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Pets

Veterinarian lists 6 things pet owners do that 'give him the ick.' Pet parents, take note.

Though meant in good fun, these 'icks' contain some helpful pointers.

No pet owner wants to give their vet "the ick."

Ally McBeal first brought us the phrase “gives me the ick” back in 1999, and it’s had a resurgence in recent years, thanks to TikTok. While mostly reserved for describing annoyances in the dating world, the term can and has been used to describe virtually every red flag or pet peeve under the sun. Now, thanks to Dr. Frank Bozelka, we can enjoy a veterinarian version of “the icks.”

Just to be clear, the icks in question don’t come from the patients themselves…but the pet parents. While Dr. Bozelka is clearly just poking fun, he doesn’t shy away from highlighting some of the choices that pet parents make that cause some serious problems for their furry friends.

Ick #1 - Trusting a breeder's opinion over a vet’s

As Bozelka points out in his video caption, breeders “are not medical experts.” He added that while there are certainly knowledgeable breeders out there—even some who taught him breed specific tidbits—”most of the time you’re dealing with a backyard breeder who is literally just trying to dodge any responsibility.”

@dr.bozelkaervet
While there certainly are breeders that know their stuff, they are still not medical experts! Sure I’ve learned a few things from breeders about unique breeds I didn’t know, but it’s not very common. And the harsh reality of being a vet is that most of the time, you’re dealing with a backyard breeder that’s literally just trying to dodge any responsibility. So yes, our gut reaction when people say that is to cringe, sorry. I cannot stress this enough: DO NOT JUST BUY A BREED BECAUSE IT’S CUTE!!! DO! YOUR!! HOMEWORK!!! Make sure the breed is a good fit for your lifestyle, and make sure your lifestyle is a good fit for the breed! And for retractable leashes: I’ve seen far more injuries caused to dogs and humans from retractable leashes compared to other leashes. End of explanation. For number 6: stop complaining about the wait times. We know it’s frustrating. The dirty truth, however, is the vast majority of the time it’s NOT the fault of the hospital staff. It’s other owners and the cases we are seeing. #fyp #comedyvideo #satire #doglover #catlover #petlover #vetsoftiktok #drbozelka

Hence why his gut reaction when he hears someone refer to a breeder’s opinion as gospel is to “cringe.”

Even breeders agreed on this one. One wrote, “As a breeder I never give medical advice. I say: ‘please go see your vet.’ Maybe because I’m also a vet tech.”

Ick # 2 - Doing the opposite of what the vet says they would do

Next on the list: when someone asks, “If this were your dog what would you do?" then proceeds to do the opposite of what he’d do.

“Bro, why did you even ask me?” he says in the clip. Seriously, why ask if you're not even going to take the information to heart?

University Of Washington Dog GIF by Pac-12 NetworkGiphy

Ick # 3 - Not accommodating a dog that needs lots of activity

Some people desperately want, say, a husky dog because they're so beautiful and so smart. But breeds like that also have very high activity needs that require some pretty significant lifestyle changes. And yet, people complain when that same breed of dog is tearing up the house all the time because they're not giving them the physical activity outlets they require.

In other words, you can put a dog bred to race sleds through the snow into a 12' by 12' living room and expect them to just happily chill there.

Ick #4 - Buying a pet after doing zero research on the specific needs of the breed

Along the lines of the husky example, pet owners really need to understand the breed of animal they are getting.

“I cannot stress this enough: DO NOT JUST BUY A BREED BECAUSE IT’S CUTE! DO! YOUR! HOMEWORK!” Bozelka wrote in all caps.

Dog breeds in particular vary a lot and some have very specific needs that an owner may not be prepared to handle. Know what you're getting into before making a decade-plus long commitment to care for an animal.

@dr.bozelkaervet
True story… Legends has it that Hisoka aged another 2 years by the time she realized what was happening with him… Make sure to follow me on other platforms for when TikTok inevitably gets banned! YouTube: @Dr.BozelkaERvet1 Facebook and Instagram: @Dr.BozelkaERvet #fyp #comedyvideo #catlover #doglover #petlover #animallover #vetsoftiktok #drbozelka

Ick #5 - Complaining about wait times at the ER

No one wants to be made to wait when their animal needs to be seen, but there's only so much that is under the staff's control.

