Archives: Pets
Final Thoughts 2014 (continued – Page 3)
to pad our bottom line. As a veterinarian watching this special, it made my skin crawl to watch as they aimed to prove their point through out of context snippets, trick camera angles, and conjecture. More recently was an article posted by the Indianapolis Star, which implicated veterinarians in working in league with big pharma and very much for sale, ready to push the...Final Thoughts 2014 (continued- Page 2)
not, Atlanta based reporter Jim Strictland ran a story of tales of death by Trifexis, which led to this Facebook page gathering followers in the thousands. Curious, I visited this page and read some of the tales, many of which succeeded at pulling at the heart strings, but were sorely lacking in any scientific link to the cause of death and Trifexis. In fact, anyone with...Final Thoughts 2014
In today’s post I am taking a temporary detour from my Preventative Pet Health Care Series in order to bring you my final thoughts of the year blog (and podcast) tradition. This year has presented a lot of unique circumstances in the veterinary and pet industry that give me more of an urgency to post a year in review article than ever before. Shortly after the New Year,...Preventative Pet Health Care Series: Feline Herpesvirus (Rhinotracheitis)
(photocredit: http://www.beverlyoaksvet.com/) 90% of upper respiratory infections in cats are the result of either feline herpesvirus or calicivirus (calicivirus will be covered in the next preventative health care series). More than 80% of cats have had exposure to herpesvirus, making it one of the most common disease complexes in cats. The good news is that most cases...Preventative Pet Health Care Series: Feline Panleukopenia Virus (aka, Feline Distemper)
(photo credit: http://quoteeveryday.com/sad-kitten/) Today, we move on to the more neglected of the two main companion animals with regards to preventative pet health care, cats. Some statistical reports conclude that only less than 30% of cats in the US are regular participants in preventative health care. It is my sincere hope that this series will help reverse this...Preventative Pet Health Care Series: Canine Heartworm Disease – The Mother Of Preventative Health Care In Dogs
photo credit: http://www.petvetinc.com/ Heartworm, also known as dirofilaria immitis, is a worm parasite that infects the hearts of dogs. It is spread by the bite of a mosquito infected with its microscopic infective unit called microfilaria. Thus, wherever there are mosquitoes, there is a risk of heartworm disease. Once infected, the microfilaria goes through several...Preventative Pet Health Care Series: Parainfluenza Virus in Dogs
(photo credit: www.petadvice.com) Canine parainfluenza virus is a highly contagious respiratory virus in dogs. It should not be confused with canine influenza, which is most prevalent on racetracks and among the type of dogs that live there (Greyhounds); but is a separate and distinct virus, much less common than parainfluenza virus. Since infection may spread via the...Preventative Pet Health Care Series: Canine Parvovirus
(photo credit: http://pets.thenest.com/) Just about every mammalian species has its own unique parvovirus’s. Luckily, parvovirus’s are species specific and do not cross infect other species. In the case of canine parvovirus, the virus has an affinity for regions of the body where rapid cellular replication occurs. Thus the gastrointestinal tract, the lymphatic system,...Preventative Pet Health Care Series: Canine Infectious Hepatitis
(photo credit: http://dogbreedsinfo.org) Canine infectious hepatitis is caused by an adenovirus type I virus is transmitted through being inhaled or ingested from the secretions stool or urine of infected dog. The incubation period of the virus is between 5-7 days. By this time the virus is present to the liver and the dog is beginning to show clinical signs that include:...Preventative Pet Health Care Series: Canine Distemper
(photo credit: http://www.laceyinthecity.com) Many dog owners recognize distemper as a common vaccine we administer to dogs. The reality is that distemper is most commonly administered as one part of the 4 in one core vaccine (some vets do a 5 in one or even a 6 in one, which I do not agree with – something I will clarify in a later post), known as the DHPP. Since...
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...
