Our Veterinary Blog | Animal Emergency & Referral Center of Minnesota (AERC) Oakdale’s Growing Part III Those of you who drive by our clinic on a regular basis have expressed surprise at the (mostly) finished expansion project we started last September! D.J. Kranz Co., Inc. did a great job making sure the new construction tied in seamlessly with the old construction. In fact, from the outside, you can’t even tell that the portion […] Read More Run, Leap, Splash Part III: Dog Dock Diving Conditioning If you have not read Part I, click here to learn about dog dock diving. Then check out Part II to learn about training your dog for the sport! It’s important to maintain a well-conditioned dog when competing in dock diving. Remember, dogs don’t always have the muscles to do endurance swimming. They may have weak core muscles, causing […] Read More Run, Leap, Splash Part II: How to Train for Dog Dock Diving If you haven’t read Part I yet, click here to learn more about dog dock diving, and see if it might be a good fit for your dog! Because dock diving is a high-intensity sport, dog owners should consult with a family veterinarian prior to beginning training. Once the veterinarian gives the green light, training can begin! […] Read More Common Plants That Are Toxic to Pets If you witnessed or strongly suspect your pet ingested a toxic plant, this is considered an “ORANGE” – or urgent case – on our Fast Track Triage system. We recommend calling ASPCA Animal Poison Control at 888-426-4435 for help determining if your pet consumed a toxic amount and for guidance on what to do next. […] Read More Run, Leap, Splash Part I: What is Dog Dock Diving? A giant pool and a dog. This may seem like a natural fit, especially for dogs that love jumping off the dock into the cool, semi-opaque water to chase after a ball. The rapidly growing sport of dock diving trains dogs to run the length of a dock and leap out into a clear pool […] Read More Reasons to Spay or Neuter Your Pet Spaying or neutering your animal companion will help them live a longer and healthier life. These surgeries can also reduce behavioral problems and help control the pet population. Spaying is a surgical procedure done on female animals to remove both ovaries and the uterus. Neutering is a surgical procedure done on male animals to remove […] Read More Did You Hear That!? Noise Aversion in Dogs If your pet is displaying signs of noise aversion, consult with your family veterinarian to determine the best course of action. BOOM! POW! BANG! These sounds may evoke exciting feelings of 4th of July! celebrations and other summertime fun; however, those same sounds may be a source of fear for Fido. Canine noise aversion (a.k.a. noise anxiety, […] Read More Heartworm Prevention: Mosquitoes are Coming! It’s easier to prevent heartworm disease than to treat the life-threatening heart and lung disease that can follow. To learn more about Heartworm disease, please talk to your family veterinarian, read our Heartworm Disease blog, or visit the American Heartworm Society. How do we prevent Heartworm disease? Regular preventative medication and Heartworm disease screening. How do you […] Read More What is R.E.A.D. Dogs Minnesota? Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) designed to improve children’s literacy through the reading of books to a dog. The program has demonstrated that: students who continuously read to the animals often show improvement in reading, communication, and comprehension skills. a child’s self-esteem and social skills can also improve. as a student reads to an animal, the […] Read More Pet Myths: Part II If you missed Pet Myths: Part I, click here! Not everything we read on a Google search is true- especially when it comes to your pet’s health. In Part II of our Pet Myths video, a few members of our healthcare team debunk these three popular pet myths: Cats don’t need A/C in the summer. Cats should drink […] Read More Older Posts Newer Posts