Vet Talks

Dental health is a very important part of your pet’s overall health and is linked to other health problems. Your pet’s teeth and gums should be checked at least once a year (or twice a year in senior patients) by your veterinarian to look for early signs of a problem and keep your pet’s mouth...

When our pets are healthy and young, it’s natural for us as pet parents to wonder ‘is it really necessary to give my healthy dog or cat a multivitamin?’ The answer is simply—yes. Vitamins are necessary for life. They help to regulate body processes, protect the body from environmental toxins, and break down nutrients such...

Hypothyroidism in dogs is one of the most common diseases we see at the Animal Wellness Clinic (Dr. Cook’s veterinary practice). A thorough understanding of the disease and the symptoms will help with early diagnosis and treatment. Below is an explanation of the complicated and all-encompassing disease of hypothyroidism in dogs. What is hypothyroidism? The...

One of the most important things to know as a pet owner is how to tell when your dog or cat is in discomfort. Discomfort can be a signal of a life-threatening issue.  Signs of discomfort (even the subtle signs) will be more obvious to you if you have a good idea of what your...

Intestinal parasites are diagnosed in cats and dogs daily in veterinary practice. Animals that sniff, slurp, lick, hunt, and eat, as well as gobble anything in their paths such as dirt, trash, and poop, are bound to pick up parasites. Though some dogs and cats do not show obvious signs of infection, others can have...

Cushing’s disease or hyperadrenocorticism in dogs is an endocrine disease resulting in a set of symptoms observed when the body is exposed to excess cortisone over a long period of time. It commonly affects middle-aged dogs and the most common breeds affected are poodles, dachshunds, and beagles. Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal...

Think we humans are the only ones who get stressed out and act badly? Well, that’s simply not the case. Dogs and cats also suffer from severe anxiety. In fact, in our veterinary practice, it is very common to see anxiety problems in pets. Our dog patients can suffer from anxiety to exhibit destructive or...

Any coughing dog that comes into my clinic is a red alert—is it contagious, is it heart disease or neoplasia? It is important to isolate coughing dogs from other dogs until a diagnosis is made. One common diagnosis is kennel cough. Kennel cough in dogs is a respiratory infection caused by bordetella bronchiseptica and canine...

In our veterinary clinic, one of the most common and unfortunate cases we’ve presented with is cancer in pets. As an integrative veterinary practice, the owners who see us are seeking help with how to improve quality of life, extend life with holistic therapies, or ease chemotherapy side effects. Diet, supplements, acupuncture, physical therapy, and...

Anyone with a bladder infection can attest to the discomfort, aching, and discomfort it brings. It’s the same for urinary tract infections in dogs and cats; but because they can’t always say what’s going on, it’s important to know the signs and symptoms to look out for so your pet doesn’t continue to suffer. Signs...