Archives: Pets

What is the Right Age to Start Feeding Pets Joint Chews?

For anyone who has been following my blog posts, podcasts, videos, or all of the above, you will know how high a value I place on the orthopedic and rehabilitative benefit of joint health supplementation.   You will also know that with these products not falling under the jurisdiction of the FDA or any other regulatory agency, that it is exceedingly important to use high...

China, United States FDA are Killing Pets

Good old China is at it again.  From lead based paint on baby toys, melamine contaminated pet food (in 2007), to our latest travesty wreaking tragedy on our unsuspecting family members: illness and death caused by jerky treats.  At first, it was believed that only chicken jerky was responsible for the problem, but further review has determined that all manner of jerky...

Preventing Urinary Tract Disease in Cats

While genetic factors play a prominent role in whether or not a particular feline may develop urinary tract disease, understanding the reasons why cats as a species carry a markedly increased risk of urinary tract disease in comparison to other mammalian species [already established in my last post], there are steps feline owners can take to reduce the prevalence of urinary...

Why Are Cats So Prone to Urinary Tract Problems?

Passionate feline enthusiasts know all too well that cats are very prone to urinary tract disease. However, the predisposition to urinary tract disease is so significant, that most novice feline owner and even some non-feline owners are aware of the high potential for this health condition.   In comparison to dogs, my general observation in small animal practice is that I...

A [Pet] Halloween to Remember

I just had the pleasure of the yearly ritual of taking the golf cart with my wife and two kids, each dressed up in their Halloween costumes, and heading on down to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for Gradnma’s home cooked food and trick-or-treating.  Here on the east/central coast of Florida, the weather is so agreeable this time of year, that most people are set up outside...

Chocolate Toxicity in Dogs

Today being Halloween, it is appropriate to promote awareness of chocolate toxicity in dogs.  Children and even many grown-ups accidentally leave chocolate and other candy lying around and accessible to dogs…who rarely can resist the opportunity to gorge on it.  While in people overindulgence of chocolate may lead to a tummy ache, even relatively small quantities of...

An Incredible Reunion

A new client called today to make an appointment for her who she had just claimed from our local animal shelter.  He was identified as her dog by the microchip that was implanted under his skin when she adopted him as a puppy.  While this is a post about the merits of getting your pets chipped, the amazing twist to this story is that this dog had been lost after escaping out...

Don’t Let Dental Disease be a Matter of Life and Death

It was a very difficult day today. My morning consisted of two very challenging procedures: two stage 4 out of 4 dentistry procedure, each poised to consist of multiple tooth extractions necessitating invasive oral surgery, each in dogs at advanced ages, 14 and 15 years of age. (Dental disease is graded from stage 1-4, 1 being the least severe, 4 being the most severe) One dog...

Behavioral Inappropriate Voiding in Cats

Since my last post focused on a common behavioral issues in dogs, today my focus is one of the most common behavioral problems in cats: inappropriate elimination in the home, outside of the litter box.  Most feline enthusiasts, who as a regular part of their existence have cats in the home, have dealt with this issue at one time or another. Before really delving into this...

Managing Dog Aggressive Dogs

At least five times per day, we have to escort canine patients and their owners through our rear employee entrance, because their dogs are so aggressive toward other dogs.  The aggression is so bad in these individuals, that the situation in the waiting room where there are often many other dogs, could quickly become chaotic and downright dangerous. The interesting thing...