Any physical changes or new findings on your pet should be evaluated by your veterinarian to best know if there should be any worry or cause for concern. Performing a daily body massage and pet inspection can be bonding and revealing for all – this is suggested morning and evening. Consistency in this evaluation with inspection from nose to tail and head to toes twice daily if possible by one or two members of the family is best.
Questions to be asked when a lump is discovered should better classify the nature of the lump and include:
Knee replacements, MRIs, ultrasounds and laparoscopic surgeries are all some of the advanced techniques and tools that veterinarians are learning in order to keep our pets healthy and happy. Did you know that also at the leading edge of research today are evaluations of the effectiveness of simple needles for the treatment of pain and paralysis and simple honey to manage burns and wounds? In just the past two years, the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association has published multiple studies that have shown acupuncture to be superior to back surgery for certain paralysis in dogs, and honey to be more effective than commonly used medical salves in the United States. Interestingly, both are ancient medical approaches that have been around for over 2000 years.
It’s finally time to get out and stretch and melt away that cabin fever. What better way to enjoy spring and summer then to spend some time outdoors with your best friend. Before heading out with your pet make sure you have the following on your Doggie Pack List:
Last week we looked at why some cats may be either urinating or defecating in places other than their litter box. This week, we’ll explore ways to prevent it.
While most cats are often sought for being a low maintenance pet, when inappropriate "toilet habits" occurs (i.e. anywhere but the litter pan) our once low maintenance, inexpensive pet can become one of the most expensive, frustrating and time consuming pet to care for. 
Many of us grew up with either a dog or cat, and still many had a hamster or guinea pig as a pet as well. What is less known is that birds are the 3rd most common pet in American. And many of these are the hook-billed birds of the parrot species like Cockatoos, African Greys and Macaws, which can have large vocabularies as opposed to the non-parrot species that are smaller such as Canaries, Parakeets and Finches.
A question we get quite often in our practice is about brushing your pet’s teeth and whether we feel it is necessary:
Question: We have a 9 year old cocker spaniel. Sam is covered with angry looking red spots again. This has been an on again off again thing since August. We have had him tested for mange and treated - that didn\'t work. He has been on coritizone twice now and antibiotics twice. He has even been to a dog dermatologist (we have already spent an easy grand on this but still do not know anything). The horribly itchy rash settles down and the flares up really bad again. He is heading back to the vet again tomorrow but I do not have a lot of confidence whatever he has will be discovered. The next step, I guess, is allergy testing but I cannot think of what has changed from last year and last year he would get a bit of a rash in his armpits somethings but nothing like this. Is there anything else yoiu can think of that might cause this?
The cold weather months are a brutal time of year for us, and our beloved four legged friends. Here are some tips to help keep your furry loved ones safe through the winter months.
When is the right time to select a new pet to add to your family? The answer is of course quite complicated. It is sometimes easier to think of some of the reasons when it is NOT a good idea to make such a drastic change. Getting a pet brings many benefits and also many responsibilities. Some pets may make little impact to your daily life, such as a goldfish perhaps, and at the other extreme, an African Grey parrot can live as long as a human (sometimes in excess of 80 years) and must be added to a person’s will since it can be expected to outlive the original owner! Pets are often given as gifts, symbolizing a deep expression of love that a gift card may not be able to match. So when is a pet appropriate to give as a gift, or how do you know you’re ready to add a pet to your family?
