Are tennis balls safe for dogs? Dogs love to play fetch but you need to be careful with the type and size of ball you use. Standard tennis balls have an abrasive outer surface that will wear down the tennis material with excessive chewing. There are “pet friendly” tennis balls that are made with less abrasive... Learn More
Chewing Rawhides vs. Brushing Your Pets Teeth Primary care doctor, Kimberly Schultz, DVM, recommends both. Dental disease can lead to inflammation, infection, and chronic pain in pets just as in people. Good dental hygiene is an important part of keeping dogs and cats healthy. Daily tooth brushing is considered the gold standard in terms of... Learn More
Does My Pet Need Weight Watchers? The Fat and Skinny About Your Pet’s Weight Just like with humans, talking about our pet’s weight can be awkward. The truth of the matter is that most of our pets are a bit on the pudgier side of the scales. Most of the time our pets are just... Learn More
May is National Arthritis Awareness Month! We asked primary care veterinarian, Dr. Amanda McMurphy, what the top 5 non-pharmaceutical options for treating arthritis were. This is what she recommends: 5) Transitioning to a Prescription Joint-Friendly Diet Joint-friendly diets contain natural anti-inflammatory agents and ingredients that serve as building blocks for cartilage development. Some joint-friendly... Learn More
Leptospirosis: Every Dog is at Risk! We asked primary care veterinarian, Dr. Dana Carr, why the Leptospirosis vaccine is recommended at FHA: Leptospirosis is a disease caused by infection with the Leptospira bacteria. These bacteria are found worldwide in soil and water and are spread easily through infected wildlife. There are many strains of Leptospira... Learn More
You asked: Why are tapeworms not typically found in fecal testing? Our primary care team member, Dr. Boone, has responded: The adult tapeworm lives in the small intestine of dogs or cats and usually measures 6 inches in length or more. The tapeworm’s body is made up of several tiny segments – a head, a... Learn More
Hip Dysplasia: Those Hips Don’t Lie Ever see a dog walking down the street strutting their stuff and shaking their hips? While at first, you may think they are trying out for the next Beyoncé music video. The truth is that this type of gait may represent underlying orthopedic disease. The classic “swaying hip” or... Learn More
April 28th is National Hairball Awareness Day! It’s no secret that cats are notorious for developing hairballs. Cats have tiny barbs on their tongues that catch hair while grooming, which they then swallow. In a healthy intestinal tract, hair will pass right through and out in the stool. If hair does not pass out of... Learn More
Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society – Level I Emergency and Critical Care Facility Friendship Hospital for Animals Receives Certification as Level I Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Facility. Friendship Hospital for Animals was recently certified as a Level I veterinary emergency and critical care facility by the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society. The... Learn More
Primary Care in a Specialty World by Dr. Becky Bolch I am constantly asked how do I like our new second floor and the addition of many new specialists. Of course, the facilities are amazing and allow us to manage our patients’ medical care at the highest level. However, the best aspect is the team... Learn More
Introducing Extracorporeal Therapies! Friendship Internal Medicine is happy to announce the opening of our Extracorporeal Therapies Service! Dr. JD Foster, Dr. Gideon Daniel, and their team can perform hemodialysis and hemoperfusion to treat kidney disease and various toxin ingestions in our patients. Our first patient, Bay, is a four year old lab. Bay’s owners returned... Learn More
Fergus is in Remission! Fergus was in today to see Dr. Mallett for his final chemotherapy treatment for lymphoma. We are so happy to report that he is feeling well and his cancer is in remission! Headed by board-certified oncologist Dr. Courtney Mallett, Friendship Oncology Specialists offers a wide variety of treatment options for... Learn More
DERMASTROLOGY – Reading the Skin Signs Who is a veterinary dermatologist? Many owners, even those who work in human medicine, are surprised to hear that there are veterinarians who specialize in only dermatology. Dermatology is a branch of medicine that manages diseases affecting the skin, hair, and nails. Other human specialists may manage allergies, infections,... Learn More
Wellness Visits – So Much More than Vaccines! Veterinary medicine has changed a great deal over the past 40 years. As a child in the 1970s, I remember my parents taking our dog, Missy, to the vet for her “shots.” There was little focus on her overall health, and basically, she got several injections and... Learn More
Cats Need Exercise Too! Did you know that household cats, especially those who live exclusively indoors, have little to do and can easily become bored? This can lead to behavioral issues, excessive weight gain, and eventual health consequences. Although, it may be tempting to allow your cat outdoors, there are many safety and health concerns... Learn More
