A common infectious disease in cats is feline leukemia virus or FeLV. This week I’m sharing information about this important condition because I believe it’s important for all cat owners to be familiar with it. I hope you find the post helpful and will consider sharing with other cats lovers.…
I’ve dedicated several posts to variety of eye problems, including keratoconjunctivitis sicca (aka “dry eye”), corneal ulcers, and glaucoma. This week I want to raise awareness of an important cause of acute or sudden blindness in dogs – sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome or SARDS. I hope you enjoy this…
One might think in a time when highly effective and safe vaccines for canine distemper virus are widely available this debilitating disease would be eradicated in the developed world. Sadly, that is not the case. In fact, canine distemper is still rampant in some areas of the United States. As…
In previous posts I’ve written about a variety of heart diseases, including dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs, congestive heart failure, and heartworm disease. This week’s post is dedicated to another cardiac problem – hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in cats. I hope you find the information helpful and shareworthy. Happy reading! What is…
Cats and dogs may develop a variety of neurologic disorders during their lifetimes, for example seizures. This week I wanted to share information about a relatively rare nervous system disorder caused dysautonomia. Several of you requested a post about this condition so I hope you find it helpful and shareworthy.…
A common reason for which cats are referred to me is hypercalcemia or elevated blood calcium. Sometimes affected patients are incredibly sick while others have no outward clinical signs of illness. An accurate diagnosis of the underlying cause is truly important. This week I review the major causes of hypercalcemia…
One of the more common reasons patients are presented to me is for evaluation of an new and/or unusual lump or bump under the jaw. Arguably, the most common cause is an enlarged lymph node, but occasionally the problem is an abnormal salivary gland. This week’s post is dedicated to…
Getting old comes with a plethora of healthcare issues. Medical problems likes osteoarthritis, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and cognitive dysfunction (CD) are relatively common. The latter – more commonly referred to as senility – is an under-appreciated cause of behavior changes in our older pets. In this week’s post I…
I’ve said it before. I love eyes…albeit not enough to want to be an ophthalmologist, but at least enough to respect their function and beauty. Unfortunately, sometimes our pets develop serious eye conditions. This week’s post is dedicated to a specific intraocular (inside the eye) condition called hyphema. I hope…
There are many infectious organisms that cause illness in our feline friends. One of the most noteworthy diseases in feline infectious peritonitis. This week’s post is dedicated to sharing important information about the debilitating and deadly condition to raise awareness. I hope you find the information helpful. Happy reading! What…