Actinic (Solar) Dermatitis

pitbull in the sun

  Most of us know that sun exposure can be damaging to the skin. We get wrinkles, sunburn, and even sun-induced skin cancers. It turns out that dogs have similar issues. Pets like to sunbathe just like people do. Many like to lie happily on their backs and soak up the damaging UVB light. UVB […]

FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) Overview

  Feline coronavirus disease is a subject of considerable controversy and confusion. Cats are susceptible to infection with several members of the coronavirus group including porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), canine coronavirus (CCV), and feline coronaviruses.1-4Infection with TGEV or CCV causes inapparent infection and seroconversion (development of coronavirus antibodies) in cats under experimental conditions, however, […]

Retained Baby Teeth Need Surgical Extraction

dog mouth

The roots of the deciduous teeth resorb in order for the teeth to become loose and fall out. This allows the permanent teeth to erupt normally. When deciduous (baby) teeth don’t fall out to make way for the permanent teeth, they are called retained deciduous teeth. Retained deciduous teeth should be extracted surgically soon after […]

Vomiting and diarrhea in cats and dogs – so many reasons…

dog vomiting

For two things that seem distinct, vomiting and diarrhea, why do there have to be so many reasons? The gastrointestinal tract serves as a busy thoroughfare and samples a lot of material leaving it a prime target of attack. One way to view the two symptoms is by categorizing into age: very young dogs and […]

Chylothorax – More Common in Cats than Dogs

cat

What is a chylothorax? The thorax is basically the chest cavity or what houses the structures in the chest. The thorax houses where the lungs and heart sit along with nerves, blood vessels, the esophagus and trachea. Anything North of the diaphragm is but below the clavicles is considered the Thoras First, The Basics The […]

Pregnant Dog Care

pregnant dog

Are you getting ready for the pitter-patter of little paws? As with humans, you can minimize pregnancy complications with proper care. Having puppies may sound easy and it may seem like the dog does all the work, but that is not always how it turns out. So our first assumption is that the litter is […]

Holiday Mishaps to Avoid

dog christmas

Next week starts the unveiling of the holidays and each month brings a new time of celebration as well as potential peril for our furry friends. While Thanksgiving can be a time of thanks, it’s also a time for wayward (and even polite) dogs to eat food they shouldn’t get into. This includes turkey, fried […]

Clostridium perfringens and Diarrhea in Companion Pets

Clostridium perfringens in pets

When pets have diarrhea that just won’t go away, one test that needs to be run, is the test for Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin. Clostridium perfringens is a bacterial organism that in an individuals intestinal tract can produce a toxin called an enterotoxin (gut toxin). The situation sounds simple: a pet gets infected with toxin-forming bacteria, […]

Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex in Cats

Eosinophiles_Granulom

What is a Granuloma? A granuloma is a solid grouping of inflammatory cells coming together in a lump or solid structure. What is an Eosinophil? An eosinophil is a type of white blood cell that is commonly associated with allergic responses or with parasitism. Eosinophil counts will go up on a blood test when a […]

Horner’s Syndrome in Companion Animals

HORNER’S SYNDROME IN COMPANION ANIMALS

A syndrome is a collection of symptoms that have significance when they go together. It is important to realize that having a syndrome is not the same as having a diagnosis. A syndrome, however, often has a limited number of causes such that recognizing a specific syndrome brings one substantially closer to a diagnosis. What […]