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There are few moments worse than finding a tick on your pet’s body. Who knows how long the tick has been feasting on their blood, and potentially spreading disease? 

The best defense against tick bites in pets is to maintain their year-round parasite prevention medication. Avoiding obvious tick habitats is key, too, although sometimes ticks end up in unlikely places. Inspecting your pet’s coat and skin every day is necessary, but do you know what to do if you ever find a tick feasting on them?

It’s not unheard of for a pet to pick up a single flea while at the park, hunting mice, or when socializing with other pet friends. In fact, these tiny parasites are ubiquitous even without close proximity to nature. Once you spot a single flea, however, a full-on infestation may be just around the corner. Staying on top of your pet’s parasite preventative is essential, but this friendly reminder isn’t always helpful when a pet has fleas and is battling the associated symptoms.

It used to be that animals received veterinary care only when sick or injured. Perhaps unsurprisingly, pet mortality rates were much higher than they are today. Modern pet ownership hinges on staying in front of health problems related to age, breed, and lifestyle. Routine pet wellness exams coupled with preventive practices are extremely effective at keeping animals safe, healthy, and happy for many years. MarketPlace Veterinary Hospital wants to help build a strong foundation for your best friend so they can live with you for as long as possible.

At MarketPlace Veterinary Hospital, we want to help all our furry patients stay healthy and happy for their lifetimes. Our world has changed, and that change has affected most aspects of our daily lives, including our schedules. Veterinarians across the country are experiencing increased appointment requests, which makes it more difficult to get an appointment when you need one.

We know that sometimes you get in a hurry, or your plans change, and you forget to cancel your veterinary appointment. All of our pet patients would like to remind you that maybe they could use that unclaimed appointment, which is why it is so important to let us know if you cannot make it to a scheduled appointment time.

Wildfires, earthquakes, and flooding round out the natural disasters we potentially face in El Dorado County, but there are human-caused threats to safety, as well. Sometimes we have enough warning to make sound decisions. But more often than not, disasters strike when we least expect them to. It’s ideal to be ready with the necessary supplies and strategies to keep your pet safe. With our tips for pet emergency preparedness, you’ll be well-equipped for anything that comes your way.

At first glance it may seem that there is little for your pet to be worried about. They have a warm, safe home, a steady source of food, and a person that loves them very much. Anxiety in pets is a very real phenomenon, though, and MarketPlace Veterinary Hospital wants you to know how to recognize this and help your pet.

Sneks, tube dudes, and nope ropes are plentiful in Northern California, but most of them are relatively harmless. Danger noodles and shake sneks, however, have hurt juice at the ready and they’ll use it if you, your doggo, or your kitteh get too close. The best way to stay out of harm’s way is to avoid the danger noodle zone, but sometimes these stealthy sneks sneak up on you and give you a boop full of hurt juice before you can react. These tips from your friends at MarketPlace Veterinary Hospital can help you keep your distance from danger noodles:

Snakes move. That’s pretty much all it takes to attract a cat. Unlike, say, a squirrel, they don’t stop moving if they fear a predator. No. They keep slithering along their snaky way. The enticement of a snake can be too much for Fluffy to resist, so how safe is this?

What Harm Can a Snake Do to Your Cat?

Your cuddly kitty is a predator, a skilled hunter, and a killer. That’s a cat’s true purpose in life. If your pet comes in contact with a snake, its predatory instincts will kick in. Cats will circle their prey to keep it from escaping while they strike its hide with its sharp kitty claws. Snakes have instincts, too. They strike and bite their enemies if they are cornered.

Yay! There’s a new puppy or kitten at your house! Maybe multiple puppies or kittens are squirming about in your home. Unless you are a responsible breeder, these youngsters will need to be spayed or neutered soon enough, but when?

You’ve veered from the hiking trail. There’s no one around, so you let them off the leash. There may not be any people around, but there could be poisonous snakes ready to strike and bite your pet. You hear your excited dog rushing through the brush and then you hear a yelp. Has your pet been bitten by a venomous snake? Our veterinary staff is here to help!

Which Snakes Are Venomous Snakes?