Mobile Vet VT (2024)

31/08/2021

Make sure your pet is comfortable all year long. Schedule your future wellness checks now so your furry family members are taken care of later.

25/08/2021

It's true! Everyone, including your furry family members, needs a wellness visit. Schedule yours today.

18/08/2021

There are many reasons your pet may be scratching. To pet you and your pet at ease and prevent possible infections, schedule an appointment so we can determine why he/she has the itches.

13/08/2021

Scratching from allergies can lead to hotspots. If your pet is itching a lot, let's take a look and see what's going on.

05/08/2021

Furry friends itchy all over? It's time to Ditch the Itch!

There are many reasons your family pet is itching, from allergies to fleas. Schedule an appointment with me so we can figure out what's going on and take care of things.

29/07/2021

Cats that are strictly indoors can still get fleas, so make sure you treat your indoor cats for flea and tick prevention just as you would an outdoor cat. It’s no fun having to treat your cat or your house for fleas and ticks, so if it’s time to update your prescription, schedule an appointment with me asap.

22/07/2021

Healthy cats don’t drink much water. If your cat is drinking a lot of water, this is typically indicative of a problem, such as diabetes, kidney failure, or a thyroid problem.

A normal, healthy cat drinks little water. They evolved as desert animals, so if your cat is a “good” water drinker, it’s time for a check-up. Schedule an appointment with me and let’s see what’s going on with your cat.

20/07/2021

Hot spots are a concern during hot weather, especially during periods of high humidity. When dogs are allergic to whatever is pollinating, dogs often don’t exhibit respiratory reactions. Instead, they develop moist dermatitis, aka, hot spots, which become itchy and irritated, and can become infected if left unattended.

Step #1 to alleviate the itchiness and avoid infection is to clip the hair from the irritated area so it can dry out.

Step #2 is to keep it dry.

If needed, there are topicals available for application, or a single adult Benadryl for a 60-70 lb dog will also help. It’s all about giving your dog antihistamine, which can be very effective.

Does your dog need help with hotspots? Give me a call and schedule an appointment.

30/06/2021

Remember that flea & tick products, along with other medications, can be easily ordered online through my Vet’s First Choice portal at https://drheathermobile.vetsfirstchoice.com/

As long as we have a current veterinarian-client relationship, I can approve your prescriptions through the portal (this means I’ve seen your animal in the past 12 months). You can order right online (you will need to register first) and have the prescriptions delivered to your door.

If it’s time to renew any prescriptions & I haven’t seen your pet, give me a call to schedule an appointment.

23/06/2021

Do you need emergency care for your pet?

The only 24-hour, 7 days-a-week care is BEVS, the emergency care facility in Burlington. Their phone number is 802-863-2387.

BEVS is the *only* pet care facility open 24/7 in Northern Vermont, so this is where to take your pet on nights and weekends when care is needed.

16/06/2021

Animals accidentally eat a lot of things. It’s important to have the national animal poison center helpline handy in case it’s ever needed in an emergency. Their number is 855-764-7661.

Signs that your pet may have ingested something poisonous include vomiting and diarrhea, collapse, shock, pale mucous membranes, and blood in their stool.

Many human medications are poisonous for dogs so do not leave them on countertops–put them away in closed cabinets where curious fur bodies can’t get hold of them.

If you have questions about anything your animals might get into, don’t hesitate to call me.

11/06/2021

More pets go missing on July 4th & 5th than any other time of the year. Shelters end up packed with runaway dogs who have been scared by fireworks with a number of them never reuniting with their owners.

Calming Care is a probiotic made specifically to help with noise events. It can take 4-6 weeks to work, so now is the time to start using it with your pet. Simply sprinkle it on your dog’s food at feeding time and let the probiotic do the rest. You may also want to invest in a thundershirt before the fireworks begin.

Both items can be found in local pet stores or ordered online.

12/05/2021

Is your kitty reluctant to jump up on the bed, or slower to jump than she or he used to be? Then it’s time to have him or her checked for osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition of the joints in which the normal cartilage cushion in the joint breaks down. Eventually, adjacent bones rub against each other, causing pain, decreased joint movement, and sometimes the formation of bone spurs and other changes in and around the joint.

