This is a traumatic occurrence both emotionally and physically.  Unfortunately, it is also a common occurrence.  So common that we refer to it by its acronym, HBC, rather than saying those three dreaded words.  Dogs and Cats do not have the mental capacity to equate getting in the road with ‘I might get hurt or killed.’  They will often chase prey into the road or simply run head long into traffic without so much as a care in the world.  We see devastating effects from these encounters of dog meets truck.  Common injuries include fractured limbs/pelvis, spinal trauma, lung […]

I am writing this article for Dr. Yowell this month for
reasons that will become apparent very soon, but a little background on Dr.
Yowell first.  Dr. Yowell joined us last
year and as many of you agree, we are thrilled beyond measure to have her.  She offers a new perspective and years of
experience to Bear Creek.  It is a
running joke between Dr. Yowell and Dr. Cloninger that one is the past and one
is the future….I wont say which is which. 
However, Dr. Yowell was faced with a little bit of a culture shock when
coming to Bear Creek.  Our practice is
mostly paperless.  Electronic
everything.  […]

As we enter the months where the temperature and the humidity start to rise, we as veterinarians become more concerned about heat stress and heat stroke in pets. We will focus mainly on dogs as they tend to experience heat related problems more than cats, however the information below is also true for cats. Heat stress can quickly advance to heat stroke which is potentially fatal if not treated in a timely manner. We considered heat stress/stroke to be an EMERGENCY situation. In order to keep your dog cool and healthy during the summer months, we will go over […]

Animal behavior is a very interesting subject and there has been a vast amount of research focused on better explaining the ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ actions of our domesticated animals.

It is important to note that ‘behavior’ is influenced by several components, including genetics, environment, and life experiences.  When diagnosing an animal with a behavioral disorder, it is also crucial to look for any underlying medical causes of the behavioral issues.  For example, elimination problems (house-soiling) could be a sign of gastrointestinal and/or urinary disease.  Animals suffering from chronic pain can often exhibit distressing behaviors; therefore, a veterinarian should perform a […]