My Dog Only has One Testicle Descended. Do I Need to Worry About This?
An undescended testicle is also called cryptorchid or monorchid. By the time most puppies go home between 8 and 12 weeks old, the male puppy will have both testicles descended into his scrotal sac. Interestingly, northern breeds and some working dogs seem to delay...
What Really is Healthy Looking Stool?
Caution: This discussion may be a bit graphic for some. Pet food manufacturers spend a lot of their research dollars making sure that dogs and cats have “good” stools after eating their pet food. Certainly, most pet owners examine their pets’ output and use that as...
Dr. Google vs. You Know, Any Real Doctor
These days we all do it - we run to the Internet to check for information. Fact checking may be as simple as checking ingredients of a favorite recipe, to something as complicated as diagnosing an unknown illness in a pet. Multiple times over the years, before my...
Health Coaching for Pets
Have you ever just wanted a second opinion, either about your own health or the health care of your pets? Books and the internet are great for general information, background, and education but usually don’t address the specific situation going on in the owner’s...
Why has my Black Cat’s Coat Turned Red?
Black coat color is produced by a pigment called melanin. Melanin is the same pigment in human skin that turns our skin brown(er) when we are exposed to sunshine. Melanin is found in higher concentration in black coated animals than other color coats. Melanin is made...
What Are the Ingredients of Vaccines?
The list of ingredients for most vaccines is proprietary information - this means vaccine companies are not required to disclose their ingredients to the consumer. Therefore, even if the consumer, or the consumer’s pet, has a reaction to a vaccine, the vaccine the...
My Dog Bit Me. Do I Need to Get a Tetanus Booster?
Tetanus comes from bacterial infection caused by a bacterium called Clostridium tetani. C tetani lives in the soil. This bacterium produces a toxin that causes the typical signs of tetanus when the environment is right. C tetani enters the body through a break in the...
Cancer: What to Do When Your Dog is Diagnosed
Statistics presented by veterinary insurance companies report that 25% of dogs will develop cancer before they die. For some reason, the cancer rate in cats is not as high as that in dogs. Therefore, this discussion will focus on dogs. However, much of what applies to...
The Origin of Current Omega Fatty Acid Standards in Pet Food
In 2015, AAFCO approved specific fatty acids ratios for pet foods. Omega fatty acids are used by the body to reduce inflammation and are building blocks for many biochemical pathways. Some of these fatty acids are essential, meaning the body cannot make its own. Diet...
Do I Need to Brush my Dog’s Teeth More Often or Should I Even Start?
The goal is always for our dog’s teeth to be pearly white. But when it’s one tooth, the canine, that builds up tartar, the question becomes what’s the best thing to do? Animals don’t really chew with their fangs, the canines. The canine teeth are meant for holding...