Veterinarian, Speaker & Author
Brachycephalic breeds of dogs are prone to heat related health problems. The term brachycephalic is used to describe breeds with flattened faces including English and French bulldogs, pugs, Boston terriers, Shih Tzu, Pekinese and boxers. Although the smashed face look is cute, dogs with this condition are prone to the following medical problems: 1) stenotic nares (pinched …
Continue reading “Brachycephalic Dogs Are Prone To Heat Stroke”
On May 21, 2014, I introduced you to this family of hummingbirds who live in my neighbor’s courtyard. They started out in eggs that were the size of a jelly bean. Near the time of departing the nest, they barely fit inside. This photo was taken about a day before they left the nest. It has been amazing to see how …
Acute moist dermatitis or hot spots are a common skin condition in dogs with double coats such as Golden Retrievers and Bernese Mountain dogs. An inciting factor such as an insect bite, allergy, chemical burn or sticker irritates the skin. Then the dog licks, scratches and chews the area further inflaming it. The traumatized skin in combination …
Pictured below is a close up of a dog’s nose. This dog had a black nose until it suddenly started to blister and peel. Eventually, all of the normal tissue was gone, leaving the dog with an open wound over the entire nose. With treatment, the condition improved to what is pictured below. What medical condition …
Continue reading “You Make The Diagnosis: Abnormal Dog Nose”
***Please Note: On June 25th, 2014, Dr. Nelson’s Veterinary Blog will be changing to the WordPress format. All of the blog posts can be found there but the comments were lost in the data migration. BUMMER! If you are a subscriber, please go to drnelsonsveterinaryblog.com and re-subscribe. (This is the temporary address until 6/25/14 when it …
Continue reading “You Make The Diagnosis: Name This Itchy Skin Condition In Dogs”
Several weeks ago, I performed surgery on a kitty named Ghostly after she sustained serious injuries from a car’s fan belt. The cat was inside the engine when it was started. Two good Samaritans saw her run from the car leaving a trail of blood behind her. They searched and searched knowing her injuries she …
***Please Note: On June 25th, 2014, Dr. Nelson’s Veterinary Blog will be changing to the WordPress format. All of the blog posts can be found there but the comments were lost in the data migration. BUMMER! If you are a subscriber, please go to drnelsonsveterinaryblog.com and re-subscribe. (This is the temporary address until 6/25/14 when it …
Blood testing is the most common method used to diagnose Valley Fever. A sample of the pet’s blood is sent to the lab. They look for the presence of antibodies for Valley Fever. If antibodies are present, the lab will then perform a titer test which involves diluting the sample to determine the amount of …
Congratulations to all my fellow cancer survivors! This past Saturday, I had the honor of serving as the keynote speaker for National Cancer Survivors Day at Scottsdale Healthcare. What made the event incredibly special is that over three years post chemo, several of my nurses were in the audience. The care they provided and the love I felt …
I am a proud graduate of Seattle Pacific University. So today’s tragedy is especially sad. I spent many hours in the building where the shooting occurred. It is the science building where I had many biology, chemistry and math courses. We called it “The SLC” for Science Learning Center. As someone who spent considerable time both …