“We know it’s frustrating,” Bozelka writes, “The dirty truth, however, is the vast majority of the time it’s NOT the fault of the hospital staff. It’s the other owner and the cases we are seeing."

Ick #6 - Retractable leashes

Lastly, Dr. Bozelka listed retractable leashes as an ick, simply because they’re so dangerous. He’s seen “far more injuries caused” by them in comparison to other leashes, so better to be safe than sorry.

While not every vet might have the same icks as Bozelka, it’s easy to see how any one in his situation would be aggravated. Vets undergo years of education and training to help give our pets the best life possible. And when we make their job even harder, frustration is inevitable.

Dr. Bozelka has also shared things pet owners do that vets love:

@dr.bozelkaervet
Replying to @konagirl02 May not be mah best work, but it’s still important work! There are plenty of things pet owners can do to make us happy, and most of them are pretty simple! And TRUST me, for those of you that are understanding and considerate of the wait times, the vet staffs are literally singing your praises and blessing your family and friends behind close doors because of how amazing you are! Being polite and understanding about your wait is a sure fire way to get a staff to love you (at least from an ER standpoint). #fyp #comedyvideo #catlover #doglover #petlover #animallover #vetsoftiktok #drbozelka

According to the website KeepingItPawsome.com, there are a few other behaviors that vets find frustrating, including:

Overfeeding, trusting “Dr. Google” over their professional opinion, being verbally abusive or getting hysterical in the waiting room, not having pet insurance or an emergency fund, waiting too long before brining the pet in to get a check up, expecting free treatment or reduced fees, giving up on sick or old pets, trying medications or supplements without consulting them (again, Google can’t always be trusted), and last but not least—expecting a quick and easy fix.

Vets want what’s best for our fur babies. So these are good things to remember as pet parents, so that we may better help them help us.

This article originally appeared last year.

From Your Site Articles

pets

Joy

A stray dog saves her dying puppy’s life by bringing her to the veterinarian in Istanbul

A dog's motherly instinct and trust in humans saved a puppy's life

@beylikduzu_alfa_veteriner

A stray dog brought her lifeless puppy to the doorstep of a local veterinarian clinic, saving its life.

In the Beylikdüzü district in Istanbul, security camera footage showed a stray dog holding a puppy in its mouth and bringing it to the doorstep of a local veterinary clinic. The veterinarian that answered the door found the puppy lifeless and took it in while the pup’s mother followed.

The puppy received emergency treatment, as it was dying from a slow heartbeat due to the cold outside. Throughout the treatment, the mother dog stayed at her puppy’s side. Thanks to quick action and care, the puppy survived and is being cared for at the clinic alongside its mother. This puppy turned out to be related to another puppy that was brought in by other animal lovers beforehand, with the belief that it was the sole survivor of its litter.

See on Instagram

"We thought all of them had died. It turns out there was one sibling that survived,” said veterinarian and clinic owner, Baturalp Oğhan in an interview. “When our technician noticed the situation, he brought it inside. We realized the puppy's heart was beating. We placed it in intensive care. It is currently continuing treatment with its sibling."

The puppy's mother stayed with her child as the veterinarian administered treatment.@beylikduzu_alfa_veteriner

While it is unfortunate that the rest of the litter had passed, this mother dog’s actions not only saved one of her pups but had reunited her with another one.

According to World Population Review, there is a pet dog in 30% of all households globally. There are 90 million pet dogs housed in the United States alone. Bear in mind, that is counting the dogs that are housed and cared for by humans. Just imagine how many dogs are still out there like that mother dog, along with the number of dogs that sadly didn’t make it like that lucky puppy.

The puppy is recovering nicely alongside its sibling.@beylikduzu_alfa_veteriner

While it is remarkable that this mother dog, out of memory, instinct, desperation, or a combination of those traits took her puppy to the clinic, the onus cannot be on dogs themselves to receive the help and care they need. Fortunately, there are several animal shelters and clinics that can help care for these animals, but they still need to find ways to get there. Not all of them have smart dog mothers that can get them to a helpful human vet.

