Matters of the heart – murmurs, coughing and cardiac disease
Cats and dogs like people have cardiac disease, which when noticed, often presents itself as a cough of exercise intolerance. Without symptoms noticed at home, during a routine visit to your veterinarian, a clue that something is going on my be noticed when your veterinarian hears a heart murmur. What is a murmur? A heart […]
Urinary Obstruction in Cats – A Life-Threatening Emergency
Recognizing the Emergency We have already described the signs of feline idiopathic cystitis (F.I.C.) as straining to urinate, bloody urine etc. If the cat is a male, he is at risk for an especially life-threatening complication of this syndrome: the urinary blockage. Mucus, crystals and even tiny bladder stones can clump together to form a […]
Intestinal Parasitism in The Houston Heights
Many cats and dogs are affected by intestinal parasitism, which can either be intestinal worms or protozoal organisms. Most pets show symptoms such as diarrhea or soft stool, but in some cases older animals may not show signs at all. Fecal floatation done in-house at your veterinarian’s practice or sent out to your veterinarian’s reference […]
Canine and Feline Obesity – Here’s The Skinny
Obesity has become an extremely important health problem in the Western world, not just for humans but for dogs and cats as well. Obesity in pets is associated with joint problems, diabetes mellitus, respiratory compromise, and decreased life span; recent estimations suggest that up to 35 percent of dogs and cats in the U.S. suffer […]
Dogs and Roadtrips
Off for a vacation road trip and looking to bring your canine companion? Kudos to you for bringing your furry friend along. Some dogs love hopping in the car, peering out the window and seeing new places. But other dogs get anxious in the car and/or in new surroundings. If your canine companion is not […]
Flea Anemia in The Houston Heights
Fleas aren’t just a nuisance. They drink blood and blood loss can kill. In almost every case, the owner had no idea that flea infestation could be lethal. It is hard to imagine that something as tiny as a flea could be dangerous. We all know that fleas can make pets itch. Some of us […]
Canine Lamness in The Houston Heights
There are a number of reasons your canine companion might be favoring a leg. If lameness persists more than 24 hours, it should be brought to the attention of your family veterinarian. Below are some of the common reasons for lameness: Medical/Infectious: -Tick borne disease can results in shifting leg lameness -Auto-immune inflammatory disease such […]
Allergies- they are in the air
Airborne particles (pollen, dander, etc.) are harmless to someone who is not allergic to them. Allergy develops in individuals who are genetically programmed to do so – This includes our dog and cat companions. Features of Atopy (allergy to airborne things) There are many reasons for pets to itch: parasites, allergy to flea bites, food […]
What to Look for When Examining Your Cat’s Teeth
It’s easy to recognize if your cat has a broken leg, but how about a broken tooth? You would think pets would stop eating when they had oral problems. Unfortunately, this is not usually the case. By the time most owners recognize oral disease in their pets, the problem is chronic and progressive. So what […]
The Coughing Cat
Cats do a lot of things that pet owners seems to get used to, coughing, vomiting etc. This topic is focused on coughing cats, and coughing just like vomiting isn’t normal. The first question to ask yourself is, if the cough wet or dry? Wet coughs can be pneumonia or fluid in the lungs. Dry […]