When I was in vet school, one of our orthopedic surgery professors had a saying: “There is no such thing as an orthopedic emergency.” Clearly he did not enjoy being called in the wee hours of the night. Can’t blame him. What he means is that an animal won’t die from a broken leg or […]
Everybody (hopefully) knows the “Halloween pet safety” shpeal: Don’t give your dog chocolate, raisins, or chocolate-covered raisins. Some sugar free foods are toxic (here’s my xylitol article). Keep your pets inside (black cats in particular – some people are freaks). Here are a few things we might not think about in the hustle and excitement […]
I recently learned how frustrating it is to want to kill problem insects in the yard, but keep my pets safe. I was scouring the small print on the insecticide labels, looking for which I could use around pets. I wanted it to work, and was skeptical of the “natural, organic” ones with only some […]
How to know if your dog is in pain? When it comes to concealing pain, dogs have mad skills. Many of them are people pleasers. Very few dogs want to be a party pooper. So, hurting or not, the show must go on! They don’t want to let on if they are hurting. They will […]
Ear infections can be one of the most frustrating conditions to treat! If your senior pet has never had an ear infection, they probably never will. Other pets, particularly dogs, have a constant, lifelong battle with ear infections. Some dogs it’s just one ear, but always that same ear! What gives? These dogs that seem to […]
There seems to be so much confusion on this question – even people who work in vet clinics often do not understand! How many “distemper shots” should this puppy or kitten get? Once you know the science behind it, it is actually quite simple. There is no set number of vaccinations a puppy or kitten […]
Like most pet owners, you probably give your dog a preventative for heartworm every month. Many cats who go outside, live in the south, or both, receive monthly preventatives as well. It is very important to prevent heartworm, that’s for sure! It can be fatal in dogs if not treated. Treating is expensive and downright […]
In a perfect world, your pet saunters up to you, carrying his toothbrush in his mouth, requesting you brush his teeth while he calmly cooperates. Birds are chirping. The sun is shining. We all know we don’t live in a perfect world. Some pets, no matter how slowly you try to ease them in, will […]
Dental disease affects more pets than any other diseases (although obesity is moving in for a close second). Dental disease is rarely fatal, but it can cause complications with other systems, as well as cause discomfort and downright pain in the mouth. It often lurks under the radar (especially in cats – how many cats […]
Years ago, veterinarians gave every shot to every cat, every year. No one asked about lifestyle. No one asked if this was actually helping the cat or harming the cat. No one asked if one shot was different from the next. Over the past 15 or so years, things have changed for the better! We’ve […]