Our Veterinary Blog

Does neutering calm a dog down? Yes, neutering can calm a dog down, especially when it comes to hormone-driven behaviors like roaming, mounting, marking, and reactivity toward other male dogs. While neutering won’t turn an excitable puppy into a couch potato overnight, many dog owners notice a real shift in their dog’s temperament within a…

If you’re wondering, “How many rounds of shots do puppies need?”, most puppies need three to four rounds of core vaccine shots, typically given every three to four weeks starting around six to eight weeks of age and continuing until they’re roughly 16 weeks old. The exact number of rounds of shots a puppy needs…

Parasites are more common in cats than many pet owners realize, and the earliest warning signs often look subtle at first. A slight change in appetite, a dull coat, or an unexpected bout of vomiting can feel easy to dismiss. Those small shifts often tell a bigger story. When we talk about cat parasite symptoms,…

Yes, in most cases, you can spay a cat in heat. Veterinarians perform these surgeries regularly, although the procedure can be a bit more involved than a spay done between cycles, and some clinics prefer to schedule it for a calmer window. If your cat has started yowling at the windows, rubbing against every surface,…

In most cats, mild reactions fade within one to three days, and many kittens and adults bounce back even faster. A sleepy afternoon, a skipped meal, or a tender spot where the needle went in is the typical extent of it. Still, any change in a beloved pet is enough to send an owner straight…

The 4DX test for Lyme disease in dogs is a simple in-clinic blood screening that helps veterinarians identify exposure to several serious tick-borne and heartworm-related conditions before they quietly affect a dog’s health. Many pet owners first hear about this test during an annual wellness visit, often after a conversation about ticks, mosquitoes, or subtle…

A paw pad flap injury happens when part of a dog’s paw pad partially tears or folds away from the underlying tissue, often after a sudden scrape, cut, or impact. Many pet owners first notice it when their dog starts limping, licking a paw, or leaving faint spots of blood on the floor. At Lakeland…

A dog dew claw injury can look minor at first, yet it often causes more discomfort than pet owners expect. We see many dogs limp, lick their paw nonstop, or pull away when their dew claw gets bumped. At Lakeland Animal Clinic, we often meet families who never realized how easily this small nail can…

Hip dysplasia in dogs often reveals itself quietly at first, through subtle posture changes, hesitant movement, or a stance that simply looks “off.” At Lakeland Animal Clinic, we often meet pets whose families sensed something was different long before a clear diagnosis entered the conversation. Recognizing dog hip dysplasia signs early gives pet owners a…

When a dog starts losing balance in their hind legs, it can be subtle at first, such as a small wobble on the stairs, a hesitant step on the tile floor, or a back leg that slips just enough to make you pause. Over time, those moments can grow more noticeable and more concerning. At…