• Alkaline Phosphatase Elevation in Cats & Dogs

    One of my tasks as a board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialist is interpreting a wide variety of diagnostic tests. One of the most common laboratory abnormalities for which patients are referred to me is elevation of an enzyme called alkaline phosphatase, often abbreviated as SAP, SALP, and ALP. There are…

  • Pododermatitis – Why Are My Pet’s Paws Red?

    One of the more common reasons for pet owners to present their pets for evaluation by a veterinarian is red, inflamed paws. The general term for skin inflammation of the paws is called pododermatitis. This week’s post is dedicated to sharing detailed information for families about this common condition in…

  • Facial Nerve Paralysis in Dogs & Cats

    The heads of dogs and cats are innervated by twelve pairs of cranial nerves (CN). When CN VII – otherwise known as the facial nerve – is dysfunctional, the result is paralysis of specific facial muscles. This week I’m sharing some information about facial nerve paralysis to increase awareness, so…

  • Alopecia in Dogs & Cats – Why Your Pet is Losing Hair

    Growing up and through college, I had long curly Greek blond locks of hair whenever I let my hair grow. Yet as my maternal grandfather had male pattern baldness, I knew I wouldn’t have my hair forever. Indeed, in veterinary school my receding hairline became obvious. Hair loss or alopecia…

  • Vestibular Diseases – When Our Dogs & Cats Get Dizzy!

    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…

  • High Blood Fat Levels in Dogs & Cats

    Elevated blood fats/lipids (called hyperlipidemia) are a major cause of health issues in humans. These lipids, most commonly cholesterol and triglycerides, can negatively affect heart and cardiovascular health, often times contributing to death. Both dogs and cats can have high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, but dogs are more often affected.…

  • Laryngeal Paralysis in Dogs – A Common Voice Box Problem

    Last week you learned from Dr. Odunayo some wonderfully helpful tips to keep your pets safe in the summer months. You may remember her comments about taking steps to help animals, particularly dogs, acclimatize effectively to warmer weather. Some dogs have more trouble than others adjusting to increased heat and humidity because…

  • Hypothyroidism in Dogs

    In last week’s post, I discussed hyperthyroidism is cats. You may recall that hyperthyroidism occurs quite infrequently in dogs. Rather they more commonly develop a state of low thyroid production – hypothyroidism. Remember thyroid hormones are produced by the thyroid glands in the neck, and are important in controlling growth…