Abita Trace Animal Clinic

Today pets are part of the family; not like the days when they were little more than working or hunting companions. They cuddle on the sofa, snuggle in our beds, go on vacation with us, and so much more. All this love means the homes may tend to have that distinct "dog smell." We love our dogs, but not their dog smell. What is the easiest and best way to get rid of the smell, without kicking out Fido? The best place to start is at the source. Routine bathing and brushing

With Tropical Storm Cindy approaching, the Gulf Coast is starting to prepare. There is so much to be done before the storm, but have you stopped and thought about what you can do for your pets? It’s very common for your pet to suffer from anxiety linked to the weather. Here are a few products for you to consider getting for your pet during hurricane season. The Furever Brite Safey Collar is perfect in case of a power outage. This product glows all night after only a few h

Cat scratch fever, also called cat scratch disease (CSD), is a bacterial infection. It gets its name because people receive a bite or scratch from an infected cat. The cats are infected with Bartonella henselae bacteria, one of the most common bacterium. Each year about 12,500 people, under the age of 65, are diagnosed with cat scratch fever in the US (Walden, 6.) It was most common in children from the ages of 5 to 9. Anyone who owns a cat, or interacts with a cat, is at

Many dogs’ feet tend to smell like corn chips or popcorn. It’s weird, and definitely not the worse smell your pup could have. But why does it happen? The skin of most animals is home to a lot of microbes. Your dog’s feet are a great place for bacteria and yeast to live because of moisture and low air circulation between the toes and foot pads. All these microorganisms emit their own distinct odors. The corn chip smell on some feet could be due to yeast or Proteus bacteria

This is our last installment to your heartworm series on our blog. Dogs and cats can both contract heartworms, but for each animal it is different. If you would like to read up on the other posts, our dog blog can be found here and our overview post can be found here. What are the signs of heartworm disease in cats? Signs of heartworms in your cat can be very subtle, or very dramatic. Symptoms can be coughing, asthma-like attacks, periodic vomiting, lack of appetite, or we

As a follow up to our last blog on heartworms, which you can read here, we are going to discuss what heartworms are like for dogs. Dogs and cats can both contract heartworms, but for each animal it is different. What are the signs of heartworm disease in dogs? In the early stages many dogs show few, or no, symptoms of having them. The longer the infection continues, the more symptoms will become apparent. Signs of heartworm disease may include a mild persistent cough, relu

Heartworm disease is a serious and possibly fatal disease in pets in the United States, as well as other parts of the world. It is caused by worms that live in the heart, lungs and blood vessels of affected animals. These worms cause lung disease, heart failure and damage to other organs in the body. Heartworm disease commonly affects dogs, cats, and ferrets, but they also live in other mammal species, including wolves, coyotes, foxes, sea lions, and (rarely) humans. Wild

St. Melangell: Rabbits Feast Day: May 27 St. Melangell was the daughter of an Irish king. The wished her to marry but she refused, and fled to central Wales where she became a hermit. As legend has it Brochwel Yscythrog, Prince of Powys, was hunting rabbits one day, as he pursued his game he came into a great thicket. Here he saw the beautiful St. Melangell, with the rabbit protected in her robes, in a deep devotion. Instantly the prince’s trained hunting dogs retreated a