Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is one of the most important acquired bleeding disorders seen in small-animal medicine. Dogs are affected far more commonly than cats, and patients often present with dramatic clinical signs—petechiae, bruising, nosebleeds, gastrointestinal bleeding, or lethargy due to anemia from blood loss. Fortunately, ITP is highly treatable, and…
A common infectious disease in cats is feline leukemia virus or FeLV. This week I’m sharing information about this important condition because I believe it’s important for all cat owners to be familiar with it. I hope you find the post helpful and will consider sharing with other cats lovers.…
I’ve said it before. I love eyes…albeit not enough to want to be an ophthalmologist, but at least enough to respect their function and beauty. Unfortunately, sometimes our pets develop serious eye conditions. This week’s post is dedicated to a specific intraocular (inside the eye) condition called hyphema. I hope…
Platelets having several important functions in the body, chiefly helping to form strong blood clots. One of the more common problems for which patients are referred to me is that of low platelets. This is a condition called thrombocytopenia, and can be life-threatening. Without adequate functional platelets, patients can spontaneously…