The bamboozlement of Baxter’s mom (Never trust the person who tries to sell you pet food!)

Baxter is a 4 year old lab mix who had torn a ligament in his knee called the ACL. This is a common injury, unfortunately, and surgery is often required to restore function to the leg. (Here’s my article on ACL tears). Baxter’s mom loves him, so she was willing to pay over $3,000 to […]

Help your dog lose weight – The step-by-step guide to doggy diets

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 […]

Hypothyroid dogs – cold, bald, and fat

Hypothyroidism, or having a low or under-performing thyroid gland, seems to be the one disease pet owners wish for. I can’t tell you how many overweight/obese dogs I see that the owners want me to test them for low thyroid. It can’t be that he’s fed too much, or never exercises. No, we want to […]

Why I’ll never put my obese dog on a diet

With the majority of pets in this country being overweight or obese, there’s a good chance your dog is one of them. Your veterinarian may have suggested you put your overweight dog on a diet, and even gave you specific ideas on how to get the weight off your dog. She may say things like […]

Pet weight loss tips and tricks

If you read my earlier article about the health risks of obesity, you might have been inspired (or scared!). If your pet needs to lose weight, the time to start is now. First, accept the fact that weight loss takes time – often months. If you have a large dog who has mobility issues, losing […]

Pets whose lives changed from weight loss

Obesity is, in the majority of cases, brought on by simply overfeeding. But you can turn things around! If you read my previous article on the tragedy of obesity, you need to know there can be happy endings! We just need to acknowledge the problem and intervene as early as possible. Here’s two success stories […]

The ONE simple thing to keep your pet living longer

You might feed organic, grain free food. Fluffy might be sleeping on a bed of dye-free organic cotton. You might cook free-range meat with whole grain meals every day for your pet. She drinks filtered water. Her air purifier hums consistently. Hopefully you keep your pet on a routine heartworm preventative. You follow your vet’s […]

Fat cat + crash diet = disaster!

Any time a pet stops eating, it is cause for concern. However, vets become much more concerned when an overweight cat suddenly decides to go on a crash diet, or even get picky. Skinny cats, believe it or not, I worry less about when they stop eating than fat cats. Counter-intuitive, perhaps, because skinny cats […]

Coconut oil – glorious or gimmick?

Coconut oil has gotten some pretty incredible claims associated with it lately. Kinda like New Year’s Eve – supposed to be magic, but in reality, not all that great, and rather overpriced. It will not treat your dog’s parvo. It will not cure your cat’s cancer. It is not a substitute for medical care. Want […]

Thyroid disease in dogs and cats

Cats and dogs are opposites in a lot of ways, but thyroid activity is perhaps the most distinct. The thyroid gland does a lot – it regulates the body’s metabolism. Cats typically develop HYPERthyroidism – the thyroid gland is overactive. Most owners notice their cat is eating the same amount or a lot more, yet […]

Is your pet overweight?

What an animal weighs is just a number. The current trend in people is to use body composition, or “percent body fat.” This gives a much more accurate interpretation of a person’s build. You can have two 5’8″, 170 lb women. One can be a couch potato with no muscle, and she may be 38% […]