DOG HEALTH AND MEDICINE

First the bad news. The geographic distribution of ticks that can infect dogs (and people) with Lyme disease is spreading. The Northeast has had the problem from the outset, and no area of the U.S. is completely Lyme disease-free, but the Companion Animal Parasite Control Council now says theres going to be an increase this year, with Lyme disease making its way to areas that have not been of particular concern, like the Midwest and the Southeast.

I just took my dog to a new veterinarian for the first time, and he said she has high blood pressure. He wants to check it again in a few days. Im concerned. She is only 3 years old and has never had high blood pressure before, but the doctor thinks it might just be white-coat hypertension - transient high blood pressure resulting from anxiety because she has never been to this office before. Can a dog really get white-coat hypertension?

The number of dogs who died in overheated parked cars during the last week of May 2015: 11, according to Veterinary Pet Insurance.

The risk of death for dogs under anesthesia used to be one to two deaths in 100 patients, says Lois Wetmore, DVM, an assistant professor of anesthesia and pain management at the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Now were down to about one death in 2,000, Dr. Wetmore says. Were headed in the right direction.

Too many dogs end up with skin disease in the form of atopic dermatitis (inflammatory skin disease associated with allergies); pemphigus foliaceus (pustules and crusting on the skin surface); or perianal fistulas (which causes straining during defecation and often, a decreased appetite).

Q. Our dog, now almost 7, has been on daily Proin since she came to live with us as a puppy. She had been dribbling urine without actively trying to, and we were told she needed to be on the medicine for life since the sphincter in her bladder was weak/slack, perhaps as a result of being spayed, and the drug would keep it more taut. Originally, we tried slowly increasing doses in order to…

In one of our countrys most unfortunate contemporary ironies, while opioids are destroying peoples lives and the lives of their family members throughout all strata of society - rich, poor, urban, suburban, rural - they are in short supply in hospitals around the country. This is true both for hospitals that serve people and those that serve their pets. Reports are coming in that in some hospitals, elective surgeries for people - gall bladder removal, hernia repair - are being postponed, while some people in postoperative recovery are said to be receiving less potent pain medication than they need.

Q My 11-year-old golden retriever has lipomas all over, as many of that breed have, but one on the inner rear thigh has gotten quite large. My vet has told me to leave it alone because surgery to remove it would be problematic with potential infections and possible involvement of the muscle. The dog has had it for a year or more, and although it has not limited his mobility and doesnt seem to bother…

Chances are youre part of the other 94 percent, meaning the 94 percent who dont have health insurance for their dog even though its so highly recommended. So when the veterinary bills start piling up, your credit card balance can get ugly.

My dog has just been diagnosed with a mast cell tumor, which my vet said is cancerous. She also said the cancer is a grade 2, meaning not as good as a grade 1 but still better than a grade 3, which she says does not respond well to treatment. She says the treatment plan should include surgery to remove the mass plus radiation. My question is, should I be taking my dog to a specialist at this point, or can her regular vet handle the treatment?

When it comes to the sense of smell, dogs leave us in the dust. They have nearly 20 times more primary smell receptor cells in their noses than people do. They can detect scents at concentrations at least 100 times less than humans can. In some instances, they can detect scents at concentrations a million times less than we can. And if you ironed out the aroma-detecting membranes covering the scrolled-up, coral like bones in a dogs nose, their surface would be the size of a pocket handkerchief, while ours would be roughly the size of a thumbnail.

I asked a receptionist at my vets office if she knew about the 3-year schedule for vaccines and why they still give annual shots. She told me that there are two different strengths, and they prefer to give the less potent one annually. Have you heard of this - two different strengths for vaccines?