Losing a Pet: How to Help your Kids and Family through the Grieving Process Children often experience grief after losing a family pet, though they may show it differently than adults. Supporting a child through the grieving process in the right way is important and can set the stage for how they cope with losses... Learn More
How to Get Your Cat to Friendship Hospital for Animals An annual examination is key to your pet’s health; we do understand, however, that not all cats enjoy the journey to the vet’s office. Bringing your cat to the vet for yearly preventative health care allows cats to live longer and happier lives. Going to... Learn More
Client Education with Dr. Ashley Gallagher! Friendship Hospital for Animals knows that pet ownership can leave you with a lot of questions. Providing the best care for your pet is our number one goal. That’s why we offer Client Education seminars aimed to provide valuable pet-related information to our clients and community. Topic: Enrichment with... Learn More
Veterinary Acupuncture What is acupuncture? Acupuncture is the insertion of small, sterile needles at specific points in the body. It is used to modulate change in the pain, neurologic and autonomic (fight or flight vs rest and digest) systems, and to a lesser extent the gastrointestinal, endocrine, and immune systems. Who developed acupuncture? The first... Learn More
Way to Go Bo! Tales from a Veterinary Neurologist Bo is a 5-year-old, neutered male Dachshund that has been relatively healthy for most of his life. One day in late July 2015, Bo’s owner noticed that he wasn’t acting like himself. He was quiet and hiding with a decreased appetite- very unlike the usually happy... Learn More
Caring for Yourself After the Loss of a Pet Losing a family pet can take an emotional toll. Taking care of yourself after the loss of a family pet can allow you and your family to heal in a healthy way. “The purpose of healthy grieving is to integrate the experience of a pet’s death... Learn More
Bethesda Magazine’s “Best of Bethesda” Readers’ Poll is now LIVE! Every year, local feature and lifestyle publication, Bethesda Magazine, enlists the masses to decide the best of the best in Bethesda and it’s immediate surroundings. This year is no different. Montgomery County Washingtonians have until September 21st to submit their vote in categories such as Food &... Learn More
Tails from the ER – A Greenie Situation Lois is an 11-year-old spayed, female Pug who presented to the Urgent Care service for an episode of coughing/retching with bringing up white foamy material. She has been previously healthy with no health concerns. Xrays of her chest revealed a soft tissue opacity within her esophagus (on... Learn More
Tails from the ER – For the Love of Bones Kuro, a 9 year old black labrador retriever, presented to the Urgent Care service one evening with a marrow bone stuck around his lower jaw. He walked into the treatment area wagging his tail and looking pretty pleased with life, as many Labradors do, but... Learn More
Losing a Pet: How to Deal and Heal in a Healthy Way For many of us, our pets are our family members. Losing a family pet can be devastating for adults and children, alike. It can help to know what to expect. Some common reactions you may experience after losing a pet can be physical,... Learn More
Client Education with Dr. Mariana Fonseca! Friendship Hospital for Animals knows that pet ownership can leave you with a lot of questions. Providing the best care for your pet is our number one goal. That’s why we offer Client Education seminars aimed to provide valuable pet-related information to our clients and community. Join us Wednesday,... Learn More
Cats: Indoor versus Outdoor? The question to keep your cat indoors or allow he/she to explore the world outside is a longstanding debate. Cats are the most popular pets in the United States. Although the number of households owning dogs outnumbers that of cats; there are more cats per household. A 2012 study illustrated that... Learn More
Fighting Noise Phobia on 4th of July The fourth of July is this week, and for most of us that means cookouts, fireworks and fun. For owners of dogs that suffer from noise phobia, this particular holiday can be an absolute nightmare. Fireworks and other loud noises such as thunderstorms can cause panic in affected... Learn More
The Trident Incident – Xylitol Toxicity in Dogs Every owner fears coming home to a possible problem with one of their pets. And this was the sight that greeted me after a long day in surgery at Friendship. A shredded box of sugar-free gum in the same room as all three of my dogs. Sugar... Learn More
Dispelling the Misconceptions Associated with Veterinary Oncology Despite the similarities between cancers in humans and pets, the treatment process is often a very different experience. Maintaining a good quality of life while improving patient outcome is of utmost importance to veterinary oncologists. Five of the most common misconceptions encountered in veterinary oncology are discussed below:... Learn More
