Respiratory distress in dogs and cats is stressful for all involved – pet, owner, and even veterinarians. In previous posts I’ve shared information about various breathing problems, including kennel cough and aspiration pneumonia. This week I wanted to spend some time discussing a truly life-threatening respiratory problem – spontaneous pneumothorax. So, I hope you enjoy … [Read more…]
The airway is a complicated system that can be affected by many different problems, including pneumonia and asthma. A common problem in younger cats is nasopharyngeal polyps. This week I share information about this disease that can dramatically and negatively affect quality of life. Happy reading! Nasopharyngeal Polyps – What Are They? To understand the … [Read more…]
As a child (and honestly even now as an adult) I abhorred amusement park rides that moved in circular patterns because they made me inevitably vomit due to vertigo. Roller coasters? Great! The Gravitron? Over my dead body! I don’t need to put myself into a human centrifuge. I hate feeling dizzy! The major part … [Read more…]
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 the bone called osteosarcoma. It’s … [Read more…]
Nobody likes having a crick in the neck. You wake up, turn your head, and immediately cringe from the pain. Thankfully the crick typically goes away relatively quickly. What if that crick not only hurt, but lingered and caused you to be unsteady on your feet? This is exactly what happens to some large and … [Read more…]
With the warmer weather months upon us here in the Northern Hemisphere, so too are environmental allergens. Those pesky particles blowing around in the wind wreak havoc on many of us because they irritate our upper airways. Naturally our bodies try to expel them through various routes – sneezing, tearing, nasal discharge, etc. Dogs and … [Read more…]
Just like you and me, dogs and cats frequently develop nasal problems. They get infections. They sniff up foreign particles. They develop nasal tumors. To make definitive diagnoses for many of these patients, a minimally invasive procedure called rhinoscopy is needed. This week I share some tidbits about this interventional procedure and hope you find … [Read more…]
No one likes having a runny nose. Primary viral and secondary bacterial infections are common in pets and people. Most of the time these infections are self-limiting or are treated without complications. Occasionally fungi cause serious infections in the frontal sinuses and nasal passages of dogs. The most common fungal disease that causes nasal discharge … [Read more…]
One of the scariest events in pet parents’ lives is seeing their fur baby have a seizure. They’re downright frightening even when you know what seizures look like. So this week I’ve devoted some blog space to bring you important information about seizures in dogs and cats. Happy reading! Seizures – What are they? The … [Read more…]
Pets, like people, can be afflicted with cancer in the lungs. Early identification is key to maximize the likelihood of a positive outcome. In an effort to increase awareness of lung tumors in our fur babies, this week I dedicate some time to explain lung cancers in dogs and cats. I hope you find the … [Read more…]