Veterinary Internship Friendship Hospital for Animals is a unique veterinary hospital because our hospital provides both primary care and advanced specialty care. Another unique feature of Friendship Hospital for Animals is that we are a teaching hospital. For the past 32 years our hospital has been committed to training and mentoring new veterinary graduates through... Learn More
Common Summer Dangers It’s (finally) summertime and the livin’ is easy – unless your dog jumps up on the picnic table, eats a plate of ribs, develops horrible diarrhea, and lands in the emergency room. Below are some common summer dangers we see with pets that everyone might not know about. Heat stroke is by... Learn More
Intervertebral Disc Herniation Smitty is a 9 year old Dachshund that came to Friendship when he was suddenly unable to walk. The day before, his owners noticed that Smitty was limping a little bit, but by the next morning, he was completely unable to walk. On exam, Dr. Nichols (Smitty’s urgent care doctor) and I,... Learn More
Hookworms and Preventative Medications During the Cold Weather Does your dog or cat receive preventative medications during the cold weather? If not, here is one reason you should continue your heartworm prevention year round. Heartworm medications also deworm for common intestinal parasites such as hookworms, roundworms, and sometimes whipworms. At Friendship, we’ve been seeing a... Learn More
Tails from the ER – Stone and Rocks Meet Stone! Stone is a handsome Akita puppy that was hospitalized in late November for vomiting multiple times. The breeder had noted he was licking some gravel that milk had been spilled on earlier in the day. We did not realize quite how much gravel he had... Learn More
Introducing a New Kitten Bringing home a new cat or kitten is an exciting event, but the addition of this new pet can be stressful for the existing feline family member. Taking some preparatory steps beforehand and planning a gradual introduction process can help make for a more peaceful integration process. Begin by making sure your existing... Learn More
Treatment Options for Veterinary Cancer Patients Cancer (a.k.a. malignancy, malignant tumor, neoplasia) is a group of diseases involving uncontrolled, abnormal cell growth with the ability to invade or spread to other areas of the body. If untreated, it can often lead to serious illness and sometimes life-limiting complications. An exact cause of cancer is rarely... Learn More
Holiday Dangers and Your Pet Thanksgiving marked the official start of the holiday season. Unfortunately, everyone’s favorite time of the year has many hidden dangers for our pets. Table scraps Whether you give your dog table scraps or he helps himself to the trash after Thanksgiving dinner, fatty meats or bones can cause serious gastrointestinal upset. ... Learn More
What Should You be Feeding Your Pet? The array of pet foods available today is overwhelming, especially with the amount of (sometimes contradicting) information available. Online retailers, large pet supply stores, pet food boutiques, and grocery stores are just a few potential vendors. There are dry diets, canned diets, frozen, diets and home cooked diets, to... Learn More
Toys and Treats for Your Dog’s Oral Health Selecting the best chew toys and treats for your dog’s oral health can be overwhelming. Pet stores and online sources offer thousands of options, many of which claim to “freshen breath,” “reduce plaque and tartar,” or “strengthen teeth”. The truth is that some of these treats and... Learn More
Frequently Asked Questions About Dogs and Bloat Do you have a Big Dog? I love big dogs and have grown up with them all my life. Currently, my family and I have 2 dogs, a female Rottweiler named Cleopatra and a 120 pound Bull Mastiff named Diesel. As you can imagine, our dog food budget... Learn More
Halloween Candy and Dogs Fall is upon us, and Halloween is right around the corner. Children love chocolate, but so do dogs. Unfortunately for dogs, chocolate ingestion can be lethal. Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, which, if ingested in large enough quantities can cause high heart rate, heart arrhythmias, seizures, agitation, and difficulty walking. The... Learn More
Marijuana Ingestion by Dogs on the Rise This past February with the passing of Initiative 71, Washington D.C. residents are now allowed to have up to two ounces of marijuana for their personal usage. Similar measures have been passed in both Colorado as well as Washington states in the last two years. Consequently, veterinarians are... Learn More
Fall Allergies and Your Pet – What You Need to Know! Cooler weather will soon be here in DC and with the change of seasons comes fall allergies. Many people don’t realize that dogs and cats are affected by the same allergens that plague humans. The difference between our pets and us is in how... Learn More
Losing a Pet: How to Help your Kids and Family through the Grieving Process Children often experience grief after losing a family pet, though they may show it differently than adults. Supporting a child through the grieving process in the right way is important and can set the stage for how they cope with losses... Learn More
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