• Low Platelets – Unraveling The Mystery of Persnickety Cells

    Platelets having several important functions in the body, chiefly helping to form strong blood clots. One of the more common problems for which patients are referred to me is that of low platelets. This is a condition called thrombocytopenia, and can be life-threatening. Without adequate functional platelets, patients can spontaneously…

  • Chronic Nasal Disease – Snuffing Out The Snuffles, Part II

    In last week’s blog post, I introduced you to the causes and common clinical signs of, as well as diagnostic tests for chronic nasal disease in dogs and cats. To continue our discussion of this topic, this week I review various potential treatments for some frequently encountered chronic nasal diseases. Nasal infectious…

  • Mass Removal – Important Things To Know Before Surgery

    Dogs and cats unfortunately develop masses frequently. Whether these masses are associated with the skin or are growing inside a body cavity, they can cause serious and potentially life-threatening problems for pets. Thus their removal is often imperative to maximize the best possible outcome for affected animals. Mass Removal Point #1: “See…

  • Red Blood Cell Transfusions for Pets – Bloody Brilliant!

    Red blood cell (RBC) transfusions supply critical oxygen-carrying cells to the body. Prior to the development of veterinary blood banking techniques, the major form of RBC transfusion was on-site collection of fresh whole blood (FWB) with subsequent administration within hours of collection. Today, however, the use of stored whole blood…

  • Liver Shunts – Small Problems that Cause Bigger Ones!

    Ingested food is broken down in the intestinal tract, and subsequently nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream that travels to the liver (called the portal blood supply). The liver is the vital organ tasked with using these nutrients to store sugar and produce protein, as well as clean the blood…

  • Chronic Bronchitis in Dogs – A Nagging Cough

    I was sitting in the United Club in the C Terminal of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport contemplating what to write for this blog post. I always want to provide useful information for pet parents, and my brain has been somewhat discombobulated with holiday happenings. Whilst brainstorming potential blog topics, I couldn’t…

  • Nutrition For Sick Pets – Complex Info in Edible Bites

    The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is understandably very important in all animals, and it becomes truly vital in sick pets because of its many functions that support health. The GIT has several components, all of which work together to help ensure an animal is able to maximally utilize nutrients s/he ingests.…

  • Subcutaneous Fluid Therapy – You Want Me To Poke What?

    At some point in a pet’s life, s/he will benefit from receiving fluid under the skin or subcutaneous fluid. This type of therapeutic intervention is prescribed to help treat mild dehydration or to prevent dehydration in at-risk patients. For some parents, the thought of administering subcutaneous fluid can be downright…

  • Blood Pressure Monitoring – Vital Yet Under Appreciated

    Vital signs (i.e.: heart rate, respiratory rate and body temperature) are non-invasive clinical measurements used to assess the state of a patient’s essential body functions. Clinical board-certified veterinary specialists consider blood pressure (BP) to be the fourth vital sign, but sadly the prevalence of appropriate blood pressure monitoring in veterinary…