The Dog with Epilepsy
The word epilepsy doesnt get to the underlying problem - the reason for the seizures. If a reason cannot be identified, we call it idiopathic epilepsy. If you can identify it - perhaps its a brain tumor or a stroke, an infection in the brain, a metabolic problem, or even head trauma due to an accident - the dog has what is called secondary epilepsy. Treat the cause, and theoretically at least, the epilepsy will be easier to treat.
What an epileptic seizure looks like
Some owners can sense a seizure coming on in their dogs (just as some dogs can sense it coming on in their owners). They see an aura of sorts, also called a prodrome - a pre-symptom symptom, if you will, wherein the dog may act upset and anxious and seek attention from his owner or, conversely, withdraw and hide. …
How Real Is the Health Scare?
Health scares related to dogs are as old as - well, as old as America, and even older. Today, most health scares involve possible threats to dogs, not threats that dogs may present to people. One of the first examples of online-disseminated alarm, according to Tufts veterinarian Michael Stone, DVM, who is board-certified in internal medicine, had to do with the heartworm preventative Heartgard.
Are We Done With Rabies?
Rabies, a fatal, brain-damaging virus, can infect humans who have come into close contact with an infected animal's saliva through deep scratches or bites.
Dear Doctor
Letters to Tufts Veterinarians - Concerned about tooth decay
For Your Dogs Arthritis, His Own Blood
Platelet-rich plasma therapy shows progress in reducing arthritis pain. Platelets have a lot of growth factors and molecules called cytokines that are mediators of inflammation, says Tufts veterinarian Michael Kowaleski, DVM, an orthopedic specialist who treats dogs and other small animals. Its believed that the release of the growth factors could stimulate tendon healing by bringing new, healthy cells to the site of the problem while some of the cytokines help reduce inflammation.
What To Do About Your Dogs Umbilical Hernia
As many people have learned the hard way, a hernia is a defect in a body wall that allows a structure to move from where its supposed to be to where it doesnt belong. In the case of a hiatal hernia, a little piece of the stomach moves up from the abdominal cavity into the chest cavity due to a defect in the diaphragm, a tough sheet of muscle that normally separates the abdomen from the chest. Thus, the chronic heartburn experienced by some people with the condition. A hiatal hernia is a type of diaphragmatic hernia because the problem stems from a diaphragmatic abnormality.
Illnesses That Your Dog Can Transfer to You – And Vice Versa
Did you know that keeping your dog's eating utensils and bedding clean can provide the same benefit for you - and your pet? Thats right. Harmful pathogens that can compromise your dogs health are capable of spreading between you and your canine companion, too.
Total Hip Replacement
Hip dysplasia is a developmental problem - meaning the disease develops as the dog grows - and is an all-too-common one, tending to occur in certain breeds. A dog of any breed and any size may develop hip dysplasia that begins to evidence itself by the time the animal is just several months old. Typical signs include limping or a bunny-hopping gait.
White Coat Hypertension in Dogs
White coat hypertension is now a well-known phenomenon in people. Some patients become nervous enough about being examined by a doctor or nurse wearing the proverbial white coat in a clinical setting that their blood pressure rises transiently in response. Research shows that dogs can be prone to the same response.
