October 29th is National Cat Day, a day to celebrate all things feline. Contrary to popular belief, cats do not sleep all day. They cycle through times of play, eat, grooming and sleep. My cats seem to repeat this cycle twice each day with sleep periods that run approximately 6 hours in the younger cats. Interacting with …
Monthly Archives: October 2013
Tapozole (Methimazole) in Cats
Tapazole is a drug used to treat hyperthyroidism in cats. The generic name for tapazole is methimazole. It acts by inhibiting iodine incorporation into thyroglobuin thereby interfering with the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Originally, the drug only came in a pill form. Since pilling cats is not always pleasant, the medication can be compounded into …
Coconut Oil for Dogs and Cats
Coconut oil has become a popular fatty acid supplement for humans. Some of my clients who supplemented their pets with fish oil have switched to coconut oil because they thought it was better. Unfortunately, this is only true for patients with severe gastrointestinal disease or cognitive dysfunction. Unlike fish oil, it does not help with inflammation. Let me …
2013 National Veterinary Technician Week
October 13th-19th is National Veterinary Technician Week. I want to dedicate this blog to all the veterinary technicians who dedicate their lives to saving animals. These gifted health care professionals are the wind beneath a veterinarian’s wings. We simply couldn’t do our jobs without them. Let me give you a peak into what veterinarian technicians …
How to Separate Cats With Colds
Most colds in cats are upper respiratory infections caused by a virus. These viruses are highly contagious. If one cat is sick with an upper respiratory infection, it is important to separate them from other cats to prevent spread of the disease. Here are my recommendations for isolating a cat at home. 1) Isolate the sick …
You Make The Diagnosis: A Dog’s Painful Encounter
Last Saturday night, I treated a unusual case for a city clinic. A dog went out into his fenced backyard before retiring with his family for the night. When he returned, blood covered his paws and face. He was in extreme pain. Please examine the picture of my patient’s paw then answer the following questions; What happened to …
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You Make The Diagnosis: Strange Structure On Paw
Pictured below is the paw of a dog who came in for veterinary care. During my examination, I found this structure on the inner side of the dog’s leg. Look at it closely then answer the following questions: What is the structure? How is it treated? Diagnosis:Overgrown Dewclaw(360 degrees) I have never seen a nail grown …
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