Pet Care

Helping Your Pet Look & Feel Their Best

Ask our team about our pet maintenance services! Whether your pup needs a quick nail trim or if you need some tips on pet behavior, Companion Animal Hospital of North Florida has you covered. Read below to learn a bit more about our services.

Grooming

Some grooming services are a necessary component to having a healthy pet, such as regular nail trimmings or baths. Dogs and cats have very specific needs that require special products and techniques. Nail trimmings help keep your pet comfortable and prevent damage from occurring to the fragile bones and joints in their paws. Having nails that are too long can cause pain and injury to your pet, so it is important to regularly get their nails trimmed. The more consistently you get their nails trimmed, the easier and less painful the experience will be for your pet. Infrequent trimmings can actually cause some minor discomfort and bleeding, and could even lead to bacterial infection. Dogs have a band of nerves in the nail called the “quick” that is painful if cut and bleeds quite a bit. The longer you wait between trimmings, the longer the quick will become. It is best practice to have consistent nail trimmings every couple of weeks starting when your pet is young so that they can get more comfortable with the process. This will also allow the quick to stay short so that you can effectively cut your pet’s nails.

Other services such as baths need to happen regularly so that the oils in your pet’s coat can be evenly distributed. Cats don’t require baths because they clean themselves, but dogs need a little help to stay fresh and clean. We offer some pet-safe shampoos that will clean your pet without stripping them of their natural oils that they require to keep their coat healthy. Bath frequency changes depending on the season because the environment can have an effect on your pet’s skin. Speak with our team about any dermatological issues or allergies when it’s time to bathe your dog. Some prescription shampoos may be available to help keep your pet feeling comfortable in their skin.

At Companion Animal Hospital of North Florida, we offer basic grooming services for both cats and dogs including baths, nail trimming, ear cleaning, and anal gland expressions. We do not offer haircuts or shaves but we can refer you to a pet salon that can help manage your pet’s coat for seasonal weather changes.

Behavior Counseling

Some pets experience behavioral issues due to a wide variety of factors. Moving to a new home, meeting another household pet, or interacting with new people can all influence the way your pet expresses themselves. Some behavioral issues are minor and can be easily dealt with if the right supervision and attention is taken to correct it, but some issues may be more serious. Our team will help guide you through some techniques if your pet is experiencing some common behavioral issues. For more serious or persistent behavioral issues, our team may refer you to a specialist. If home-visits are required, we have a veterinary behaviorist who can make an appointment with you. Call us to talk further about any pet behavior that may cause you concern so that we can work through the issue with you and determine the right course of action.