Posts highlighting some non-specific information about veterinary specialty medicine
This week a colleague asked me if I had a favorite biochemical abnormality. I’d never been asked that before, nor had I ever really thought about it. Most who know me as a clinician know I geek out over changes on a complete blood count, the non-invasive blood test that yields important information about red … [Read more…]
Coughing is one of the most common reasons pet owners bring their pets to veterinarians for evaluation. In previous posts, I’ve shared information about some well-recognized causes of coughing, including asthma in cats and “kennel cough” in dogs This week I have information for you about an under-recognized, yet important, cause of coughing: eosinophilic pneumonia. … [Read more…]
Every pet owner will need to give their pets medications by mouth at some point in their lives. As a veterinarian, I realize making recommendations to give oral drugs is a lot easier said than done. Not every family can easily “pill” their cats and dogs. This week I’m sharing some of my favorite foods … [Read more…]
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the term used to characterize a group of chronic intestinal diseases. It’s common in both cats and dogs and is thought to be related to a variety of triggers: Reactions to food antigens – an antigen is a foreign substance that triggers an immune response. Commonly implicated antigens are protein … [Read more…]
Unquestionably our lives have temporarily changed due to the COVID19 pandemic. Most states have stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders in effects. We’re spending more time at home with our two-legged and four-legged family members. Essential businesses are allowed to operate, but we’re practicing social distancing when patronizing these establishments. As I discussed last week, veterinary team … [Read more…]
In the past week, several pet owners have asked me how they can help veterinarians during these unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic. I found myself at a loss for words. To be honest, I was humbled to even be asked such a compassionate question. After all, I’m not fighting on the proverbial frontline of … [Read more…]
In this unprecedented time of the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ve probably heard about the dire need for more mechanical ventilators. You may have also heard veterinary emergency and critical care facilities around the globe are loaning their mechanical ventilators to human hospitals to help meet the needs of human patients who desperately need them. Given the … [Read more…]
If you’ve remotely paid attention to the news recently, you’ve undoubtedly heard or read about COVID-19, a novel coronavirus infection. This is a serious and potentially lethal disease. CriticalCareDVM.com is dedicated to providing pet owners with comprehensive, up-to-date, and unfiltered details about various pet health conditions. To that goal, this week I’m sharing information about … [Read more…]
I love immunology (the study of the immune system) and hematology (the study of blood). I once contemplated completing a PhD in these fields, but two residencies was enough. Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia or ITP is an immune-mediated disease that is personal. My own dog was diagnosed with this disease during my residency training. This week I’m … [Read more…]
In the past couple of weeks you may have read some news stories about some folks being hospitalized due to an infection called campylobacteriosis after coming into contact with puppies in pet stores. So, this week I wanted to share information about this under-appreciated disease. I hope you find the post informational and that you’ll … [Read more…]