DOG HEALTH AND MEDICINE

The Meaning of “Failure” When the Vet Says “Heart Failure”

The vet says your dog has heart failure, and you assume it means death is imminent. After all, if the heart “fails,” death ensues. Don’t...
The right number of calories fed will translate to the right number on the scale.

Yes, But How Many Calories, Exactly?

Many people wonder just how many calories their dog should consume. With an estimated 40 percent of dogs in this country who weigh more...

Swallowing Foreign Objects: Theres Dangerous, And Very Dangerous

Dogs will literally swallow almost anything, says Your Dog editor-in-chief John Berg, DVM. A veterinary surgeon at Tufts Universitys Foster Hospital for Small Animals, he has retrieved from dogs GI tracts such items as pantyhose, golf balls, socks, rocks, underwear, plastic gadgets, and magnets.

Tis the Season — for Pancreatitis

At Thanksgiving and Christmastime (not to mention Easter), the Foster Hospital for Small Animals at Tufts University sees a surge in cases of very...

The Least Likely Place Your Dog Will Get Kennel Cough: A Kennel

Kennel cough is the lay term for an upper respiratory tract infection caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella bronchiseptica. Because the bacteria...
dog with arthritis

CBD Holds Promise of Pain Relief for Dogs with Arthritis

A small and preliminary but high-quality study shows that dogs afflicted with osteoarthritis may experience pain relief, a better ability to get around, and...
Four in 10 Great Dane puppies will grow up to suffer a painful, life-threatening disease unless they undergo a particular elective surgery.

Elective Surgeries Seriously Worth Considering

If your dog has a cancerous tumor on his spleen and will die unless it is surgically removed, the operation is clearly a medical...

Your Dog As a Blood Donor

If a large dog like a Lab or a golden retriever is rushed to the emergency room after getting hit by a car, he might need four or five units of blood in just a couple of hours. Even a dog who gets heat stroke might need two to four units of plasma (the watery component of blood) before stabilizing. A dog who experiences bleeding complications during an operation is going to need blood, too. Where does all this extra blood come from?

Do heart problems mean the dog can’t be treated under anesthesia for dental pain?

Q. I rescued an 11-year-old cavalier King Charles spaniel with dental issues. Her breath would melt glass...real bad. But more than that, I cannot...

Digitizing Your Dog for Medical Evaluation — and Fun!

To create digitized versions of dogs and other animals for use in film and video games, the entertainment industry has to use an expensive...

Dear Doctor: Rabies shot even for a dog always leashed?

Q. I know that dogs can get rabies from an infected animal. But I always keep my little shiba inu on a leash. She...
Woman Write Plans In The Notebook With Her Jack Russel Terrier

Getting to the Bottom of Your Pet’s Sensitive Tummy

“She has a sensitive stomach” is a common refrain heard by veterinarians. People want to know why their otherwise healthy dog vomits or has...