Everybody knows the most famous rodent in the world – Mickey Mouse. We all also know Bambi’s beloved woodland buddy – Thumper. But did you know Mickey and Thumper could pose a risk to everybody’s lasagna-loving cat, Garfield? That’s right! Rodents and rabbits can transmit a potentially fatal disease called tularemia to our feline friends. … [Read more…]
Canine athletes, like their human counterparts, are prone to potential musculoskeletal, tendon, and ligament injuries, including cranial cruciate ligament rupture. An under-recognized sporting problem is iliopsoas (il-ē-ō-sō-es) muscle injury. My parents’ dog was recently diagnosed with this condition, so I wanted to dedicate time to explaining it to all of you dog parents out there. … [Read more…]
A common clinical scenario I encounter is a pet referred to me for evaluation of enlarged lymph nodes. Parents may incidentally discover the swellings while petting or playing with their pet. At other times family veterinarians find the enlargements during an annual preventative healthcare examination. Given the commonality of this medical problem, I wanted to … [Read more…]
Mast cells are unique cells of the immune system that are involved in the body’s response to inflammation and allergies. Unfortunately, these cells can become cancerous to affect different areas of the body, particularly the skin. Given their commonality in our canine companions, I wanted to dedicate some time to sharing information about them. Please … [Read more…]
Every pet parent dreads “The Big C” for their fur babies. Cancer strikes fear in the hearts and minds of pet-owning families. As a board-certified critical care specialist, one of the most common cancers I diagnose and treat is called hemangiosarcoma. I wanted to dedicate some time explaining this cancer, as some encouraging news about … [Read more…]
This week I had the privilege of meeting a wonderful patient referred to me for evaluation of a thyroid tumor. After consulting with the family, I visited this blog and was shocked to find thyroid tumors were a topic about which I had not yet shared information. So this week, I’ve resolved this oversite. Without … [Read more…]
Skin masses are relatively common in dogs. I’ve previously discussed the importance of routine surveillance and early intervention based on the mantras #SeeSomethingDoSomething and #WhyWaitAspirate as advocated by board-certified veterinary cancer specialist, Dr. Susan Ettinger (Dr. Sue Cancer Vet). One group of skin masses is collectively referred to as histiocytic disease, and this week I … [Read more…]
Attentive pet parents perpetually look over the pets for signs of problems. Does their pet have any new lumps and bumps? Does their fur baby resent being petted at a certain location? Are the gums pink and moist? Occasionally families note a yellowing of a pet’s skin, their gums, and/or their sclera (“whites of the … [Read more…]
Veterinary medicine is advancing every day. One of the most significant advances in recent memory is the use of ultrasonography to help diagnose various disorders in our animal companions. This week I share some information about this truly important imaging modality, and hope you find the information insightful. Happy reading! As side note, this week marks … [Read more…]
Last week I reviewed a relatively unknown household threat to dogs and cats – bread dough intoxication. More commonly around the holidays emergency rooms see a spike in a specific type of illness in our furry companions – acute pancreatitis. This illness can manifest at any time of year, but incidence around the major winter holidays in … [Read more…]