Posts Tagged: Dog

As many of you may be aware, there is a strain of canine influenza virus that has made it to our region and is infecting our canine companions.

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What Is Heartworm Disease?

Canine heartworm disease develops when a dog is bitten by a mosquito carrying microscopic heartworm larvae (juvenile worms) of a parasite called Dirofilaria immitis.

As a mosquito feeds, these microscopic larvae are deposited on the dog and quickly penetrate the skin to begin their migration into the dog’s bloodstream.

Adult heartworms can grow 10-12 inches in length and make their home in the right side of the heart and pulmonary (lung) arteries, often causing lung disease and heart failure.

Adult heartworms can grow 10-12 inches in length.

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House Training a Puppy

Having trouble house training your new puppy? You’re not alone!

This is a very common issue with puppies, often times requiring patience, consistency (and cleaning supplies) for any accidents along the way. Below are a few tips to help your puppy understand what is expected from him. Continue…

Common-sense Precautions

So you adopted a new pet? Congratulations! The next step is pet-proofing your home- safety first!

There are many hidden dangers to your new friend within your home in the form of every-day objects. With a few simple precautions, you can protect your pet and prevent many of the common veterinary emergencies. Continue…

Crate Training Your Pet

Have you ever thought about crate-training your dog or cat?

There is a lot of misconception about crating pets, ranging from concerns about “locking them up” or that “it’s too small a space- he can’t possibly be comfortable in there!”

In fact, when introduced properly to your pet, a crate can become a safe retreat for your pet, a place where he can go to get away from things he is scared of or to rest and relax in peace. Continue…

You were petting your dog this morning and found a bump that you’re sure was not there last week- is it serious? The short answer is: possibly.

Dogs tend to develop lumps and bumps as they age; whether these are something to worry about or can be safely ignored can be difficult to tell based on the appearance alone. Continue…

My dog is sneezing like crazy all of a sudden in fits and won’t stop- what’s going on?

Just like humans, a dog’s nose is very sensitive to irritation, often resulting in a violent sneezing fit to dislodge whatever is causing the discomfort. In the case of most dogs, especially in California, the foxtail is all too often the culprit. Continue…

That insufferable scratching…

Is your pet’s itching driving you crazy? If so, you’re not alone! “Flea season” is upon us and it has come with a vengeance this year.

But wait! My pet can’t have fleas- I use flea treatments regularly to take care of that problem.

Unfortunately, in our practice, we’ve been noticing a marked rise in flea resistance to many of the popular spot-on flea treatments recently, especially to drugs like fipronil. In other words, you, the pet owner, are doing everything right by applying your flea prevention regularly, but it’s not killing the fleas as effectively anymore. The result: utter frustration (and itchiness). Continue…