Veterinary Blog

Ah-Ha!! We are here to bring you an “ah-ha” moment. Did you know that Hillside Animal Hospital is AAHA (said “ah-ha”) accredited? AAHA is an acronym for American Animal Hospital Association. In 2015 Hillside joined the elite 12-15% of companion animal hospitals around the country in becoming an accredited member of this association. We were evaluated on approximately 900 rigorous veterinary standards. There are a total of 3700 hospitals in the U.S. and Canada that […]

Things That Go Bump in the NightHas this situation ever happened to you? It’s a quiet night at home when suddenly your dog starts panting, drooling, and whining. He/she starts pacing around the house, looking for a place to hide. You wonder what is going on. A few minutes later you hear the first rumble of thunder. As the storm rages, you try to comfort your dog. Despite your efforts, he/she is visibly shaken and in distress. Even after the storm has passed, your dog ha […]

​Hillside Mythbusters: Food Editionby Matthew Lang R.V.T.Myth: The Ingredient list is the best way to pick a pet food.BUSTED: While it is tempting to buy a pet food with a lot of fancy ingredients, you must remember that animals need nutrients not ingredients. Nutrients are the vitamins and minerals that are vital to your pet’s health.  Ingredients are also listed by weight with the heaviest ingredients at the top and lighter ones on the bottom. This often includes water content in f […]

by Matthew Lang R.V.T.Summer will be coming to an end soon and Fall will be right around the corner. Kids are going back to school, the leaves will begin to change color, and all things pumpkin will make their return (Pumpkin-spice kitty litter anyone?). This is a time to buy school supplies, put away the swim trunks and start thinking about taking your animals off their flea, tick, and heartworm prevention….or is it? Maybe they only spend time indoors so they don’t even need to be on prevent […]

​-By Jayme, Hillside Vet TechWhat is Leptospirosis?Leptospirosis is a zoonotic bacteria; meaning it can be spread from animals to humans. Thebacteria are often found in rodents, such as mice, but can be found in other wild and domesticanimals (dogs, raccoons, opossums, cattle, sheep, goats, etc). The leptospira bacterium is spreadthrough the urine of the infected animal. An animal may be infected with the bacteria, but nothave any symptoms at all. In fact, animals that are carriers can co […]

The new year is bringing exciting changes to Hillside Animal Hospital. If you haven’t been in recently to see our new separate cat waiting space and exam room, you should stop by. These newly constructed areas help make your cat’s visit as stress free as possible. In our waiting area we diffuse calming lavender as well as provide towels sprayed with Feliway, a pheromone product to help reduce stress levels in cats. These towels can be placed over your cat’s carrier while you wait […]

We all have an idea of our perfect pet. It may be a particular breed, a desired gender, or have apersonality that fits our lifestyle. Some prefer a young animal that they can train, while otherswant to skip the housetraining and choose to adopt an older animal. Animals with imperfectionsare often looked over. They may have behavior issues or some other less desirable physicaltrait. We can judge books by their covers even though we should know better. Throughout mytime spent at Hillside An […]

Did you know that by 4 months of age, 80% of your puppy’s brain has already developed to maturity? That means they have already formed a variety of associations with their surroundings and the people and objects within it. This is why socializing your young puppy in a safe and controlled environment is so important. The prime time to do this is between 8-16 weeks of age. During this time frame they are taking in the most stimuli from their environment and deciding what they do and do not […]

When our veterinarians ask you if we can perform a fine needle aspirate on your pet what we should say is, “We need an FNA ASAP.”FNAs (or fine needle aspirates) are a diagnostic tool that we can use in our office, for a relatively low cost. They can give us important answers to the new lump that you found on Fido. Fine needle aspirates are performed very quickly in the exam room. The procedure involves inserting a needle into a growth either on or just below the skin in the subcutaneous a […]

Descriptions of rabies go back thousands of years as it has classically been one of the most feared infections of all time. It is caused by a rhabdovirus that, in most cases, the disease is transmitted through a bite wound. So, you may find yourself asking, why does my indoor cat or dog that only goes outside to potty need a rabies vaccine? And the answer is, wildlife CAN and WILL come inside. The most common wildlife species to spread rabies in Missouri are the skunk, bat, raccoon, fox a […]