The puppy lives thanks to its mother's quick action and trust in local veterinarians.@beylikduzu_alfa_veteriner

If you wish to help out a stray animal, such as a dog or cat, there are some steps you can take to be prepared if the situation presents itself. The Humane Society has a bunch of quality tips, such as keeping your car with supplies like fresh water, bowls, pet food, heavy blankets,and such to keep the animal comfortable while waiting for animal control to arrive at the scene or if you choose to transport them yourself to a nearby shelter. Before you stock up, you should research to see if there are any state or local laws regarding housing lost or stray animals to make sure you’re following the legal methods.

We share a lot of space with “man’s best friend” and the least we can do is be a best friend back to them, especially when they’re in need.

This article originally appeared in January.

From Your Site Articles

puppy

Popular

There's an underreported health crisis among veterinarians. 4 reasons why they need help.

Abuse from customers is just the beginning.

via Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels

A veterinarian examines a sick dog.

Imagine this.

You grow up loving animals – you're the rare type of human who loves cats and dogs equally. You're also fond of birds, lizards — pretty much anything that was worth of securing a spot on the Ark.

So you decide to become a veterinarian when you grow up so you can help as many of them as possible.

As a vet, you do get to help a lot of animals! But here are some other things you deal with on a daily basis.

Abandoned, mistreated, and abused pets. You know that horrible Sarah McLaughlin commercial with all the sad animals that haunts all of our dreams? Imagine waking up and clocking into work and seeing that, or worse, every single day.

long-coated black and white dog during daytime Much needed photo of a cute dog. Photo by Baptist Standaert on Unsplash

Owners that can't or won't get proper care for their pets. Pet care, including essential medications and surgeries, is really expensive. Someone might adopt a puppy because they have the means to feed it and get it vaccines, but that doesn't mean they have $10,000 to shell out for hip surgery a few years later, and as a vet you may have to watch that animal go without.

(Though that's probably preferable to when owners come in wanting to euthanize perfectly healthy pets due to inconvenience.)

And then there's the fact that most veterinarians must perform euthanasia on a daily basis — a heartbreaking reality of the job.

All of that while often saddled with medical debt and making less than stellar wages.

As tough as these things are, many vets report that they're somehow the least stressful parts of their day-to-day.

The worst thing that vets actually deal with, though, is all the humans.

It's unfortunately very common for pet owners to get angry about the cost of care and take it out on veterinarians and their staff, hurling abuse and accusations of greed at them.

Cyber-bullying is a big problem, too, with angry customers leaving bad reviews and social media posts that vets aren't allowed to respond to due to privacy concerns.

From there, it's not unheard of for angry clients to make threats or even resort to violence against veterinarians.

The reality of the career is a far cry from just playing with puppies all day — it's frequently dealing with difficult, entitled, or emotional owners.

It should be no surprise, then, that veterinarians are facing a mental health crisis — but somehow it still is.

short-coated brown puppy on white floor This dog would never scream at a vet and make them cry Photo by Jairo Alzate on Unsplash

When I learned that this is one of the industries with the highest rates of depression and suicide, I was completely shocked.

Of course, thinking through the challenges of the job, it makes total sense.

But the issue clearly hasn't been getting enough attention.

A recent report from Australian dog food brand Royal Canin and the charity Love Your Pet, Love Your Vet spelled out some sobering data:

Vets were four-times more likely than the general population to commit suicide, with a heart-breaking 68% of veterinarians surveyed having lost a colleague to suicide.

Even at the less extreme ends of the spectrum, the stress, anxiety, burnout, and depression in the industry are catastrophic.

On top, the general public has no idea how bad the problem is — almost 80% of Australians surveyed were not aware of veterinary mental health issues at all.

The problem is just as bad in the USA and other parts of the World. But...

A report from the AVMA shows that things are getting (a little) better. Making more people aware will help.

a brown cat lying on the ground Another cute pet break Photo by Simone Dalmeri on Unsplash

Despite being an underreported crisis, there are tons of groups fighting to make an impact here — dog food brands, non profits, professional trade organizations — and the good news it might just be making a difference.

The 2024 shows that the number of vets receiving counseling has nearly doubled in the last several years, in part thanks to an increase in veterinary practices offering mental health coverage and other assistance programs.

There's been a huge emphasis on preventive care, which early returns show has been working.

These changes taking place inside animal hospitals and vet practices are huge.

But there are a lot of things we can do as pet owners to make things better, too.

We can show our gratitude and say Thank You. We can not be jerks when a service costs more than we think it should. We can grieve or be upset or angry and not take it out on the veterinarian who's just trying to help.

