Category Archives: Veterinary Medicine

It’s National Animal Poison Prevention Week. Do you know what yard and household substances put your dog or cat at risk? In the kitchen, beware of dark chocolate, grapes, mushrooms and anything moldy that your pet might snag from the trash. Your medicine cabinet holds ibuprofen, acetaminophen and your prescription medication; even without opposable thumbs, […]

Have you decided leptospirosis isn’t a threat to your dog? It may be time to think again. Here’s a look at the disease, which is on the rise, from the weekly syndicated feature I write with Kim Campbell Thornton and my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker. When you think of leptospirosis — if you think about […]

Whether they are cats, dogs, birds or other animals, our pets tend to hide their pain instinctively, to protect themselves from predators. That means we need to be extra-observant to know what’s going on with them. If your pet is behaving unusually — hiding in your closet, for instance — she may not feel well […]

There can be a lot of reasons why a dog’s get-up-and-go has gotten up and went. And “laziness” is probably not one of them. Here’s how I explained it to a reader. Q: My dog doesn’t enjoy going for walks. What can I do to get him up and at ‘em? A: One of the […]

Dogs with extremely short muzzles and rounded heads are called brachycephalic, from the Greek words for “short” and “head.” Those features give them an adorable, almost-human expression, but they also bring with them a host of related health challenges. Bulldogs, boxers, pugs and other brachycephalic breeds often have difficulty breathing after even slight exertion. They […]