Education
Allergies
Is your cat grooming half her hair off or your dog licking his paws raw? It may well be your pet is experiencing allergies, one of the most common health problems for pets. Just like people, animals have allergic reactions because their immune system–the system that protects the body from foreign and potentially infectious substances–overreacts to some material. Almost anything–pollen, dust, an ingredient in pet food, a household chemical, an insect bite–can set off an alarm in the immune system, causing it to pump out...
read moreSpay or Neuter Surgery
Spay or neuter surgery: Myths, facts, and drawbacks • Myths and facts • Surgery costs: are they too high? • Laser surgery • Drawbacks of sterilization • Questions you may want to ask your vet • Responsibility • Notes Twenty years and more ago, pet sterilization was hailed as the only way to keep unwanted litters from clogging shelters and ultimately dying there to make room for even more unwanted litters. In the past decade the tide has turned: shelters have instituted their own sterilization policies and animal welfare...
read moreNail Clipping can be easier
Proper training can reduce the stress Q:We have a large dog and when we try to clip his nails, he becomes very upset and tries to bite. We’ve tried to give treats, give lots of praise and make it a pleasant experience but it doesn’t help. A friend of mine gives her dogs a tranquilizer when she wants to cut their nails and I’ve been thinking about trying that, too. Do you have any ideas? A: Since individual dogs vary a great deal in their reactions to tranquilizers, I’m not in favor of their use at home without the...
read moreIs it an emergency?
These conditions require immediate attention The Emergency Veterinary Clinic of Cincinnati compiled this list of pet health emergencies. If the animal has any of the following symptoms, call your local emergency care facility and tell the receptionist that you are bringing in a dog or cat that has • Difficulty breathing, • noisy respiration, • blue tongue, • gasping for breath. • Bleeding that does not stop from any part of the body; apply pressure with a clean cloth and go! • Bloated or distended abdomen or swollen or painful...
read moreBloat
Bloat Deep-chested dogs are susceptible to gastric torsion; the dreaded “bloat” • Introduction • The physiology of bloat • Treatment • Preventation Introduction Bloat, Torsion. Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV). Call it what you will, this is a serious, life-threatening condition of large breed dogs. While the diagnosis is simple, the pathological changes in the dog’s body make treatment complicated, expensive, and not always successful. A typical scenario starts with a large, deep-chested dog, usually fed once...
read moreWorms?
Canine worms Introduction Dogs are victims of several internal parasites frequently referred to as worms. The most common are the roundworms that infest most puppies at some time in their young lives and tapeworms that can be a big problem when flea infestations are high. Evidence of roundworms and tapeworms can be seen without the aid of a microscope, but other worms are not so easily diagnosed. Occasionally adult whipworms can be seen in the stool when the infestation has already caused some debilitation or weight loss in the dog. Early...
read moreFleas
Fleas, flies, ticks, etc. Introduction God in his wisdom made the fly And then forgot to tell us why ——–Ogden Nash Nash’s witticism could easily be applied to all the critters that bug pets and people during summer months The world is a wondrous place where hundreds of thousands of animals and plants interact to form the environment as we know it. Each creature has carved its own niche — a place where it eats, reproduces, and survives to reproduce again, for such is the nature of things. Man has chosen certain...
read moreDogs get sick
Dogs get sick from parasites, viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and fungus. In some cases, these diseases and infestations are fatal unless caught early and treated. Sometimes they sow the seeds of death or debilitation years down the road by causing chronic illness or damaging organs. Fortunately, veterinary researchers have developed drugs and treatments that reduce the occurrence and effects of many diseases and parasites, but they do not eradicate the scoundrels – they only hold them at bay. Rabies, distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis,...
read moreBasic First Aid Kit
A simple first aid kit Basic supplies Dog owners can treat minor injuries for their pets if they have the appropriate remedies, tools, and equipment available. The following items were included in a first aid kit that the Cincinnati Veterinary Medical Association gave to police dog handlers at a recent workshop. A home first aid kit needs many of the same items. • Gauze sponges — 50 four-by-four inch sponges, two per envelope • Triple antibiotic ointment • Rubbing alcohol • Ear syringe — two ounce capacity • Ace...
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