What’s the most common reason for a dog or a cat to visit their veterinarian? The answer may surprise you. When I talk with friends outside of the veterinary industry- this topic often comes up, and most people think it has something with fluids coming out of one end or another. Believe me, I’ve seen…
It’s an anatomy term that applies to both dogs and cats- that when you hear it, you might think your veterinarian was talking about something else, but they’re not. We’re talking about anal sacs. Anal SACS. If you’re not paying attention during the conversation, it may catch you off guard. But… I digress. Your dog…
In my last blog, I talked about marijuana and the need to keep marijuana away from your pets since dogs and cats are hyper-sensitive to the psycho-active ingredient THC. So, what’s the difference between THC and it’s cousin CBD that you may have heard about? There have been lots of fantastic claims out there,…
I’ve been thinking about writing on this topic for quite some time- especially after the state of Colorado and others passed laws which made recreational marijuana legal. I decided to hold back on writing about the issue for a while, so that I could get some feedback from some close friends and colleagues who work…
An Illness has forced the closure of central Florida animal shelter (Jan 18, 2018). In previous blogs, we’ve talked about a number of different outbreaks of illnesses here in central Florida- most recently Canine Influenza, and an isolated Rabies outbreak. If you’ve watched the news recently, you may have seen coverage of an outbreak of another illness in Citrus County which has…
UPDATED March 12. 2019 American Airlines has established new rules related to flying with service animals or emotional support animals (ESA’s). Beginning on April 1, 2019, ESA’s will be limited to a dog or cat only. For service animals, dogs, cats and miniature horses will only be accepted. The traveler wishing to travel with an…
Can a popular trend be making my cat sick? The truth about essential oils and your cat. Although they’ve been around for decades, essential oils have become very popular of late. I’m not here to debate the potential human health benefits of these products, but to inform you that, yes, certain essential oils are potentially harmful to your cat. The same goes for certain liquid potpourri products as…
We know that Thanksgiving 2020 will likely not be the same as it has in year’s past thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic for many of you. Whether you have chosen to host a large gathering, or if you’re planning on keeping it small and follow the CDC recommendations, the dangers to your pets still exist…
A few months ago, one of my blog posts discussed the myriad of reasons why we want to examine your pet’s poop each year. Equally as important as checking your pet’s poop is to check their other waste product- their urine. It’s not that we’re fascinated by your pet’s bodily functions- trust me. In the…
I am often asked about diseases or conditions that can affect both humans and our pets. Some of them are zoonotic, which means they can be passed from our pets to us (these are rare, and I’ll discuss those in another blog)- and there are diseases that our pets can develop, which are similar or…