Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

We insure our home, our vehicles, and our belongings, but, more importantly, we insure our families and ourselves.  Insurance enables us to take action and make choices without worrying about the cost associated with when something goes wrong,  needs to be fixed, or when we need medical treatment.  The same should be true for our pets, and, thankfully, pet insurance offers that protection to our furry family members since it functions as health insurance for them.  It helps us manage the cost of veterinary care from minor illness, to chronic conditions, to major disease or injury, to the unexpected veterinary expense. Read the rest of this entry »

The month of December is full of holiday traditions and goodies. When it comes to your pets, these seasonal treats and decor might just be hazardous to your pet’s health! From getting into the gifts that are wrapped under the tree, to playing with ornaments not appropriate as toys, the holidays can spell trouble for your playful pet.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common calls the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center took last year: Read the rest of this entry »

by Monika Schultz, Inventory Manager

If you’re reading this blog, it’s probably safe to assume that you love your pets and want the very best for them.  You bring Fluffy in for wellness exams, blood-work, and vaccines because you know that these are some of the essential ways to keep Fluffy healthy and strong.  And luckily, you receive reminders, either by mail or email, from your veterinary hospital, making it very easy for you to remember that it is time to bring your pet in for these services. Read the rest of this entry »

Did you know that there are officially more cats in the U.S. than there are dogs? If this is the case, then why is it that in most veterinary hospitals that see both dogs and cats, the number of dogs seen are nearly three times the number of cats seen? The American Animal Hospital Association recently reported that cats are not being seen by veterinarians as frequently as they should….if at all!

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It’s high summer in the midwest and that means wave after wave of thunderstorms! Top it off with a nice round of fireworks for the Fourth of July weekend and your dog may be shaking for days. Have no fear, Brad Phifer is here to help you help your pets through these scary situations. He was interviewed on Indy Style this morning on WISH-TV. Click the link below for the interview:

What to do if your pet is afraid of thunderstorms…

Have more specific questions? Brad can be reached via email at b.phifer@bracpet.com

Here at Broad Ripple Animal Clinic and Wellness Center, we use a personal assessment tool with our team to better understand and communicate with one another. This method of self-discovery is called True Colors. We’ve been using it for several years and every member of the BRAC team has found it to be a valuable tool used everyday. We are so excited to let our clients know about a new book called Canine Colors. This book is actually more than just a “book” in that it contains everything you need to discover your personality, as well as your dog’s personality. Through a self-assessment, using a scientifically-based method you will discover your true character.

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So many pet lovers struggle with not only maintaining their own weight, but also their pet’s proper weight. Those beckoning eyes are so hard to resist when it comes to an extra treat….or two or three. How can you better manage your pet’s diet without feeling like you’re depriving them? According to BRACpet Fans, their secret seems to be green beans, among other things.

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by Elizabeth Murphy, DVM

Everyone knows that doing a crossword puzzle every day helps keep our brains sharp as we get older. But what about our pets? Well, taking your older dogs for a walk every day is the canine equivalent of getting them to do a daily crossword puzzle. Dogs “read” the environment on their walks by sniffing the ground or the closest lamppost for information on the other dogs that have passed by, such as their age, their gender, their health and even the amount of adrenaline coursing through their veins! Dogs have 200,000 olfactory, or smell, receptors, in comparison to the human number of 20,000, so they get a great deal of information from their environment, which their minds must then process and interpret.

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Did you know: Dental care has saved the lives of more pets than any other advance in the field of veterinary medicine in the last 25 years?

• Smaller dogs and cats live 15-20% longer if they receive dental care as needed throughout their life.
• Larger dogs live 10-15% longer if they receive dental care as needed throughout their life.
• Bad teeth and gum disease can trigger serious, even life-threatening health problems including heart, kidney, liver and joint disease.
• In human medicine, a link between gum disease and heart conditions has been well established. Research shows the same thing happens in pets. A recent study by Dr. Larry Glickman of Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine (JAVMA, Feb. 2009) showed that dogs with gum disease had more heart problems (study included 59,296 dogs).

If you’re not currently brushing your pet’s teeth, or you’ve had bad luck trying to brush in the past, we want to help get your pet’s dental care back on track! Give us a call at 317-257-5334 or 317-726-2711 to schedule a complete oral examination and we’ll teach you some stress-free ways to care for your pet’s teeth and gums.

The northeast was just hit by a blast of stormy winter weather this weekend, which reminds us that we always need to be prepared for emergencies when it comes to cold weather and our pets. It’s a very good idea to have a winter emergency kit prepared before getting snowed in. Read the rest of this entry »