Coccidia in Dogs: What You Need To Know

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You just brought home your new puppy from the shelter and chances are, you are beyond thrilled.  According to the shelter staff, your puppy has been fully vetted: spayed or neutered, current on vaccines, dewormed and free of any disease. Not wanting to cause any stomach upset, you faithfully feed the food they sent home, but even though you take all the necessary precautions, within a day or two of getting your puppy home, he is vomiting and having bloody diarrhea. What gives? Chances are your puppy is suffering from a flare of coccidia. Coccidia are microscopic organisms that infect the intestines of dogs. They usually only cause symptoms in… Read More Continue Reading

Prevent Pancreatitis in Your Dog

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Around the holidays, veterinary hospitals see a significant uptick in canine pancreatitis cases. Pancreatitis is a potentially lethal problem that occurs acutely in dogs. While it can occur in cats as well, the disease is not the same. In dogs, the cause is almost always the same: Fido accidentally scarfs high fat table food, and around the holidays, delicious treats are abundantly available. In dogs, pancreatitis occurs when micro-abscesses form in the pancreas secondary to a dog eating too much food that is high in fat. These abscesses are painful, and cause vomiting, diarrhea, fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, and if left untreated, can be fatal. Pancreatitis can cause severe… Read More Continue Reading

To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate?

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Vaccines in dogs has always been a hot topic. In the past, vaccines were not available, and dogs suffered and died in huge numbers from infectious diseases. In the 1970s, parvovirus roared onto the scene with multiple outbreaks, killing massive numbers of dogs. Fortunately, the parvo vaccine was developed, and many dogs were able to be protected from the disease. Today due to ignorance and anti-vaccine rhetoric, diseases like parvo and distemper, which are easily preventable, are making a comeback. In areas where there are large numbers of unvaccinated or undervaccinated pets, veterinarians see dogs come in sick with bloody diarrhea and vomiting, or neurological symptoms or worse, suffering from… Read More Continue Reading

How to Help an Arthritic Dog

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Arthritis is a frustrating condition that decreases the quality and quantity of a dog’s life, and can affect both young and old dogs. In the past, arthritis used to be difficult to manage, but fortunately, medical and surgical advancements in veterinary medicine give pet parents more options than ever to manage canine arthritis. The most important thing any pet parent can do for a dog diagnosed with arthritis is to make sure that dog is thin. Fat cells are very bad behaviored cells:  the bigger they get, the more of a bad hormone they give off, causing increased appetite, decreased metabolism, and the release of a painful enzyme into the… Read More Continue Reading

Winter Safety Tips for Your Dogs

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The best way to make sure that your dog is safe for the winter is to keep him indoors with you. You can take your dog out for frequent walks and exercise, but you should really keep him inside the rest of the time. When the temperature drops, don’t leave your pets outdoors. Windchill can be life threatening for a dog. Frostbite and hypothermia can occur during extreme cold spells. With hypothermia, you should look for signs of shivering, shallow breathing, weak pulse or lethargy. Frostbite can happen on ears, tails, scrotum or feet. Signs of frostbite include discolored skin, swelling or blisters. If you see signs of either of… Read More Continue Reading

5 Herbs for Dogs

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To give your dog herbs, you can use the fresh or dried variety. Add a sprinkle of herbs to your dog’s food for best results. You can mix them into your dog’s food as a safe way to give them a little nutrition boost. Some of these herbs can help the body’s immune system fight off some of the diseases that are commonly associated with aging. Oregano Although it is known more for being a culinary spice than a healing agent, oregano is a good herb for dogs. High in antioxidants and flavonoids, oregano is also a microbial. This herb can help dogs with digestive problems, diarrhea and gas. It… Read More Continue Reading

Feline Mange

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Mange is a nick-name for a widespread, itchy skin condition in pets. In dogs, mange is caused by the Sarcoptes mite, in cats, mange is caused by the Notredes mite. Another name for mange in cats and dogs is scabies. Feline mange is a very rare condition. The mites that cause mange are microscopic, meaning you cannot see them with the naked eye. Feline mange is a very itchy and very contagious condition. It begins on the face and spreads to the rest of the body, causing severe skin infections. Feline mange is more common in the southern areas of the United States. The signs that your cat might have… Read More Continue Reading

Help! My Dog ate Aluminum Foil!

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You walk into the kitchen after a long day at work only to find that your dog has not only eaten the banana bread that was on the counter, but also the aluminum foil that it was wrapped in! You thought you set that loaf up high enough, unfortunately your dog is sitting there, looking guilty and bread crumbs still on his face. Panic sets in – My Dog Ate Aluminum Foil!! What do I do? First, don’t panic. Despite the internet rumors, rest assured aluminum foil in and of itself isn’t toxic. Aluminum won’t leach into your dog’s bloodstream and poison him from the inside out.  Most often the… Read More Continue Reading

Puppy Mills

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Which would you rather do? In short, when you are buying a puppy at a pet store, it came from a puppy mill. In addition to being sold in pet stores, puppy mill dogs are also sold directly through the public via the Internet, through newspaper ads, and at swap meets and flea markets. You may wonder, why does it matter where the puppy came from? It is because buying dogs that come from puppy mills supports an inhumane industry. Puppy mills make sure that profit comes first over the well-being of the dogs that they sell. A responsible breeder places their primary importance on producing the healthiest puppies they… Read More Continue Reading

Wolf Hybrid Dogs

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“When we try to tame Mother Nature, she often turns against us.” – Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer A wolf hybrid dog is a dog crossed with a wolf. This cross can happen in various percentages from small to great. Any percentage of a wolf mixed with a dog should be considered a wolf hybrid. This is often the danger of wolf hybrids, you never know what you are going to get. There are breeders out there who advertise their pups as hybrids when they are almost pure wolf. This is an especially dangerous scenario. As the domestic dog has descended from a wolf, many people think that it won’t… Read More Continue Reading