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Anesthesia for Cats

The word anesthesia comes from the Greek meaning "lack of sensation". Anesthesia is accomplished by administering drugs that depress nerve function. With general anesthesia, the patient is made unconscious for a short period. During this unconscious state, there is muscular relaxation and a complete loss of pain sensation.

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Aspergillosis in Cats

Certain species of a common fungus called Aspergillus can infect the nasal cavity and sinuses of cats and can even become disseminated to different areas of the body. Cats affected by exposure to this fungus are usually immunosuppressed. Diagnosis of either form, the nasal form or disseminated form, can be difficult, usually requiring X-rays or more advanced imaging such as MRI or CT, as well as tissue biopsies and culture. Treatment of the nasal form involves topical administration of an antifungal agent while the cat is under general anesthesia, although oral antifungals such as itraconazole and posaconazole may also be used. Prognosis is fair to good. Treatment of the disseminated form is more difficult requiring additional antifungals, such as amphotericin b that can be harmful to the kidneys.

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Elizabethan Collars in Cats

An E-collar or cone may be needed after your cat has surgery or if she has a wound. Your cat should wear the E-collar following the directions provided by your veterinarian. You may need to make a few adjustments in your home to ensure your cat does not get stuck in confined spaces. Also, you may need to adjust her feeding station to assist with her eating habits.

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Fever of Unknown Origin in Cats

To be classified as a fever of unknown origin (FUO), the body temperature must be above 103.5°F (39.7°C) for longer than a few days in duration, with no obvious underlying cause based on history and physical examination. A fever is beneficial to the body, but if a fever remains above 106°F (41.1°C) for more than a few days several consequences occur within the body and can be life threatening. If your pet has a fever, your veterinarian will perform a thorough physical examination, perform diagnostic blood tests, urine culture, and possibly other diagnostic tests including imaging, cytology, blood cultures, and fecal cultures. The diagnostic work-up for FUO may be quite involved. Antibiotics are often prescribed to treat any underlying bacterial infection or to prevent bacterial infections from occurring as a secondary problem. Cats that have persistent fever or a fever that waxes and wanes must undergo a thorough work-up so that the cause of fever can be discovered and treated before irreversible damage occurs.

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Giardia in Cats

Giardiasis is an intestinal infection of man and animals cased by a microscopic protozoan parasite Giardia duodenalis. Giardia is a simple one-celled parasitic species; it is not a "worm", bacteria, or virus. Giardiasis can be an important cause of diarrhea in animals and humans. However, many cats are infected without developing clinical signs or the diarrhea is treated as 'non-specific'.

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Obtaining a Veterinary Second Opinion for your Cat

Second opinions and referrals often cause great anxiety to cat owners, regardless of whether it is suggested by the veterinarian or considered by the cat owner. Sometimes, despite every effort, things do not go as planned and the attending clinician - the veterinarian treating the pet - suggests it might be beneficial considering a referral for a second opinion with another doctor.

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Children and Pets - Grief Following Loss of a Cat

Children often have very close relationships with pets, and especially with cats. The loss of a pet cat is inevitable and may be the child’s first experience of death, but there are ways for parents and others to help the child cope with it. It starts with talking with your child about death truthfully and in an age-appropriate manner. It is important for children to have the opportunity to say goodbye. Children grieve just as intensely as adults do, but often have different ways of expressing their grief. As a parent, you can support your child in many ways. You can maintain routines in work and play, find ways to honor and remember your cat, and read books on pet loss with your child. It is important to enlist others to offer support as well. Eventually you may consider a new adoption. Remember, the experience of loss is different for everyone, even children. Each child will grieve their cat in their own unique way and at their own pace. With care and support, your child can grow through the grief and heal.

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Loss of a Pet - Grief and Bereavement

Grief is the normal and natural response to the loss of someone or something. When grieving, one is said to be in a state of bereavement. The loss of a pet can cause intense grief and sorrow. Given that so many people consider their pets as members of the family, this grief is normal and understandable. Each person experiences grief in a different way. Contrary to popular belief, grief does not unfold in clean, linear stages, nor does it have a timeline. Grief is a full body experience that includes physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and spiritual responses. A healthy grief journey comes from taking the time to work through feelings rather than trying to push them away, moving toward the experience of loss to learn to live with it. There are many ways to manage grief, including receiving support from others, finding comfort in routines and play, keeping active, taking breaks from the sadness, remembering your pet, memorializing your pet, searching for meaning, and eventually, possibly bringing a new pet into your life. Grieving takes time. Usually it gradually lessens in intensity over time, but if it doesn’t, then professional counseling may help.

