We know that it’s not unusual to rush to the Internet when it comes to pet health problems, and this can lead to some excellent insight and suggestions but sometimes we can misinterpret the information.  The Centre Street Animal Hospital recommends pet owners to come in so that we can medically guide you through consultation or full medical exams. Together, we can make the most informed and suited medical plan for your pet.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have some places to start, which is why we’ve put together this list of resources.  Questions for cats and dogs are the easiest to find but there are resources out there for more exotic pets too. Many breeds will have society and breeder sites with specialized information.

The Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine Indoor Pet Initiative

The Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine Indoor Pet Initiative has a goal to enhance the health and welfare of companion animals world wide so that all pets and their caregivers can experience optimal well being. Their site has extensive behavioural guides to help you understand what might be going on in your cat or dog’s head, and is also downloadable as a PDF to read on the go, or on an e-reader.

http://indoorpet.osu.edu/

Pet Place

Pet Place is another resource that contains over 15,000 veterinarian-approved articles with areas of specialization that include information on breeds and even lists of medications used to treat illnesses and conditions.

http://www.petplace.com/cats/separation-anxiety-in-cats/page1.aspx

Pet Education

Pet Education is the place to go for expert information for all types of specialty and exotic pets.  The site has helpful articles on topics such, as how to clean your small pet cage, and how to recognize Ich, or White Spot Disease in your fish tank . Along with information on cats and dogs, the site includes help with fish, birds, ferrets, small pets and reptiles too.

http://www.peteducation.com/

The Pet Health Network

The Pet Health Network is another friendly resource for information on those that meow and bark.  The site frequently profiles more obscure diseases like say, feline pancreatitis, with helpful checklists of symptoms, methods of prevention for owners who like to think ahead, and a breakdown of what kind of procedure the vet will take to treat or diagnose your pet with.

http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/

WebMD for Pets

WebMD, the popular site for human illness diagnosis also has a pet version.  Their articles are written by contributors but each one is approved by an authoritative veterinary professional.  Their A-Z directories of illnesses and conditions gives you some tips that you can try at home, and there’s also a text to speech feature that will read the article for you out loud.

http://pets.webmd.com

Is there a site that you use that’s not listed? Let us know in the comment section below.

If you found this post useful, please share it with your friends on your social media networks.  Also, feel free to make an appointment today for your pet, or just come by and visit. We’ll be happy to see you!!