If you're feeling ill, there's nothing better than cuddling with your dog to improve your spirits. But what if your symptoms include a sore throat, and you're diagnosed with strep? Can dogs get strep throat? If so, is strep throat in dogs contagious to people? Strep throat, an infection marked by swollen tonsils and difficulty […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), a not-for-profit organization, the world's largest purebred dog registry and leading advocate for dogs, is pleased to announce the winners of the AKC Agility League Season 2. Champion and Reserve Champion Teams were named in three divisions: International (ISC courses), Regulation (Masters courses) and Limited (Shorter courses for smaller spaces). […]

Are you noticing your dog has a runny nose and a sudden, harsh cough that sounds like a goose honking? There's a good chance they're suffering from an upper respiratory infection. You might dismiss a cough as something that will pass in a few days. While this is often the case, these types of infections […]

We all want our dogs to live for as long as possible, so it can be scary to think of them developing an illness like heart disease, which affects their daily functioning and life expectancy. Heart disease is a condition that dogs are either born with (congenital) or develop (acquired) through a combination of factors […]

Flu season is upon us, and from past experience, you probably had your dog to comfort you if illness strikes. Dogs just seem to know when you're feeling under the weather. They lie beside you or cuddle you just when you need it most. How do they know something is wrong? Whether it's flu, or […]

If you believe your dog is suffering from symptoms of bloat, call your vet or emergency vet immediately. I hate this disease. When I first started as a vet, we gave a dog with bloat a 50-50 chance if he could walk into the hospital. Many were too weak and had to be carried in. […]

The Internet can offer a wealth of tips and facts on dog food. Unfortunately, it provides even more dog food myths and misinformation. Here’s a sampling of urban legends populating the Web and the actual truths behind them. Myth: Don't Feed Dogs Pork But then I started to wonder why so few commercial foods contained […]

Paid Advertisement For lots of dog owners, a nice fenced backyard where your pet can roam, sniff out interesting things, and snooze in the shade is a must. It's perfect — except when your dog believes the grass is greener elsewhere, and they become a master escape artist. One minute you see them from the […]

The Rockingham County Board of Supervisors has added a discussion regarding the proposed breeding kennel ordinance to the October 12, 2022, meeting agenda. Please note this is not a public hearing, rather a discussion among Board members with no action anticipated.  This discussion follows recent action by the Board of Supervisors to table the proposal […]

After receiving public comment on a proposed Dog Kennel Ordinance, the Rockingham County, VA, Board of Supervisors voted to table the proposal at its September 28 public hearing. As noted in a previous alert, the proposed ordinance could have impacted local hobby kennels.  Although some positive changes were made to the original version of the […]