The busiest day for shelters and animal control agencies across the country is July 4th.

As we gear up to celebrate the 4th of July, it's important to not overlook the safety and well-being of our furry friends. Loud fireworks, crowded gatherings, and unusual smells and sounds can all be overwhelming and potentially harmful for our pets. With that in mind, here are some important pet safety tips to keep in mind for a stress-free holiday.

First and foremost, it's crucial to ensure that your pet has proper identification in case they become separated from you. Make sure they are wearing their collar with updated tags or consider getting them microchipped. This will greatly increase the chance...

Dear Orange Hill Vet friends and family,

We hope this message finds you safe and healthy. 🙋🏼‍♀️ As the COVID-19 pandemic 🦠 continues to evolve😷, we wanted to take a moment to update you on our hospital policies and procedures. 🏥

As declared by our state Public Health Department🏢, we are considered an ESSENTIAL SERVICE and will continue to function and operate with our normal business hours until further notice. 🙏 Monday-Friday 8-6pm and Saturday 8-2pm. ⏰🗓️

Our precautionary measures include keeping our waiting area empty🚷, maintaining social distance🏠, extensive cleaning between patients,🧤🧼 and offering CURBSIDE medical care for your pets. ⚕️🐕🐈🏩🚗

What to expect when you ar...

It’s that time again where the kids are heading back to school, leaving the house empty all day. But that’s not completely true if you have a furry little friend at home who is going to be waiting for someone to return. When the back to school seasons comes around, you need to be thinking about how this change in routine is going to affect your pets.

You may notice that when you leave your pet alone, he or she may start to cry, chew things other than their toys or even try to escape the house. It is possible that your pet just needs to be trained a little more. However this behavior may also indicate distress, especially if your pet starts acting this way as you are preparing to ...

Pets provide companionship and fun, but for some people a dog or cat can also trigger sneezing, sniffles and worse. Does an animal allergy mean a life without Fido? Not necessarily.

There is a myth that pet allergies are triggered by animal hair, but they are actually caused by a protein found in pet skin (or dander), saliva and urine. Some dog breeds are labeled “hypoallergenic” as they shed less, but no dog is 100% hypoallergenic – even hairless dogs still have some allergen. Each animal is different, and a particular pet allergy sufferer may do better with one breed than another.

If you’re allergenic and want to get a dog or cat, consider looking for shorter hair a...

Ticks Suck!

Ticks are a very serious threat to your dog’s health. There are ways to get rid of as well as prevent these tiny pests from threatening your dog’s health. The United States has about 200 tick species whose habitats include woods, beach grass, lawns, forests, and even in some urban areas.

They have a four stage life cycle, egg, larvae, nymphs, and adult. Depending on its species, a tick may take less than a year or up to several years to go through its four stage life cycle. Adult females of some species lay about 100 eggs at a time. Others lay 3,000 to 6,000 eggs per batch.

Infectious Disease That Ticks Can Carry
Ticks can carry various infectious organisms that can tra...

The FDA warns giving dogs store-bought bone treats could kill them

Before you go out and buy bone treats for your dog this holiday season, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning for pet owners. The FDA has received 68 reports of pet illnesses, including 15 deaths related to these seemingly harmless treats. In total, around 90 dogs were involved in the reports (some reports included more than one dog).

As most of you conscientious pet owners know that it's not a good idea to pass dogs turkey and chicken bones under the table, the FDA says what we vets have been saying for years that processed and packaged bone treats sold at pet stores and online can also lead to symptoms...

As you guys know, we take care of A LOT of cats. And with kitten season underway, we're busy taking care of these lil babies! This is Daisy, our technician bottle feeding a kitty whose mom was too sick to nurse. We're working to get these babies off to a healthy start!

The time between late spring and early autumn is known as “kitten season”. During this time of year, unaltered cats reproduce prolifically. A female cat can become pregnant as young as 5 months of age. Ways you can help out: 1.Spay or neuter your cats.

2. Help your local shelter during kitten season.

3. Care for homeless or feral cats in your area.

4. Become a foster cat pa...

We’re heading into Spring and with the change of season, our thoughts turn to Easter celebrations, spring cleaning and much-needed home improvement projects. Before you embark on seasonal chores, please be careful of potential sp ringtime hazards for your furry friends.
Any insect or spider can cause problems if they bite or sting your pet. A bite or sting can cause swelling, redness, and itching. Some animals can have an allergic reaction to a sting or bite that may result in mild hives, facial swelling, vomiting, difficulty breathing or even collapse.

What to Do:
1. If the stinger can be found, scrape it out with a credit card or other stiff material. Alternatively, us...