Safely Trimming Your Christmas Tree
Don’t Chop Down The Tree – Trim it Safely! For many in our community, this ritual happens every December: putting up the Christmas tree. It’s joyful and brings many happy memories and starts the holiday cheer. But beneath this green beacon lays a bit of a more sinister side for pets, especially cats. Let’s discuss…
Monkeypox and Pets
As COVID starts to wane, we have a different challenge, monkeypox. This virus is not new and is thankfully rarely fatal. It can cause uncomfortable and sometimes disfiguring pimples or blisters on the face, inside the mouth, and on other body parts, including hands, feet, genitals, and anus. Similar to COVID-19, clinical signs may cause…
The Importance of an Annual Physical
The benefits of a physical examination. For best health we visit the dentist at least once per year. And like clockwork see your physician for a physical examination. Your pets are biological creatures such as yourself and require the same amount of medical attention, if not even more. The average age expectancy in the United…
Traveling With Pets
As travel restrictions have abated, pets are on the move once again. This is true domestically and internationally. Last month we featured cultural differences between Italy and the United States, but how does a dog actually get to Italy? Or San Francisco, for that matter. Within the United States, each state is its own jurisdiction,…
Ticks Ticks Ticks
Ticks are a perennial problem for human and animal health, as they are vectors of transmission of various potentially debilitating ailments. Utilizing flea and tick preventives is well known and accepted, but many people fail to take appropriate precautions for their own health. The summer 2021 season is proving to be a bonanza year for…
Separation Anxiety
With cautious optimism, it is time to start preparing our furry friends for our return to a modified pre-pandemic life. As quickly as we began to be home most of the time, we can return to the office, leaving our pets at home for extended periods of time. A sudden change in our habits can…
The Dogs of Lucca
When walking down the street, I note every dog in front and behind me. I note their gait, their body condition score, their weight, and behavior. This is not purposeful, but is ingrained in me as a veterinarian. It is second nature. Much is routine, the behaviors expected, but what if the surroundings were suddenly…
Weighing In on Pet Weight
Congratulations dearest reader, by the end of this article you will have the power to help your furry friends live an extra two years! Every time your pet visits a veterinary hospital, you have likely noticed that he or she has been placed on a scale to determine their weight. While this may seem trivial…
All About Heartworm Disease
Heartworm disease is endemic to the United States, and most of the dogs in Washington, DC, are taking a preventive to ward off this potentially deadly disease. Whereas heartworm has traditionally been rare within the dogs of DC, this has changed with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and dog and cat parents need to…
What if My Dog Eats Cannabis?
One of the more frequent types of phone calls we field begins with, “My dog/cat just ate … Is it something I should worry about?” Apparently they will eat just about anything, from plants, trash, to whole tennis balls. Rising in popularity amongst foreign material ingestion has been marijuana and related products. Marijuana (or cannabis)…