Prairie Ridge Veterinary Clinic

As the summer winds down and we begin to gear up for a busy autumn, we thought we would take a moment to highlight some of our offerings. You may be familiar with our practice at Prairie Ridge Veterinary Clinic, or maybe you’re seeking a clinic for your best friend. In either case, we’d like you to get to know us better!

The Family Doctor for Your Best Friend

When you think of your own family doctor, you might often think of qualities like trustworthiness, skill, and friendliness. As with your relationship with your physician, we also believe the relationship between pet owner, pet, and veterinary team should be rooted in trust, skill, and friendliness. Continue…

Everyone loves a good bargain, and it’s easy to get caught up in the illusion that a “larger clinic must be a better clinic”. But, when it comes to your pet’s health, the temptation to seek low cost veterinary care or “all-in-one” mega clinics can sometimes jeopardize your pet’s quality of care. Quality veterinary care often costs a little more, but the thoroughness and excellence in service, as well as the personal attention you and your pet will receive, is a testament to why low price or slick marketing isn’t a substitute for quality.

Selecting a veterinarian is more than just a quick decision based on price or convenience. The veterinarian you choose will be a partner in your pet’s quality of life and longevity – a trusted source of pet care expertise and exemplary veterinary care. You should feel confident in your veterinarian, as well as the veterinary technicians and staff who will also get to know you and your pet. Continue…

Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays and we would like to take a moment to extend our gratitude to our community of pets and their owners. We are honored to serve you throughout the year and hope your family enjoys all the special moments unfolding this fall.

As we all prepare for the feast and busy holiday weekend ahead, we recommend taking a moment to assess the things that could stand in the way of your pet’s ongoing safety and happiness. You know your pet the best, and considering all of his or her needs will contribute to the overall success of your holiday.

Holiday pet safety is a top concern for pet owners and establishing a safe scene for your pet now will keep those little whiskers or wagging tails keep coming back for more. Continue…

Historically, pets visited the veterinarian only when they were sick. More and more, however, the focus of veterinary medicine has shifted from treatment of diseases to prevention.

We now know that many diseases and problems are preventable or best treated early on in their course. With ever improving changes and advances in veterinary medicine, this is becoming easier and easier to accomplish. It doesn’t take any fancy tests or diagnostic equipment, however, to provide good wellness care for your pets. It all starts with the exam. Continue…

Obesity is a serious problem in this country, and our pets have not gone unaffected. In fact more than half the nation’s pets are obese or overweight. Pet Obesity is one of the top health problems we see, and there is nothing cute about it.

Why an Obese Pet is Not Healthy

While the media is littered with funny pictures and videos of overweight dogs and cats, having an obese pet is not a good thing. Pets who are overweight live much shorter lives and are prone to developing many diseases and complications including:

• Osteoarthritis
• High blood pressure
• Type 2 diabetes
• Kidney disease
• Respiratory problems
• Many types of cancer

How to Tell if Your Pet is Obese

With overweight pets being the norm, it can be difficult to tell if your pet needs to lose weight. While we are always happy to counsel you on a healthy weight for your pet, you should be able to easily determine at home if your pet is at the correct weight. Continue…

Although summer is coming to a close, we’re not out of the woods just yet when it comes to warm temperatures affecting our pets. Even the seemingly-cooler days of early fall can put your pet at risk for overexertion, dehydration, and heat stroke, if you’re not careful.

Keep your pet safe by keeping these tips in mind through the end of the season:

• Limit the amount of time you spend outside, especially during the hottest parts of the day
• Let your pet take breaks away from the heat by providing access to your air-conditioned house, a well-ventilated outdoor shelter, or clean water to play in (a kiddie pool, sprinkler, etc.)
• Provide easy access to plenty of fresh drinking water, day and night, indoors and out. A good rule of thumb is one bowl of water, plus one more, per-pet.
• Don’t forget to bring water (and a bowl) along when you go on walks or trips away from home
• Make sure your pet has access to a cool shady spot in the yard so that he or she can get out of the hot sun when needed
• Take your daily walks during the early morning hours or later in the evening
• Stay off of hot asphalt during your walks to prevent your pet’s paws from getting burned.
• Likewise, be mindful of hot truck beds and other surfaces that absorb heat, such as packed gravel and dirt.

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You’ve probably heard the expression “What you don’t know can hurt you.” And, in the case of free and  low-cost spay and neuter clinics, what you don’t know can hurt your pet.

Free and low-cost spay and neuter facilities rose out of the need for pet population control. Clinics like these are often funded by grants and municipal and state funding specific to pet overpopulation. While the mission itself is a noble one, the sheer numbers of animals seen by such clinics overwhelm, and the care received by each individual pet often is lacking.

Low-cost clinics are often primarily focused on basic services in spay and neuter surgeries or rabies vaccinations. They are meant to provide services to those who rescue strays in volume or low-income families that might not otherwise be able to spay/neuter or vaccinate their pets.

The temptation, however, for the public is the “free” or “low-cost” tag-lines. Unfortunately, low fees often translate into basic or substandard care for your pet.

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