Keeping Pets Safe Around Water: Essential Summer Safety Tips for Pet Owners
Summer is the perfect season for outdoor adventures—from splashing in the pool to joining you on lakeside or beach trips. But while many pets love water, even the strongest swimmers can face unexpected dangers. Currents, fatigue, accidental falls, and even delayed complications like dry drowning can turn fun into an...
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Heatstroke Survival Guide for Pets
What Every Pet Owner Needs to Know to Act Fast and Save a Life When temperatures rise, the risk of heatstroke in pets increases dramatically—and it can become life-threatening in minutes. Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot regulate their body temperature as effectively, making them especially vulnerable during the summer...
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Protect Your Pet from Painful Paw Pad Burns This Summer
We’ve all had that moment—stepping onto scorching sand or pavement and instantly wishing we had shoes on. Your pet feels that same discomfort on hot surfaces, and even though paw pads are tough, they are far from indestructible, and sense temperature comparable to our digits. During the hot months with...
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Inside Pet Foreign Body Surgery: Steps, Recovery & What to Expect
When your pet ingests something they shouldn’t, things can escalate quickly. From socks and toys to bones or string, foreign objects can cause serious—and sometimes life-threatening—blockages. At Portland Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Care, we understand how stressful this moment is. Our Emergency and Specialty teams in Maine are here to...
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Summer Pet Safety Tips: How to Protect Your Pet from Seasonal Emergencies
Summer is a wonderful time to enjoy the outdoors in Maine with your pets, but warmer temperatures can also increase the risk of accidents, injuries, and medical emergencies. From heatstroke and dehydration to toxin exposure and water-related incidents, pet emergencies are more common during the summer months. At Portland Veterinary...
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Understanding Yeast Dermatitis in Dogs: The Itch you Can’t Ignore
We’ve all been there—your dog is curled up at your feet, and suddenly the room starts to smell a little bit funky, or perhaps you’ve noticed your furry friend spending more time than usual licking their paws or scratching at their ears. While we often chalk these things up to...
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Understanding Soft Tissue Sarcoma in Dogs: Signs, Treatment, and Hope
When you find a new lump on your dog while scratching their ears or giving them a belly rub, it’s only natural for your heart to sink a little. While we often associate lumps with "old age," some of these masses require a closer look. One of the most common...
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When Your Dog Just Isn’t Themselves: A Guide to Addison’s Disease
You know your dog’s patterns well, it can be incredibly frustrating when something feels off, but you can't quite put your finger on what it is. You might see a day where they seem a bit sluggish, followed by three days where they are perfectly fine. Then, they might skip...
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Understanding Parvovirus: What Every Pet Owner Needs to Know
Canine Parvovirus (CPV) aka “Parvo” is a diagnosis that carries significant weight because of how quickly it moves and how resilient the virus is. At Portland Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Care (PVESC) we know the reality of this difficult illness, but it is one we are equipped to fight—and, more...
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Is Your Dog Limping? Understanding CCL Injuries and How Surgery Can Help
A torn "CCL” (aka “ACL" in humans) is, unfortunately, a common injury in our canine companions. We call it a Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL) injury, and while the name is a bit of a mouthful, the impact on your dog’s life is very real. If you’ve noticed your dog suddenly...
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