Our pets are our family members, and many of us would do anything for them.

Now we have to take better care — MUCH better care — of the people who care for our pets.

From Your Site Articles

Humor

Vet tech posts a hilarious, impassioned plea for people to stop bringing in baby wildlife

Timeless advice, perfectly delivered.

Walter Brown/Facebook

Veterinary clinics see all kinds of things on any given day. Unlike medical professionals that treat humans, vets treat a wide variety of species—and they also have to deal with people bringing in all manner of wildlife that have no business being at the vet.

Walter Brown is a vet tech at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. He's also an aspiring comedian known as "Skinni," and he's begun mixing his professions by sharing veterinary advice on social media in the most entertaining way. A live video he shared on his Facebook page on Memorial Day weekend went viral, with more than 1.7 million views, as people discovered and shared his hilarious admonitions to leave animal "chirrin" alone when they're out on a nature hike.

Brown wrote, "Let me nip dis one in da bud too.....leave these wild animals chirrin alone........" and then offered this advice:

Brown shared another video this weekend, advising people in the South not to go running in the heat with their Nordic breed and Brachycephalic breed dogs. And again, he offers solid veterinary advice in a way that's highly entertaining. Like, if someone's going to lay out an admonishment to the public, it should be this man.

Seriously, can all public service announcements from here on out come from Walter Brown, please?

This article originally appeared on 6.8.20

From Your Site Articles

humor

Pop Culture

12 professionals share misconceptions about their job they wish people would stop believing

“I run an animal rescue and I get a lot of people who think they're just gonna cuddle animals. A shocking number of people are very upset there's poop and manual labor involved.”

Photo credit: Canva

People share misconceptions about their job that they're tired of hearing.

Remember when we were kids and we’d get asked the question: What do you want to be when you grow up?

So often the responses would be fairly glamorous jobs—doctors, marine biologists, firefighters, performers, etc.—all based on simplistic ideas of what the job might be like versus what the job actually entails.

Recently, user stiengineer asked the Reddit community, “What's a misconception about your profession that you're tired of hearing?” And the responses—from graphic designers to vegetable farmers and everywhere in between—just go to show that unless you’ve actually worked in an occupation, you’re probably making a few assumptions about it. (Spoiler: no job is without its fair amount of work.)

Check out what some professionals wrote about their often misunderstood jobs that prove the grass isn’t always greener in the workplace.

1. “I’m a librarian, and people think we just read books all day. In reality, we manage databases, assist with research, and conduct community programs.”

Librarians would also like to get paid to sit and read all day.

Photo credit: Canva

Another librarian added:

“The cardigans are 100% fact, though. The back room and the stacks are two wildly different temperatures all the time.”

2. “I drove a taxi. We don’t meet a lot of famous people. Not all passengers are unhinged lunatics.”

3. "As an electrician, the misconception that it’s not a skilled profession is frustrating. It requires rigorous training and adherence to safety standards.”

4. "Vegetable farmer. We get so many applicants wanting to ‘connect to the soil,’ yet have never touched a shovel before. So many people don't seem to understand that farming is manual labor with long hours and hardship every day. And It's all just to limp by. We aren't making much money.”

"People don't seem to understand that farming is manual labor."

Photo credit: Canva

5. “I run an animal rescue and I get a lot of people who think they're just gonna cuddle animals. A shocking number of people are very upset there's poop and manual labor involved.”

6. “Fire Sprinkler Designer here: Fire Sprinkler water IS NOT clean and clear like the movies depict...That water more than likely has been in those pipes for decades and is filled with corrosion and cutting oil. As soon as a sprinkler goes off, you are getting doused with black tar water…”

via GIPHY

One person commented:

“Oh so that's why I've seen so many people complain that their furniture got ruined by fire sprinklers going off! It's quite obvious now that you pointed it out, but I always thought it was weird so many things could get so badly damaged ‘just by getting wet.’”

Yep, we all learned something today.

7. "As a software developer, I'm tired of hearing that we're all just nerdy guys who code in dark rooms all day. It's actually highly collaborative.”

But you can hack into anything, right?

Photo credit: Canva

8. "I’m a graphic designer, and no, I can’t just whip up a complex project in an hour. Good design takes time and thought.”

