Tacoma Animal Hospital Blog

If your dog licks their paws every night, rubs their face on the carpet after every walk, or has patches of pink irritated skin that come and go with the seasons — you've probably Googled "why is my dog itchy" more than once. You're not alone. Allergies are one of the top five reasons pet owners bring their dogs and cats to Tacoma Animal Hospital, and they're also one of the most commonly misunderstood conditions we treat.

It's one of the most common things senior dog owners describe: your dog gets up from their bed, takes a few stiff, hobbling steps, maybe hesitates at the back door — and then by the time you've made your coffee, they seem fine. So you wonder: is something actually wrong? Was I imagining it?

A guide to anesthetic dental cleanings, non-anesthetic options, and how to know what your pet actually needs — from Tacoma Animal Hospital.

There's something quietly reassuring about booking a vet appointment at 10pm in your pajamas. No hold music. No explaining yourself to a stranger before you've had coffee. Just a few taps, and your dog's annual wellness visit is on the calendar.

Let's be honest: veterinary care can be expensive. That's not a secret, and we're not going to pretend otherwise. What we will tell you is that at Tacoma Animal Hospital, we believe the conversation about cost should happen before treatment, not after, and that there are more options available to help you than many pet owners realize.

If you adopted a pet during the pandemic, you're not alone. Shelters across the country saw adoption rates surge between 2020 and 2022 as people sought companionship during an isolating time.

When your pet gets sick, you shouldn't have to choose between waiting days for an appointment or sitting in a crowded emergency room for hours. At Tacoma Animal Hospital, we built our practice around a simple idea: pets have different kinds of needs, and their care should match those needs, not the other way around.