Pet Care Articles
By Dr. Joanne Intile
As doctors, we tend to think of preventative medicine in a very concrete way. It’s the underlying mantra behind our recommendation for routine physical exams, labwork, imaging tests, and screening tests. We want to perform these check-ups when patients are well in order to detect risk factors prior to the development of significant disease.
There’s a great deal of evidence to support the benefit of preventative medicine for people. One study indicated that over half of the deaths in the United States in the year 2000 were due to preventable “behaviors and exposures.” This included deaths from cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, unintentional injuries, diabetes, and infectious diseases.
It would seem, therefore, that preventative medicine would be our best defense against illness. Yet, nary a few months go by before another study is published indicating that preventative exams, lab tests, or ... Read more...
By Nancy Peterson
Sadly, the Live Safe Foundation estimates that 40,000 pets are killed each year by house fires, 1,000 of which are accidentally caused by pets. So the American Kennel Club and ADT Security Services launched National Pet Fire Safety Day on July 15, 2009, to help owners prevent their pets from starting fires and develop a fire safety plan that increases their pet’s chance of survival.
I’ve been known to be over the top when it comes to making my house safe for my cats. I confess that there was a time when I put child safety plugs in the electrical outlets, hid the sink disposal switch behind a heavy wooden cutting board, and taped electrical cords to the floor. You may not have considered any of those precautions, but I do hope you’ll consider these more common safety tips.
1. Remember: Cats are curious
If you live with cats, I don’t ... Read more...
Ear Infections are one of the most common canine and feline health problems, but that doesn’t mean that veterinarians and owners are all that good at treating them. We all have to share the blame in this regard.
Owners often want a quick (and inexpensive) fix, and doctors can be unwilling to put in the time necessary to thoroughly explain the complexities behind many ear infections. To help remedy this situation, here are a few tips for treating ear infections in dogs and cats.
1. Ear infections typically develop as a result of another problem.
In most cases, a pet’s ear infection should be viewed as a symptom of another, underlying condition. Allergies to ingredients in the pet’s food and/or environmental triggers like pollen, molds, and dust mites are most common, but anatomical abnormalities, masses, or foreign material within the ear, chronically damp ears, and hormonal disorders ... Read more...
Four-year-old Teddy the terrier has learned to scoot since a stroke a couple months ago left his hind legs paralyzed.
'I've had a couple people say, 'Why don't you put him down? It's a lot of work for you,'' said Kristen Sims, Teddy's owner. 'But I don't really see it as work. It's just what you do.'
What Sims is doing now to help her 4-legged family member may seem very strange to some.
'Teddy is getting underwater treadmill, because he can't bear is his weight normally,' said veterinarian Dr. Akos Hartai.
Underwater treadmill therapy is helping retrain Teddy to walk again.
A veterinarian helps support Teddy while the treadmill moves slowly. The therapy helps retain muscle tone, as well as trigger reflexes.
'It gets these nerves to think, 'How can I walk? How can I move?'' Hartai said.
From water therapy to lasers to chiropractic care, alternative veterinary therapy is helping pets get healthy or stay healthy. ... Read more...
By Dr. Darren Woodson Valley Veterinary Clinic
If you're like me, spring fever is at a high pitch. From springtime through the late fall, many people are subject to seasonal allergies. But people are not the only ones suffering. For our dogs and cats, these same seasons can bring intense itching and discomfort. Yes, it seems our pets can get their own "hay fever."
It's a very frustrating and somewhat common situation. Pet owners by the millions flock to their veterinarians in the hope of relieving their pet's itchiness. For many people, the constant chewing, licking and scratching can test their love for their pets.
Current estimates show about 20 million pets suffer from some sort of skin condition, and many of these are allergies. Allergies are an overreaction of the body's immune system to a foreign substance, such as pollen or flea saliva. For people will allergies, we sneeze and sniffle as our bodies respond to histamine ... Read more...
How much do you know about picking up your No. 1 furry friend’s No. 2? See if you can spot the facts from the fiction.
1. My dog’s poops are actually good for the environment because they’re a natural fertilizer. I think I’ll leave them right where they are, thank you very much.
FALSE. Besides being a nuisance to see and smell (do you really want doggie land mines decorating your yard?), dog waste can pose a health risk if left on the ground. Contrary to what some people might think, dog waste is not a type of fertilizer, and is actually considered by the Environmental Protection Agency to be a "nonpoint source pollutant,” placing it in the same category as herbicides, insecticides and toxic chemicals.
2. If I leave the poop on the ground long enough, eventually the rain will wash it away/it will disintegrate, and it won’t be a problem anymore. Out of sight, out of mind, right?
FALSE. When it rains, dog waste ... Read more...