“Most of the time I'm trying to protect the client from making really bad decisions."

Photo credit: Canva

This prompted a few graphic designers to chime in.

One wrote:

“Most of the time I'm trying to protect the client from making really bad decisions because they feel they could ‘do it themselves if they could just draw a little better.’”

While another added:

"I had a client one time who didn’t like a color we chose. I asked her what color she would prefer and her answer was ‘I saw this real pretty purple one time. I want something like that.’ When asked what shade of purple it was or what the item was so we could get an idea, she scoffed and said ‘you’re the artist, you should know.’”

9. “Lawyer here. Just because you fail to understand a nuance doesn’t mean it’s a 'loophole.’"

via GIPHY

Another lawyer shared:

“The one that gets me is the idea that we're unethical tricksters just trying to run up our fees. First, there are some slimy lawyers out there, but I think as a whole we're probably more ethical than the general population. Our entire career depends on having a license that can be taken away for minor ethical lapses.”

10. “I'm a long time caregiver to mother who lives with dementia. For some reason, people don't consider it ‘work.’ That includes doctors. I'm on call 24/7. I can't leave for long periods of time. My own health went to shit. Geriatric care costs are astronomical. Yet, all people hear is ‘you're not working.’"

11. “People think being a chef is glamorous thanks to cooking shows, but the reality is long hours in a high-stress environment.”

via GIPHY

One chef lamented:

'”'You must eat so well!' I eat cold pizza while crying, actually.”

And last but not least…

12. “I’m a locksmith, and people often think it’s just about cutting keys. It involves complex problem solving and security expertise.”

community

Joy

Vet's hilarious impersonations of different pet breeds that visit her office are so spot-on

“I ate some socks the other day, like 12 of them…but I really do feel fine!”

Representative Image from Canva

Every pet is unique, but certain breeds do have their own personalities.

We like to think that our fur babies have their own completely unique and individual personality. But just ask any veterinarian that spends all day interacting with a variety of animals—and they’ll tell you that each breed tends to have its own set of quirks.

Just take it from Dr. Molly Brinkmann, who is delighting viewers on TikTok with her spot-on impressions of the different pet breeds that check into her office on a regular basis. She not only nailed the stereotypical attitude of each breed, but what they are most likely going to need a vet visit for in the first place.

Brinkmann began with common dog breeds.

First, there’s always upbeat, if not a little derpy Labrador or Golden Retriever who comes in without a care in the world. These dogs are most likely in for eating something they should have. In this pretend dog’s case, it’s socks.

“I ate some socks the other day, like 12 of them…but I really do feel fine!” Brinkmann says.

The nervous German Shepard, on the other hand, is having a “butt problem.” Yup that checks out.

Meanwhile an Aussie who bursts through the door has been running for 45 miles a day, and can’t stop despite having an injury. “I need to know how I can fix this ASAP.”

Then, a poor little anxious Doodle comes in with an emotional support toy while coming in for itchy ears, followed by a prim and proper Cavalier who requests that the vet not mess up their freshly done hair while getting their “anal glands expressed.”

Lastly a French Bulldog comes in with all the problems— itchy skin, a sore back leg, watery eyes and quite possibly a urinary tract infection. This dog comes to the vet so often that it gets a frequent flier card.

@drmollysays Part 2 Coming but leave your dog or cat breed requests below #funny #funnyreel #vethumor #vetmemes #drmollysays #dogs #dog #dogmomsoftiktok ♬ Mozart Turkish March (1120879) - arachang

All in all, pet parents felt like Brinkmann’s impressions were flawlessly accurate. Not to mention hilarious.

“My golden ate an entire pan of brownie and we had to get his stomach pumped. He was thrilled and cheerful through the whole ordeal,” one person wrote.

“If you don’t like having money, get a bulldog!” chimed another.

For round two, Brinkmann got even further into character as she portrayed everything from a snippy Chihuahua who’s miffed to be waiting for three minutes to a forgetful Bernese Mountain Dog who cannot get it together as they rummage through their purse for an insurance card (not sure is Brinkmann is making a point about Bernese Mountain Dogs here, or Bernese Mountain Dog owners).

And yes, she finally threw a “spicy cat” into the mix. Complete with shades, knife, and attitude.