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Elizabethan Collars in Dogs

An E-collar or cone may be needed after your dog has surgery or if he has a wound. Your dog should wear the E-collar following the directions provided by your veterinarian. You may need to make a few adjustments in your home to ensure your dog does not get stuck in confined spaces. Also, you may need to adjust his feeding station to assist with his eating habits.

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Children and Pets - Infants and Dogs

One of the most common questions asked by an expectant parent or grandparent to a veterinary healthcare provider is how to introduce the family dog to a new infant, particularly if the dog has not been exposed to children before. The vast majority of dogs readily accept infants after an initial period of adjustment and curiosity.

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Obtaining a Veterinary Second Opinion for Your Dog

Second opinions and referrals often cause great anxiety to pet owners, regardless of whether it is suggested by the veterinarian or considered by the pet owner.

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Cryosurgery in Dogs

Cryosurgery (cryotherapy) is the application of extreme cold to destroy abnormal or diseased tissue. The term comes from the Greek "cryo" meaning icy cold and the word surgery meaning literally "hand work". Cryosurgery is used to treat a number of diseases and disorders, especially skin conditions.

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Holiday Safety Tips for Dog Owners

There are many potential hazards that pets face especially during the holidays. With commonsense and planning exposure to these hazards can be avoided preventing or illness. Hazards include tinsel, electrical cords, string from meat, ribbons, Christmas tree water, holiday plants such as mistletoe, holly, and lilies, and foods such as chocolate and other human foods including bread dough. Some dogs will do better if given a safe space to stay away from company and may require calming remedies to help minimize anxiety and stress during the holidays.

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Pet Insurance

Pet health insurance policies are primarily designed to cover accidents and illnesses. Pet insurance policies do not cover pre-existing conditions, and some have bilateral exclusions, meaning for example, if one knee has required ligament surgery, the other knee is automatically excluded for the same condition. Synthesized information about coverage and exclusions can be found on aggregator sites, such as PetInsuranceInfo (petinsuranceinfo.com). The factors that affect premiums include age, species, breed, the region you live, deductible amounts, co-insurance, and in some cases annual payout limits. Generally, it is less expensive to insure your pet when it is young and healthy, rather than waiting until it is older and more prone to illness. Educate yourself to understand the terms and conditions of the pet insurance you buy for your pet.

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Referral to Specialists in Dogs

A referral appointment has been made for your pet because we felt that it would be helpful to have another opinion and assistance regarding this condition from someone with extensive experience of the condition.

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Endoscopy in Horses

Potential purchasers of yearlings and even foals at public sales increasingly ask for endoscopic examinations ('scoping') of the larynx and pharynx to be performed in an attempt to assess 'soundness of wind'.

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Arthritis in Horses

Arthritis is an inflammation of a joint or joints that causes pain and stiffness but the word 'arthritis' is often used to cover a range of conditions, many of which are not true arthritis.

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Euthanasia and Carcass Disposal in Horses

Horses are kept for many different reasons including athletic competition, breeding, pleasure riding and companionship.

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First Aid for Wounds for Horses

Horses and ponies often receive cuts and other wounds particularly on their face and legs. Many require just simple first aid measures, while others require the attention of your veterinarian.

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Foaling in Horses

The expected birth of a foal from a favorite mare is an exciting but worrying time for many horse owners. Ideally, help and advice should be sought from your veterinarian or someone with experience in foaling mares, in good time before the event.

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Fostering Foals in Horses

Unfortunately, it is occasionally necessary to try to foster a foal onto a mare that is not its natural mother. This may be for any one of a number of reasons.

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Ragwort Poisoning in Horses

Ragwort is a tall plant with yellow flowers. Its scientific name is Senecio jacobea and it contains a poison (toxin) that is also found in some other plants, such as Lantana and some Heliotropes.

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Rain Scald in Horses

Rain scald is a bacterial infection of the skin that results in the formation of matted scabs usually affecting the back and rump but occasionally the lower limbs.

