DOG HEALTH AND MEDICINE

Q. Can the dog move into the senior living facility, too?

Q. At age 74, my mother is still mobile but shouldn’t really be living on her own anymore, and she has agreed that she’d...
A clinical exam before the spay.

Remove the Uterus During Spaying?

You’ve heard about the evidence that spaying a dog might predispose her to certain cancers but have decided to spay your puppy, anyway. Your decision...
Dog diabetes

Why dogs get diabetes

Q. My beloved Maltese developed diabetes at age 8. I now need to give her two daily injections of insulin. She was never overweight....
The official recommendations for how long a dog should fast before undergoing anesthesia may differ from what your veterinarian tells you. Listen to the doctor.

How Long a Dog Should Fast Before Anesthesia

For healthy adult dogs about to undergo an operation, the American Animal Hospital Association now recommends a 4- to 6-hour fast prior to anesthesia....
Dogs with health problems Of plaque stains in teeth

Tongue and Gum Colors Provide Health Clues

Has your dog’s usual pink tongue color faded somewhat? Take her to the veterinarian. A tongue or gums that go from pink to paler...
Dog Rabies

Rabies Risk an Increasing Concern

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced a ban on dogs entering the United States from 113 “high-risk rabies countries,” including...
“I hope you made sure those pills you bought at a discount don’t contain any ingredients that are toxic to dogs.”

Where to Fill Your Dog’s Prescriptions

Your dog is prescribed the pain-relieving medicine gabapentin — a drug also commonly prescribed for people. Because it’s cheaper from a pharmacy for people...
Vet examining dog

Dear Doctor: The illness behind the anemia

Q. After some blood work, my dog was diagnosed with anemia. Now my vet wants to conduct a bunch of other tests. Can’t I...
Spaying or neutering may cause some dogs to gain some weight, but it should not make a dog morbidly obese. That tends to be more a matter of the family’s feeding style.

Does Spaying or Neutering Really Lead to Weight Gain?

If you’ve recently had your dog spayed or neutered and it looks like your pet has put on a few, you’re probably not imagining...
Virtual veterinary visits

Veterinary Visits By Video

Back in December 2019, before anyone had ever heard the term “social distancing,” telemedicine remained largely at the margins of veterinary care. The concept...
dog with arthritis

Is Your Arthritic Dog Depressed?

It is well known that depression is a hallmark of arthritis. Pain leads to a chemical stress response in the brain, and over time,...
The color of the discharge — and the color of the eye itself — provides clues to what might be wrong.

Eye Gook: When to Worry

The color of discharge coming out of your dog’s eye can tell you a lot about whether something is wrong or if the “gook”...