@drmollysays Part 3 up next! Who else have I forgotten? #dogs #dogbreeds #vetmed #veterinary #veterinarian #doghumor #dogmoms #dogtok ♬ Famous Mozart's Turkish March(872150) - East Valley Music

In fact, Brinkmann did yet another follow-up video focused solely on her cat patients.

There’s the Tuxedo cat who can’t sit still, the male orange cat who acts like he owns the place and constantly flirts, the Persian with resting frown face, the hot-tempered Tortie who trusts no one and the forever-kitten Bengal who has no idea how to use its inside voice.

@drmollysays Which cats should we do next? #cat #cats #cattok #catsoftiktok #catmom #catmoms #catmomtok #catvet #veterinary #vettok ♬ Mozart Turkish March (1120879) - arachang

Looks like Brinkmann has been having fun with vet impressions for a while now. Her TikTok account is filled with videos showing how different breeds act at Christmas parties, amusement parks, getting groomed, greeting their owners at the door, you name it. And while there is a lot of dog content, she doesn't leave the kitties out. And it’s clear she has equal love for every breed she impersonates.

For more adorable pet impressions, you can find Brinkmann’s TikTok here.

From Your Site Articles

animals

Seresto

Popular veterinarian Dr. Lisa Lippman shares 5 tips to help you and your dog thrive this holiday season

Photo courtesy of Dr. Lisa Lippman

True

Chloe Lippman might just be the happiest dog in New York City.

The 11-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback belongs to Dr. Lisa Lippman, a veterinarian with an expansive social media following who specializes in teaching pet owners how to spark joy in their furry friends.

With autumn fully underway, Dr. Lippman is sharing her top tips on how to keep pets happy, healthy, and frolicking with gusto, along with the importance of protection against fleas and ticks during this fall and winter season!

Know their cold tolerance and limits. Certain breeds have a lower tolerance to cold temperatures than others, which is important to keep in mind as the temperatures plummet. For example, Chloe has a short coat, and starts to shiver around 40 degrees. Other breeds—like huskies—are literally made for snow, so you may not need to worry about their body warmth as much.

Keeping our animals warm while outdoors begs the question of those adorable canine sweaters and coats: should we go with fashion, or function? Dr. Lippman says BOTH!

“Winter clothing is definitely a good idea for short hairs and some of the smaller breeds, since they have less insulation against the cold. And of course, isn’t it insanely cute to match? So we enjoy our outings without worrying about bringing any pests home with us, I also make sure Chloe has her Seresto^®collar to help kill and repel fleas and ticks through contact (so my sweet Chloe doesn’t need to be bitten first to be protected),” says Dr. Lippman.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Lisa Lippman

Ticks and fleas are a major killjoy. It’s really important to make sure you have flea and tick protection covered heading into the winter season. Many pet owners might not realize that several species of ticks, including the ones that cause Lyme disease, can remain active in fall and winter months. It’s a common misconception that once the air gets cold, pets are safe from fleas and ticks - this is definitely false!

Dr. Lippman says that the best flea and tick preventative is the one you use consistently and correctly. Dogs and cats are very susceptible to fleas and ticks during this time of year no matter where they live or spend their time. She finds Seresto^® collars work well for pets because of its ease of application, the assurance that comes from eight continuous months of long-lasting protection, and because it’s affordable and widely available. Chloe barely notices hers—and that’s a good thing!

Wipe their paws after outdoor walks. This is the equivalent of taking off wet socks after you come in from playing in the snow: very, very important! Frostbite is definitely a possibility even after the walk is over, and if they’ve been walking on shoveled sidewalks, the salt can irritate their skin which can lead to infection and pain. This is also a good time to check between their toes for any irritation or tiny wounds. Side note: some pets love being dried off with a hair dryer on a low-heat setting!

Make sure their collar is fitted and ID is current. Winter months are especially tough on pets that like to roam or play a game of hide-and-seek that you didn’t know you were playing! Dogs can lose their scent track in the snow more easily, so make sure their information is up to date, they are microchipped, and they’re wearing their pet ID tag. These steps will make it much easier to be reunited with your pet if you are separated.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Lisa Lippman

Remember, holiday gatherings can be overwhelming. Noise, strange people, loud music, and “scary” trick-or-treaters are all things that might terrify or over-excite your pet. They have no idea what’s going on, so it’s sometimes best to keep them in a quiet, safe room away from the festivities to help keep them calm. And with house guests continuously opening the door, it may allow pets an opportunity to slip out unnoticed.

