Proper nutrition is just as important for our pets as it is for us. Unfortunately, when our cats and dogs become ill, their appetites often decrease or disappear altogether. Despite this worsening of appetite, the need for adequate nutrition doesn’t decrease. Indeed, it often increases! The use of temporary supplement feeding tubes is a minimally … [Read more…]
Anal gland problems, especially impaction and abscesses, are common in pets. Unfortunately, our furry friends can also develop cancer of the anal glands too. In this week’s post I share important information about anal gland tumors in dogs, so I hope you find it helpful. Happy reading! Anal glands – What are they? The anal … [Read more…]
Our canine friends can become infected with a wide variety of infectious agents. We explored many of them, including parvovirus and leptospirosis, in previous posts. This week I share information about another one – salmon poisoning disease. Happy reading! Salmon poisoning disease – What is it? Salmon poisoning is caused by a rickettsial bacterial organism … [Read more…]
I’ve previously written about one of the most common problems for which pet owners bring their pets to be evaluated by a veterinarian – otitis externa (aka an ear infection). Unfortunately, some of our furry friends don’t adequately respond to medical interventions. This small population of patients needs surgery. In this week’s post I share … [Read more…]
A couple of weeks ago I shared a post about eosinophilic pneumonia. Some of you asked me to write about this week’s topics – feline eosinophilic granuloma complex. Ask and ye shall receive! It’s time to spread some more eosinophil love by discussing an important skin condition that affects our feline friends. Happy reading! What … [Read more…]
This week a colleague asked me if I had a favorite biochemical abnormality. I’d never been asked that before, nor had I ever really thought about it. Most who know me as a clinician know I geek out over changes on a complete blood count, the non-invasive blood test that yields important information about red … [Read more…]
Coughing is one of the most common reasons pet owners bring their pets to veterinarians for evaluation. In previous posts, I’ve shared information about some well-recognized causes of coughing, including asthma in cats and “kennel cough” in dogs This week I have information for you about an under-recognized, yet important, cause of coughing: eosinophilic pneumonia. … [Read more…]
Every pet owner will need to give their pets medications by mouth at some point in their lives. As a veterinarian, I realize making recommendations to give oral drugs is a lot easier said than done. Not every family can easily “pill” their cats and dogs. This week I’m sharing some of my favorite foods … [Read more…]
In previous posts I’ve shared information about diabetes mellitus in both cats and dogs. This week, I’m expanding our discussion to include information about a potentially life-threatening complication of this hormone disorder called diabetic ketoacidosis or DKA. I hope you find this post helpful and shareworthy. Happy reading! What is DKA? Cells throughout the body … [Read more…]
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the term used to characterize a group of chronic intestinal diseases. It’s common in both cats and dogs and is thought to be related to a variety of triggers: Reactions to food antigens – an antigen is a foreign substance that triggers an immune response. Commonly implicated antigens are protein … [Read more…]