In the world of veterinary medicine, the pursuit of effective and compassionate treatments for common ailments in our beloved pets is an ongoing journey. Enter Librela, a groundbreaking solution offering hope and relief for dogs grappling with the pain of osteoarthritis (OA). In this blog post, we’ll explore what Librela is, how it works, its benefits, and why it might be the game-changer your furry friend needs. Librela is a revolutionary monoclonal antibody designed to target Nerve Growth Factor (NGF). NGF is a protein responsible for activating and binding to pain receptors within nerves. T ..read more

There are many reasons why exams are important for your pet. Exams are one of the main tools we use to obtain information about your pet’s health. Here are a few of the reasons why exams are a must: The first is so that we can establish a health baseline for your pet. By conducting a wellness exam when your pet is not sick, your veterinarian can get an idea of what “normal” is for your pet. This baseline ensures that we follow health trends as your pet ages. Exams also allow for the early detection of diseases. Many pets can be asymptomatic in the early stages of diseases. Your pet m ..read more

July 5, 2023 by Hill Country Animal Hospital Solensia offers breakthrough treatment specifically designed to address osteoarthritis pain in cats. This drug offers a much-needed solution for feline well-being. The Challenge of Osteoarthritis in Cats Osteoarthritis (OA) commonly affects aging cats, yet effective pain relief options remain limited. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) approved for long-term use in cats are scarce, and steroids, while sometimes used, come with potential long-term side effects. Solensia is here to change that. Find out more about caring for Senior and Ger ..read more

Ultrasound imaging is a diagnostic tool commonly used in veterinary medicine to examine a pet’s internal organs and tissues. It involves using high-frequency sound waves to create images of the body’s structures, which can help identify various conditions and diseases. But is ultrasound imaging necessary for your pet’s health? Let’s explore the benefits and considerations of this diagnostic test. can provide valuable information about your pet’s health status, primarily when used in conjunction with other diagnostic tools such as blood tests and physical examinations. Some of the benefits of u ..read more

May 16, 2023 by Hill Country Animal Hospital Most people assume that they will easily recognize if their pet is in pain. After all, it should be obvious, right? Well, the answer is sometimes. While pain can be apparent in some cases, our pets have evolved to hide their discomfort, making it challenging to identify. Let’s explore the signs of pain in pets and discuss treatment options to ensure your furry companions receive the care they need. Remember that for the purpose of this article, the pain we are talking about is chronic pain, not acute pain. Acute pain would be pain from an injury whi ..read more

Animal Shelters do really hard work. November 7 – 13 is National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week for 2020. It is the humble opinion of this writer that one week of recognition is not nearly enough for these hard working people. I know how hard they work and we absolutely need to show them some love! There was a time when people who worked in animal sheltering were looked upon as nothing more than “dog catchers.” They caught stray pets and took them to the “pound.” While at the pound animals languished in cages until they were euthanized. Animal sheltering is vastly different now. Animal shelt ..read more

December is National Cat Lover’s Month. How great is it to have an entire month dedicated to those of us who love cats?  I am proud to say that I am definitely in this camp.  This is a very busy time of year but don’t forget to celebrate your feline friends this month.  For this month I am proud to be a crazy cat lady! Who are we kidding, I am a crazy cat lady every month.  Celebrate your month of feline fantastic-ness any way your heart desires!  There are so many ways to say “I love you” to your cat. Here are a few ideas of what you can do.  Schedule a Wellness ..read more

January 20, 2023 by Hill Country Animal Hospital is Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day You are probably wondering what kind of questions cats would ask. We have a few in mind and we will even provide the answers! It is a great time to learn more about the favorite cat in your life as well as cats in general.  Let’s start with some questions that may seem obvious.  What may not seem so obvious are the answers.  Our goal is to provide you with some light hearted fun while hopefully telling you some things you don’t already know. One of the Most Popular Questions Question 1 from your ..read more

Ultrasound imaging is just one of the diagnostic tools known as medical imaging. Ultrasounds are becoming very common in veterinary medicine. They give us so much information! To answer the question of whether a pet needs an ultrasound we must first talk about what that is. Diagnostic ultrasound imaging is a method that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of structures within your pet’s body. The resulting image is a sonogram.  An ultrasound produces live pictures of structures inside the body. For more information visit our What is the difference between an X-ray and an Ult ..read more