangerous for more than just Fido, a new study suggests.Not only can these foods put a dog at risk, but people who live with that dog, particularly the elderly, young and immunocompromised, are vulnerable, scientists say.
7 Cold Weather Pet Safety Tips for the New Year
When the temps drop below freezing, you get cold and so do your pets. They may like to play in the snow, but prolonged exposure is another issue. We have seven cold weather pet safety tips to help your pets survive the winter elements from our friends at PetMd.com:
Flying With Dogs? National Pet Travel Safety Day 2019
Because today is National Pet Travel Safety Day 2019, we bring you ten tips for airline travel with your dog from our friends at BringFido.com:
Celebrating a Happy New Year 2019
The staff at Full Circle Veterinary Care are celebrating a Happy New Year 2019 and wish the same for you and all our pet friends!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from our donkeys and all of us at Full Circle Veterinary Care!
10 Best Dog and Cat Toys for Christmas Gifts
Here at FCVC we understand that keeping your felines and canines happy and entertained can be quite a feat. So we have undertaken to find some of the best dog and cat toys that are highly rated by actual users. And we have included the current sale price for these items on that big retailer that you all know and love (Amazon). If you order now, you can have them under the tree for Christmas. Your pets are bound to love you and be endlessly entertained.
Celebrating Those Brave Souls on International Volunteer Day 2018
What would the world be without volunteers? Not nearly as great a place as it is. We celebrate International Volunteer Day 2018 to give due respect to those wonderful souls who volunteer.
Raising Awareness for World Wildlife Conservation Day
FCVC celebrates World Wildlife Conservation Day this Dec 4th. We bring you this information on how wildlife in the world is being affected by those who would choose to profit from killing animals. How can you help? Spreading awareness of the problem and choosing to act to save animals are two ways.
Why Do Cats Act Like Dogs Sometimes?
As humans, we tend to give our animal human-like characteristics to explain their behavior. However, sometimes cats act like dogs, and some canines can have feline tendency. This article from Cuteness.com discusses why those differences may exist:
5 Tips to Giving First Aid for Pets
At FCVC we understand that most people do not want to think about the words pet and emergency in the same sentence. Unfortunately, emergencies do happen when we least expect them and often when the veterinary clinic is not open. There are a number of good resources to help you prepare in advance to giving first aid for pets. This one is from our friends at the AVMA:
Pet Food Recalls October & November
Part of the FCVC mission is to help you maintain a happy, healthy lifestyle for your pets. This includes the diet they eat. Unfortunately, from time to time, the source of your pet’s food can become contaminated, before it leaves the factory. The companies involved usually issue voluntary pet food recalls of their products – but these recalls do not always make the news headlines. With the help of our friends at Petful, we bring you these lists.
Guide to the Best Dog and Cat Foods
FCVC continues from our previous article yesterday looking at what the best dog and cat foods are so that you can make a good an informed choice about what is available on the market and whether it is a good choice for your pet or not. We bring you these researched findings from Reviews.com:
Pet Food Facts – What’s Really In It?
In light of this recent finding (see video) – and warning – from the FDA about grain-free dog foods and heart disease, FCVC looked into what pet food facts you should know when looking for the healthiest pet food to feed your canine and feline friends.
Feeding Yummy Thanksgiving Leftovers to the Pets
FCVC understands that it can be tough to be a pet parent during the holidays. We prepare lots of food and eat lots of food. And then there are the Thanksgiving leftovers to be reckoned with. This article gives you ten clues as to what leftovers are safe for your pets and those that are not.
A Pet Friendly Thanksgiving Feast for Fido
FCVC understands that pets ARE family and as much a part of the Thanksgiving holiday as all our human bonds.
While pets love to eat what you do – not every thing you eat is good for them. We want to help you make it a pet friendly thanksgiving feast for your Fido (or Freda).
Invite Shelter Pets for a Thanksgiving Feast
When you run across something that you think – “Wow! What a great idea!” – you just have to share it. That’s exactly what we thought when we came across this article from The Dodo about a shelter who encourages people to invite shelter dogs over for Thanksgiving dinner. It all started when a shelter director said…
Pets and Thanksgiving – Holiday Safety Tips
As we near one of the major holiday celebrations of the year we want to be aware that pets and Thanksgiving can coexist with all the preparations going on in the kitchen. These goings on will be of major interest to your pets as it smells great and, of course, that is where you are! But we need to be aware that the human food we prepare may not be good for our canine and feline friends. We bring you some holiday safety tips from our friends at the American Veterinary Medical Association:
National Take a Hike Day is Today
Anytime you can get out and have a fun time with your pet friend is bound to be a good time! Take advantage of National Take a Hike Day this Saturday, Nov 17th. We bring you thoughts on hiking from Cheryl Strayed, a fun pet video, and info about the day from our friends at DaysoftheYear.com:
6 Easy Healthy Pet Care Tips
At FCVC our goal is that our pet parents have happy, healthy pet friends. In order to create happy pets, they need a combination of diet, exercise and maintenance care – just like their pet parents! We have gathered together some excellent tips for healthy pet care from our friends at Healthline:
World Diabetes Day Pets and You Together
FCVC covers World Diabetes Day Pets Awareness in November during National Diabetes Month. Just like people, our animals can also suffer from diabetes. One of the keys to controlling this disease is proper diet, which deters obesity. We bring you this information on the risk of cats and dogs to become diabetic from our friends at the ALVMA and PetDiabetesMonth. This video is a good way to learn about feline and canine diabetes:
World Kindness Day – A Chance To Be Positively Encouraging
The world can sometimes feel like a lonely place, with the grind of work and home. Take a moment on Nov. 13 – World Kindness Day to look up from your phone or computer to do something positive for someone else. Smile at that stranger on the bus, compliment your coworker, pay for the next person’s coffee…the day is yours to make delightful!
Pet Resistance to Antibiotics & Why You Should Care
This is National US Antibiotics Awareness Week (Nov 12-18) and unless you are a practicing medical professional it will probably go unnoticed by the vast amount of the population. That’s something they should worry about, right? Except antibiotic use should concern you because pet resistance to antibiotics affects humans and pets: