Many people take their car for spring and fall tune-ups, but autumn is also a great time to schedule a check-up for your furry friend, especially if they’re over the age of ten. Most veterinarians recommend annual check-ups for non-senior pets and biannual check-ups for pets considered senior.* (The age that a pet is considered older varies by species and even by breed.) I’ve found that spring and fall are great times to schedule an all around check-ups for senior pets. My “junior” pets have their check-ups each spring so that their shots will be up-to-date before summer travel and to make sure they’re ready for the challenge of summer adventures like hiking and trips to the beach.

Spring is a stormy season. Here in Tennessee, flash floods, thunderstorms, and tornados are all too common. So having an emergency plan for your family, including your pets, is important. Just like Daylight Saving Time is a good reminder to change the batteries in your fire alarms, the start of spring is a great time to update your emergency plans.

When it comes to a change in seasons, there are always signs that herald the season much more than any date on the calendar. In autumn, we look for falling leaves and that kiss of briskness in the air. In winter, it’s the first hard frost and the quiet sleep that falls over your garden and the critters who live there. You know it’s summer by those first days of low heat that make you feel like you’re being pushed right into the sidewalk, the smell of gardens in full bloom, and the wild abandon of so many birds and wild creatures now in full flourish. But spring is more subtle.