Has your senior dog stopped greeting you at the door when you get home? Does your dog wander anxiously through your house or keep you awake at night? If so, your dog may be suffering from Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS), a serious health problem that afflicts older dogs. Comparable to Alzheimer’s Disease, Canine Cognitive Dysfunction causes disorientation, confusion, memory loss, and personality changes in affected dogs.

Although the exact cause is unknown, it is believed that CDS begins when a protein called beta amyloid begins to build up in the brain, which results in the formation of plaques. These plaques obstruct the brain’s capacity to transmit signals leading to cognitive dysfunction.

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome typically presents gradually, and the signs are often subtle in the beginning. As the disease progresses, the following signs may be noticed:

Confusion or disorientation
Wandering or pacing
Seems …

Spring has arrived causing itchy eyes, sneezing, and runny noses for millions of people across the country. If you own pets, you may not be the only one in your house suffering from the affects of allergies. Similar to people, pets can have allergies.

Canine Atopic Dermatitis (Atopy) is a frequent inherited disorder that causes dogs to be hypersensitive to allergens within their environment. It is the second most common allergic skin disease in dogs and usually manifests between the ages of 1-3. Although any dog can have allergies, some breeds are predisposed to develop atopy due to the fact that it is a genetic disorder. Predisposed breeds include Cairn terriers, West Highland terriers, Scottish terriers, Lhasa apsos, Shih Tzus, Golden and Labrador retrievers, Boxers, Bulldogs, Dalmatians, English and Irish setters, and Chinese Shar peis.

Clinical signs of atopy will vary, but …

Heartworm disease in dogs is a serious parasitic infection with potentially life-threatening consequences. Mosquitoes transmit heartworms, and any unprotected dog exposed to an infected mosquito is, therefore, at risk for the disease. The transmission of heartworm begins when a mosquito bites a dog infected with microfilaria. The microfilaria matures in to infective larvae within the mosquito. When an infected mosquito bites a susceptible dog, the larvae enter the dog’s skin. The larvae go through a series of changes in the tissues before traveling through the dog’s bloodstream to the heart and pulmonary arteries. There it develops into an adult heartworm and produces thousands of microfilaria each day, which are released into the dog’s bloodstream. This entire process takes about 6-7 months. According to the American Heartworm Society, canine heartworm infection has been reported throughout the entire United States. The greatest …

The arrival of spring brings longer days, sunny skies, beautiful flowers, and, unfortunately, fleas!!  Fleas are small, blood sucking, external parasites that commonly affect pets.  In addition to causing discomfort, fleas have the potential to cause serious medical problems; therefore an effective flea prevention program is essential for your pet’s well-being.

Fleas have specialized mouth parts tailored for penetrating skin and sucking the host’s blood.  When a flea bites your pet, it inserts a tiny amount of its saliva into the skin.  Some pets are allergic to this saliva which results in severe itching and inflammation.  This leads to excessive scratching and chewing by the pet which damages the skin causing hair loss, redness, and bacterial infections.  Besides causing dermatitis, fleas act as the intermediate host in the transmission of tapeworms.  If your pet ingests an adult flea that is infected …

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the pet population and is the leading nutritional-associated health condition affecting dogs. A recent study conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention found that 35% of dogs are overweight and 20% are obese. This is an alarming statistic! In essence, it means that there are approximately 43 million dogs that are either overweight or obese. Because obesity predisposes dogs to serious medical conditions, it is important that owners recognize and prevent obesity in their pets.

Animal are considered obese when they are about 20% over their ideal weight. The best way to determine if your dog is overweight is to run your hands along your dog’s ribcage, view your dog from the side, and view your dog from above. If your dog is at an ideal weight, you will be able to feel the …

Geriatric dogs are prone to a number of health-related problems with osteoarthritis being one of the most common. Osteoarthritis is a debilitating condition that causes chronic pain and occurs when there is a loss of cartilage which covers and protects the ends of bones within a joint. Cartilage is important as it provides a cushion between the bones and allows the bones to move smoothly. When cartilage becomes damaged, it leaves the bone exposed which causes pain and inflammation. This damage can be the result of normal wear and tear on a joint, but it can also be secondary to a congenital problem or injury. Conditions such as hip dysplasia, patella luxations, anterior cruciate ruptures, or traumatic injuries can all cause osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis in geriatric dogs is usually a gradual process and the signs may be subtle in the beginning, but …