Being aware of the many elements of pet care is a critical part of owning a pet. One of the key components of your pet’s treatment at Animal Hospital of SLO is providing you with the information necessary to ensure your pet lives a long, happy life. Our team has carefully chosen the following resources for your family.
American Animal Hospital Association
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) publishes cutting-edge guidelines for pet owners on a variety of topics. The group also maintains an “Ask AAHA” section with veterinary answers to many common medical questions.
The American Heartworm Society provides a variety of articles, incidence maps, videos, and infographics about heartworm infection, treatment, and prevention.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) maintains breed-specific information about each breed’s history, appearance, temperament, energy, exercise requirements, and life expectancy, with recommendations for preventative care based on breed.
American Veterinary Dental College
The American Veterinary Dental College establishes guidelines for proactive pet dental care and provides pet owners with an informational guide on preventative care, dental disease, and treatment. There is also a great resource discussing the risks of Anesthesia-Free Dentals.
American Veterinary Medical Association
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has an amazing collection of public resources covering topics such as how to choose a veterinarian, comprehensive preventative care, keeping pets safe in emergencies, traveling with pets, and even articles about veterinary careers and public health.
This ASPCA program is the best resource for any animal poison-related emergency. Available 24 hours a day, this resource has a list of pet toxins, a free mobile app that allows you to calculate lethal doses for your pet, and even a live consult line to determine the degree of your emergency (fee may apply).
Association for Pet Obesity Prevention
The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention has a number of free Pet Weight Loss Tools to help you assess your pet’s body condition, calculate their caloric needs, and understand the risks of pet obesity.
Bring Fido is a search tool that allows you to find dog-friendly hotels, restaurants, activities, and events across the world. With over 250,000 places to visit in over 14,000 cities worldwide, you never have to leave your canine companion at home again.
This website provides resources and support for senior citizens with pets transitioning into assisted living facilities, including state-by-state financial resources for elderly pet owners.
Cat Friendly is a website dedicated to providing cat caregivers with the information necessary to give their felines the very best care possible. The articles and brochures are written by the American Association of Feline Practitioners, so this is a great source to answer any of your cat questions!
CDC Healthy Pets, Healthy People
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Healthy Pets, Healthy People portal has tons of information about the risks of zoonotic diseases – those that can be passed between humans and their animal companions.
The Food and Drug Administration’s Animal & Veterinary page has links to lists of approved animal medications, foods, and feeds, and they also provide safety information including how to formally report concerns as a consumer.
Our local Lemo’s Feed & Pet Supply maintains listings for local animal care services throughout the SLO community, including agility, boarding, dog parks, grooming, pet-sitting, training, end of life services, and even pet psychics! This is a great place to find quality caregivers to add to your pet’s wellness team.
Mission Reunite aims to increase awareness and provide education and advocacy for missing pet prevention and recovery. They have a great collection of resources on how to locate a lost pet, including common missing pet behaviors, effective search techniques, and even donation-based lost pet counseling to give you the best chance at swift recovery.
The Pet Health Network has online disease maps charting dog and cat disease prevalence in your local area to help you monitor outbreaks and adjust your pet’s preventative care plan accordingly.
This website provides an objective comparison tool to help you make an informed choice about the best pet insurance policy for your pet and your family. You can view a basic summary of different plans, compare quotes, and read reviews from other pet owners.
Ready.gov is a campaign launched by the Department of Homeland Security to educate and empower people to respond effectively in natural and man-made disasters. Their page on animal care has a great discussion of how to prepare a disaster-ready plan for your pet.
This all-in-one disaster preparedness guide is an incredible resource to ensure that you’ve thought of everything when it comes to making an emergency plan for your furry friends.
Veterinary Partner is an educational website maintained by the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). It maintains a collection of articles written by veterinarians discussing a comprehensive list of Dog Diseases and Conditions and Cat Diseases and Conditions.
Vet Specialists is a website run by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Their resources include information on board-certified veterinary specialists, published case studies, and articles on a variety of specialty therapies.
We are very fortunate to live in a community where so many people are committed to animal rescue. Whether you have found a lost animal, need help rehoming a current pet, or you’re looking to adopt a new companion, consider one of these incredible local animal welfare organizations.
Public Services
Santa Barbara County Animal Services
Santa Maria Valley Humane Society
Private Rescue
Feline Network of the Central Coast
Homeless Animal Rescue Team (HART)
Meade Canine Rescue and Sanctuary
Second Chance at Love Humane Society
Exotics & Wildlife
