Common Foot Problems in Dogs
The reason that evidence of allergies is so often found on a dogs feet is that theres not much hair on and between the toes. Hair acts as a barrier, Dr. Lam says, so absorption of environmental allergens like pollen, dust, mites, or mold through the skin is easy if the hair coat is sparse. Its true for any area on a dogs body where the hair is relatively thin, she says - the ears, under the arms, and in the groin area as well.
Is My Dog Too Thin?
One reason people may perceive perfectly healthy dogs to be underweight when they arent is that the nations dogs have been experiencing an obesity crisis paralleling that of their owners, causing too heavy to become the new normal and ideal weight to become too thin. So many dogs are now overweight that it doesnt stand out as much anymore. What stands out are dogs on the thin side.
When Mother Dogs Need Birth Assistance
Easy was not having an easy time of it. The German shepherd, pregnant with nine puppies as confirmed by radiographs, was in hard labor with really heavy contractions, says her owner Cindy Miller - but none of the contractions were adequate to deliver her babies. It was getting to the point at which both the mother and her pups would be in serious distress. …
Tail tales
Kato, a one-year-old Siberian husky, had been missing for three days. His owner was frantic. Finally Kato returned home with a ghastly wound. His tail had been what veterinarians call de-gloved - the skin was stripped away - and you could see bone and muscle hanging out. In addition, one of the tail bones had been fractured - it showed on an x-ray. …
When the Tail Goes Limp
It has been called cold tail, dead tail, and limber tail, but all three terms mean the same thing -the dogs tail hangs limp from the base. The cause of the drooping tail, which comes on suddenly rather than gradually, is thought by many to be muscle injury brought on by overexertion. Its the coccygeal muscles near the tails base that are believed to sustain the damage leading to the drooping, although there is some…
Dry Eye: A Common Canine Problem
Dogs, like humans, produce tears that form an essential layer - the tear film - which covers the transparent cornea at the front of the eye. The tear film provides lubrication for the outer surface of the cornea. However, lubrication is not its only function. The tear film helps nourish and protect the cornea, and last but not least, has important optical properties. The film is so important to vision that it is actually…
Diabetes? Old Age? Or Something Else?
It tends to creep up insidiously. Your aging dog - perhaps hes already nine or 10 - now seems to be panting more often than usual, even at night. Perhaps he no longer wants to sleep on your bed, either, preferring the cold tile bathroom floor. Or he has developed what appears to be a pot belly and lacks something of his usual energy. It must be aging, you assume. Or, if you notice…
Dear Doctor – Beware new product for canine Alzheimers
Q We have a 15-year-old bearded collie who began having Alzheimers-type symptoms about a year ago. He would pace all night long, and we were getting very little sleep. Our vet put him on a medication called Neutricks.
Medical Imaging for Dogs: X-ray, Ultrasound, CT Scan, MRI, or Nuclear?
Everybody has heard of x-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans, and other types of medical imaging - most of us have had at least one of them ourselves at one point or another. But few know exactly what each type of image captures, and when each is called for. Heres a run-down.
