November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month, and it’s a great time to consider adopting a new, older pet. Older pets have a tendency to sit much longer in shelters, and really, for no good reason. There are a number of benefits to adopting a senior...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Addison’s disease, also called hypoadrenocorticism, is when your pet’s adrenal glands produce too little of certain hormones like cortisol and aldosterone. These hormones affect the salt, potassium, and water balance in your pet’s blood...
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...