That’s right. Your vet might be good, but there are some diseases that she cannot diagnose as well as you, the pet owner, can. So know these, watch for signs, and tell your vet if you see them. While she doesn’t have specific diagnostic tests for these conditions, she can certainly offer treatment or adaptations […]
If your dog or cat needs a prescription diet, I have probably written or emailed you a prescription. Now what? The fastest way to get food is to take the prescription to a Petsmart that has a vet in it. (Both O’Fallon and Glen Carbon stores have this, but the Belleville store does not! Many […]
As a practicing veterinarian, I interact with a wide variety of people, from first-time pet owners to the seasoned pros who have owned pets their whole lives. I have noticed some common misconceptions that even the experienced pet owners believe. So, time to end the confusion and lay out the facts! 1 – Cats and […]
Everyone with a dog or cat has dealt with it at one point. It’s never pretty. It’s diarrhea. Of course, I could write pages and pages on this topic. Our focus here: when do you start to worry? There are many variables at play. The diarrhea could be a nuisance that clears up easily with medication (or on […]
As busy humans eating less-than-ideal diets much of the time, it has been widely recommended we take a multi-vitamin daily to fill in the gaps in nutrition left by our questionable diets. Many people extrapolate that to their dogs needing a vitamin or mineral supplement as well. In puppies, particularly, this can actually cause harm! […]
Shopping for a scratching post for your new cat? Thinking about declawing but want to offer an option besides your leather couch first? Buying a scratching post is a great idea, but buying the right one can make all the difference between your cat using it regularly, or ignoring it and working on the couch […]
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 […]
Throughout the last few months, every spare waking second I had was spent studying acupuncture, and it has come to fruition! Back in June I decided to not just dabble, but become a Certified Veterinary Medical Acupuncturist. Since then, I’ve had 100+ hours of lecture online, 10 tests, and have been practicing needling my pets […]
Many of you may know that in March, I went to a conference for acupuncture training. It was only a couple days, so obviously not thorough or complete. There I learned the Traditional Chinese Medicine approach to acupuncture. This involves the movement of Chi, analagous to “energy” that flows through the body. In Traditional Chinese […]
A sad news story is in the news, so wanted to bring it up in case you hear about it. A pet cremation service up in Pekin, IL (about 3 hours north of here) was not returning the actual pet’s ashes to the people….not sure what actually was in the boxes the people got. This […]