Posts by Dr. Todd Smith

We recently conducted a facebook poll asking “What is your favorite summertime activity to share with your pet?“…”Chillin’ in front of the A/C” was the #1 response. And with the hot and humid weather we have been having for most of the recent summer I can’t say I disagree!  One of the other popular answers…

Now that the thermometer is regularly topping out over 90 degrees (even here in the frozen tundra of Michigan!) it is a good time to review the prevention of heat stroke in our dogs and cats. Remember that dogs and cats do not sweat from their skin–they only have sweat glands on their paw pads…

Jumping on counters and interrupting our “beauty sleep” are two more behaviors that our cats seem to relish at the expense of our sanity.  Who wants to walk into the kitchen to find “Patches” chowing down on your freshly prepared dinner or have to explain to your co-workers that the dark circles under your eyes…

We’ve all been there…..shaking our heads in dismay at the freshly shredded curtains or sofa leg while “Kitty” lays curled up in a sunbeam looking angelic, innocent and content.  Or how about tending to our “war wounds” after what was supposed to have been a fun little play session with “Callie”.  Unharnessed play and scratching behavior…

As much as we love our furry feline friends, at times they can do things that test the limits of our patience. Many of these behaviors are actually normal for the cat and can become less of an “inconvenience” for us if we learn how to harness these behaviors and redirect them into more “appropriate” avenues. …

Are you having some difficulty getting your new (or not so new) puppy housetrained?  Here are some helpful hints to a clean and peaceful co-existence. 1)  Prevent opportunities for failure by not allowing your puppy to wander all over the house without supervision and by keeping your puppy confined to a small area (preferably a crate/kennel) when…

Protecting your pets protects your family… this is one of the main reasons Temperance Animal Hospital recommends year-round parasite prevention for all pets. There are numerous unseen potential dangers lurking around our environment… many of which can be found in our own back yards.  Dogs and cats of any age or breed are susceptible to any and…