By Jess CVT, on March 9th, 2012 
I couldn’t help but blog about this beautiful cat! Sampson came to us last week for his annual visit. His breed is a Bengal, who are known for their stunning appearance, (as you can see), intelligence and high energy levels.
Bengals are a medium to large domestic feline that originates from the crossings of the small Asian Leopard cat to the domestic cat in an attempt to create a companion with an “exotic” look but a domestic temperament. Bengals are a very energetic breed, so may not be for just anyone. They are a great companion for those owners who are willing to interact and play on a daily basis. Although they are happy to stretch out with you at naptime, they are very active for much of the day and can have very high activity levels.
I had a great time meeting Sampson and he turned out to be a healthy and HANDSOME young cat. He told me that he has a sister Bengal at home that I hope to meet soon!
To learn more about the Bengal cat breed, please visit: http://www.tibcs.com/
By Jess CVT, on March 9th, 2012 
*She was adopted by a great family!* This sweet DSH black kitten is thought to be about 7 months old and is in need of a home! With interest please call Countryside at 645-4522!
By Jess CVT, on March 6th, 2012 Dr Rich attempts to keep Boo awake while he waits for his x-ray to finish processing. There must be a better choice than reciting from “The Anatomy of the Dog” because Boo looks like he is almost out!
By Jess CVT, on March 5th, 2012 In early February, Dr. Rich, Dr. Wass, and CVT’s Laura and Jess all attended the MVMA Conference for continuing education. This was Dr. Rich’s 20th year as a veterinarian and also his 20th MVMA conference…way to go for perfect attendance! Dr. Rich also spent the majority of his conference learning about orthopedic surgery from a board certified surgeon with many, many surgeries under his belt. Dr. Wass expanded her knowledge on endocrinology (internal medicine), while Jess and Laura attended a multitude of different lectures including fluid therapy, safety, bandaging and Laura is also now certified in Companion Animal CPR! Over all we had a great conference and learned many new techniques and procedures to better help care for your pet!
By Michael Gunderson, on February 7th, 2012 Pet owners love their pets and enjoy taking pictures of them. How many times have you tried to take a picture of “Fluffy” only to be dissappointed in how it turned out? There are some basics that when followed, will improve your photograpy skills of animals.
Get on your pet’s level : Avoid towering over your pet as you take their picture. Lowering the camera creates more interest with the pet.
Use the entire frame: Get close enough so you fill the entire frame of the picture. Avoid taking the picture with the pet being in the dead center. Use the rule of thirds – 1/3 the ball, 1/3 the head, 1/3 the body.
Let there be light: Early or late in the day is better lighting conditions for taking pictures. Avoid the day in which there are no clouds, this will create too many dark shadows. A cloudy day is best.
Puppy pictures: It’s hard to screw up a puppy picture because they are so very cute, BUT, it is also hard to take a puppy’s picture because they are not very good at SIT and STAY. 
By Jess CVT, on February 7th, 2012 Dr. Rich says this months edition of National Geographic is a must read! Stunning pictures of dogs any dog lover will enjoy!
By Michael Gunderson, on January 24th, 2012 What can be more annoying than the pup who insists on doing their business on our carpets or kitchen floors? No bones about it, crate training is the ticket.
It is very important to get your dog used to their crate in advance of them sleeping in it. I suggest you leave the crate in a centralized area of your home. Perhaps the kitchen. The puppy should be allowed to go “in” and “out” of the crate on their own as they explore without the door being slammed shut behind them. You can even lead a puppy into the crate/kennel with a treat while saying “kennel”. Don’t forget to give lots of praise each time they enter. The dog will soon learn the new command and happily enter it. Another idea is to feed your puppy in his crate to get him used to good things happening in their small little pen. When you see the pup enter the crate more frequently, you can begin shutting the gate for very short moments. A comforting voice will ease the puppy as they spend time behind the closed door. These “locked” visits can gradually be extended during a week’s time. A goal of a 30 minute stay in the crate during the day is reasonable.
Now you are ready to use the crate for housetraining. Your puppy should sleep in the crate at night. Keep the crate in the same bedroom as you sleep in so they don’t feel alone. If you are home during the day, carry the crate into the room you are in for the same reason. When the puppy sleeps for a bit and wakes, wisk him outside to their special potty place. Pick the same place everytime if possible. This will train the puppy where they can go potty. I suggest keeping a pair of shoes and coat close by if potty training in cold weather. Remember the cardinal rules of potty training – the puppy will potty almost everytime they wake up – the puppy will potty almost every time they have a meal – bring the pup outside every 20 to 30 minutes during play sessions.
Keep in mind that puppies have very small bladders with little control. They are NOT trying to ruin your day by soiling the carpet. The puppy bladder will gain strength in a few short weeks. Be consistent and patient.
By Virginia Lorang, on January 23rd, 2012 We wish a fond farewell to our long time employee Juli. Juli has been a vet tech at Countryside for nearly ten years. We wish her luck in her new endeavours. Thanks Juli!
By Jess CVT, on January 19th, 2012 Welcome some of our newest additions to Countryside Animal Hospital’s family! Here are some of the puppies we’ve seen over the last few weeks!
By Annie, on January 18th, 2012 
Some of my furry friends attend obedience classes and learn basic commands like sit, stay, and come. Many of them pass with flying colors until they get home and go for a walk. At that point, a green light goes on and so does their nose. Some owners think these sniffing machines will wonder off and get hit by a car, or maybe even get lost. Why does he act this way?
All hound breeds, were bred specifically to track prey by following scent. The scent is on the ground and that is where the nose is placed. Breeds like this has been used for 100′s of years to hunt squirrels, rabbits, fox, and other small creatures.
The olfactory (smelling) power of a dog’s nose is about 10,000 times stronger than humans. So if you ever tell your wife “Something really smells good in the kitchen”, you can imagine how good it smells to us dogs. My furry friends get so focused on searching out wild game, they are difficult to control especially off leash in the park or woods. We hear your voice, but find it hard to listen to. Thus we have a real problem.
Don’t repeat your dogs name over and over. It only helps teach us dogs NOT to listen. I suggest using a long check cord or clothes line while taking walks in the great outdoors. Call our name, if we don’t listen the first time you give us the “come” command, begin reeling us back to you. That will teach us that we are to come when called. I suggest trying this in an area without a bunch of bushes and trees unless you like untangling things.
Bring some treats with you and when you give the command and your dog listens, you can give them praise and a treat. We dogs will do alot of work for food. After several successful days of on leash work, try it without the leash. If your dog doesn’t return on the FIRST command of “come”, then put him back on the leash and repeat. Let’s face it, you may be setting your dog up for failure by trying for total recall in a wilderness area. Try it in a more controlled setting. Does this information smell good to you?
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Countryside Animal Hospital & Kennels
708 Schilling Drive
Dundas, MN 55019
(507) 645-4522 Clinic
(507) 645-5051 Kennel
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