Category Archives: Pet Vet Corner Files

From Dr. Kathy – THERE ARE NO, I REPEAT NO BLOOD TESTS FOR SPECIFIC FOOD ALLERGIES, although they are widely advertised. However, routine blood and urine tests may provide hints as to contributing factors. The only way to diagnose food allergies is to perform a food trial with a veterinary hypoallergenic or hydrolyzed diet, orContinue reading “Food Allergy: No blood tests available”

From Dr. Kathy – here are no randomized, controlled, lifetime studies to provide unequivocal evidence on appropriate timing of gonadectomies (removal of testes or ovaries); therefore, the decision as to when and if a patient should be neutered should be based on the individual patient, owner, and available data. As far as the age ofContinue reading “Spay/Neuter Timing”

From Dr. Kathy – During veterinary school veterinarians learn “the basics.” Most common disorders and procedures are covered very intensely; rarer conditions may only be briefly mentioned.  Once we graduate from veterinary school we may start practicing immediately or can chose to pursue a specialty degree, which may take from 2-10 additional years. No generalContinue reading “Why GP’s refer to Specialists”

From Dr. Kathy – A fever may provide information regarding whether a pet should be evaluated by a veterinarian sooner rather than later. It can also help monitor disease progress. Taking a pet’s temperature: If you do not want to, or can’t take a rectal temperature, your pet’s approximate (very, very close) temperature can beContinue reading “Taking a pet’s axillary temperature”

From Dr. Kathy – There is no single cause & therefore no single treatment for vomiting in cats. This could be anything  from gastritis, IBD, pancreatitis, intestinal parasites, obstruction, heartworms (yes, even indoor cats can be bitten by a heartworm- carrying mosquito), food ingredient intolerance, and on and on and on and on and on.Continue reading “Vomiting in Cats”

From Dr. Kathy – Symptoms of BOAS (Brachycephalic  Obstructive Airway Syndrome) snoring loudly, tiring easily after exercise, coughing, retching or gagging freguently or panting loudly. Flat faced dogs and cats are commonly affected. Symptoms usually worsen with age and with obesity, especially if not quickly corrected. There are several anatomic abnormalities that may be associatedContinue reading “BOAS (Brachycephalic  Obstructive Airway Syndrome)”

There are numerous causes for recurrent or chronic diarrhea in a kitten/cat. The most common cause would be unsuccessfully treated intestinal parasites or organisms – roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, Giardia (may need an ELISA test). Parasites do not show up in every stool sample, so deworming is often used as an empirical (best medical guess) treatment.Continue reading “Diarrhea in Cats”

From Dr. Kathy – Paw pad abrasions are very common in especially large breed dogs, but can occur in any size dog (or, even a cat) who has either walked on hot concrete, asphalt or sidewalks or who has played very hard outside wearing off the top layer of pad skin. This is like havingContinue reading “Paw Abrasions”

From Dr. Kathy – Here are some hopefully helpful rules of thumb when dealing with a dog’s broken toenail: Broken nails can happen from trauma (nail gets caught on something). They are rarely an emergency. 1) if is just cracked clipping with a nail trimmer may suffice, 2) if broken so that it is justContinue reading “Broken Toe Nails”

From Dr. Kathy – Ear issues can be extremely frustrating to both owners AND veterinarians, especially if recurrent. The dog and cat’s ear is a J-shaped tube, so what you can see is only the tip of the iceberg. In fact, you may not see anything because an infection may be deep within the canal.Continue reading “Ear Conditions”