Every day I take a multi-vitamin. After all, medical doctors advocate vitamins are healthy supplements when taken appropriately. The same is true for dogs and cats. Unfortunately, too much of some vitamins is not good. In fact, ingestion of toxic amounts of specific vitamins can be deadly. This week, I…
Diseases
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Bromethalin Intoxication in Dogs & Cats – Not Your Typical Rodenticide
I love mice and rats. I think they make great first pets for children. I also know not everybody shares my adoration for these rodents. Indeed, many go out of the way to expunge them from their homes, employing various traps and poisons. One common type of rodenticide contains a…
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Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) in Dogs – When the Blood Pump Fails!
The heart is obviously a vital organ. Proper function is essential to deliver oxygen to tissues throughout the body. When not functioning properly, our dogs and cats becoming rapidly debilitated, and indeed, can die. This week I’ve dedicated some time to explaining a type of severe heart dysfunction called congestive…
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Giardiasis in Dogs & Cats – An Under-Appreciated Cause of Diarrhea
There are many causes of chronic diarrhea in dogs and cats – inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, chronic pancreatitis just to name a few. A protozoan called Giardia duodenalis is found worldwide, and is a very common cause of diarrhea. This week I’ve dedicated some space to providing…
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Grapes & Raisins & Currants, Oh My! – An Important Toxicity in Dogs
Two of my favorite snacks as a child were frozen grapes and “ants on a log.” For those unfamiliar with the latter treat, the log is a stick of celery slathered with peanut butter and the ants are sweet raisins pressed into the peanut butter. Yet while I loved (and…
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Hip Dysplasia in Dogs & Cats – Those Hips Don’t Lie!
If we all live long enough, we’ll develop arthritis. The same can be said for our dogs and cats. But can you imagine developing arthritis as a toddler? Unfortunately, our furry companions may be born with hip condition called hip dysplasia. This orthopedic problem is characterized by abnormal joint laxity…
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Feline Arterial Thromboembolism (FAT) – Nobody Wants A Cat to Get FAT!
This week I’ve dedicated time to sharing information about a very important disease in feline medicine – feline arterial thromboembolism or FAT. I have a love-hate relationship with FAT. I love it because it’s complicated, and it challenges me as a board-certified veterinary critical care specialist. I hate it because…
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Subaortic Stenosis in Dogs & Cats – An Important Congenital Heart Defect
The heart is unquestionably a vital organ. Unfortunately, sometimes it doesn’t develop properly in utero, and these congenital defects can range from minor and inconsequential to life threatening. This week I share information about a relatively common congenital heart defect called subaortic stenosis. Please consider sharing it with other pet…
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Linear Foreign Bodies – Keep Your Cats Away from the Yarn!
With the holiday season rapidly approaching, homes around the world will begin to decorate using materials like tinsel and handmade macaroni garland on twine. Folks will make personalized gifts liked hand-knitted clothing. These materials – tinsel, twine, yarn, string – are all very enticing to our feline friends. Yet if…
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Osteosarcoma in Dogs – A Painful & Aggressive Bone Cancer
Lameness is a common problem in dogs. Muscle injuries like an iliopsoas muscle strain and ligamentous injuries like a cranial cruciate ligament rupture are frequently diagnosed in dogs. Every once and a while, a lameness is more serious than a strain or ligament problem. Sometimes it’s cancer, specifically a cancer in…