AWESOME (with a Capital A of course!) time this weekend as always at the Town of Youngsville Christmas parade and tree lighting!  The downtown area is all decked out and our fellow businesses have done a great job of decorating for the season.  Hope everyone had a great time and will get a chance to stop by and see us the next few weeks before the holidays!

In anticipation of the holidays, we’ll be announcing some revised scheduling in the next week or so, so please be on the lookout for our holiday hours schedule.

We hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving this past weekend, but with that in our review mirror that can mean only one thing – IT’S CHRISTMAS TIME!

YAH is proud again to team up with the Town of Youngsville to host the annual Christmas Tree lighting evening this coming Saturday at 5:30 right in front of the clinic.  As always there’ll be caroling, goodies, refreshments and FUN for all!

The Town of Youngsville has a great special week planned with not only the tree lighting, but also crafts/games for the whole family, the parade on Saturday….WOW!  What a fun time and chance to be a part of the community!  Check out the whole list of events on the Town’s Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/townofyoungsville/?eid=ARDtar-GUxo92Pll7QIkJFkXi0unnmiKntnHYRY7Jl_MAJl_CAtZh4C4BQj5oiqCFSycu1BKG9vOf9SL

Hope to see you around this week for some Christmas fun!

YAH is so thankful to be part of the Youngsville, NC community!  Today also gives us a chance to say thank you to the best staff in the world and our incredible clients.  From all of us at Youngsville Animal Hospital to all of you, our wishes for a great holiday weekend and blessed Thanksgiving!

Youngsville Animal Hospital wishes to thank each and every member of our Armed Forces, past and present, for your service to our country.

YAH is proud to announce we are now offering 10% to all veterans and active duty (with proper ID) on our annual exams.  To each and every one of you, thank you for bravely doing what you’re called to do so we can safely do what we’re free to do.

Hope everyone had a spectacular weekend as our fall air continues to be crisp and beautiful while the leaves are becoming brilliant in color!

YAH is excited to announce something fun for everyone – we’re starting an ‘Ask Dr. Maloney’ segment with our blogs, and we’ll be doing this from time to time via our blog. Facebook and Twitter feeds.  Our very own Dr. Rachel Maloney will take some time to answer your general questions via Facebook, so feel free to post them below.  General pet care, safety tips, general dietary and exercise – it’s all up to you!  So have some fun and Ask Dr. M!

(Please be mindful that Dr. Maloney can’t give detailed, specific veterinary advice in this segment nor can she prescribe or diagnose.  Any such questions will be referred for you to make an appointment with us.)

We all know how diabetes is a growing epidemic in the US, as now more than 100M people live with the disease (or a form of prediabetes).  There are many factors that go into developing diabetes, many of which also can affect our pets.  November is pet diabetes awareness month and there are steps you can take to reduce your pets’ risk of acquiring the disease, as well as factors to focus on to see if your pet is at risk.

This link can help you take a ‘quiz’ to see if your pet’s at risk:  https://usa.petdiabetesmonth.com/risk-quiz.aspx

Click here for some general information on pet diabetes:  https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951506

For the month of November, YAH is offering a free blood glucose check for all annual exams as our way of showing support for overcoming and managing.  Call us or schedule an appointment online today!

Happy National Cat Day!  An awesome day dedicated to our feline friends that give us so much joy in life.  So show some special love to your kitties today – give them an extra special brushing, some extra treats, or just some extra love.

It’s always a great day too to remember we have cats in shelters and rescues that need a loving, great home.  If you’ve ever thought about adopting, there’s never been a better time than now!  (And remember, your first visit to YAH after adopting from a local shelter or rescue is free).

Share some pictures with us today if you have a special feline friend in your life, we’d love to see them!

Happy Fall everyone!   We think we have a fall this year….or did we jump straight from Summer to Winter????  Well, we’ve still got a chance at a really nice fall season, but with that of course comes some watch-outs for your pets this time of year.

Beware of rodenticides.
The use of rat and mouse poisons increases in the fall as rodents seek shelter from the cooler temperatures by attempting to move indoors. Rodenticides are highly toxic to pets and, if ingested, the results could be fatal. If you must use these products, please do so with extreme caution and put them out of paws’ reach.

Use caution with “cold weather poisons.” 
Many people choose fall as the time to change their car’s engine coolant. Ethylene glycol-based coolants are highly toxic, so any spills should be cleaned up immediately. Consider switching to propylene glycol-based coolants—though they aren’t completely nontoxic, they are much less toxic than other engine coolants.

Keep an eye on your school supplies, and make sure they are safely tucked away. 
Fall is back-to-school time, and for some of you that can mean stocking up on supplies like glue sticks, pencils and magic markers. Although these items are not highly toxic to pets, gastrointestinal upset or blockage can occur if they are ingested. Be sure to keep your school supplies up and away from your pet’s reach.

Be on the lookout for—and steer clear of—mushrooms.  
Fall is one of the high seasons for mushrooms. While 99% of mushrooms have little or no toxicity, the 1% that are highly toxic can cause life-threatening problems in pets. Since most toxic mushrooms are difficult to distinguish from nontoxic ones, the best way to prevent pets from ingesting these poisonous plants is to keep them away from areas where any mushrooms are growing. Contact YAH or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 immediately if you witness your pet eating a wild mushroom.

Watch out for wildlife. 
Autumn is the season when snakes preparing for hibernation—meaning they’re more out in the open than usual. This increases the possibility of bites in pets who are unlucky enough to find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pet parents should determine what kinds of venomous snakes may be lurking in their environment and where those snakes are most likely to be found, then avoid those areas to keep pets out of harm’s way.

This week is one of the most special ones that YAH celebrates each year – it’s National Veterinary Tech Week!  This is our chance to say a HUGE THANK YOU to the three girls that make YAH tick each and every day – Miss Ashley, Miss Katrice and Ms. Terri!

YAH is a family and we are so proud that they are part of it. We hope they have a wonderful week dedicated to them and we ask if you happen to come by this week to make sure you send an extra special “THANK YOU” to them.

Our Techs Rock – we love you and enjoy YOUR week this week!!!

Pet Obesity Awareness day, Wednesday October 10th.  Did you know that an estimated 59% of cats and 54% of dogs in the United States are overweight or obese?  Pet obesity is a growing trend, but one we can reverse with the right facts and taking the right action.  Feel free to click this link (https://petobesityprevention.org/) as there are some great links and data to help you keep your furry friend happy and healthy.

This past week was Walk your Dog week, what a great way to avoid pet obesity than by getting into a routine to walk your dog three times a week, 30 minutes per session.  You and your dog will feel phenomenal!! If you can run your dog….you’ll notice a faster change in his or her behavior. Positive changes in behavior lead to a happier you, which in turn, leads to a happy dog and a happy home. A happy home means that Spot won’t get dumped at the shelter because no one can deal with his behavior issues anymore.

So take a walk…..and save a life! It could just be your own!