Dog care, symptoms, health issues, and dog health advocacy from an owner's perspective. In loving memory of Jasmine.
A dog with a bladder infection is a dog at risk for bladder stones. A dog’s urinary bladder is a sac-like organ for storing urine. It is found within the abdomen in the area between the rear legs. When the muscles in the dog’s bladder wall contract, the urine then flows through the urethra. The urethra is the narrow tube…
Does your dog eat poop? Why do they do that? Canines seem to enjoy many smells and tastes that people find offensive. For example, dogs are generally attracted to the odor of feces while investigating their environment. Some dogs, including puppies, will even eat the poop of cats and other animals. The technical term for that is coprophagia. Behavioral reasons…
In dogs, the main cause of Addison’s disease is an immune process. Often, dogs develop Addison’s disease when their immune system destroys adrenal tissue. Addison’s disease can sometimes develop as a side effect of overtreatment for Cushing’s disease. Further, Addison’s disease can result from suddenly stopping long-term steroid treatment without a gradual withdrawal period. Other, less common causes include: trauma infection…
Cushing’s disease, named after the first physician who reported it, results from an excess of cortisol in the body. It is most common in middle-aged to older dogs. The most susceptible breeds include: Poodles Dachshunds Boston Terriers Boxers Beagles Introduction Cortisol is a corticosteroid hormone that controls metabolism and response to stress. It is produced by the adrenal glands, which…
Cytology is the examination of the cells under a microscope. Cytology can be used to characterize lumps and masses on the skin and in other organs of your dog. It is also useful for evaluating: cells from body fluids (eg, urine, joint fluid, fluid in the chest or abdomen) body surfaces (such as the ear, skin, eye, mouth, vagina, etc).…