DOG HEALTH AND MEDICINE

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A common scenario we encounter is that an owner notices a bump on his dog, lives in fear that the dog has cancer, assumes cancer equals death, and doesnt bring the dog in because hes afraid to get the bad news. By the time the dog is brought to us, the bump is so big that its difficult, if not impossible, to remove successfully.

People who own dogs into the middle years of their lives should be checking for bumps on a somewhat regular basis, says John Berg, DVM, a soft tissue surgeon at Tufts - every three or four months. Just sort of systematically feel all around the dog. Youre not looking for things the size of a grain of sand. But head to toe, all around the flank and up and down the legs, any bump thats at least pea-sized and that wasnt there before is something to be concerned about and reason enough to take your dog to the vet for a professional evaluation. Usually, it will be nothing, Dr. Berg says. And if its something, youve insured that treatment will be as little of an ordeal as possible.

Letters to Tufts Veterinarians - Ebola transmission from dog to person; Cat fight? Dog fight? Cat-dog fight?; The dog wont play with toys; The dogs nose changes color with the seasons

Guys, Im not sure I ever told you that Rosies on Proin for life. When she first came to live with us at 6 months of age, she kept urinating right where she sat or lay, often ending up in a small puddle of her own making. Shed look back there unhappily, and for our part, we were afraid shed get urine burn.

Bob Paluzzi of San Diego wants to know how important it is for an older dog to have his teeth cleaned professionally at the veterinarians office. He asked because his dog is 10 years old, and he is concerned about the risk associated with anesthesia.

Virtually all dry dog foods have an abrasive action on the teeth, so their manufacturers are allowed to put wording on the label along the lines of cleanses, freshens, or whitens. But some dog foods also have a seal from the Veterinary Oral Health Council (vohc.org), which recognizes products that meet standards for plaque and tartar control.

Letter to Tufts Veterinarians - What does the waddling mean?; Fly biting; Dealing with a Staph infection

Dog owners find that overweight dogs with heart disease who are trimmed down with a sound weight management plan appear to have less trouble getting around and are more comfortable breathing - no surprise there.

Sometimes its hard to know whether your dog is sick enough for you to make an appointment to see the vet. Herewith, the six signs that should at least prompt a phone call to the veterinarians office - and the six signs that you should skip the phone call and instead scoop and run, getting your dog to the emergency room as quickly as possible.

The American Animal Hospital Association considers the leptospirosis vaccine a non-core vaccine for dogs. That is, they see it as optional. But is it optional for your particular pet? Cummings School clinical professor Mary Labato, DVM, DACVIM, says that at Tufts, we recommend lepto vaccination for all dogs. Besides the fact that leptospirosis is potentially fatal, the cost of treating this preventable disease can range into the thousands of dollars, with the high end including those dogs that require dialysis because of kidney failure