Archives: Pets
Urban Sprawl Is Making Preventative Pet Well Care Increasingly Important
photocredit: http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/North_Carolina/mammal_graysquirrel.html I started my veterinary career in a very densely populated suburb on the North Shore of Long Island, NY, called Huntington. In that environment, the hospital I worked in saw several canine cases of a bacterial disease called Leptospirosis, which is transmitted primarily via the urine of its...Puppy Mills And Pet Store Puppies Will Continue to Thrive…As Long As A Market For Them Remains
photocredit: http://lonestarshihtzurescue.com/ A very kind retirement age client of my veterinary clinic of many years brought her new puppy in to see me a few months ago. She was beaming with pride with her new little Shih Tzu, as he was the cutest little fur ball and had the personality to match. When I asked where she obtained the puppy, she replied with a bit of...Sterilization of Large/Giant Breed Dogs Before Adulthood And Its Effect On Bone/Joint Development
photocredit: http://www.gopetplan.com/ Although veterinarians and the orthopedic foundation for pets have not observed developmental orthopedic (bone, muscle, and joint) abnormalities, the notion that neutering large to giant breed males or spaying females before they reach sexual maturity leads to increased ligament injuries and the development of hip dysplasia, has been...A Key Strategy To Prevent Kidney Failure In Dogs And Cats
(photocredit: http://isabellasnow.hubpages.com/hub/Chronic-Kidney-Failure-Cats) Degenerative chronic kidney failure is the number one cause of death in cats and the number two cause of death in dogs. Given these statistics, we should really be looking to best practices to help reduce the incidence of this disease in both species. While there are clearly genetic links to...Preventative Pet Health Care Series: The Stool Analysis, Protecting Your Pets and Your Families!
I conclude my preventative pet health care series with one of the most important topics, the stool analysis. One in four dogs lives with a preventable parasite. One in three cats lives with a preventable parasite. These parasites not only adversely affect your pet’s health, reduce quality and length of life, but also pose a serious threat to your human...Preventative Pet Health Care Series: Feline Leukemia – Core or Non-Core Vaccine?
photocredit: http://bestfriends.org/ Feline leukemia is caused by a retrovirus for which there is no cure once a cat is infected. Many cats may contract the virus and be latent carriers that do not show outward signs of disease for months to years, potentially spreading the disease to other cats during this time, while themselves not showing any signs of disease. Most...Preventative Pet Health Care Series: Non-Core Vaccine – Lyme Disease in Dogs
In our last stop for canine non-core vaccines (and canine vaccines period for that matter) in my preventative pet health care series, today I discuss Lyme Disease in dogs. Lyme disease’s causative agent is a bacteria called Borrelia Burgdorferi. Borrelia is one of a classification of bacteria called rickettsial bacteria; that are unique in that they utilize ticks as...Preventative Pet Health Care Series – Non-Core Vaccine: Leptospirosis
photo credit: http://galleryhip.com/dog-drinking-from-puddle.html Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that attacks the canine liver and kidneys. While it has an affinity for canines that are considered among the highest risk with regard to both morbidity and mortality in companion animal species, it is a zoonotic disease; that is, it has the ability to infect any...Preventative Pet Health Care: Non-Core Vaccine – Bordatella – Kennel Cough In Dogs
photo credit: http://carltonvet.com.au/news/kennel-cough-its-not-all-about-kennels We have reached the point of our preventative pet health care series where I will be discussing non-core vaccines, that is, vaccines for disease that an individual pet may not have geographic or lifestyle risk for. Bordatella bronchispetica is a very common bacterial causative agent for upper...Preventative Pet Health Care Series – Feline Respiratory Disease Complex – Calicivirus
(photocredit: http://michiganpaw.org/top-shelter-medicine-veterinarian-comes-michigan/) Today’s Preventative Pet Health Care Series continues with feline respiratory disease complex with calicivirus. As previously stated, in my herpesvirus post, 90% of all feline upper respiratory infections stem from herpesvirus or calicivirus. Unlike herpesvirus, calicivirus is fairly...
Help for nervous/anxious dogs
There seems to be a growing number of excessively nervous, often skittish dogs. This can range from anxieties, such as noise or storm anxiety, anxiousness about being separated from pet parents,...
Bird flu is infecting cats and cases are rising – What you need to know!
H5N1 Avian Influenza is causing far more trouble than just just high egg prices. The bird flu has successfully jumped species now able to infect cats and people. Although the ability to infect...
Having planned, consistent, shared activities with him enhances your dog’s bond with you
No person aside from your parents will love you more than your dog. No matter what, your dog will always go bonkers the moment you come home. That love will never be in question, as you are...
