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An “Amber Alert” had been issued for Jeseppi. Jeseppi’s owners had adopted him as a three-week old kitten while they were in New Mexico. He had been found so covered with fleas and ticks that he had to be completely shaved to get himself cleared of these parasites that can kill such a young kitten. […]

I’VE TRIED EVERYTHING! My technician, Jen, came into my office to let me know my next patient was here. She told me Gertie McGoogle was here with her Chihuahua, Mad Dog, and she was beside herself. Fleas had taken over her house and she had no idea where they could have possibly come from. She […]

A couple days before Veteran’s Day, I was working a shift at the local veterinary emergency clinic. It had been a fairly quiet night. The most serious case I had seen was a dog that had been hit by a car and came in with some bleeding from the nose, but amazingly no other injuries […]

Mrs. Dee Nile had brought her little Poodle, “Precious”, in for her annual examination. I saw “Precious” every September for this yearly ritual of examining “Precious”, recommending a weight reducing diet, and recommending a dental cleaning to try to clear up the horrendous smell coming from the obviously infected teeth. I do have a few […]

After another long winter, it sure is great to see the return of warm weather. As a veterinarian, warm weather also means a sudden increase in business. After being cooped up all winter, it seems pet owners and their pets are just dying to get out and start running around. Unfortunately, we see an increase […]

There are three main categories of causes of mobility disorders of ferrets. The first is disorders involving the musculoskeletal system. This category includes traumatic incidences and inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. They can usually be diagnosed by a thorough examination and possibly radiographs. With the exception of fractures, these conditions can often be treated with […]

I can still remember the first time I heard that “fatty acid” supplementation could possibly help pets with allergic skin disease. I was at a conference in Indianapolis and a dermatology specialist stated that it may help with allergies. She stated that it may help about one third of allergy patients and it was very […]

Mrs. Thompson was understandably concerned about her cat “Callie”. “Callie” is an 11 year old, strictly indoor cat that Mrs. Thompson brought in because she had noticed her drinking more water and also losing weight. Any time a cat owner brings a cat in for increased drinking, it is a significant clinical sign. Most cat […]

I graduated from The Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine in 1989. There have been a lot of changes since then in the veterinary care we are able to provide for pets. Many diseases and conditions that were commonly seen back then can now be easily treated or prevented because of development of new drugs, vaccines, […]

The immune system is vital to the overall health of our pets. The immune system protects the body from almost all of the bacteria and viruses our pets encounter throughout their lives. For some of these serious diseases, we help the immune system protect them by giving vaccines to better prepare the immune system to […]