We are all familiar with the life stages of cats…kittens – frenzied bundles of fur and fun and rare medical problems, adult – sometimes playful, usually sleeps a lot and no health issues. And then we have our seniors – sleep, more sleep, eat, poop and sleep some more. Health concerns tend to erupt overnight without warning. But on closer examinatio…

Were you one of those folks that resisted getting a pandemic pet? Thought there was enough craziness in this world and adding a pet to the mixture was more than you could handle? But recently you have been toying with the idea of having a baby in the house? Dog…might take too much time and not sure if you have the room. Cat…you’ve had them in the p…

Wooohoooo…it is finally winter. Hot sticky weather is behind us. Winter sports and cozy days wrapped in layers of fuzzy warm clothing and snuggling with our pets. And finally an end to having to worry about all those pesky parasites that our veterinarians continue to nag us about…fleas, ticks, internal and external parasites. What a pain in our bud…

GI issues are one of the most common reasons why pets are presented to veterinarians. Dogs love to eat first and think later…one of the reasons why our canine companions are prone to the heartbreak of diarrhea. Cats however are more prone to becoming constipated. Occasional slow down of our bowels happens to all of us but chronic constipation can b…

According the Nationwide Pet Insurance claims data for 2019, the most common reason why dogs were taken to the veterinarians was for allergic dermatitis with ear infections coming in a very close second place. I reality the allergic dermatitis probably led to many of the ear issues. Why do dogs get these pesky, painful and pricey problems? And why …

To let your cat outside or not, that is one of those vexing questions that cat owners wrestle with… the pros and cons are almost limitless. Pros: Envision your cat scampering up trees, stalking butterflies in the tall grass or lazily basking in the sun…what an idyllic life for a cat. Cons: the cat fight on your back fence that results in a deep bit…

It wakes you up in the middle of the night. That noise…where is it coming from? Did you really even hear it? You strain to listen not wanting to get out of bed…there it is…is it a cough, a gag, your cat hacking up a hair ball? In the morning this feline sleep wrecker seems just fine, eating and purring like normal. But there it is again…the cat loo…

Diversity in veterinary medicine has traditionally been viewed as the inclusion of more women in the profession. The first woman, graduated from McKillip Veterinary College in Chicago in 1903. Very slowly more women entered this field of medicine. 1970-89% of veterinary college enrollment was held by men. 2007, only 37 years later was dubbed ‘the y…

You have likely heard of the medical condition know as diabetes. There are actually 2 forms of this condition, diabetes mellitus and insipidus. The most common type is also known as sugar diabetes. It was first documented in 1552 BC in an Egyptian papyrus. It was diagnosed by the sweet taste of the urine. Glad that we now have more scientific ways …

We all have a bucket list. Those things you want to own, see, do, eat, drink, experience before we kick the bucket. What’s on my bucket list? There’s really isn’t anything I want to own but there are so many things I want to see and experience. High on my list is an African safari. The only trophies I want to bring home are memories and photos. But…

Times of stress I vividly remember was when I was in veterinary school and it was a particularly hard time I was having with classes. I was studying like crazy. My diet was crunchy Cheetos and Diet Coke. Sleep was a luxury I couldn't afford. And I had a horridly itchy rash everywhere. I went to the school's infirmary and was surprised at the diagno…

What does an older cat do when it feels good? Sleep. And what does an older cat do when it doesn’t feel good? Sleep. Cats are masters at hiding their signs of illness. As we get older, things start wearing out in our bodies and we awaken to new aches and pains almost daily. But pet parents are often shocked to discover that their cats have an advan…

If I could come back as a pampered feline…lazy around all day, be fed gourmet food, showered with diversions and gifts and receive only the best in healthcare… sign me up! In reality too many of our cats don’t agree that they are leading an idyllic life. To their detriment, cats are masters of hiding the fact that they are really stressed out. How …

I have a very good friend who has been the pet parent for 7 Australian shepherds and 2 cats since I have known her. The care and love that she has bestowed on all of them has been touching to observe and it has always been a pleasure to assist her in keeping her kids healthy. When the time came to let each leave her side, I have watched her go thro…

My aim as a veterinarian is to keep you, animals and the world we share healthy and thriving. The novel corona virus pandemic has brought into sharp focus the delicate balance of keeping zoonotic diseases controlled. Zoonotic diseases are those that are shared by people and animals. And one of the most common worldwide zoonotic diseases is one that…

Life is a matter of perspective. You thought your mom would understand when you didn’t call her when you said you would. It was no big deal. You were tired. To your silently brooding mother it was just another sign that you don’t respect, cherish and love her. One more example of your lack of regard for her feelings. Sound familiar? As a veterinari…

The human/animal bond has led to tremendous advances in pet care. There are times when this bond become pathological. When a pet can’t be with their humans, they can have panic attacks-separation anxiety. My guest is Dr. Gary Landsberg. He is both an American and European board certified in veterinary behaviorist. He has a behavioral clinical pract…

The other week I spoke to an infectious disease expert on the current novel corona virus pandemic. Today my guest and I are going to chat about issues that can arise as a result of us hunkering down during our self-quarantine social distancing. Our pets are loving it…finally their humans are home and can pay more attention to them…whooopeee! But wi…

Marijuana and it’s non-tripy cousin, CBD are touted to treat everything from pain, stress disorders, glaucoma, cancer, eating disorders and a plethora of other conditions. Though medical marijuana is currently legal in 23 states it is still deemed illegal by the Federal Government leading to a paucity of scientific research. The purple haze swirlin…

Likely you and your mom never heard of Ignaz Semmelweis but they both subscribed to a simple act of hygiene that could save your life…washing your hands. In 1847 Hungarian physician, Dr. Semmelweis, saw that women who gave birth under the care of doctors in Vienna had a much high rate of death that was 3 time higher than those who were cared for by…

I was a pretty sickly kid. At 3 ½ years of age my appendix ruptured and the doctors didn’t figure it out for 14 days. I spent a lot of time around physicians and found medicine fascinating. But it wasn’t until I was in college that I changed my major from pre-med to pre-vet. I realized that rather than just taking care of males and females, adults …

Daily news reports warn us of the impact that our carbon foot print is having on our planet. We are told to change how we live and what we drive. But could our pets themselves -what and who we feed them contribute to their detrimental environmental pawprint? We pamper our dogs and cats like children and are told by pet food companies that we need t…

If an earthquake, fire, flood or storm were to affect your neighborhood, would you be able to save your human and animal family members? But you have time. What are the chances that you need to worry about it? As emergency situations seem to be affecting more and more people more frequently, fire, police and emergency first responders can easily be…

Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur are two scientists whose names may sound vaguely familiar. These two scientists of the 1800 are responsible for saving millions of lives by discovering the connection of bacteria and disease. But not all bacteria are bad. In reality we need a balanced microbial population of bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa and viruses…

It may look like your pet is just staring off into space for a few minutes or it could fall to the ground, flail with its legs, vocalize, urinate and defecate. You feel so helpless. You think your pet could be dying. What could have caused this? Did your neighbor poison your pet? Is it time to consider euthanasia? Your pet may be having a seizure, …