Presented by: Danielle Daw, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology)

Envenomation occurs when your pet is poisoned by a venomous snake, spider, or other creature, typically through a bite or sting. Venomous species in Texas include four types of snakes, two types of spiders, and scorpions. Our team at MissionVet is here to help with any emergency that arises, but knowing about these dangerous species can help you minimize the risk to your pet, and know how to respond if they are bitten.

When your pet undergoes surgery at MissionVet, our goal is to get them back on their feet quickly, with little disruption to their daily life. We know that surgical pain and recovery can cause anxiety for your pet—and you—and we strive to make the process as stress-free as possible. And, while you understand diagnostics and treatments can sometimes cause unavoidable discomfort, your pet doesn’t always know that we are only trying to help.

Kidney disease is one of the most common medical conditions to affect cats, and can significantly impact a cat’s health, happiness, and longevity. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) develops in many adult cats, and prevalence increases with age, with up to 80% of geriatric cats affected. At MissionVet, our internal medicine department commonly treats cats with CKD, which, unfortunately, is a progressive condition. Lost kidney function cannot be restored, but you can take steps to care for your cat’s kidneys and minimize their chances of CKD development or progression.

Your pet became your best friend and trusted sidekick the moment they entered your life, and you naturally want to take every measure to ensure they enjoy a long, healthy life by your side. You feed them top-shelf pet food, walk them each day, and never miss a veterinary wellness visit. But, are you prepared for the medical costs related to an unexpected accident or chronic illness? Advances in veterinary medicine mean we can provide diagnostics and treatments similar to those at human hospitals to help pets live longer, but these advances can often come with increased costs. Pet medical insurance can help remove some of this financial stress and ensure your pet receives the best care available.

We are approaching the most wonderful time of the year, although the 2020 holiday season may look a little different than years past. Still, your smaller celebration will undoubtedly include festive decorations, mouth-watering foods, and opportunities for your pet to get into mischief. You may not associate pet hazards with the holidays, but at MissionVet, our emergency service is busy every day of the year, including holidays. We are always available to help with mishaps and accidents, but we know you prefer enjoying the holidays without a pet emergency, so follow these tips to ensure your pet stays safe and healthy through the upcoming holiday season.

Your pet’s body is composed of a complex network of systems that work together to keep it functioning properly.

At MissionVet, we pride ourselves on providing the best treatments

Chemotherapy, which is treating cancer with medications, may be one of the oldest forms of cancer treatment, but its reliable efficacy for some cancers makes it part of many treatment plans our oncology team prescribes. 

Festive food, decorations, and gatherings provide plenty of opportunities for your pet to get themselves into a sticky situation,

The kidneys are incredibly important organs for our pets and ourselves that are often underappreciated. 

Vestibular disease–the disturbance of balance–in dogs can be a scary and frustrating condition. 

A seizure is essentially a group of neurons within the brain generating abnormal electrical activity for a period of time.

Sports-related injuries are a common occurrence for people and an accepted part of the risk associated with sports. The risk of injury is much the same for our pets, even if the “sport” is just playing fetch!

This patient had a left hemimandibulectomy performed (removal of the left side of his lower jaw) to remove a tumor. These patients experience a good quality of life and good oral function after surgery.

Have you noticed your dog being ravenous lately? Drinking more water than normal?

We all know the rules; we should not feed our pets table scraps. Human foods such as grapes, raisins, and chocolate are known toxins. Our pets also chew on things that are not necessarily edible and certainly don’t ask our permission first. 

Disk related problems are very common in our canine patients, in fact it is the most commonly encountered spinal problem in dogs.

We all love our pets and want them to eat the best diet. The pet food industry is large and can be overwhelming when trying to decide what food is best. Add-in the trends of the pet food industry following human food trends and it can be downright daunting.

Being itchy is no fun and your cat doesn’t enjoy scratching all day either. One of the most common causes of itchiness is allergies, and cats can have allergies of all kinds. MissionVet is here to help pet owners understand the most common allergies in cats and how they are treated.

When a pet cannot breathe, also known as respiratory distress, this can be one of the most frightening experiences a pet owner can experience. If you notice your pet having breathing difficulty, they should be brought to a veterinary facility as quickly as possible.

When your pet doesn’t seem quite right, it can be easy to either panic or dismiss the symptoms. For these reasons, it is important that pet owners are able to identify what is a true pet emergency quickly.