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...
As our pets are living longer and longer, there is a slow but steady loss of kidney function in all pets. Kidney disease is something that every pet parent will experience if your pets live long enough and don’t succumb to another illness or...
Our pets, just like us, have many different organs that make up their bodies. All are important and work together to keep your dog or cat healthy. After the brain and heart, the liver is arguably the most important organ in the body. It is...
Vaccines are products that contain bacteria or viruses. They are given to protect a pet from the diseases caused by those organisms. The bacteria or virus has a protein on the outside that is unique to it. This is called an antigen.
When the...
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...
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...
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...