Archives: Pets

The Grain Free Pet Food Dogma Continues For Many

Veterinarians have been voicing concerns about the nutritional compatibility of grain free diets for dogs since they became all the rage among pet owners. With few exceptions, none of the companies (if one can even consider some of them legitimate “companies”) had any of the criteria veterinarians look to in determining a reputable pet food company: at least...

A Veterinarian’s Tail Of Love

Becoming a veterinarian requires 8 years of school. Getting accepted to a veterinary school is 5-7 times more competitive than getting accepted to medical school. We have to master the individual physiology and medicine of 7 species and when we get out of school will earn 1/3 the income of a human medical doctor. Why to we go through all this? For the vast majority of...

So NOW I am suddenly an expert on dog nutrition?

I have heard all of the cynical talking points put forth about veterinarians and their expertise in making nutrition and pet food recommendations: Veterinarians don’t really learn about nutrition in veterinary school (we do). The little nutrition that veterinarians do learn about in veterinary school is spoon fed to their curriculum by pet food companies (its not a...

Why To Choose MMP over TPLO for Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL) Tear Of The Dog Knee

The cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) is the major stabilizing ligament within the canine knee joint.  Rupture of this ligament is a very common injury in the hind legs of dogs.  Rupture of the CCL causes a forward thrust, also known as a sheer force, of the tibia when the dog is weight bearing.  The image below illustrates the nature and consequence of rupture of the...

A Simple Screening Test That Can Save Your Doberman Pinscher’s Life

Dilated Cardiomyopathy is a deadly disease of the heart that has strong genetic roots in certain large and giant dog breeds, among them, Doberman Pinschers.  Dilated cardiomyopathy (aka., DCM) is a disease of the heart muscle that is characterized by an enlarged heart that does not function properly. With DCM, both the upper and lower chambers of the heart become enlarged,...

Innovative And Safe Early Intervention For Arthritis In Young Dogs

Veterinary medicine is very unique in that we commonly see onset of arthritis in young dog patients due to inherited incongruities in joints, such as hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, or conformational orthopedic breed characteristics that lend themselves to stress on soft tissue supporting structures (such as Dachshund, English Bulldog, Welsh Corgi to name a few).  As a...

Why Stem Cell Therapy In Pets Is So Effective

Recall when you were a child or even in your teenage years.  After massive amounts of activity you were not sore and if you did get sore, the soreness did not last very long.  Trauma to the body did not hurt as much and when legitimate injuries occurred, they healed very quickly.  Fast forward to your present age and soreness following activity is a foregone conclusion,...

Don’t Blame Me For Your Fractious Pet!

I had a client last week that is perhaps the worst example of owner denial about the aggressive behavior of a pet that I have experienced in my 17 years of practice.  While it was the worst example, it most certainly was not an isolated experience where owners not only live in denial about their fractious, even dangerous pet, but somehow insinuate that it is somehow the...

The Number One Factor That Determines Successful Veterinary Medical Outcomes

This post’s featured image kind of gives away the suspense of this article, but it could not be more relevant to veterinarians.  We may have your pet in our exam room for perhaps 30 minutes, in the operating room for perhaps 90 minutes, or in the hospital perhaps for a few days.  However, the treatment and rehabilitation that must occur for a pet for make a full...

Is CBD Oil Really The Magical Elixir Of Health For Dogs & Cats It Is Purported To Be?

A recent poll determined that just under 70% of dog and cat owners hit the internet searches – usually Google – prior to bringing their pet to the veterinarian when he/she is experiencing signs of illness or injury.  They are instantly bombarded with massive amounts of information as to what condition may be affecting the pet and how it should be treated.  I am...