Archives: Pets

Top 5 2018 Pet Resolutions

As I have done at the beginning of every New Year since the inception of this blog, below are my suggested top 5 pet resolutions for 2018.  I am sure you have been waiting all year for this! 5.) Get Pet Insurance! For as long as I can remember in the veterinary profession, the costs of doing business increase at a rate of 5%-6% each year, nearly doubling the pace of annual...

Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis (HGE) A Common & Sometimes Life Threatening Disease In Dogs

Here’s one disease that really freaks dog owners out. It can be mild, but some severe cases can be life-threatening, so it’s good to know what’s going on. We’re talking about a syndrome called HGE: Hemorrhagic GastroEnteritis. Hemorrhagic means a big bloody mess. Gastro-Enteritis literally translates to inflammation of the stomach and intestines.  The primary symptom...

5 Important Things To Know About Pet Euthanasia

You’ve made the gut-wrenching decision that it’s time to say good-bye to your beloved dog or cat. You’ve scheduled the euthanasia appointment. This article is not intended to discuss making the decision, but what to expect during the euthanasia process once the decision is made. You’ll be emotional. You won’t hear much of what the vet is saying. What’s going...

Planning On Buying A Puppy For The Holidays? Read This First!

For the record, the first places anybody should be looking for a puppy for the family this holiday season are shelters overflowing with puppies and dogs desperately in need of homes.  Thus, not only would you be providing your family the blessing of a new family pet, you would be providing an innocent creature with the blessing of life and a love it has never known.  There...

Xylitol Poisoning – A Little Known But Common Life Threatening Risk To Dogs This Holiday Season

Xylitol is a naturally occurring substance found in many different types of berries and vegetables.  It is in a class of compounds known as sugar alcohols that have become increasingly popular as food additives because they provide a sweetness comparable to sugar, while packing only a fraction of the calories.  Xylitol also minimally impacts the glycemic or simple...

For Dog Holiday Safety, Here Is A Dog Chocolate Toxicity Table

Chocolate toxicity in dogs is a real threat, especially during holidays like Halloween, Christmas, and Easter when a lot of chocolate is around and a lot of baking is being done.  Chocolate used in making cookies and cakes such as baking and semi-sweet chocolate are particularly toxic to dogs due to their high concentrations of theobromine in comparison to other types of...

Winter Health Tips for Your Senior Pet

Image via Pixabay In the United States, cold and flu season (1) starts in December and lasts through March. During this time, doctors and pharmacists encourage people to help prevent the spread of these viruses with various precautions– and for good reason. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) (2), 250,000 to 500,000 deaths worldwide are due to flu-relation...

Dog Has Post Thanksgiving Diarrhea? Try These Easy Tips To Give Him Relief.

I was inspired to write this today because my Labrador Retriever graced my floor with a large pile of mucus laden diarrhea this afternoon, no doubt from having been fed rich Thanksgiving food from my guests that could not resist his pleading eyes.  I figured I would take a moment to help any other dogs and dog parents dealing with the same thing and possibly help them avoid...

Fake Service Dogs Are Shameful And Ilegal

Service dogs are one of the most endearing examples of the human/animal bond where a person who is disabled is able to live independently through assistance and life partnership of a canine that is trained and licensed to help care for him or her.  Service dogs have proven to be an invaluable component to life in the modern world helping people that live with disabilities...

Amish Are Among The Worst Puppy Mill Offenders

The Amish operate in a serious dichotomy of existence.  On one hand, they are pious, charitable to one another, and pacifists, rejecting all violence to the extent that they conscientiously abstain from military service.   On the other hand, as observed by many veterinary students that have traveled to Amish farms (me included) to treat their live stock during large animal...