While veterinarians play a key role in keeping pets healthy, they can’t do it alone (just ask them!).

Veterinary technicians are the lifeblood of any animal hospital—and that’s why the third week of October, known as National Veterinary Technician Week, is dedicated to celebrating them and everything they do for pets and the people who love them.

Here are just a few reasons we owe technicians a debt of gratitude:

From vampurrs to dogosaurs, there are few things as irresistible as a pet dressed up for Halloween. Make sure your pet’s costume is as safe as it is spooky with these tips.

As many of you may have heard or seen on social media recently, the FDA put out a warning advising dog owners that there appears to be a link between grain-free, exotic ingredient or boutique diets and a dangerous heart condition called Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM). Given how many people feed their dogs these foods, this has the potential to be a VERY big issue!

Did someone say, “W-A-L-K”? Whether you’re exploring a new trail or hitting your tried-and-true neighborhood loop, taking regular walks with your dog can have many positive effects on her health—and yours.

Here are the top six reasons you should add a stroll with your best friend to your daily routine:

Dogs may be man’s best friend, but that doesn’t mean we’re not occasionally embarrassed or downright disgusted by some of their habits. From rear-sniffing to rolling in anything with a repulsive smell, nothing seems to be quite as offensive to dog lovers as coprophagia—that is, eating poop.

Ticks are the vampire of the pet world. They latch onto your dog or cat, attach themselves and suck their blood until they’re engorged with your pet’s blood. Then they fall off and rest until they’ve digested their meal.

What happens next is they may quietly die, or they may feel ready for another feeding. It depends on the life cycle of the tick, the type of tick, and other such factors.

In veterinary medicine, we have the ability to treat a myriad of conditions—from sensitive stomachs to skin issues and everything in between—with the help of balanced, therapeutic diets. But what happens when what we feed actually causes health problems for our pets? An alarming trend is causing veterinary professionals to take a closer look at the link between popular pet diets and heart disease.

What’s that SMELL? Many pet owners are stumped the first time they notice the pungent, fishy odor coming from their pet. While dogs have the most problems with their anal glands, even cats can have issues.