All About Heartworms

Veterinarian Austin Texas

From Dr. Savita Wadhwani, owner and veterinarian, Wells Branch Pet and Bird Clinic: What is Heartworm? First of all I want to clear up a confusion for you. Worms. There are lots of different kinds. Of course there are the ones out there in the earth. Those aren’t what we’re talking about. We’re talking about [...]

Anemia in Dogs

Anemia in Dogs Pet and Bird Clinic of Austin

What does it mean to be anemic? Anemia is a reduced number of red blood cells (RBC’s), hemoglobin (HGB) or both. It is not a specific disease but the result of some diseaseprocess. How is anemia diagnosed? The most common clinical sign of anemia is a loss of the normal pink color of the gingivae [...]

Testing for Pets Showing Significant Weight Loss

Old dog learning new trick

What might be causing my pet to lose weight? Weight loss may be caused by physical problems in grasping, chewing, and swallowing food. It may be related to problems of inadequate nutrition because of increased energy requirements; for example due to rapid growth, increased levels of exercise, pregnancy, or lactation (nursing). A poor quality diet [...]

Pet Rewards: Learning and Reinforcement

Vet Clinic Austin Pet Training

The best way to train your pet is through the proper use of positive reinforcement and rewards while avoiding punishment. The goal of training is to “learn” the proper task and/or behavior. The training sequence is to give a command, to get the desired response and to use a reward to mark and reinforce the [...]

Keeping an Indoor Cat Happy

Keeping an Indoor Cat Happy

I want to get a cat but I live on a very busy main road so I am thinking of keeping it indoors. Is that cruel? For many people the thought of keeping a cat totally indoors seems to fly in the face of everything that the species stands for and certainly there is a [...]

A Puppy House Training Guide

Let's work together on this, shall we?

When you bring a new puppy into your home there will be a period of adjustment. Your goals are to help your puppy to quickly bond to its new family, and to minimize the stress associated with leaving its mother, litter mates, and former home. If there are already dogs in the new home the [...]

Is Your Pet’s Bad Breath Getting to You?

austin_vet_clinic_pets_breath

What is Halitosis? Just because your pet doesn’t brush its teeth everyday doesn’t mean that it should have bad breath. Halitosis, more commonly known as bad breath, is the result of various conditions in the mouth and occasionally a sign of an underlying disease. What causes Halitosis? Periodontal disease is the most common cause of [...]

Do You Think It’s Cruel To Neuter Your Pet?

Austin Vet Clinic Neuter image

Here at the Vet Clinics our doctors think it is cruel not to. Intact male dogs can detect a female dog in heat from far away. This stresses your dog out because he can’t get to the female to mate. It is not uncommon for dogs to actually stop eating, some times for weeks! If [...]

Is Spaying My Pet Important?

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Spaying is the removal of the uterus and the ovaries. Therefore, heat periods no longer occur. In many cases, despite your best effort, your pet can become pregnant. It is very hard to fight this instinct. Spaying your pet prevents any chance unplanned litters. Spaying Female Dogs Spaying offers several advantages. The female’s heat periods [...]

Healthy Kitten Vaccination Schedule

Kitten Vaccination Schedule image

Kittens need several vaccinations and boosters from 8 weeks on up. Regularly scheduled checkups and tests are a vital component of your pet’s care. The below is a recommended kitten vaccination schedule. Contact our South Branch Pet Clinic at (512) 462-0002 or the Wells Branch Pet Clinic locations at (512) 339-8472 to schedule a visit. [...]