Taking Your Pet “To the Back”
What vets really mean when we say we’re taking your pet to the back, running bloodwork, or that the doctor is in a room. A translation guide from Lake Pine Animal Hospital in Apex, NC.
Your Dog Is Wearing a Fur Coat in July
Let me paint you a picture of North Carolina in July. It's 8 a.m. and already 85 degrees. The air has the texture of soup. I walk from my car to the clinic door, a distance of maybe forty feet, and arrive looking like I swam there. And that's me. In scrubs. Now imagine doing [...]
Why We Handle Prescriptions the Way We Do
I want to talk about something that comes up more than it should: our prescription policy, and why we don't process refill requests directly through online pharmacy platforms like Chewy. A few clients have pushed back on this recently, and honestly, I get it. From the outside it can look like we're making things harder [...]
Dog Breath Is Not a Personality Trait
By Jody Katz, DVM Let me start with a confession: I have smelled some things in my career. I've been a veterinarian long enough that I can usually clock a mouth problem from across the exam room. Most weeks it goes the same sweet way. A lovely owner lifts their dog up onto my table, [...]
Annual Testing For Dogs
Routine lab work is a key part of keeping your dog healthy. Annual testing helps us catch problems early, establish baselines, and ensure that your pet stays on track for a long, healthy life. Recommended lab work testing by age All adult dogs (1 year and older) Heartworm & tick-borne disease test (4DX): Screens [...]
Feline Vaccination and Testing Guidelines
Vaccination recommendations are based on your cat’s lifestyle, exposure risk, and the diseases common in our area. Whether your cat lounges on windowsills or explores the great outdoors, we tailor their care to keep them healthy, happy, and protected. The indoor companion This cat enjoys life in the safety of home—sunbeams, snuggles, and the occasional [...]
Puppy Vaccinations
Lake pine animal hospital is here to help your new Pet get started on the right paw! One of the easiest and more important things you can do to keep your new puppy healthy is to have them vaccinated! Ideally, puppy vaccinations are given at about 6 to 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age, [...]
What Should I Feed My Puppy?
If you have ever accidentally walked down the dog Food aisle, you know how overwhelming it can be! Lucky for you, Lake Pine Animal Hospital is here to help simplify this process and get your puppy set up for feeding success. Higher quality ingredients with better sourcing and specialized diet formulas lead to better health [...]
Leptospirosis & Your Dog
The truth about this deadly – but preventable – disease There are very few diseases you can get directly from your pet, but one of them is especially easy to contract and can make your pet very sick: leptospirosis, a highly contagious illness spread through the urine of infected wildlife such as squirrels, raccoons, foxes, [...]
Lyme Disease and Your Dog
What is Lyme disease? Lyme disease in dogs is one of the most common tick-transmitted diseases in the world—and according to the Companion Animal Parasite Council, the number of canine Lyme disease cases is increasing. It’s caused by infection with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans and animals through the bite of [...]
