We’ve all seen someone who requires the assistance of a wheelchair, cane, or walker to compensate for arthritic joints. As part of aging, our joints tend to give out over time, developing scar tissue, swelling and inflammation as cartilage...
Yes; pets get heart disease too just like people. Aging pets most often die from kidney disease or heart disease. There are several different types of heart disease, but many pets do not suffer from blockages in blood vessels as people do....
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, an organ in the abdomen. The pancreas has two functions.
It produces hormones to control the amount of sugar in the body. One of these hormones is insulin. If the pancreas is not producing enough...
A seizure is uncontrolled activity in the brain that can cause a variety of signs. The most common ones include stiffening or falling over, paddling of legs, and shaking. The pet may pass urine or stool or salivate. Some dogs, but not cats, will...
The ear canal in pets has a vertical portion that goes straight down. It then curves toward the head and has a horizontal part. The eardrum is at the end of the horizontal part.
Infections by bacteria and yeast are the most common ear problems...
The holidays are joyous for most of us, but having cat and dog friendly holidays requires a little preparation. For many pets, instead of finding joy, holiday dangers lurk in many places. Take precautions to keep your pets healthy and safe during...
Hyperthyroidism, overactive thyroid glands, is a common condition among cats, particularly those eight years old or older, but is very rare in dogs unless they are receiving too much medication for hypothyroidism (low thyroid).
Cats have two...
Your pet’s body uses glucose (sugar) as its main source of energy. If your pet has diabetes it can’t use glucose the way it should. Diabetes mellitus is the full name of the disease. There is another disease called diabetes insipidus. It is...
It may come as a surprise, but our pets can be just as likely to develop asthma as humans, although the condition affects cats more often than dogs. Asthma is a condition that develops as a result of chronic inflammation in the small bronchioles...
Cushing’s disease, also called hyperadrenocorticism, is when your pet’s adrenal glands or pituitary produce too many corticosteroids. These hormones, specifically cortisol and cortisone, affect the function of many different organs within...