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...
My dog never lost his puppy teeth. Do I need to worry about this?
Just like humans, puppies and kitties lose all their baby teeth. In most cases, the teeth come out by 6 months old. In fact, that is one tool vets use to judge the age of a puppy – if she has her canine tooth (the big fang) she is 6 months or older. So, what happens...
My dog is overweight and is on thyroid medication. Is there anything I should know about giving the pills?
First thing is to be sure your dog had a full thyroid test – one that was sent out to a reference laboratory and measured several values of thyroid function, not just T4. If your dog is really and truly low on thyroid function, then your veterinarian will prescribe...
Is it okay to give my dogs ice cubes or put ice cubes in their water? I read an article that said that it caused bloat, like throwing a person into an ice-cold swimming pool, causing the muscles to dangerously constrict. When I looked it up on WebMD, they mentioned that dogs that are more at risk for this are ones with deep chests and narrow waists. Since Buster is my bicycling buddy and fits that description (dalmatian), I was particularly concerned, especially since I take a water bottle with me and share it with him when we’re riding.
n theory, they should like ice water, just like we do, after a really hot day. Watch if the water is too cold – can make them puke – like a big shock to a warm belly – just like you read. The second thing to think about for those who really seek cool/cold things is to...
My veterinarian said home-cooked is OK, but cautioned that I need to make sure to add vitamins and taurine. On a sample recipe on your site, I didn’t see any mention of supplements to be added, especially taurine. Did I miss it, or do you not recommend it?
Thanks for your question. This is a common concern as we’ve all been trained since the 50s that taurine has to be added to cat food. Taurine comes from meat. In the 50s, cat food did not contain enough meat to provide cats with enough taurine for healthy hearts. Once...
What are the different kinds of vaccines? (And, why do I care?)
In the prepartion of killed vaccines, the manufacturer “kills” the virus, usually by heat, so injection into a patient does not cause disease. This is especially important in rabies prevention as the last thing we want to do is give rabies to patients. The...
What is an adjuvant and why does it matter what vaccine I get for my cat?
An adjuvant is a fancy word for something that assists. In my military career, the adjuvant helped the wing commander out. In my veterinary career, the adjuvant helps the body’s immune system respond to a vaccine. Adjuvants are used with killed vaccine. (Hmm, another...