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Pet Wellness
Wellness…the state of being in good health, especially as an actively pursued goal. Wellness is many times described as the balance of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, nutritional and so on. These ‘pillars’ as many people describe them working together towards optimal ‘health’ such that the body is in balance and functioning smoothly. Every human and…
Probiotics
Probiotics are a live culture of bacteria that can colonize the gastrointestinal tract. Before continuing the discussion of probiotics, let’s get a better understanding of the gastrointestinal system and it’s role in the maintenance of health. 70% of the body’s immune system is located in the gastrointestinal tract. This defense line involves the coordination of…
Heartworm Basics
Heartworm disease is caused by a parasite called Microfilaria. This parasite is transmitted through mosquito bites. Once a mosquito takes a blood meal from an infected host, the infected mosquito can then transmit the parasite to other hosts such as dogs or cats when they take another blood meal. Heartworm disease manifests very differently in…
Managing Arthritis in the Cold
My dog has arthritis and with colder weather approach he/she gets more uncomfortable- what can I do? Arthritis is a common problem in both young and old dogs as well as cats. The most common causes of arthritis include developmental conditions (hip dysplasia or elbow dysplasia) or traumatic conditions (fracture involving a joint surface or…
A Cup is Not a Cup
Doctor “How much do you feed your furry friend?” Client “About a cup twice a day.” Doctor (looking at the pet) “What size cup are you using?” All too often this conversation is had in the exam room. And you may ask, ‘why we are talking about this?’ Obesity continues to be a significant problem…
Teddy Talks About Halloween Safety
Introduction In this month’s edition of Teddy Talks, I wanted to review some Halloween safety tips for all the pets out there. Halloween has long been one of my favorite holidays. Over the years I have accrued quite a menagerie of costumes ranging from spooky to hilarious to downright degrading. Although Halloween is a festive…