Dog care, symptoms, health issues, and dog health advocacy from an owner's perspective. In loving memory of Jasmine.
Do you live in or travel to areas that are home to venomous snakes? Do you know how to protect your dog from snake bites? I’ve been neighbors with rattlesnakes, copperheads, and water moccasins, and have treated dogs that have been bitten by some if not all of these species. These cases can be incredibly rewarding or heartbreaking. It all…
Most dog owners are aware that antifreeze containing ethylene glycol (EG) is dangerous stuff. But, do you know exactly how antifreeze wreaks havoc in a dog’s body? I didn’t think so (I had to look up a few of the finer points too). Let’s review how the dog’s body absorbs, metabolizes, and excretes ethylene glycol. The information is essential to…
If you spend much time on websites dedicated to canine nutrition, you’re bound to run into a debate over Salmonella. In general, veterinarians have considered salmonellosis (a disease caused by infection with Salmonella bacteria) to primarily be a problem in dogs that are fed raw or undercooked meats. However, the Diamond pet food recall shows that to protect both dogs…
Last time, I talked about (and hopefully clarified) some of the confusing terminology associated with diseases affecting the canine kidney. I touched upon the basics of both acute kidney failure (or acute kidney injury, and chronic kidney failure. Today, I’d like to go over what all this means for the dogs in our lives. In other words, what happens to…
When I was writing my book the Dictionary of Veterinary Terms, Vet-Speak Deciphered for the Non-Veterinarian, the kidneys caused me no end of grief. Not only are the kidneys themselves complicated, but so is the terminology associated with the diseases that affect them. So here’s a primer on canine kidneys and all the associated verbiage. Kidneys: Where are They and…