Northtown Guardian Pet Hospital - Santa Rosa CA

16/06/2025

🐾 Pet Safety Tips for July 4th:
Keep Pets Indoors:
Even if your pet is usually comfortable outside, fireworks can cause panic. Secure them indoors in a quiet, safe room where they can’t escape.

Create a Comfort Zone:
Set up a cozy space with familiar bedding, toys, and calming music or white noise to help drown out fireworks.

Update ID Tags & Microchips:
Pets may bolt out of fear. Ensure your pet’s ID tags and microchip information are current in case they get lost.

Avoid Bringing Pets to Fireworks Displays:
Large crowds and loud noises can be terrifying. It’s best to leave pets at home.

Exercise Early:
Give your pet plenty of exercise earlier in the day so they’re more relaxed come evening.

Close Windows & Curtains:
This helps muffle the noise and blocks out the flashing lights.

Use Calming Aids (if needed):
Consider anxiety wraps, calming pheromones, or vet-recommended anxiety medications if your pet gets extremely distressed.

Watch Out for Toxic Foods and Debris:
Keep alcohol, chocolate, BBQ scraps, and fireworks debris away from curious noses.

Planning ahead can make all the difference. Your pet will thank you for thinking of their comfort and safety! ❤️🐶🐱

08/03/2025

Protect your furry friend from head to tail with the only monthly chewable that offers the broadest parasite protection against six types of parasites: ticks, fleas, heartworms, roundworms, hookworms and tapeworms. When it comes to killing ticks, faster is always better. One of the four active ingredients found in Credelio Quattro, lotilaner, was found to kill ticks twice as fast as sarolaner in Simparica Trio® and afoxolaner in NexGard®1 Fast protection for your dog, and peace of mind for you.

Schedule your next vet visit with us to learn more about this new parasite protection!

28/06/2024

July 4th Quick Tips for Pet Safety

Refill or Request anti-anxiety medication ahead of time

Exercise or play with your canine prior to celebrations (keeping in mind exercise or play indoors will prevent heat related illnesses)

Keep party/picnic foods out of pets reach, BBQ items such as corn on the cob,
chicken or rib bones can cause obstruction. Other food items such as chips, hotdogs, and ice cream can cause severe GI upset.

Designate a quite area for your fur baby, the use of white noise items such as fans, calming music, or the TV at a higher volume can mute the loud booms of fireworks.

Keep your pet cool during hot weather, if it is a hot day, consider leaving your dog at home.

Leave pets at home and indoors during firework shows to avoid additional stress.

According to PetLink July 4th is the busiest holiday for lost pets in the whole year. Pets will tend to run away and look for a safe quite hiding place. Microchips that are up to date with pet parents' current information are a great way to have pets returned to their owner safe and sound.

21/06/2024

Its officially foxtail season! Foxtails are barbed seed clusters found on certain weeds or plants, and grasses. Foxtails are often encountered on hiking trails, roadsides, backyards, and open fields.
Foxtails pose the biggest threat during the warmer months of summer when they are dried out and hardened,
Foxtails can enter the body through the nose, mouth, ears, and eyes. They can also pe*****te the skin, causing wounds and abscesses. Because of foxtails' shape, they can burrow into your pets skin and become embedded. Foxtails can travel through your pet's fur and skin and migrate into your pet's body. This over time can cause infection, abscess, and possible organ infections.
In order to diagnose whether or not a pet has a foxtail, a physical exam occurs where the doctor will investigate the area of entry to look for a drainage track. In some cases diagnostic imaging is needed to identify where the foxtail is in the pet's body.
This can include: ultrasound, X-rays, computed tomography (CT), MRI, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, etc.). In some cases, surgical exploration is required to find the foxtail.

Foxtails must always be removed to prevent complications, If you spot a foxtail on your pet, you can remove it with tweezers. In these cases, it is important to make sure that you have removed the whole seed head. If any portion of the foxtail is left it has the potential to travel further into your pet's skin and cause infection.
If you are unsure that the whole foxtail has been removed contact your veterinarian. If you notice redness, swelling, discharge, or if your pet is experiencing discomfort, please contact your veterinarian.

The best ways to avoid your pet "catching" a foxtail:

Avoid areas that have foxtails, stick to paved paths, manicured grass, or sand.
Check and groom your pet after every outing where there may have been exposure to foxtails.
Purchase a netted hood that can attach to your pet's collar that will prevent foxtails and grass seeds from entering into your pet's eyes, ears, and nose. https://outfoxfordogs.com/
Keeping fur trimmed between toes and paw pads, around ears, groin area and belly.
Remove foxtails from your yard or your pet's area of the yard.

Most cases of pets with foxtails have very good outcomes, once the foxtail is removed. Usually, removal is an outpatient procedure. Sometimes, hospitalization is required for a full recovery.

If you have more questions regarding foxtails or thinking your pet may have a foxtail, please contact us via text or phone.

18/06/2024

Fear Free Tip Tuesday: Loud noises like fireworks can be really scary for your pet. Check out the infographic below for some tips to make things less scary. If you know your pet is sensitive to loud noises and usually needs medications to help keep them calm, now is the time to request them with Independence Day coming up. Waiting until the last minute can lead to delays in getting them to you.

17/06/2024

It's National Eat Your Veggies Day! Some vegetables can be great low-calorie snacks for your pet. Give us a call and we can tell you which ones would be best for your pet!

16/06/2024

14/06/2024

Friday Fun Fact: This is a two-fur 🐾 factoid day. Cats spend 12-18 hours per day sleeping (kittens and seniors even more) and 30-50% of their awake time grooming themselves.

12/06/2024

Wednesday Word of the Week: QOL. This acronym stands for quality of life. While we never want to think about our pets end of life, it's something that eventually we'll have to deal with.
Many pet owners find losing a pet more devastating than losing a parent. Euthanizing a pet can feel painful and morally difficult, as families often feel they are betraying their beloved companion. However, euthanasia, when timely, is a compassionate act that prevents further suffering. The hardest part is deciding when it’s time, and veterinarians frequently guide families through this tough decision.
There's no perfect moment for euthanasia unless the pet is clearly suffering. Instead, there's a subjective period when it becomes appropriate. Families must decide what's best during this time. Ultimately, you know your pet best, and knowing how to objectively look at their quality of life can help you decide when and if the time is right.
This website has lots of information on end of life care and several QOL scales you can use when the time comes. We're here for you, even through the sad times 💔

We have heard from countless pet owners that the death of their pet was worse than the death of their own parents. This might sound blasphemous to some, but to many, it’s the cold truth. Deciding to euthanize a pet can feel gut-wrenching, murderous, and immoral. Families may feel that they are let...

11/06/2024

Happy National Corn on the Cob Day! While we enjoy the tastiest thing off the grill this summer, it can be very dangerous for our canine friends. Not only does it pose a choking hazard, but the cob can actually cause a serious GI tract blockage. This is a snack best kept to ourselves.

09/06/2024

This summer, have fun while playing in the sun! For your best canine friends, be sure to avoid hot surfaces, and always stay hydrated!

08/06/2024

It's National Best Friend's Day! Best friends are there to hang out with and share secrets with. Show us what you do with your furry BFF!