Veterinarian, Speaker & Author
Healthy desert tortoises hibernate during the cool winter months. These herbivores spend the winter deep in their burrows away from the chilly desert nights. Tortoises kept as pets in places out of their normal range brumate in boxes kept in a cool place. The term brumate means artificial hibernation. Here are my tips for getting tortoises ready for their big nap: Veterinary …
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When I examine a dog or cat with furry paws, I always look closely at the paws. I often find ingrown nails. dense mats of fur and dermatitis hiding under the fur. Pictured below on the left is a mat that I removed from a dog. The firm mat was stuck between the large central pad and the …
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In veterinary medicine, fluid therapy is given in four ways, Oral – by mouth Intravenous – through an intravenous catheter Intramedullary – within the medullary canal of bones Subcutaneous – under the skin Subcutaneous administration means fluids are injected under the skin using a needle. The fluids accumulate into a large pouch between the shoulder blades. This gives the …
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Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is an autoimmune disease seen in dogs. It occurs when the dog’s own immune system reacts to free DNA. It is commonly seen in collies hence the common name ‘collie nose’. People with a background in Latin are probably wondering why the word lupus which is Latin for ‘bite of wolf’ is included …
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Immune mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) is a life-threatening disease in dogs. This disease is also called autoimmune mediated hemolytic anemia because the dog’s immune system actually makes antibodies against it’s own red blood cells. If large numbers of antibodies attach to a red blood cell, it will lyse or burst open inside the bloodstream. Red …
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In Arizona, the bark scorpion ( Centruroides exilicanda and Centruroides sculpturatus) is the most common type of scorpion. These insects hide during the scorching daytime temperatures then come out at night to hunt. They sting their prey with their tails, injecting a potent venom. Scorpion venom contains a potent neurotoxin that can cause disorientation, hypertension, paralysis, convulsions, excessive tearing and salivation, …
In 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided to ban the use of second-generation anticoagulants in products used to control rodents. Anticoagulants kill pests and pets by causing the animal to bleed to death. This ban will go into affect in 2015. To comply with this ban, many manufacturers of rat baits and other rodenticides have switched to …
In my experience, all pet people want to feed their beloved pets good food. But how do you know if a food is right for your pet or not? How do you separate the facts about the food from the advertising claims? As a veterinarian, I recommend studying the nutritional adequacy statement which is required …
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 …
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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 …