• 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…

  • 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.…

  • Chylothorax in cats

    Chylothorax in Cats: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options

    Chylothorax is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition in cats that interferes with normal breathing. It occurs when chyle, a fat-rich lymphatic fluid, accumulates abnormally in the space between the lungs and the chest wall. Because this fluid prevents the lungs from fully expanding, affected cats can develop rapid respiratory…

  • Canine Chronic Hepatitis – Inflammatory Liver Disease in Dogs

    The liver is a unique organ with several important functions in the body. For various reasons, the liver can become inflamed, resulting in a clinical syndrome called canine chronic hepatitis. This week, I discuss this important disease entity including details about diagnosis and treatment. Happy reading! Canine Chronic Hepatitis –…

  • Urethral obstruction in male cats

    Urethral Obstruction in Male Cats: A Life-Threatening Emergency

    Urethral obstruction is one of the most common and dangerous emergencies affecting male cats. This condition occurs when a blockage prevents urine from leaving the bladder. As a result, pressure builds rapidly within the urinary tract and kidneys. Without prompt treatment, urethral obstruction can lead to severe electrolyte abnormalities, kidney…

  • Cytauxzoonosis – A Dangerous Tick-Borne Disease in Cats

    When most pet parents think of think of tick-borne diseases affecting pets, they think about infections in dogs. Common examples of such ailments in dogs are Lyme disease (borreliosis), ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (rickettsiosis), babesiosis, bartonellosis, anaplasmosis, and hepatozoonosis. Yet we should not forget about cats! They, too, can be…

  • Leptospirosis in Dogs – A Bugger of a Bacterial Infection

    In the northern hemisphere we are entering the Summer season. Warmer months bring an increased risk for various health concerns for our dogs, including infectious diseases. This week I share information about a potentially lethal bacterial infection called leptospirosis. I believe you will find the topic especially relevant, and therefore, I hope you…