Open House & Block Party – June 7th 11:00am – 4:00pm It’s a celebration and you’re invited! Join us as we celebrate the unveiling of our 16,345 square foot renovation, which includes an 8,000 square foot second floor expansion, with a community block party and special pet adoption event featuring our rescue partner Washington Humane Society‘s Adopt Force... Learn More
Tips on Choosing a Diet for Your Pet In the past few decades, we have seen a significant shift in the role dogs and cats play within our family. Cats, once used as barnyard rodent control, are kept primarily indoors and take regular trips to the vet. Canine companions have moved out of the doghouse and... Learn More
Client Education – Neurological Episodes – May 20th, 2015 Did you know Friendship offers a free monthly series geared toward educating pet owners on various pet-related health topics? Friendship’s Client Education Series is offered on the 3rd Wednesday of every month and hosted in the reception area of our 2nd Floor. Join us for this... Learn More
Tips for Adopting a New Puppy or Kitten Spring is my favorite time of the year for many reasons, but it is the influx of adorable new puppies and kittens into the hospital for wellness care that really brightens my days. If you are looking for a feline family member, this is kitten season and... Learn More
Is It Idiotic Not to Think About a Probiotic? As I write this, I am still recovering from a bout of the stomach flu that I contracted after celebrating my daughter’s 5th birthday at an indoor bounce party. The place was packed with kids, and I suspect I contracted a strain of the Norovirus. The Norovirus... Learn More
Common Veterinary Nutritional Myths and Misconceptions The internet is a wealth of information. However, we should keep in mind that it is a source of misinformation as well. Sometimes, when you take a closer look at a webpage, you may find that the owners and authors have little to no applicable education or expertise in the field... Learn More
Pet Poisons and Common Toxicities Accidental ingestions are one of the most common pet emergencies. All too often we hear, “My pet would not eat that,” “’I didn’t think he would get on the counter,” “I didn’t think she could reach that plant,” etc. If you find yourself faced with one of these scenarios, knowing... Learn More
Client Education Series – Join us! Did you know Friendship offers a free monthly series geared toward educating pet owners on various pet-related health topics? Friendship’s Client Education Series is offered on the 3rd Wednesday of every month and hosted in the reception area of our 2nd Floor. Join us for this pet-friendly event that’s... Learn More
Cancer in Pets Over the past several years, preventative veterinary medicine has provided our pets with an increase in both quality of life and longevity. As the average age of our pet population increases, so does the rate of cancer. In fact, a 2011 study in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Fleming et. al.)... Learn More
From the Director… I’d like to write today about Friendship’s commitment to pet healthcare and what makes Friendship so very different. Let me begin by saying that there are many excellent pet healthcare facilities in the area where pet owners can be confident that their four legged family members will be well cared for. I’ve... Learn More
Mrs. Smith is upset and worried. She brought Bowser, her nine year old lab, in to the vet because he has been acting slightly down. She also had noticed that his breath had become very bad, much worse than just the “doggy breath” she was used to over the past few years. The vet examined... Learn More
What is Veterinary “Match Day?” “Match Day” is one of the most dramatic days in veterinary medicine. At 8:00am on (usually) a February morning, veterinary students and doctors who have applied to post-graduation internships or specialty residencies learn where they will (or won’t) be spending the next year (in the case of internships) or three... Learn More
Yappy Hour – National Pet Dental Health Month Did you know?? A majority of dogs and cats will continue to eat despite having painful dental disease. Plaque adheres to enamel within 24 hours. Most dogs and cats are in need of their first professional dental cleaning by his or her 3rd birthday. Sooner for small... Learn More
Vote Friendship Best of D.C. 2015! It’s that time of the year again: Washington City Paper‘s “Best of DC” Readers’ Poll! Since 2008, Washington City Paper has polled the Washington, D.C. metro area asking readers to submit the very best of everything from food and drink to goods and services. Though Friendship has taken a... Learn More
Greetings and Happy 2015 from Friendship Hospital for Animals! 2014 was a crazy and exciting year as Friendship embarked on expanding its physical facilities to include an entirely new, state of the art second floor and freshly renovated ground and first floors. The addition of this space will double the size of the hospital and... Learn More
Friendship provides state of the art, comprehensive services for our clients and patients. But, more than that, we provide a caring team who understand the unique human-animal bond. View Our Services