40% of senior cats have osteoarthritis but it is very treatable! It’s not just old age if they’re slowing down. Give me a call and let’s get your kitty checked out.

I’m out on vacation this week, returning Monday, May 17th.

06/05/2021

If you haven’t started your dog or cat on a heartworm preventative yet, this is the week to begin.

I like Heartgard for both cats and dogs. It’s well-flavored so pets find it very palatable, ensuring they’ll eat it and get it down.

You must make sure your dog and/or cat is heartworm negative before he or she starts the medication, so call me to schedule testing. Once we’ve got confirmation your pet is negative, you can get your medication right through my convenient online pharmacy.

I’ll be out on vacation from May 8th - May 15th so be sure to mark your calendars!

30/04/2021

With flowers blooming, it’s important to know what you should and should not keep in your home and/or garden.

When it comes to cats, you absolutely do not want lilies in your home. They can kill your furry family member.

Lilies contain a toxin that can damage their kidneys to the point of no return - even a little bite is a bad thing.

When it comes to dogs, keep them away from snail bait. This is very toxic to dogs, so make sure your dogs don’t have access to any area you use snail bait on, particularly garden areas.

Have questions? Feel free to message me here.

28/04/2021

Want a good snack for your cats? Grow some wheatgrass! It’s easy and fun to do.

Buy wheat berries at your local health food store or garden store, plant them, and in just a few days you’ll have a great snack for your kitties.

Wheatgrass offers lots of benefits, including good amounts of vitamins and minerals. You don’t even have to harvest it - just let them chew on it right out of the garden or a pot in your home.

23/04/2021

With increasing daylength, cats are coming into heat. Contrary to some popular urban myths, cats don’t go out of heat unless they are bred or spayed, so be sure to get them spayed.

Due to Covid, bookings for spay & neutering are weeks & months out, so don’t wait to schedule your appointment with a vet who can perform the surgery. If you need a referral, give me a call.

22/04/2021

Warmer weather = more ticks. Lots of them.

If you find any ticks on your dogs or cats, schedule a tick test to make sure your pet hasn’t been exposed to Lyme disease.

The best protection against tick-borne disease is a prescribed preventative, so be sure to get a refill of your tick preventative. Ticks aren’t waiting and you shouldn’t either!

I prefer NexGard. You can order NexGard right through my online portal.

Have questions? Give me a call.

30/03/2021

Dog licensing is due April 1st. Is your dog fully vaccinated? If not, schedule a time with me to get her/him up to date with shots.

29/03/2021

Owners should examine their pets once a month for new lumps or bumps. Brush gently down all four legs, on the belly, the back, the spine, and the head.

All masses removed should be sent out for evaluation. It’s better to know what’s happening with your pet than to discard the removed lump or bump without any report on it.

Sometimes a fine needle aspirate is enough to get information on what the lump is, but if an excisional removal is necessary to determine what the nature of the bump is, I highly recommend following through on that procedure.

22/03/2021

Size doesn’t matter when it comes to masses. Even a mass the size of a grain of rice can turn into a serious problem for a furry patient.

Masses on an extremity or the gums need to be attended to immediately, as ignoring them can lead to the removal of that area to save the animal.

If you’ve noticed a new lump or bump on your furry family member, it’s time to get it checked out.

15/03/2021

Procrastination rarely saves patients, whether they’re people or pets.

When it comes to pets and tumors, this is especially true because mast cell tumors can look a lot like lipoma tumors (fatty tumors). In fact, they look so much like lipoma tumors that they’re called “the great imitators.”

The big problem with this is that mast cell tumors are malignant and need to be removed right away, and additional treatment may be needed.

Mast cell tumors can pop up anywhere on a dog’s body and all dogs can develop them.

20% of soft mobile tumors turn out to be mast cell tumors, so it’s worth the time and effort to have all lumps and bumps on your dog checked.

Is your furry family member sporting a new lump or bump? It’s time to have it looked at.

08/03/2021

I’m seeing a lot of lumps & bumps lately, and the #1 question I get from pet parents is, “Can you tell what it is?”

