According to the American Heartworm Society, more than one million pets in the United States are diagnosed with heartworm disease each year. This deadly but preventable disease has been confirmed in all 50 states, spreading beyond its once southern borders and expanding north and westward. This growing threat is most likely caused by the transportation [...]

March is National Pet Poison Prevention Month, which is a reminder that your pet’s inquisitive nature can be a recipe for disaster as they explore all the surprisingly dangerous substances in your home, garage, and yard. Our team at Best Friends Veterinary Care is on a mission to help prevent common pet poisonings, by urging [...]

Few people enjoy going to the dentist—between 50% and 80% experience some form of anxiety or phobia. Combine that natural dread with your love for your pet and a fear of anesthesia, and you can easily see why many pet owners avoid scheduling their pet’s veterinary dental cleaning. Unfortunately, neglecting your pet’s oral health can [...]

Short-headed. Flat-nosed. Smush-faced. Many terms are used to describe popular dog and cat breeds with short muzzles and rounded heads. The correct term for these pets is “brachycephalic,” which essentially translates to short (brachy-) head (cephalic). While many dogs and cats have a traditional, elongated muzzle, brachycephalic pets have a flatter face and nose, giving [...]

When you think of food poisoning, you might have flashbacks to when you had horrible gastrointestinal upset because you ate some spoiled food. Did you know, though, that food poisoning in pets looks much different? Sure, pets can get sick from eating contaminated food, but what happens when they eat something that their bodies cannot [...]

The cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) is an important stabilizer in the knee, and ligament tears are common orthopedic injuries seen in pets. If left untreated, significant consequences can occur, but techniques are available to repair damaged CCLs. Our team at Best Friends Veterinary Care provides information about this concerning injury, and options to repair the [...]

What defines a pet emergency? When your pet is sick or painful, you naturally feel that they deserve immediate treatment. However, if they are stable, many conditions can wait to be addressed at a scheduled appointment during normal business hours. Best Friends Veterinary Care triages incoming appointments by severity, to care for life-threatening emergencies as [...]

Pet owners understand about expecting the unexpected. With pet health insurance, they can face unanticipated emergencies, and know that financial constraints will not prevent their pet from receiving necessary treatment. Best Friends Veterinary Care has composed the following guide, to help you understand pet health insurance and make a confident investment in your pet’s future [...]

While ticks can be problematic all year long, they are more active in the warmer months, and can easily hitch a ride on your dog when you are out for a walk. The three most common ticks found in New York are the deer tick—also known as the black-legged tick—the American dog tick, and the [...]

We’ve all heard of Lyme disease. For many of us in the New York area, the term can elicit worry, or cause a shudder down the spine. That’s because the condition, caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, can cause serious disease in people and pets alike. And, since Lyme disease is endemic in our area, [...]