During these colder months, the winter isn’t always the most ideal time to play outside with your dog. Unless you both love the snow, cold or rain, you may find yourself spending more time indoors. But how do you still get your dog exercise and some brain stimulation? Here are 10 indoor activities for you and your dog to enjoy.

Tags: grooming, pet tips, winter weather tips, winter pet tips, weather tips for pets, Spa day, dog agility, play and stay, indoor activities, winter activities for dogs, dog activities, Doga, Yoga for dogs, Clay paw print, homemade dog treats, the shell game

Tags: Pet Health, Pet Safety, pet tips, winter weather tips, winter pet tips, cold weather pet tips, weather tips for pets

Article written by: Ahna Brutiag, DVM, MS, DABT, DABVT & Renee Schmid, DVM

During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it is easy to let your guard down when it comes to preventing toxic exposures to your pet. While the holidays bring more challenges to the already difficult winter months, we cannot forget about outdoor toxin concerns frequently seen this time of year. Below is a list of holiday-related decorations, plants and food items that the veterinarians at Pet Poison Helpline recommend keeping away from pets.

Tags: Pet Health, Pet Safety, pet tips, holiday pet tips, toxins for pets, holiday pet safety

In honor of Adopt a Senior Pet month, we’d like to share some interesting facts and information about our elderly four-legged companions. From signs of aging and orthopedic beds to the benefits of adopting an older pet, here are 10 facts about senior pets:

Tags: senior cat, senior cats, senior dog, elderly pets, old pets, senior pet health, senior pet facts, best friends, adopt senior pets, senior pets, senior dogs, senior pet safety, senior pet information, veterinary medicine, adopt senior dogs, adopt senior cats, signs of pet aging

One of our favorite things about Thanksgiving is time with family and the delicious food. But it's important to make sure your pet isn't eating food that could potentially be dangerous. Check out these Thanksgiving foods that are toxic to your cat or dog!

Tags: Thanksgiving, pet safety tips, toxic foods for pets, food safety, food safety for dogs, food safety for cats, food safety for pets, thanksgiving dogs, thanksgiving cats, thanksgiving food, thanksgiving food safety

Halloween is a time for dressing up in your favorite costume, trick-or-treating with the little ones, or going to parties. But pets can sometimes get spooked by all the festivities and costumes. To keep your pets safe, here are 5 tips for pet parents this Halloween.

Tags: doggy day camp, labor day, pet boarding, friendly dogs, social play, benefits of social play, socialization, dog socialization, happy dogs

For the first time, Lakefield Veterinary Group and Best Friends Pet Hotel joined forces with World Vets and spent several days in Nicaragua providing veterinary aid to the pets of the Nicaraguan people.

Tags: World Vets, Veterinarians Volunteering, Volunteer Vets, Vets in Nicaragua, Nicaragua Pets, Pet Vaccines, Volunteering Abroad, Spay, Nueter, World Rabies Day, Rabies Prevention, Best Friends Pet Hotel

Best Friends Pet Hotel had the opportunity to co-sponsor an event put on by Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs (GAMSD). This fundraiser event, Barks, Brews & BBQ, took place in Connecticut this summer and it was quite a success! Not only did the GAMSD team reach their $25,000 goal, but awareness was raised, friendships were made, and dogs were heroes to our heroes.

Tags: Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, Veterans, Medical Service Dogs, Service Dogs, GAMSD, Barks, Brews, & BBQ, Fundraiser, Fundraiser Event

Natural disasters bombard our cities and push people and pets alike out of their homes and fleeing to safety. Just recently, Hurricane Harvey swept through Houston and the rest of the Gulf Coast, placing many people and their pets in danger. Though residents may know of a hurricane and another natural disaster's pending arrival, there is only so much you can do given a few days warning. If you live in an area where you may be exposed to natural disasters like flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and more, you can never be too prepared. Here are 4 steps to create a disaster preparedness plan for you and your pet:

Tags: dog safety, dog stories, Pet Safety, cat safety, pet safety tips, pet boarding, cat stories, hurricane harvey, disaster preparedness pet plan, pet plan, pet safety kit, aspca, pet safety zone, pet rescue

Bowing, chasing, bouncy movements, play falling, self-handicapping, and friendly wrestling; These are all examples of healthy social play for dogs! Have you ever been curious about the benefits of your dog socializing wiht other dogs at Doggy Day Camp? We did a little research and found these three benefits of friendly social play for dogs:

Tags: doggy day camp, labor day, pet boarding, friendly dogs, social play, benefits of social play, socialization, dog socialization, happy dogs