There’s no objective criteria to judge by site what a lump or bump on a dog or cat is. It’s also never a good idea to just wait and observe. The saying I go by is “See something, do something. Why wait? Aspirate.”

“See something” means that if a skin mass is the size of a pea or larger, or has been present for one month or longer, you need to do something: aspirate or biopsy it. Then let the results guide the treatment options.

Is your furry family member sporting a new lump or bump? It’s time to have it looked at.

23/02/2021

There’s been an uptick in Lyme disease here thanks to black legged ticks now carrying the borrelia organism, which is the organism that causes Lyme disease.

Dogs infected with Lyme often present with a fever, swollen joints, and lameness. It can take up to a month to clear a dog of lyme disease because the organism likes to hide in the joint fluid. The best way to protect your dog against Lyme disease is to get the shot AND use tick prevention like Nexgard.

If you’re concerned about your dog, or think you may be seeing signs of Lyme disease, call me to set up an appointment to see your pet.

15/02/2021

Valentine’s Day is sweet for humans but with our furry friends, we need to be very careful, especially about chocolate.

Chocolate causes cardiac arrhythmia in dogs. A little bit of chocolate won’t hurt a dog - I’m talking about 1-2 ounces - but if you have a dog who eats a pound of chocolate, you’ve got a problem on your hands.

I had one case where a 35-pound cocker spaniel ate a pound of chocolate off a coffee table when the owners went out to Valentine’s Day dinner. She (the dog) developed an arrhythmia, but she survived. A pan of brownies? That will be trouble.

It can be hard to determine an exact amount of what is bad for your dog, but basically, if your dog has a field day with a box of chocolate, tray of brownies, or bag of M & Ms, it’s time to call me.

10/02/2021

Leptospirosis is a highly contagious, easily spread bacteria that causes kidney failure. It’s quite common here in Vermont because it’s spread through the urine of wild animals, like foxes, various rodents, raccoons, skunks, etc.

Many of these animals are in suburbia and will urinate in your backyard, and then dogs ingest it by tracking through the places where wild animals have urinated. When your dogs clean their paws, and/or drink from mud puddles where wild animals have urinated, they can ingest the bacteria.

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis type of bacteria, meaning it’s also contagious to humans. The bottom line: make sure your dog’s vaccination for Leptospirosis is current to avoid an avoidable tragedy. Call me to schedule an appointment and I can vaccinate your dog right at home.

04/02/2021

No single medication or preventative is 100% effective against fleas and ticks, which can spread Lyme disease to your pets.

The inoculation given to your pet to help prevent Lyme disease is very efficacious and works well, but the organism that causes Lyme disease is virulent and not easily deterred. As such, it’s necessary to also give your dogs a secondary preventative in the form of a chew, pill, or topical flea and tick preventative.

I like Nexgard as a secondary preventative. It repels and kills ticks. It’s a once-a-month chew and you can order it from my online pharmacy with a prescription. You can set it up to auto-ship each month or get all 12 months at once, however you prefer. Call me to schedule an appointment so your furry family member is fully protected.

29/01/2021

When it comes to putting booties on your dog’s feet, I don’t have a particular brand or type that I recommend. However, I did find this great article from AKC that provides 5 tips on what to look for in a dog boot. You can see the article here: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/dog-boots-for-winter/

25/01/2021

Animals’ fur coats protect them from many of the elements, but they aren’t foolproof.

If you have a pet that likes to stay outside, especially at night, it’s important to keep your eye on the temperature gauge at this time of year. While Fido may like digging his own little den in your backyard, pets should be inside when the temperature drops to twenty degrees or less, including wind chill.

22/01/2021

I hate to tell you this, but there can be ticks in the winter. In fact, ticks only die off in winter when our temperatures are below 10 degrees for several days running, but even at this temperature, there are survivors.

What ticks do more is become inactive, and this happens when the temperature dips below 35 degrees. The bottom line: your pets need to be protected against ticks year-round to truly be safe.

Not sure if your pet is okay? Feel free to give me a call.

Monday	07:30 - 17:00
Tuesday	07:30 - 17:00
Wednesday	07:30 - 17:00
Thursday	07:30 - 17:00
Friday	07:30 - 17:00

Mobile Vet VT