Homeward Bound Veterinary Services

06/23/2026

☀️🐶 Summer Means Increased Risk for Leptospirosis 🐶☀️

As the weather gets warmer and dogs spend more time outdoors, we start seeing increased concern for a serious disease called Leptospirosis — and it’s important because it can affect BOTH dogs and humans.

🦠 What is Leptospirosis?
Lepto is a bacterial infection spread primarily through wildlife urine contaminating water, mud, grass, puddles, soil, and outdoor surfaces.

Common wildlife carriers include:
🐀 Rodents
🦝 Raccoons
🦌 Deer
🐿️ Other wild animals

Dogs can become infected simply by:
💧 Drinking from puddles or standing water
🌿 Walking through contaminated grass or mud
🐾 Contact with infected urine or soil

⚠️ Why is Lepto serious?
Leptospirosis can cause severe illness involving:
• Kidney failure
• Liver disease
• Fever
• Vomiting/diarrhea
• Lethargy
• Bleeding disorders
• In severe cases, death

And importantly — it is considered a zoonotic disease, meaning humans can potentially become infected as well.

💉 The good news?
Leptospirosis is PREVENTABLE with vaccination.

The Lepto vaccine is now considered an important lifestyle vaccine for many dogs, especially those who:
✔️ Go hiking or camping
✔️ Visit parks or trails
✔️ Spend time outdoors
✔️ Live near wildlife
✔️ Go boarding or daycare
✔️ Walk through puddles (which… is basically every dog 😅)

🐶 Even suburban and urban dogs can be exposed — we diagnose Lepto far more commonly than many owners realize.

🩺 Prevention Tips:
✔️ Vaccinate annually as recommended
✔️ Avoid stagnant water when possible
✔️ Control rodent exposure around the home
✔️ Contact your veterinarian if your dog develops vomiting, lethargy, fever, or increased thirst/urination

At Homeward Bound Wellness Center, we strongly believe prevention is always easier — and safer — than treating severe disease later ❤️

📍 Homeward Bound Wellness Center
305 S Atwood Rd • Bel Air, MD
📞 443-617-9836

06/22/2026

🐶🦠 Boarding, Grooming & Dog Parks: Understanding Bordetella & Canine Respiratory Disease 🦠🐶

Summer travel, boarding stays, grooming appointments, daycare, and dog parks often mean more exposure to other dogs — and unfortunately, that can also mean exposure to respiratory illness.

One of the most common vaccines discussed this time of year is the Bordetella vaccine, often referred to as the “kennel cough vaccine.” But many people are surprised to learn that kennel cough is actually a broad term used to describe several contagious respiratory infections in dogs.

🐾 Common causes of canine respiratory disease include:
✔️ Bordetella bronchiseptica
✔️ Canine influenza (dog flu)
✔️ Parainfluenza virus
✔️ Adenovirus
✔️ Mycoplasma
✔️ Other viral and bacterial infections

🐶 Symptoms can include:
• Coughing or hacking
• Sneezing
• Nasal discharge
• Eye discharge
• Lethargy
• Fever
• Decreased appetite

💉 Does the Bordetella vaccine help?
YES — absolutely! The vaccine is an important layer of protection and may help reduce severity and spread of Bordetella infections.

However, it’s important to understand that:
⚠️ It does NOT protect against every respiratory illness
⚠️ Vaccinated dogs can still sometimes develop mild symptoms
⚠️ No vaccine is 100% preventative

Think of it similarly to how human flu vaccines work — they help reduce risk and severity, but cannot eliminate all exposure risks.

🐾 Ways to help reduce risk before boarding or grooming:
✔️ Keep Bordetella and influenza vaccines current
✔️ Avoid boarding sick pets
✔️ Ask facilities about cleaning and ventilation protocols
✔️ Avoid overcrowded facilities
✔️ Support immune health before stressful events
✔️ Monitor for coughing after boarding or daycare

✨ We also often recommend supportive products before stressful boarding stays, such as:
• Imuquin® for immune support
• Diagel® to help support gastrointestinal health during stress or diet changes

At Homeward Bound Wellness Center, we are happy to help you prepare your pet for safe summer travel, boarding, daycare, and grooming ❤️

06/21/2026

06/20/2026

🐶😂 National Ugliest Dog Day 😂🐶

Let’s be honest… some dogs are conventionally adorable.
And some dogs look like they were assembled by committee.