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Suspensory Ligament Damage in Horses

The suspensory ligament supports the fetlock and protects it from hyperextension (i.e., dropping too low) at exercise. The ligament begins at its attachment to the back of the upper cannon bone in both the fore and hindlimbs.

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Vaccinations for Horses

A vaccine is a specially-made medicine that stimulates the body to produce an immune response to a particular infection. Most vaccines are given by injection of a small volume of liquid into the muscle, although there are a few given intranasally (i.e., via the nostril) (strangles vaccine), or by mouth (e.g., polio vaccine in humans).

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Skunk Spray and Your Dog

Skunks spray volatile compounds from their anal sacs if they feel threatened by a potential predator such as a dog. Dogs can come across a skunk in rural or urban areas but most often at dawn or dusk and in areas where skunks make their den. Avoiding these areas at these times is the best way to avoid a skunk encounter. If sprayed in the face your dog may need veterinary care, as corneal damage can occur if sprayed in the eyes, and vomiting, diarrhea, or anemia can result if sprayed in the mouth. Washing the offending oils from the dog is complicated, but there are several commercial skunk shampoos that are good for this. If these are not available a combination of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dish soap can be used to help in the short term. It is important to avoid getting this solution in the eyes or mouth as the ingredients can be irritating and create more problems. Skunks may carry rabies so avoid contact between them and your dog.

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Xylitol Toxicity in Dogs

Xylitol is a naturally occurring substance that is widely used as a sugar substitute. Chemically, it is a sugar alcohol, and found naturally in berries, plums, corn, oats, mushrooms, lettuce, trees, and some other fruits.

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Grape, Raisin, and Currant Poisoning in Dogs

While a favorite and healthy snack for people, grapes, raisins and currants can cause kidney failure in dogs. Raisins can commonly be found in combination with other foods, potentially increasing the risk of exposure as compared with grapes and currants.  The toxicity concern is the same. 

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Surgical Pain in Dogs

Although surgery may sometimes be unavoidable, the understanding of pet pain has improved dramatically over the past 5 to 10 years. Your veterinarian will begin managing your dog’s pain before the procedure even starts by administering preemptive pain medication. During surgery, strategies such as local freezing, continuous rate infusions, and anesthetic blocks may also be used. Immediately after surgery, pain relief will continue with medications and possibly physical medicine modalities.

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Essential Oil and Liquid Potpourri Poisoning in Dogs

Many liquid potpourri products and essential oils, including oil of cinnamon, citrus, pennyroyal, peppermint, pine, sweet birch, tea tree (melaleuca), wintergreen, and ylang ylang, are poisonous to dogs. Both ingestion and skin exposure can be toxic.

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Paint and Varnish Poison Alert for Dogs and Cats

House paint, art paint, varnishes and other decorative or protective solvents come in many varieties… and most are dangerous to dogs and cats. Water-based paints, the most common, include latex, tempera, and poster paints.

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Zinc Poisoning (Toxicity) in Pets

Pets and people need some zinc in their diets. However, too much zinc can cause serious health problems.

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Living with a Deaf Dog

Dogs can suffer from hearing loss due to increasing age, chronic ear infections, or may be born with a defect. Deafness in dogs can present some challenges but overall, they can have a fairly healthy, normal life. Training is still possible by making some modifications and incorporating hand signals into the training regime. It is important to take their deafness into account when considering their safety and ensure that they are never off leash on or near a street.

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Teflon (Polytetrafluoroethylene) Poisoning in Birds

Bird proofing your home is a great way to help keep your bird safe and healthy. After all, your bird's cage is its house and the confines of your home represent the bird's environment.

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Chemotherapy Drug Poisoning in Dogs and Cats

Chemotherapy drugs are used to treat cancer and other conditions in people because they target and kill rapidly dividing neoplastic (cancer) cells and other cells. They're primarily used as anti-cancer agents, but may also provide benefit for a variety of auto-immune disorders and for organ transplant recipients as immunosuppressive agents.

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Do Dogs See Color?

Knowing how and what your dog can see will help you make good choices for her. For example, you should keep your dog’s color range in mind when shopping for toys. She will enjoy yellow and blue toys more than red ones. And you’ll understand why she gets distracted during a game of fetch as she hones in on a bird flying 50 yards away. You’ll also know that to get her complete attention, you should stand directly in front of her where her range of visual acuity is greatest. And the next time you are lucky enough to be graced with a rainbow in the sky, rest assured that your dog can enjoy it, too. She will not see ALL the colors of the rainbow, but she may see a bit of yellow and blue. And that will be just fine for her!

