Coccidia (pronounced cox-IH-dee-a….kinda rhymes with a semi-laxative yogurt brand) are microscopic parasites that can infect both dogs and cats. We most commonly see it in puppies and kittens, although any age of pet can come into contact with the parasite and contract it. If your veterinarian said your pet’s poop sample tested positive for coccidia, […]
Your vet probably said your dog was overweight. Or fat. Or even obese. Carrying around extra weight isn’t cute, it can shorten your dog’s life by a lot of years. As a house call vet, I see my fair share of dogs whom I am putting to sleep simply because they are too fat to […]
Many years ago, I had a client with several cats. He would bring each one in and proclaim what a great pet owner he was, because he vaccinated EVERY pet EVERY year. He would end every exam by saying “I keep MY cats healthy!” I applaud his enthusiasm, and his love for his cats. But […]
You might have seen headlines about grain free food lately contributing to a heart disease in dogs called DCM. What’s up with that? The grain free fad was started a few years ago by marketing companies who make pet food. There was never any real science to back it up, but pet owners jumped on […]
Getting the phone call from your vet telling you your pet has giardia can be un-nerving. If your dog or cat has had diarrhea, this is the likely explanation. If it was a routine fecal test on a healthy pet, however, the diagnosis of giardia can be a bit of a surprise. Most vets are […]
Many pregnant women go to their first doctor visit and leave with unnecessary fear and anxiety about their beloved cat. Physicians have been getting better in the past years, but there are still some doctors out there who have not kept up with the times, and are telling pregnant women they cannot have a cat […]
Enucleation. (Pronounced ee-NEW-clee-AY-shen). It’s a much nicer sounding word than “eyeball removal.” But that’s what it is. If you’ve been battling a major eye disease for a while, and the eye is not responding, your veterinarian might have recommended it. We typically recommend removing the eye when it is no longer able to see (so […]
The condition known as “dry eye” can be incredibly frustrating for pet owners and veterinarians. It is the rebel disease that responds to treatment sometimes, not others, for no apparent reason. The symptoms don’t really make sense. The whole package is odd. So, time to explain it! The medical term for dry eye is KCS […]
Dogs don’t need sunscreen, do they? Most of the time they do not. Their fur shields their skin very well. However, there are situations where dogs can become severely burned if we are not vigilant, and we actually need to put sunscreen on our dogs. The first possibility that came to your mind is probably […]
I first became involved in rescuing dogs from puppy mills about 20 years ago. I made friends who had made friends with these breeders. When they had an older dog who wasn’t producing enough puppies to be profitable, it also wasn’t worth the price of food, or the price of a bullet. These puppy mills/breeders […]
That’s right. Your vet might be good, but there are some diseases that she cannot diagnose as well as you, the pet owner, can. So know these, watch for signs, and tell your vet if you see them. While she doesn’t have specific diagnostic tests for these conditions, she can certainly offer treatment or adaptations […]
We all have heard that dogs are color-blind. Is it true? Not exactly. Kinda like the myth that one human year is equivalent to 7 “dog years”. Again, not exactly. So how well can dogs and cats see? In some ways, their vision is better than ours, and in others, it’s worse. Let’s start with […]
Yes, we all know we don’t want our dogs to get heartworm. If you have a good vet, she probably tells you to keep your dog on heartworm preventative every month. You get your dog tested for heartworm every year, it’s always negative, and it’s easy to get lackadaisical. Heartworms. Big whoop. This week I […]
As a practicing veterinarian, I interact with a wide variety of people, from first-time pet owners to the seasoned pros who have owned pets their whole lives. I have noticed some common misconceptions that even the experienced pet owners believe. So, time to end the confusion and lay out the facts! 1 – Cats and […]
Many people think veterinarians have the dream job. Snuggling adorable puppies and kittens – what’s not to love? Fortunately, the public is beginning to understand that our job is actually quite grueling, with life-and-death decisions being made on a daily basis. So with a stressful job, the new puppy appointment on the schedule should be a […]
Growing up in the ’70s and ’80s, we were taught by the experts of the time that dogs needed to be in a pack, and that it was important for the human to be the “alpha dog” in that pack. The human had to be dominant, or the other dogs would perhaps try to dominate […]
We know chocolate is toxic to dogs. But is one kind worse than the other? Is there any kind of chocolate that is not poisonous? Yes and yes! Basically, which chocolate is most likely to kill a dog that eats it? The worst chocolate a dog can eat is dark chocolate. It contains the most […]
Shopping for a scratching post for your new cat? Thinking about declawing but want to offer an option besides your leather couch first? Buying a scratching post is a great idea, but buying the right one can make all the difference between your cat using it regularly, or ignoring it and working on the couch […]
I really couldn’t come up with a catchy title. It’s a sucky disease. Cancer sucks. So the title sucks. It’s a theme. But let’s talk about Squamous Cell Carcinoma. It’s a type of cancer that can occur in a variety of places. Humans get it on their skin (reason to wear your sunblock!!). Dogs and […]
Everyone with a dog or cat has dealt with it at one point. It’s never pretty. It’s diarrhea. Of course, I could write pages and pages on this topic. Our focus here: when do you start to worry? There are many variables at play. The diarrhea could be a nuisance that clears up easily with medication (or on […]