| Hi neighbors, |
| We're in the stretch of summer when the dogs want their walk at 6 a.m. and the cats have claimed every cool square of tile in the house. This week: some genuinely convenient pharmacy news, a heartworm assumption worth retiring, and good developments for cats who'd rather never see us at all. There's also a lake warning for the dogs who treat Horsetooth like a personal bathtub. |
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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Some pet meds can now come from the CVS counter
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2. Heartworm doesn't care that Colorado is dry
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3. More owners are asking the internet before the vet
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4. A cats-only hospital is coming to Colorado
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01 · PHARMACY NEWS
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Some pet meds can now come from the CVS counter
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| CVS Pharmacy has started stocking select dog and cat medications — antibiotics, allergy meds, flea and tick control, insulin, and pain relievers — at roughly 9,000 locations nationwide. |
| For certain prescriptions, that means we can send your pet's script to the same pharmacy that fills yours, and you pick it up on an errand you were already running. Not every medication qualifies — plenty of pet drugs are dosed or compounded in ways human pharmacies don't handle — and prices vary, so it's worth comparing before you switch. If a refill would be easier at CVS, ask us and we'll tell you straight whether it's a good fit. |
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Why it matters: One less special trip for you, and sometimes a cheaper fill — without changing anything about who's watching your pet's health.
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via veterinarypracticenews.com →
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02 · MYTH CHECK
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Heartworm doesn't care that Colorado is dry
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| New pet-insurance claims data shows owners routinely underestimate heartworm risk — and 'it's too dry here' is one of the assumptions that doesn't hold up. |
| Heartworm rides in on mosquitoes, and between irrigated neighborhoods, the Poudre corridor, and all the rescue dogs arriving from harder-hit states, Front Range cases show up every year. Prevention is a monthly chew; treatment is months of strict rest, a series of deep injections, and a bill many times the cost of a year of prevention. Cats can get heartworm too, and for them there's no approved treatment at all — prevention is the whole game. |
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Why it matters: If your dog's prevention lapsed this summer — or your indoor cat never started — a quick test and a restart now is the cheap version of this story.
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via todaysveterinarybusiness.com →
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03 · MONEY TALK
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More owners are asking the internet before the vet
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| A new industry report finds many pet owners are delaying treatment because of cost — and a growing number ask Google or an AI chatbot before they ask a veterinarian. |
| We get it: nobody budgets for a Tuesday-night limp. But delayed problems tend to get more expensive rather than less, and a chatbot can't feel a belly or listen to a heart. If cost is the obstacle, tell us the number you're working with — there's almost always a plan A, a plan B, and an honest conversation about what can safely wait. |
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Why it matters: You'll never get a lecture from us about money — just options, ranked honestly, and the same same-day callback you'd get anyway.
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Read the full story →
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04 · CAT CORNER
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A cats-only hospital is coming to Colorado
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| A new Colorado veterinary hospital opening this fall is designed top to bottom around how cats experience a clinic — built to close the gap in feline care. |
| It exists because of an uncomfortable truth: cats get far less veterinary care than dogs, largely because the trip itself — carrier, car, strange smells — is stressful enough that many owners quit trying. Cats are also experts at hiding illness, so skipped visits are exactly how kidney disease, dental pain, and thyroid trouble slide by for years. You don't have to wait for a specialty hospital, either: leaving the carrier out as furniture, draping a towel over it, and a pre-visit calming med for the truly outraged can transform the experience. |
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Why it matters: If your cat hasn't seen a vet in over a year you're in the majority — and it's fixable with a few small tricks and a calmer kind of visit, which we're happy to plan with you.
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Read the full story →
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| QUICK HITS |
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‣ Researchers found distinct gut-bacteria changes in cats with chronic kidney disease — early science, but one more reason senior-cat bloodwork earns its keep. →
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‣ Hill's is entering the fresh-food aisle with refrigerated single-protein dog food rolls — another option for the dogs who already eat better than the rest of the household. →
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‣ August's pet-holiday lineup includes National Fresh Breath Day — if your dog's kisses could strip paint, consider it a gentle dental nudge. →
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TIP OF THE WEEK
Skip the pea-soup water
Late summer is blue-green algae season on Colorado lakes and ponds — warm, still water can grow blooms that are genuinely dangerous to dogs, and the bad ones can hit fast. If the water looks like pea soup or spilled paint, or there's a scummy film at the edges, keep dogs out and don't let them drink; check for posted advisories before a swim, and rinse your dog off after any lake day so they don't lick it out of their coat later. If your dog swam somewhere questionable and starts vomiting, stumbling, or acting weak, call us or the nearest emergency clinic right away — this is one where minutes matter.
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How was this issue?
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Until next week,
— Dr. Alvarez and the Cedar Park team
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| P.S. Our clinic cat has claimed the reception scale as his summer bed, so weigh-ins may now involve a brief negotiation — we apologize in advance. |