Information about specific dog and cat diseases for which a pet may be referred to a board-certified veterinary specialist
The population of overweight and obese pets continues to expand in the United States and around the world. As in people, excess weight is associated with several potential serious and even life-threatening health conditions. In this week’s post, I explore the various causes and consequences of pets being over or obese. Obesity definition… While there … [Read more…]
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 disease treatment… Treatment of an … [Read more…]
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 of metabolic waste products. A … [Read more…]
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 help but note the frequency … [Read more…]
Hepatic encephalopathy is a multifactorial neurologic syndrome that occurs when liver dysfunction causes systemic biochemical alterations that disrupt brain metabolism. The most frequently reported cause of hepatic encephalopathy, sometimes referred to as a hepatic coma or HE, in dogs is portosystemic vascular anomalies (aka: liver shunts). There are three types of hepatic encephalopathy: Type A – … [Read more…]
An essential component of a complete physical examination for every male dog is an evaluation of the prostate, a walnut-sized gland located between the urinary bladder and the penis. The prostate is a secondary sex gland of male dogs that adds fluid that makes up semen to help transport sperm produced in the testicles. The … [Read more…]
Gallbladder diseases are common reasons for dogs to be referred to board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialists. One of the more common gallbladder maladies is called a gallbladder mucocele, an anomaly that results in abnormal bile flow. Bile is made by the liver and facilitates the absorption of fat from the small intestinal tract. The liver contains very small channels … [Read more…]
A common reason for pet parents to bring their dogs and cats to the family veterinarian is an observable increase in thirst (called polydipsia or PD) and/or increased volume of urination (called polyuria or PU). A pet parent can’t keep a pet’s water bowl filled enough and/or the pet seems to “pee a river!” There are many potential … [Read more…]
Picture an adrenal gland as a peanut M&M™. Cushing’s disease (or hyperadrenocorticism) is a problem with the chocolate coating, and it is much more common in dogs than in cats. As part of this condition the adrenal glands overproduce certain hormones, particularly the body’s own steroid called cortisol. An elevated blood cortisol level is responsible … [Read more…]
This week was filled with patients with some challenging diseases, none more so than megaesophagus! What’s that you ask? Please take a few minutes to read more about this potentially debilitating disease of the esophagus (food tube) below. What is megaesophagus? Megaesophagus is a condition where there is decreased or absent muscular contractions of the … [Read more…]