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Mothball Poisoning in Cats

Mothballs are solid pesticides that slowly release a vapor to kill and repel moths, their larvae, and other insects from stored clothing and fabric. Mothballs are sometimes also used to repel snakes, mice, and other animals, although this use is not recommended and can be harmful to pets, children, and the environment.

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Why Does My Veterinarian Charge So Much?

Veterinary care seems expensive. Here are some of the reasons behind the costs of veterinary care, and some things that you, as a pet owner, can do to help make it affordable.

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Guide Dogs

Dogs, in general, are amazing creatures. But service dogs like guide dogs, are true stand outs. In addition to traditional canine companionship, they play an integral role in the lives of the visually impaired.

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Seizure Assistance Dogs

Dogs do so much more than entertain us with tricks or accompany us on walks. Their abilities as service dogs are astounding. Gaining in popularity, dogs that assist people who have seizures play an important role in the lives of their owners.

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How to Choose a Good Dog Breeder

Purebred dogs from a breeder have a documented family history and known background. For families who have opted for this way to add a dog to their family (if a shelter or rescue dog isn't in the cards), make sure you and the breeder take time to get to know each other to make sure that the family and dog are the right fit together. 

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The Pros and Cons of Pedigree

Getting a purebred dog comes with some pros and cons. You know what you are getting but also run a higher risk for genetically tied health problems. Do a little research before selecting a new pup, purebred or otherwise, and remember this: whatever you name your dog, you will call him 'yours' no matter what he looks like!

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Agility for Dogs

An agility trial is a competitive canine sporting event where dogs of various breeds navigate obstacles and are judged on speed and accuracy. Agility training can be a fun activity with many benefits for you and your dog.

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The Differences between Brand Name and Generic Medications

A brand name medication is the first of its kind and gets to brand the name. However, there may be differences between brand name and generic drugs. Although the active ingredient must be the same as the original drug, generics may include different inactive ingredients such as preservatives or fillers.

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Therapy Pets

Therapy pets are animals that visit hospitals, retirement homes, hospice centers, nursing homes and schools. Although most therapy pets are dogs, other species such as cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and horses are good candidates. These lovable pets are well trained, have good temperaments, and are people-friendly. Plus, they have a good work ethic!

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Memorializing Pets

We celebrate our pets! We have cake on their birthdays. We wrap presents for them at Christmas. We buy them special toys when they are sick. When they pass on, we are sad, but isn't it fitting to celebrate one more time?

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Genetic (DNA) Testing

Genetic testing can provide valuable information about your pet; not only to determine breed heritage, but also to bring awareness of predisposed or hereditary medical conditions. This can allow for earlier detection and care to lessen the impact of a condition or possibly prevent it entirely.

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Spider Bites

There are over 30,000 species of spiders worldwide, and most of these spiders are venomous. Most spiders are unable to produce medically-significant envenomations, however, because of their small mouthparts that are unable to penetrate the skin. The two groups of spiders responsible for most medically-significant spider bites include the widow spiders (including the black widow spider) and the recluse spiders (including the brown recluse).

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Vitamin D Poisoning in Dogs

Vitamin D poisoning occurs when a dog ingests a toxic dose of vitamin D. A common source of vitamin D poisoning is when a dog accidentally ingests rodenticides containing vitamin D. Another source of vitamin D poisoning is the accidental ingestion of certain human medications.

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AskVCA: What Should I Do If My Dog Gets Stung By A Bee?

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Curbside Veterinary Care: Benefits for You and Your Pet

Hospitals providing curbside care have restructured their practice to avoid the need for clients to enter the lobby and exam rooms. This is designed to promote physical (social) distancing and reduce the spread of COVID-19. Curbside care offers a number of benefits for you and your pet. By eliminating the need for you to enter the hospital, potential COVID-19 outbreaks are reduced. The veterinary team is protected under a curbside care model, and in turn, so is your pet. Even in curbside care, you will have an opportunity to speak with your veterinarian in order to discuss findings and recommendations. To help the curbside appointment go smoothly, bring a written list of concerns or fill in any forms your practice has sent to you prior to the appointment. Curbside care truly is in the best interests of you and your pet.

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