Our Blog

With gift-giving season right around the corner, your thoughts are likely turning to unique and thoughtful items to bestow upon friends and family. For those pet lovers in your life, and for your own pets, consider making your own pet first-aid kit. East Sacramento Veterinary Care Center has all the info that you need to up your pet safety game this holiday season: 

The world has really opened up to well-behaved pets. These days we can take them almost anywhere we need to go, and many businesses go the extra mile to accommodate our four-legged friends. This doesn’t mean we’re given carte-blanche, but it does mean it’s easier than ever before to go on vacation with your pet. Of course, it’s up to you to decide if your pet is up for the break-in routine and all that traveling demands. But if they’re healthy and prepared, this could be the trip of a lifetime.

Few of us have the willpower not to overindulge during the holidays. There’s just so much to eat, particularly hard-to-resist foods that happen to be loaded with calories. Our pets know how much we love to eat because they watch our every move, especially if we’re poking around in the fridge. Just as they mirror our emotional states, pets tend to crave the same things that we do during the holidays. The best way to counter their hankerings is to offer tasty pet snacks that don’t add to their waistline.

Candy corn, bite-sized Snickers, and Tootsie Rolls might taste great to us, but they should never be shared with our animal companions, no matter how much they might beg us for a sample! This Halloween, the team at East Sacramento Veterinary Center reminds all pet families to keep Halloween pet safety top of mind when planning for a season of tricks and treats.

Your pet can join in the fun safely with the following tips for finding (or making your own) pet-friendly Halloween treats.

Sharing a little bit of your dinner with man’s best friend is a part of many of our relationships with our dogs. While we want you to enjoy your pet, East Sacramento Veterinary Center thinks it is important to remind our clients that there are reasons that people food is really for people. Besides things like digestive upset, pancreatitis, and weight gain, human foods can sometimes be dangerous. Read on to learn what you need to know about toxic foods for dogs.

Many pets have a tendency to track flying objects with the intent to chomp on and swallow them. It may seem odd, and it’s definitely a little gross, but it is a fairly normal behavior in the animal world. Dogs and cats seem to enjoy snatching up flying insects. If you’ve been cautiously observing this behavior, and wondering why your pet eats bugs, we’ve got the scoop.

There’s no doubt that 2020 has been quite the year – one most of us won’t be sorry to say goodbye to! The fires that have been devastating the West Coast are the latest of many tragedies that has rocked our country, and the effects of the smoke and fire damage will be long-lasting.

When it comes to health concerns from wildfire smoke, this isn’t just about humans. Our pets and other animals are gravely impacted by the smoke and can suffer illnesses and respiratory problems relating to these wildfires. This is why the team at East Sacramento Veterinary Center wants to help you protect your pet from forest fire smoke through some proactive measures. 

Most people accept wild snakes as the interesting reptiles they are, and respect their place on the food chain. Few could argue with the fact that snakes help maintain the natural balance. 

Despite being generally appreciated, snakes are not widely welcomed into people’s homes. In fact, many of us can only value them as long as they stay in their own habitats. They may not be looking for trouble, but they can be extremely dangerous to curious, protective, and territorial pets. Keep your pet safe from snakes with our tried and true tips.

Snake encounters are just a part of life in California, and yet, few of us are truly primed to handle them. 

While people may go out of our way to avoid snakes,, a pet’s predatory instincts may be triggered if they detect unexpected movement or sound in their immediate environment. Unbeknownst to the pets in hot pursuit of an unknown intruder, snakes have amazing defense mechanisms, including painful, venomous bites. 

Every year, approximately 150,000 venomous snake bites occur every year in cats and dogs. Some cases are fatal, but not all bites contain venom (known as “dry bites”). This is hardly consoling for a pet owner that simply wants to keep their pet safe from snakes.

Whether it’s a special skill one consciously works on, or it’s simple, dumb luck, getting through the holiday season without getting sick or hurt is critical. While this way of thought definitely applies to people, it’s of equal importance for the pets in our care. 

Since a pet’s wellness isn’t accidental, their overall health utterly depends on an owner’s approach to holiday pet safety. Don’t worry, your friends at East Sacramento Veterinary Center have you covered.