Melanie's PAWS and CLAWS

09/26/2026

**Courtesy Appointment Reminder**

Your 24-48hour reminder text/call is a courtesy reminder for our upcoming appointment. Please note, this is not the ideal time to notify me of a conflict or cancellation. Regular maintenance appointments are scheduled 2 weeks to 2 months in advance, giving ample time to alert me of any conflicts. Please notify me as soon as you are aware of a conflict, rather than waiting until the courtesy reminder.

•If a reschedule is needed, providing notice as early as possible is preferred.

•Early notice helps avoid losing income and allows the appointment to be offered to others on the waitlist.

•Please be considerate. Some pets on the waitlist, require timed medication prior to services therefore last-minute appointment availability doesn’t work for everyone on the waitlist.

•Early notice also enables you to reschedule the appointment at a more convenient time, rather than attempting to work in an appointment between my busy schedule and your availability.

•No penalty for cancellations due to illness (either the client or the pet). Often this cannot be planned for.

•Repeated last-minute cancellations may result in requiring nonrefundable prepayment for future services or the need to find another provider.

09/21/2026

09/19/2026

🗓️ Saturday Appointments
Saturdays are reserved for our pre-booked, established clients whose schedules don’t align with our weekday availability. With 11 towns in our service area, our northernmost service area towns and southernmost service area towns are scheduled on alternating Saturdays.

Please be flexible in case an alternate Saturday needs to be scheduled when we are in your area.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us make the most efficient use of our time, fuel and travel. 🧭

09/06/2026

We love this post by Davis Companion AH. We recommend removing corn cobs from all household garbage cans and putting them into a secure outdoor garbage container, out of reach, immediately following cleanup for this very reason.
Many veterinarians consider corn cobs to be one of the absolute most dangerous things a dog can pull out of the garbage. Corn cobs are almost exactly the same diameter as a dog’s small intestine. Once swallowed, they can fit like a cork in a bottle, completely cutting off the digestive tract.
Because they’re often soaked in irresistible-smelling juices, butter, salt, or meat flavors from the grill, dogs will eagerly gulp them down whole or in large chunks without chewing.

And they are virtually indigestible. A dog’s stomach acid cannot break down the tough, fibrous material of a cob, so it will not dissolve or get smaller over time.

Corn cob obstructions are a very common reason for surgery after holidays and gatherings like Labor Day, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July.

Please take a minute to read and share it with other pet owners. 🐾🌽

08/21/2026

📚🐾 Back-to-School Schedule Reminder 🐾📚

And just like that, summer is coming to an end and it’s time to head back to our normal school-year schedule!

As many of you already know, once school is back in session, afternoon and evening appointments are not offered. This is our normal annual schedule and has been for the past 12 years, so nothing new here—just your yearly reminder that summer hours are coming to an end. 😉

➡️ Normal business hours resume Wednesday, August 26, 2026.

📅 September is fully booked, and the remainder of the calendar is reserved for my existing clients and their regularly scheduled appointments.

We also remain at capacity in our 11 town service area, and are not accepting new clients at this time. If that changes, I’ll post an update here first.

For special-needs or medical cases involving treatments or medication administration prescribed by your veterinarian, I may be able to assist through a troubleshooting/demonstration house call or virtual consultation. For routine maintenance needs, I have trusted referrals available and am happy to share them.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support—and welcome back to the school-year routine! 📚🐾