There is not a grandparent on the earth who would not understand why I stayed home from the clinic today. Most parents would understand, as well. Our precious “Itty Bitty,” five weeks old today, got in to town at 3 AM and even ol’ sleepy-headed me got up to spend a couple of hours with her [...]
There’s just nothing quite like a new puppy. Remington came in to see us for his first puppy vaccination visit and, as you can see by his picture, he is adorable. Remington is also a good reminder. He is a cross between a female Chihuahua and a male dachshund. Of course, I had to ask, [...]
Sometimes we simply have to throw up our hands in defeat. As regular readers know I love a bad ear. I love to take an ear problem that is brand new and, starting from scratch, build a strong foundation. We start with an accurate diagnosis, using Cytology, bacterial culture and sensitivity, where indicated. Proper treatment [...]
Saturday mornings tend to be fast-paced and pre-filled at veterinary clinics nationwide. Most practitioners recommend that you leave Saturday appointments to those who need them and cannot get their pets to the veterinary hospital any other time. That is, those practitioners who are open on Saturdays. There is an increasing trend for veterinarians to close [...]
“Kennel cough” is a misnomer. No one knows how the name got started, but it’s simple and maybe a little catchy. so it stuck. One of the problems with the name is that the vast majority of the dogs afflicted with “kennel cough” have never even seen a kennel. The syndrome is correctly termed ITB, [...]
This morning, while getting dressed for the day and watching a little Good Morning America an advertisement came on for “cat appetizers.” Now, this is an otherwise-reputable pet food company, but in a country in which the pet obesity epidemic rivals the human obesity epidemic, an “appetizer” for our pets is the last thing we [...]
Toothbrushing for dogs. And cats! “WHAT?!” you might respond. Brushing of teeth. It’s not just for people any more. Dogs and cats get calculus buildup on their teeth for the same reason people do. Our mouths, and our pets’ mouths contain minerals from saliva, and food particles. Normal bacteria in the mouth act upon these [...]
Extenuating circumstances. They affect just about everything in life, don’t they? Our pets are not exempt from extenuating circumstances, either. Take Black, a sweet, middle-aged Labrador retriever. Black has a little lump on her right rear leg, down low, past the tibiotarsal joint, on the outside of the leg. The tibiotarsal joint corresponds to our [...]
A reader with a pet named Rosie has asked a question about Rosie’s illness, an autoimmune condition. Let’s start with the basics of what autoimmune conditions are. The immune system is charged with the task of keeping us healthy by killing things that invade the body such as bacteria, viruses, cancer cells, parasites, or anything [...]
The next “world’s oldest dog” could come from right here in our neck of the woods. Janelle Derouen of New Iberia, LA, has submitted her dog, Max, to the Guinness Book of World Records. Max’s entry is in the company of hundreds of other submissions. Until recently, Chanel, a dachshund who passed away at age [...]
Cushing’s Syndrome is usually discussed under the heading of dermatologic (skin) diseases, but it’s much more than that. Named after Dr. Cushing who was the leading neurosurgeon of the early 20th century, and who first described the disease as being caused by a tumor of the pituitary gland in the brain, the more descriptive term [...]
Hunting dogs are having a tough time getting a break lately. One must be careful where one gets his medical information. Including his veterinary medical information. I was at the lunch counter today when I overheard a conversation among four “wannabe-practitioners.” “So, my friend put the dogs’ dewormer in a drinking water bottle. My other [...]
While Revolution is our favorite form of heartworm prevention for cats, there are also oral forms of feline heartworm disease prevention, too. One of the biggest reasons for Revolution’s popularity with cat owners is its ability to both control and prevent fleas. It controls fleas by killing the adult flea, and it prevents them by [...]
Leftover medication. Now there’s a phrase that can get you in trouble. Flippy (yes, that’s her real name!) came in today and her driver said, “I had some leftover medication from the last time she had an eye problem, so I started using that last night until I could see you today.” There are several [...]
Hemorrhagic GastroEnteritis. Even the name sounds scary. Indeed, the syndrome is a dangerous one. HGE, as it is commonly called, is a condition most commonly seen in dogs. Its clinical signs include loss of appetite, vomiting, fever, and the hallmark of the condition, bloody diarrhea. Often the phone caller says, “My dog is passing pure [...]
Perform a Google search for “other people’s medication” and you’ll get833,000 results in less than a quarter of a second. Not once but twice this week we’ve had situations where poor judgement came into play with other pets’ medications. One was when Dude came in for a routine vaccination visit. Dude was mostly healthy except [...]
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