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 …

Myth: Only cats that go outdoors are at risk for parasites

Fact: Indoor-only cats can get parasites too

Cats that live indoors are most certainly exposed to parasites.  Parasites are classified into those that live inside the body (internal parasites), those that live outside the body (external parasites).

The most common internal parasites found in indoor cats are roundworms, tapeworms, and heartworms. Roundworms and tapeworms affect the gastrointestinal tract, and are both transmitted by cats ingesting the eggs. Heartworms are different – they live in the bloodstream, and are transmitted by mosquito bites. These three parasites are all easily prevented, but only roundworms and tapeworms can be treated.

Potential sources of roundworm eggs include house flies, cockroaches, mice, and potting soil. Kittens usually contract roundworms from their mother’s milk. Signs of a roundworm infestation can range from none, to a lack of weight gain, …

Myth: Indoor-only cats do not need vaccines

Fact: Indoor-only cats should be vaccinated against certain diseases, such as rabies and other viruses. Cats that spend any time unsupervised outdoors may need additional vaccinations.

It is the recommendation of the American Veterinary Medical Association, as well as the American Association of Feline Practitioners, that cats receive certain vaccines regardless of lifestyle (indoors vs. outdoors). These are termed “core vaccines.” Other vaccines are recommended when there is increased risk of a disease, such as with cats who spend time outdoors, and these are called “non-core vaccines.”

Core vaccines include those for rabies, panleukopenia, herpesvirus (aka feline viral rhinotracheitis) and calicivirus. Rabies is unique amongst the core vaccines because it is the one virus that requires direct transmission, meaning that a cat would need to come into direct contact with the blood or saliva of an …

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 …

Most cat owners have faced the unpleasantness of hairballs. Trichobezoars, also known as hairballs, are a common ailment affecting cats and result from the normal grooming behavior of cats. During grooming, loose hair is accidentally swallowed. The majority of hair passes through the digestive tract without incident. If hair accumulates in the stomach or intestines, however, it can form into a hairball. Hairballs not only cause discomfort, but they can also present a serious health risk.

Common signs associated with hairballs include hacking, gagging, retching, and vomiting. Cats successfully expel most hairballs. If a hairball becomes too big, however, it has the potential to cause an obstruction. An obstruction is a serious medical condition and requires immediate treatment. Have your cat examined by a veterinarian if you notice anorexia, lethargy, constipation, or persistent hacking, gagging, retching, and vomiting.

Although it is impossible …

The holidays are a joyous time of the year filled with many traditions, but, unfortunately, we sometimes expose our pets to dangers during this busy season. Some of these dangers may be life threatening, so taking preventive measures to ‘pet proof’ your house during the holiday season is prudent, especially if you have a young pet that likes to explore new things.

Holiday plants are used to decorate homes and make them look festive, but many of them are toxic to pets. The toxicity can range from mild to severe depending on the type of plant, amount ingested, and the size of the animal. The most common clinical signs after ingestion of a toxic plant are drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea, but lethargy, weakness, tremors, seizures, cardiac arrhythmias, and death can also occur.

Poinsettias and Pine Needles: Ingestion causes irritation to the oral …