Ensuring your pet is protected against fleas and ticks is also critical for holiday gatherings, as flea infestation can be detrimental to pets and their families and removal can take months, disrupting holiday fun. Arming your pet with a Seresto^® collar allows for more joy together with loved ones during the holiday season and removes the risk of any pest invasions.

Dr. Lippman says her favorite things to do with Chloe during the fall and winter season are being able to enjoy some “petflix and chill” time indoors with cuddly blankets and special dog treats or going on seasonal outings to pet-friendly places with friends. After all, that’s what pets are for—companionship! Protecting our pet’s joy and health is the gift that keeps on giving, including against fleas and ticks that are still a threat during the fall and winter seasons.

To learn about Dr. Lippman’s tips for a joy-filled fall with your pet, including the benefits of a Seresto^® collar for eight months of continuous protection against pests, visit FallPetList.com.

From Your Site Articles

veterinarian

Veterinarian lists 6 things pet owners do that 'give him the ick.' Pet parents, take note.

Though meant in good fun, these 'icks' contain some helpful pointers.

Ick #1 - Trusting a breeder's opinion over a vet’s

Ick # 2 - Doing the opposite of what the vet says they would do

Ick # 3 - Not accommodating a dog that needs lots of activity

Ick #4 - Buying a pet after doing zero research on the specific needs of the breed

Ick #5 - Complaining about wait times at the ER

Ick #6 - Retractable leashes

A stray dog saves her dying puppy’s life by bringing her to the veterinarian in Istanbul

A dog's motherly instinct and trust in humans saved a puppy's life

There's an underreported health crisis among veterinarians. 4 reasons why they need help.

Abuse from customers is just the beginning.

As a vet, you do get to help a lot of animals! But here are some other things you deal with on a daily basis.

The worst thing that vets actually deal with, though, is all the humans.

It should be no surprise, then, that veterinarians are facing a mental health crisis — but somehow it still is.

A report from the AVMA shows that things are getting (a little) better. Making more people aware will help.

Vet tech posts a hilarious, impassioned plea for people to stop bringing in baby wildlife

Timeless advice, perfectly delivered.

12 professionals share misconceptions about their job they wish people would stop believing

“I run an animal rescue and I get a lot of people who think they're just gonna cuddle animals. A shocking number of people are very upset there's poop and manual labor involved.”

Vet's hilarious impersonations of different pet breeds that visit her office are so spot-on

“I ate some socks the other day, like 12 of them…but I really do feel fine!”

Popular veterinarian Dr. Lisa Lippman shares 5 tips to help you and your dog thrive this holiday season

The fascinating reason people looked much older in the past than they do today

One teacher's simple, disgusting experiment drives home the importance of hand washing

A juice company dumped orange peels in a national park. This is what it looks like today.

Philosophy expert shares the 'simple but profound rule' to tell if someone is a good or bad person

Simple photography lesson shows why selfies distort how you really look

Teacher goes above and beyond for a biology lesson by wearing an anatomically correct suit

We have a small favor to ask of you

veterinarian

Though meant in good fun, these 'icks' contain some helpful pointers.

Ick #1 - Trusting a breeder's opinion over a vet’s

Ick # 2 - Doing the opposite of what the vet says they would do

Ick # 3 - Not accommodating a dog that needs lots of activity

Ick #4 - Buying a pet after doing zero research on the specific needs of the breed

Ick #5 - Complaining about wait times at the ER

Ick #6 - Retractable leashes

A dog's motherly instinct and trust in humans saved a puppy's life

Abuse from customers is just the beginning.

As a vet, you do get to help a lot of animals! But here are some other things you deal with on a daily basis.

The worst thing that vets actually deal with, though, is all the humans.

It should be no surprise, then, that veterinarians are facing a mental health crisis — but somehow it still is.

A report from the AVMA shows that things are getting (a little) better. Making more people aware will help.

Timeless advice, perfectly delivered.

“I run an animal rescue and I get a lot of people who think they're just gonna cuddle animals. A shocking number of people are very upset there's poop and manual labor involved.”

“I ate some socks the other day, like 12 of them…but I really do feel fine!”