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Veterinary Information/Standards

  • American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) – This organization provides standards to raise the bar of veterinary excellence, making sure our pets receive the care they deserve. Check this site to view their pet care library and find out if your animal hospital has AAHA accreditation!
  • American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) – Want to know more about veterinary medicine, public and animal health? This site has some great resources!

Pet Health Info

  • Veterinary Partner.comThis website is designed specifically for clients by the veterinarians and experts of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN), the largest online veterinary database.
  • Merck Veterinary Manual – Want to find out more about specific diseases/ailments? Check out this site. It’s loaded with tons of good scientific information on anything you can think of!
  • Toxic Plants Database – Check out either the Animal Poison Control Center or Cornell University for some great info and pictures regarding plants that are dangerous for your pet to ingest.
  • National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPCC) – There are so many things you might not think of that can be dangerous to your pet. The ASPCA has tons of info on poison prevention tips, lists of poisonous substances and other things you should know!
  • Pets with Diabetes – This is a very thorough site with information on everything from diabetes basics, terms, injection tips, complications to support and personal stories from other pet owners with diabetic dogs and cats.
  • Veterinary Dentistry Specialists – There is an entire section for pet owners on common oral health problem for pets and other dental health topics.
  • Skin Conditions/Itching – Skin problems and itching are some of the most common complaints we hear from pet owners and can also be some of the most frustrating conditions to treat.  This site My Pet Itches from Pfizer has great information on different skin conditions in dogs and cats, signs and causes, common therapies and treatments, and what you can do.
  • Heart Disease – Heart disease is scary.  It is common, especially among certain breeds, of both dogs and cats.  There is nothing much you can do to prevent it but it is treatable.  Cats and dogs also tend to get different types of heart disease.  IDEXX Laboratories has a couple great sites with info on heart disease, diagnosis and detection, and treatment.  Your Cat’s Heart is specific for cats and Your Dog’s Heart is specific for dogs.
  • American Heartworm Society – Though heartworm isn’t our most common parasite in California it is here and likely on the rise.  This is a top source on heartworms in dogs and cats.
  • Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) – Find out more about common parasites and your pet. This site has great information regarding parasites and parasite control.
  • Dogs and Ticks – This site was created by IDEXX Laboratories (our primary lab for testing) and has great information on ticks in our area, a map showing tick borne diseases in our area, information on how to deal with and prevent ticks and some fun games.
  • Inherited Disease/Disorder Database – There are a couple good databases online.  One is the Canine Inherited Disorders Database from the University of Prince Edward Island.  Search by breed or disorder plus much more information on inheritability.  The University of Cambridge School of Veterinary Medicine also has their own version of a Dog Inherited Disease Database.
  • For more Cat specific information and links check out our Cat Friendly page!
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Behavior

  • The Indoor Pet Initiative – Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine has an entire site dedicated to helping people understand the physical and behavioral needs of companion cats and dogs, as well as recommendations for managing common behavioral issues.  Check out the site For Cat Owners and the site For Dog Owners!
  • Association of Pet Dog Trainers – Use the trainer search to find member trainers near you or check out their plethora of information on behavior and training tips, dog/cat specific information, dog park and safety information an
    d lots of great FREE online webinars!
  • Online Digital Dog Training Textbook – This is a great informational site for dog owners.  Dr. Ian Dunbar is a veterinarian, behaviorist, and trainer that is known among the veterinary and dog training world.  His online textbook has training starting before you bring your puppy home, to puppy training, adult training and behavior problems.  Also check out his podcasts and other training/behavior media.
  • Dr. Sophia Yin – Dr. Yin is another veterinarian and behavior specialist.  Check out her website for articles on dog and cat behavior, training tips and tricks, videos, books and more.  She lives and works in San Francisco, California.
  • UCDavis Companion Animal Behavior Program – This website has some good fact sheets/online brochures on cat and dog behavior as well as Frequently Asked Questions and companion animal behavior hot topics.
  • Introducing Dogs to Children and Dogs & Babies offer helpful tips for incorporating dogs into your family.

Nutrition

  • American College of Veterinary Nutrition – They have a great FAQ page that answers common pet nutrition questions.
  • Nutrition Support Service – Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine has some great information on calories, choosing a diet, comparing pet foods, myths & misconceptions and much more!
  • Purina Diets – We carry and recommend Purina’s premium line of dog and cat food Pro Plan.  We also carry a full line of Purina’s Veterinary Prescription Diets.  These links will give you more information on the Purina diets we prescribe and recommend.
  • Reading Pet Food Labels – Here’s a page from the FDA that explains and goes through how to read and interpret pet food labels.  There are certain regulations on the information that should be present, which can be very confusing.
  • More pet owners are interested in making home-made diets for their pets.  This can be dangerous for your pet, especially cats, if specific nutritional needs are not met!  Here are two websites that will assist and provide you and with diet recipes and reliable diet supplements so you can create balanced diets for your pet(s) at home: Balance IT or PetDiets.com.

Specialists/Referrals

Miscellaneous

  • Microchip Lookup – AAHA has now launched a site to aid in microchip identification, petmicrochiplookup.org.  The purpose is to identify which registries should be contacted if a lost pet is found to have a microchip since there are multiple registries, not just one.
  • Pet FBI – Another great resource if you have either lost or found a pet is Pet FBI.  They have online lost/found pet databases, information on what to do, who to contact, how to protect your pet, order ID tags and much more!
  • SLO County Dog Licensing – All dogs 4 months of age and older are required to be current on vaccination for rabies and licensed with the county.  Click here to view the San Luis Obispo County ordinance.  Now instead of mailing or physically going to the SLO Department of Animal Services to license your dog, this service is now available online!  License your dog online here.
  • National Association of Professional Pet Sitters – locate a NAPPS pet sitter, tips on hiring a pet sitter and more information
  • Colorado State University Flint Animal Cancer Center has information on treating cancer in our pets and the various types of treatments.  There are also some helpful videos for those considering surgical options, including limb amputation.
  • Looking for housing options that include pets? Check out these useful tips. To stand out among applicants, you might want to consider preparing a resume for your furry friend!
  • Moving With Pets provides tips to help make moving into a new home as stress free as possible.

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