Rocklin Ranch Veterinary Hospital’s Blog

You can hear the cat retching and you race to grab the paper towels. You know what’s coming, the dreaded hairball extrusion. There it is, on your freshly washed comforter, a log of compacted hair wet with bile and kitty’s digestive juices. Disgusting? Yes. A health problem? Maybe. What you don’t know about hairballs could be dangerous for your cat.

Why Do Cats Get Hairballs?

Your cat will inevitably develop hairballs because their grooming practices cause them to swallow strands of fur. Usually, the hairs will pass through their digestive system and be eliminated in the litter box. But sometimes, the hairs don’t make it out of the cat’s stomach. When that happens, the hair strands collect in clumps and need to be ejected in some other way. Hack. Hack. Hack.

For people, it makes sense to trim long hair during the hottest months of the year, but this is not the case for dogs. Instead of adding to their safety and comfort, shaving their coats too close to the skin not only exposes them more severely to the elements, but provides little defense against the heat. 

It’s counterintuitive at best, but if you’re wondering if you should shave your dog this summer the answer may be a resounding “no”.

Special Fur Features

Dogs have especially thin skin, a fact that necessitates the importance of a clean, mat-free coat of hair. Their coat actually keeps them warm all winter long and cools them down when they get hot. In other words, when you shave your dog down to their skin, they actually have less protection against the heat, not more. 

If you have ever had the unfortunate whiff of your pet’s feet, it may have reminded you of something. That’s right, Frito’s! Many pet owners come to us asking why their dogs’ paws smell like corn chips. Is it just a thing with them? Is it an infection? Fungus? 

This common quandary is one that is easily explained. Your friends at Rocklin Ranch Veterinary Hospital can answer your question as well as offer some solutions to the funky feet problem.

There’s plenty of pet care advice out there, but when it comes to your pet’s health and longevity, we think dental health is a top priority. That’s because it’s one of the best ways that you, as a pet owner, can give your pet a great quality of life. 

By the time pets are 4 years of age, over 85% of them have some form of dental disease. And while totally preventable, dental disease in pets is also painful for them and can bring about a whole host of complications, from tooth fractures to gum disease and tooth loss. 

The best plan you can make is to begin a daily regimen of brushing your pet’s teeth. You heard us right.  Learning how to brush your pet’s teeth, and doing it on a regular basis, is one of the best ways to prevent tartar and plaque buildup on their teeth and stop gum disease in its tracks. 

Are you rolling your eyes or giggling a bit? Read on to learn how easy it is to brush your pet’s teeth, from Rocklin Ranch Veterinary Hospital. 

When you think of cats, their sharp, retractable claws (and the damage they can inflict) probably come to mind. However, beyond their ability to rip your favorite chair to shreds, your cat’s claws are versatile tools that serve your pet in a variety of ways every day.

Learning more about this part of your cat’s anatomy can lead to a greater understanding of your pet, and it may even help save your belongings, as well!

It’s not unusual to completely forget about something until there’s a problem with it. Like the saying goes “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, we are all accustomed to prioritizing needs in order of what’s pressing or necessary in the moment. Pet paw care can sometimes fit in this category, but ignoring your pet’s feet can really land them in trouble.

Not Obvious

Even the most dedicated and thorough pet owners are guilty of allowing their pet’s paw care to slide to the backburner. However, certain issues with the paws can cause discomfort, pain, and suffering if left alone for too long.

Thanks to our relatively mild winters in Rocklin, there’s often little excuse for staying indoors in front of the fire all season long. Because most pets are thrilled to be outdoors regardless of the temperature, winter pet grooming considerations should take center stage in order to keep our little guys and gals healthy, happy (and pretty!) all season long.

Why Winter Pet Grooming?

Cold rains, chilly winds, and the occasional snow and ice that classify winter in Rocklin can wreak havoc on our pet’s skin, fur, and paw pads. Winter pet grooming means making sure that these important areas of our pet’s bodies are protected and cared for.

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If you share your space with a dog or cat, you share your space with their fur. Pet hair seems to have a mind of its own, working its way onto our clothing, furniture, carpets, and every nook and cranny imaginable, regardless of our unceasing attempts to banish it from our homes.

Here at Rocklin Ranch Veterinary Hospital, we deal with pet hair just as much as anyone, and over the years we have come up with a variety of effective ways to keep it under control.

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Delicate, complex, mysterious… cat whiskers embody what being a feline is all about. As cat lovers, the staff at Rocklin Ranch Veterinary Hospital want to know more about these adorable adornments and the ways in which they are integral to cat behavior. Read on to learn what we found out about cat whiskers.

The Evolution of Cat Whiskers

Cat whiskers have been around ever since cats have, which by some accounts is around 9,500 years. These sensitive, specialized organs, more properly known as vibrissae, have evolved to sprout from the feline muzzle, lower limbs, and even above the eyes. Vibrissae are a very thick, long hairs that have a large amount of nerve endings. This makes them extremely sensitive to the surrounding world.

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