Information about specific dog and cat diseases for which a pet may be referred to a board-certified veterinary specialist
For many families the mere mention of a murmur or heart disease instills fear, a sincere concern about an illness that could negatively affect their fur baby’s quality of life. In an effort to provide useful information, I’m pleased to welcome another guest blogger, Dr. Kacie Schmitt, a board-certified veterinary cardiologist who will present a two-part series … [Read more…]
If you live in the United States, you probably know about the ongoing epidemic of canine influenza (sometimes called dog flu) in the Midwest. Veterinarians at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine have reported the virus has affected more than 1,000 dogs in Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana, and has resulted in the … [Read more…]
This week I present the third and final installment in our discussion about diabetes mellitus (DM). Previously we reviewed this disease as it relates to both dogs and cats. Now we will chat about proper handling of insulin and taking care of your diabetic pet at home. Diabetes Mellitus Issue #1: Proper insulin handling All insulins … [Read more…]
This week’s post is the second in a three-part series covering the topic of diabetes mellitus, and for this contribution I discuss this disease as it relates to dogs. In last week’s post, I reviewed diabetes in cats, and next week I will review insulin handling and how to perform at-home glucose monitoring in diabetic pets. … [Read more…]
This week’s post is the first in a three-part series about diabetes mellitus. In this first week, I discuss diabetes mellitus in cats. Next week I will review this disease as it pertains to our canine friends, and in the third and final week of the series, I will provide information about at-home glucose monitoring … [Read more…]
Gastric dilatation-volvulus or GDV is a life threatening and rapidly progressive condition in dogs. Other common terms for GDV include: Bloat Gastric torsion Stomach torsion Twisted stomach If not recognized and treated appropriately and immediately, affected dogs can painfully die. In this week’s blog post, I review the causes, clinical signs, and treatment of GDV … [Read more…]
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…]