Our Cat has Fleas Even Though we put Flea Collar on Her. Should we Get Something from a Vet or What?
Flea collars can be poisonous. I’ve had patients have hair loss, to seizures and death from flea collars and shampoos. And, right now, many people are finding nothing works more than 2 weeks. I'd get some topical thing from the veterinarian - Frontline or Advantage....
My Dog Drags his Rump on the Ground & Carpet, But his Anal Glands have Already Been Expressed. My Veterinarian Wants to Remove Them. What Do you Think?
This is a pretty drastic surgery for something that can usually be controlled by diet and chiropractic. But, first, let’s back up and talk about anal glands. Dogs and cats have two glands, one on each side of their butthole (about 4 and 7 o’clock). Anal glands fill up...
Why Does my Fully Potty Trained Dog still Pee when She gets Excited Around New People?
Silly pup – she’s being submissive and telling you that you are the top dog in her world, and your friends. Just ignore the behavior, have your friends meet your girl on easy to clean flooring and it will get better. The more secure your girl feels in herself, the...
5 Ways to Pamper Your Pet this Holiday Season — Great Pet Gifts
How much more fun is it to give presents to your pets? And, even more fun, for a bunch of them, the box itself is great fun! So, let’s look at feeding, grooming, bedding, playing and exercising. My favorite topic, as most of you will know by now, is feeding – great...
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...