Cruising with the Fur Kids
Taking your dog or cat on the road this summer? It consists mainly of preparation, but add in a little common sense and you’ve got all you need for a great trip. Here are some thoughts on what to include. If you are crossing the border into the United States, they need to see a valid rabies certificate. This is all you need. Health certificates are only (rarely) required by airlines when you fly with them. If vaccines need updating, do them at least a week before you travel in case of any reaction. If your pet has special medical issues, get a copy of his medical history just in case you...
Read MorePolitics of Pet Sterilization
Pet sterilization is controversial, almost as much as the debate on nutrition. There is the debate on trap-neuter-release (TNR) in cats. There is the no-kill controversy and the need for low-cost sterilization. All are minefields for stating your opinion. However, the newest one is the wisdom and methodology of the emerging canine neuter conundrum. First, I’ll give you a bit of history. When I began practicing (yes, over 30 years ago), I was told to believe in the age-old recommendation of sterilization at six months of age. The reasons seemed obvious. First, it was anesthetic safety. The...
Read MoreIndoor cats
An indoor cat cannot be hit by a car, be chewed by a dog, be poisoned by garden chemicals, or pick up a fatal viral disease from a stray cat. Despite these benefits, many people are hesitant to restrict their cats to an indoor environment. They worry that their feline friends are missing out on a natural lifestyle if they aren’t allowed to explore the outside world. They are also concerned that confinement will stimulate their cats to damage furniture or urinate in corners. If you want to keep your cats inside, be assured that they can lead fulfilling lives and they won’t cause...
Read MoreCruciate injury in Darla
Darla, a sweet 7-year-old Pit Bull had been coming in to see us for Veterinary Neuronal Adjustment (VNA) (back treatments) on her arthritic spine every three months to maintain her mobility. Last fall, we added a session of frequency-specific low level laser (FSLLL) following a VNA adjustment. She did so well following one treatment that her owner decided to do a full course of laser therapy. We began with two sessions the first day using laser frequencies for arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders. Darla was moving much better after only a few treatments. Unfortunately, two weeks into her...
Read MoreThe scoop on Coprophagy
What drives a dog to eat feces? Is he lacking something in his diet? Is he bored or starving for attention? Is he unhealthy? Coprophagy is the act of eating feces, either one’s own or the feces of another animal. This behaviour is common, so common that every dog owner has had experience with it in one form or another. Coprophagy, in the right situation, is normal behaviour. For three weeks after whelping, bitches consume the feces of their pups to keep the nesting area clean. Her desire to eat feces eventually subsides as the pups become independent but the puppies themselves may start to...
Read MoreNew ideas on feeding cats
We feed our cats canned food only (never dry) and they enjoy a little raw meat from time to time. Let’s look at why we do this. A natural diet for cats is three or four mice each day. This diet consists of 75% water, a good chunk of protein, a little fat, as well as vitamins and minerals. They consume their food raw in several small meals over the day. By contrast, manufacturers fill common commercial foods for cats with grains like corn, wheat, and even rice (which is a grain even though most people don’t call it that). It’s high in carbohydrate and cooked at a high...
Read MorePerilous Tapeworms
Fleas are more than an itchy nuisance for your dog and cat. Fleas play a crucial role in bringing tapeworm to your pets. Here’s how it works… The tapeworm that is transmitted by fleas lives in the dog’s or cat’s intestines. It has mouth suckers and thorn-like hooks to help it stay in place. It feeds by absorbing nutrients from the fluid around it. The tapeworm is made of stacked egg-filled segments. These break off one at a time and pass out the intestine when the animal defecates. These can be seen as dried-out “rice grains” in your pet’s bedding. Unfortunately, this is the...
Read MoreAncient Roots of Care
Veterinary medicine has ancient roots. In early Roman days, animal caretakers were called souvetaurinarii – the origin of the word veterinarian. Because the only valuable animals were ones that could be eaten or ridden, early medical practice was restricted to horses, cattle, pigs, and sheep. Cats were honored and cared for in ancient Egypt but little attention was directed to dogs. It was not until Medieval times in Europe that medical care for hunting dogs became an acceptable practice. At the beginning of the twentieth century, economics demanded that veterinary practitioners focus on...
Read MoreOrthopedic Therapy Options
Cruciate ligament injury is an extremely common orthopedic condition in our canine patients, both large and small. It can be expensive to treat surgically with no assurance of a perfect outcome. The cruciate ligament is a strong band that connects the femur (upper thigh bone) to the tibia below. There are actually two cruciate ligaments, one termed cranial and the other, caudal. Both are vital structures to knee stability. They get their name from “crucifix” because they cross inside the joint. The cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) which prevents the tibia from moving forward in relation to...
Read MoreCanine Distemper in Nanaimo
There have been several cases of distemper in dogs in the last month. It seems that a litter of puppies brought it up from Mexico. Unfortunately, the disease didn’t become apparent until the dogs arrived in Nanaimo. This means that your dog must be up-to-date on vaccinations. Distemper is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus similar to the one that causes measles in people. Worldwide, it is the leading cause of infectious disease deaths in dogs, although it occurs only sporadically in our area. All unvaccinated dogs are at high risk of infection. Infected animals shed canine...
Read MoreIntegrative Veterinary Medicine
Integrative veterinary medicine is a blend of natural, holistic approaches to animal health combined with the best of conventional veterinary medicine. What does this mean for our patients? We emphasize the most natural methods to prevent disease in our furry friends. This means optimizing diet, minimizing vaccines and medications, and using preventive medicine. If a pet becomes ill, we do a comprehensive conventional medical examination, and sometimes add blood tests or radiographs to reach a diagnosis. Treatment may consist of conventional medications as well as holistic approaches to...
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