How Often Should I Groom my Dog?
How often is your dog dirty? Ok, it’s not fair to answer a question with a question, but that’s what it comes down to. My Cairn Terrier gets groomed every 6-8 weeks; many poodles and other continuously growing hair coat dogs get groomed about that frequency. But, then...
My Dog has Started Panting at Night & my House is Air Conditioned. It’s Causing Me to Lose Sleep. What’s Going On?
Something serious, that’s for sure! Heat (panting) is often a sign of infection. Panting can be a sign of pain. When dogs come to see me with this complaint, we look at their chest – for infection – either bacterial or fungal, and the rest of their body for pain. This...
I Saw Another Food Recall for Pets Recently. What is Happening in These Situations? And How Dangerous is the Reason for the Recall?
The most common reason pet foods are recalled is to potential for Salmonella, a harmful bacteria, to grow. Salmonella can cause terrible intestinal problems, from diarrhea, to vomiting and even systemic infection with fever, dehydration, aches and chills. Where does...
My Veterinarian Said my Dog had Fleas, But I Didn’t See any Fleas or Flea Dirt. What Gives?
Sounds like your pup has a flea allergy. All it takes is one bite to set off an itch attack. And just because you don’t see fleas jumping on you, doesn’t mean they aren’t having a meal of your dog. How does your veterinarian find fleas? By looking at the base of the...
Why Does my Dog Ignore a Rawhide Bone for Months then Suddenly Devour Them?
Is this seasoning? Is this a need to air out the chew? Or, does the rawhide need to be stored underground for a while? Some of the answer depends on which method of “storage” your pup uses. Maybe she only eat them when she’s pouting. Here’s something cool: did you...
Do Pets Catch Colds as We Go into Winter?
What leads any species to get a cold in the winter? Is it the ambient temperature changes or is it the changes in our bodies? I learned in veterinary school that anytime temperatures change more than 30 degrees in a 24 hour period that we are looking for respiratory...
There are a lot of different types of calcium on the market. Which one is best for use in homemade food?
Calcium lactate, calcium citrate and calcium carbonate are the most common calcium supplements (and all sorts of variations thereof, like calcium citrate/malate). Everyone says theirs is the best. But which one really is? Here’s the can of worms: some say the source...
How common is seasonal hair loss? I’ve been told it’s common in boxers.
n my view of the world, it is not acceptable to blame hair loss on a breed, unless we’re talking Chinese Crested dogs. Boxers should have a full coat of hair, like anyone else. If the hair loss is seasonal, what goes along with seasonal changes? Is your dog intact?...
My dog was having hair loss issues (bi-lateral flank hair loss) and was and still is overweight. The veterinarian I took her to only suggested a T4 reading and told me that a full panel isn’t necessary. What would you have done?
I would have done a full panel. You can have normal T4 but the conversion to T3 (the active form of thyroid hormone) can be abnormal. Another thing that can be abnormal is the autoantibodies (which means that the thyroid gland is having an autoimmune problem and...
Why does my beagle scratch his butt under the cabinets all day?
That has to be so cute!! But really, why? Is he just itchy, or does he have pain? Remember when we were kids we were told itching is a low grade form of pain? This is probably similar. And, have you ever had a mosquito bite drive you nuts that when you made it bleed...