• Coccidioidomycosis in Dogs & Cats – An Important Fungal Infection in Pets

    Infectious organisms are everywhere. Bacteria, viruses, and fungi threaten our pets every day. Some prefer specific environmental conditions to thrive. Two such organisms are Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii, the microbes that cause coccidioidomycosis or Valley fever. This week I hope you’ll enjoy learning more about this important infectious disease…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Lyme Disease in Dogs – Borreliosis is a Bit of a Bugger!

    I love most things about Summer. Hot weather. Barbecues. Boating on the lake. Making memories with friends. Yet with the warmer season comes those nasty little pests known as ticks. These creepy critters can transmit to our canine companions a myriad of diseases, including the causative agent of Lyme disease.…

  • Cryptococcosis in Cats – A Feline Fungal Infection

    I’ve been diagnosing and managing some interesting infectious diseases in my patients recently. These intriguing cases have kept bacteria, fungi, and infective organisms at the forefront of my mind. So much so that this week I’m sharing some tidbits about the most common systemic fungal infection in cats – cryptococcosis.…