Xylitol Poisoning
Many products for human consumption contain artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes. Xylitol is a common sweetener found in items such as chewing gum, toothpaste, sugar-free jelly, and reduced-calorie baked …
General Pet Articles
When Its Time To Say Goodbye (Euthanasia)
Our most important responsibility as caring pet owners is to ensure that our beloved pets never experience unnecessary suffering. With all of the wonderful advancements in animal nutrition and …
Vomiting Pets
It is not uncommon that a pet may vomit once or twice occasionally without any other symptoms of illness and seem fine afterward. Because of their curious nature, a …
Understanding Giardia Infections
Giardia is a microscopic protozoan parasite of warm blooded animals. Pets and people can become infected by ingesting giardia cysts from contaminated food and water. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal …
Zinc Toxicity
Zinc is found in many common household items and is very toxic when accidentally ingested by pets. It is a potent gastrointestinal irritant and causes hemolytic anemia, or red-blood …
Whipworms
Whipworms are an intestinal parasite of dogs and rarely, cats. Human whipworm infection is not caused by the species of worm that infects our pets, so zoonosis is unlikely …
Weight Loss – Should I Be Concerned?
Many people attribute weight loss in a geriatric pet to the normal aging process. Often, a pet will lose a significant amount of body mass before the owner is …
Understanding Heart Failure & Treatment Options
Heart failure may be classified as cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle) or valvular disease (disease of the flow regulating valves in the heart). Sub-categories of cardiomyopathy are Dilatative …
Understanding Cataracts
A cataract is an area of opacity within the lens or the lens capsule of the eye. The eye’s lens is a soft tissue equivalent of a glass lens …
Ultrasound Procedures
An ultrasound machine uses sound waves above the limit of human hearing to visualize internal organs and structures within the animal’s body. A handheld transducer is used to direct …