And we LOVE them ALL ❤️

National Ugliest Dog Day is all about celebrating the wonderfully weird, hilariously unique, scruffy, snaggle-toothed, cross-eyed, wild-haired pups that steal our hearts anyway 🐾

Because being “ugly” has never stopped a dog from being:
💙 Loyal
💙 Loving
💙 Hilarious
💙 Full of personality
💙 Someone’s best friend

At Homeward Bound, we know that sometimes the “funniest looking” dogs become the most unforgettable patients 😄

So today we want to see them ALL:
🐶 The underbites
🐶 The crooked ears
🐶 The crazy haircuts
🐶 The bug eyes
🐶 The tongue that never stays in their mouth
🐶 The “only a mother could love” faces

👇 POST YOUR DOG’S BEST “UGLY” PHOTO BELOW 👇

(No hurt feelings allowed — every pet is beautiful to us!) ❤️

Bonus points for:
📸 Bedhead
📸 Zoomie faces
📸 Awkward sleeping positions
📸 Epic side-eye
📸 Missing teeth smiles

Let’s celebrate the perfectly imperfect pups that make us laugh every single day 🐾

06/19/2026

"Great staff! Everyone is always kind and attentive. Enzo loves the staff!" says Dawn on Google

★★★★★ Great staff! Everyone is always kind and attentive. Enzo loves the staff!

06/19/2026

🐶💼 June 19th is National Take Your Dog to Work Day! 💼🐶

Who says productivity can’t come with wagging tails and puppy eyes? ❤️

National Take Your Dog to Work Day celebrates the joy, comfort, and stress relief our dogs bring into our daily lives — even at work!

🐾 Benefits of having dogs in the workplace may include:
✔️ Lower stress levels
✔️ Improved morale
✔️ More smiles and laughter
✔️ Encouraging movement and breaks
✔️ Making even hard days a little better

Of course, not every workplace can safely accommodate pets — but we can all appreciate how much our dogs improve our lives every single day 💙

🐶 If your dog gets to come to work with you:
✔️ Make sure they are social and comfortable around people
✔️ Bring water, treats, toys, and a comfy bed
✔️ Respect coworkers and workplace rules
✔️ Ensure vaccinations are current
✔️ Always supervise interactions

And let’s be honest… some dogs are probably better supervisors than humans 😄

At Homeward Bound, we know firsthand how much animals brighten a workplace. Whether they’re greeting clients, boosting morale, or simply reminding us to pause for a moment, pets have a special way of making work feel a little lighter 🐾

📸 Share a photo of your “coworker” below!

06/18/2026

🐾💻 Fig’s Blog: National Internet Cat Day 💻🐾
By Figaro, Clinic Cat & Part-Time Internet Celebrity

Hello loyal followers, admirers, and people who came here accidentally while searching for “cat loaf pictures.”

Apparently today is National Internet Cat Day, which honestly feels appropriate because the internet was basically invented for cats.

And yes… I know I’ve become somewhat of a celebrity around Homeward Bound.

I mean…
📸 My photos are everywhere.
📱 People ask about me when they come in.
🐾 I have fans.
👑 I supervise staff morale.
😼 I silently judge everyone from my basket throne.

Fame hasn’t changed me though.
I’m still humble.
(Except for the parts where I’m clearly superior.)

Being an internet cat has come with responsibilities:
✔️ Making people smile during stressful days
✔️ Greeting nervous clients
✔️ Supervising keyboard use
✔️ Ensuring all snacks are quality tested
✔️ Monitoring employee productivity levels

Do I think I deserve my own social media page?
Honestly… yes.

I have content ideas:
🐾 “Fig Judges Your Lunch Choices”
🐾 “Cats Against Mondays”
🐾 “Veterinary Medicine According to Me”
🐾 “Things Humans Could Improve”
🐾 “Nap Locations Ranked”

Newton says I’m “too dramatic” for my own page, but I think the public is ready.

The truth is, one of my favorite things about my accidental internet popularity is seeing how much joy animals can bring people — even through a screen.

Some days veterinary medicine is hard.
Some days clients are stressed.
Some days the team is exhausted.

But then someone sees a picture of me lounging dramatically across the counter and suddenly they smile again.
That part matters ❤️

So thank you for following along with my adventures, tolerating my side-eye, and appreciating the very serious work I do around here.

And now for the important question…

👇 SHOULD I START MY OWN PAGE? 👇

Signed,
Fig
Chief Morale Officer
Professional Supervisor
Future Influencer 😼

06/17/2026

"Never late for appointments. Never rushed. Have never been to a vet where everyone is so kind and genuine." says Gail on Google

★★★★★ Never late for appointments. Never rushed. Have never been to a vet where everyone is so kind and genuine.

06/17/2026

One year closer to Dr Dilworth!