It is one of my exam room mantras -- "all pets, especially seniors, need twice yearly examinations and yearly blood and urine testing. "I am glad I actually listened to myself. Though my cat, Zachary, appeared to be perfectly fit, on his 16th birthday, I popped him into hi...

If your dog or cat has the pedigree and charisma of Rin Tin Tin or lassie, and you've already invested thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours trying to attain championship status, you probably aren't thinking about spaying or neutering yet-but you hopefully will be in th...

Ticks are a nuisance for your pets, as well as for us. In many parts of the country ticks are very common, and are the source of many diseases which can affect both us and our pets, such as Lyme disease, ehrlichia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and other rickettsial disease...

I used to snicker under my breath when one of my clients would come to the office just to have their pets' nails trimmed. I recently attempted to give my own cats a manicure but to no avail. My cats just don't realize that I am a veterinarian. They think of me only as `mo...

Recently, many pet owners have been asking us about pet insurance. Although pet insurance has been available in the U.S. since 1981, most pet owners are still unaware that it is even an option to help with your pet's care. Operating much like other types of insurance, pet in...

Those fleas! They are more than just a nuisance, as they also transmit tapeworms, some bacterial and viral infections, and are the culprits behind one of the most common allergic conditions affecting our pets-flea allergic dermatitis. Fleas are blood suckers, and to surviv...

Brushing your dog's teeth is one of the more common home care activities you should be doing on a regular basis. Most pet parents are afraid to even try it because they think it is so difficult to do, or that their dog will hate it. The truth is it's actually quite simple,...

Having some concerns about your new puppy or rescue dog? Well, don't panic! Remember, a new home takes some getting used to. The first few days may require some adjustments from you and your new dog. It's a shock for your new pet - especially a puppy - to be without his ...

It's not uncommon for me to hear the words `oh doctor, this dog and it must have been abused by its previous owners. It is such a fearful dog.` My years of experience as a companion animal veterinarian have shown me that thankfully cases of abuse are less frequent than inst...

What is the best diet to feed my dog? That is a question I am frequently asked by concerned pet owners. You may try to educate yourself by examining labels, or going to the manufacture's web site and reading their claims. You might decide to ask your breeder or seek the a...

Heartworms are a very common parasite affecting our dogs, in fact in many parts of the country the disease has reached endemic proportions. The disease itself, if left undetected and untreated can often be fatal, and the sad truth is that screening and prevention is so easy...

Chewing furniture and possessions is a complaint that most pet owners have about their puppies.

Bringing home a new puppy may be one of the happiest days of your life, and one of the most distressful for your psyche and your carpet. How long will it take to house train your dog? Well, every dog is different, and some are easier to train than others, but it can be don...

If you are coming in today with a newly adopted cat or kitten, I want to first congratulate you for most probably saving a life. Adopting a new cat can be very exciting! I should know-we just added number four to our feline crew. And, sharing your home with a cat is great...

Want a cat that travels in the car without screaming from anxiety? Crave a cat that doesn't go crazy when you try to give it a bath, trim its' nails or give it a pill? Wish that when company comes to visit that your cat would actually come out and say hello rather than hid...

As challenging as it can often be to find the right food for a dog, finding the best food for your furry feline can be even more difficult. Cats are labeled as being finicky for good reason-they are often tough to please. One fact that does separate our felines from our ca...

When we think of heartworm disease, we usually don't think of it affecting cats. But, we have been seeing more and more feline cases nationwide, so it is a disease we should at least be aware of. As with the dog, the disease is transmitted via a bite from an infected mosqu...

Being the caregiver of a cat has been shown to provide many health benefits, both for your mind and body. Repeated studies demonstrate that cats can reduce stress, lower your blood pressure, and even boost your chances of survival after a heart attack. There are however, s...

According to many cat parents who have tried, and considering some cats that I've treated, I'm not sure I disagree; there are few things more difficult in life than bathing a cat. Bathing a cat is truly an art, and, with some pointers, can be mastered with relative ease. T...

Like giving your cat a bath, brushing its teeth can be done-just not as easily as brushing your dog's teeth. Even still, it should be done on a somewhat regular basis, and if the procedure is introduced properly, your cat may not hate it as much as you think he or she might...

Cat scratch fever is a bacterial disease caused by bartonella henselae. As the name implies, a person can contract this ailment from cat scratches but also from cat bites and possibly even flea bites. It is estimated that approximately 40% of all cats in the United States ...

As most of us know firsthand, cats, instinctively, like to scratch. Our goal is to train them to scratch appropriate surfaces like a scratch post, and to avoid inappropriate surfaces like our couches or drapes. Unfortunately, this is not always an easy task. Well, we here...