Chloe asked me this question last week. She had been watching Marleigh sleep and seen what most of us dog owners see from time to time. Marleigh's legs were moving, her breathing was irregular and her eyes were darting about under the lids.

Most of us have seen he same things. I've certainly seen Miles twitching and even making stiffled barking noises. He looks just like my wife when she's dreaming. Don't get me wrong, she doesn't bark in her sleep, but she does make little whimpering noises.

Are they both dreaming?

Continue Reading "Do Dogs Dream?" »

Medical procedures that were once limited to humans have become available for our four-legged friends as well. Advances in animal neurology, dentistry, imaging, surgery and rehabilitation have given veterinarians the opportunity to provide our pets with the same kind of medical services that are available to humans. Veterinarians are able to provide the highest level of care and treatment that is humanly possible using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computerized Tomography (CT), ultrasound, laser surgery, stem cell therapy, endoscopy (a technique for viewing internal organs with a fiber optic scope) and echocardiography (specialized form of ultrasound to view the heart).

Continue Reading "Where Will Veterinary Medicine Go in 2012?" »

And that's a good thing if youv'e been following the latest research on body fat. If you read the post from Monday you know that brown fat is in the news.

We left off in that post thinking about ways that the body might activate brown fat and trigger all the health benefits that would entail. Well, the latest research on the subject confirms that exercise and a hormone released in response to exercise, might do just that.

Continue Reading "Exercise Can Turn White Fat Brown" »

That's a lot of fat in one blog post title, but fat is in the news again and this time it's encouraging news. Encouraging if you are interested in the effect of fat on health, both ours and our pets.

Obesity and type II diabetes are big concerns for dogs, cats and their people and there's new research on the subject of body fat type and the effect exercise has on the composition of body fat.

Before we get into that, let's go back a couple of years and re-examine the roles of both types of body fat. We'll cover the new research on Wednesday.

Continue Reading "Good Fat, Bad Fat, Brown Fat, White Fat" »

I read a really interesting artilcle in the Science section of the New York Times last week that deals with aging in animals. When you get to be my age, articles about extending healthy life tend to catch my aging eyes.

This one was really interesting, and may eventually apply to both people and pets. The article reported on a study done in lab mice where certain types of cells, called senescent cells, were programmed to self destruct.

The results were very interesting.

Continue Reading "Speaking of Senior Pets" »

We often talking about the problem of pet over population in the United States and the effect it has on shelters. According to the American Humane Association, each year, approximately 8 million stray and unwanted animals are taken in by shelters across the country. About 3.7 million of these animals must be euthanized because good homes cannot be found for them. In fact, shelter euthanasia is the leading cause of death for both dogs and cats in the United States.

Continue Reading "October is Adopt-A-Dog Month" »

February is National Pet Dental Health Month. With that in mind, I wanted to share a very important and unfortunately common issue facing pet owners, veterinarians and most of all our pets.

The harmful practice of anesthesia-free dental cleanings originated in grooming facilities as a source supplemental service income. Anesthesia-free dentistry is a way for pets and pet owners to avoid general anesthesia during a dental cleaning. Regardless of how great the post-procedure care is, almost all pets who receive this type of dental cleaning often develop periodontal disease below the gum line.

“Anesthesia free dentistry gives a false sense of security to owners even if they do good home care,” says Dr. Bert Dodd, Clinical Associate Professor of Small Animal Dentistry at Texas A&M University’s Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. “The problem causing periodontal disease is below the gum line – an area that can only be cleaned with the patient under anesthesia.”

This type of dental cleaning can be extremely dangerous. Wearing down the enamel of the pet’s teeth with scaling instruments creates a rough surface for plaque and tartar to accumulate more quickly and in a much higher quantity. Polishing the enamel after scaling leaves smooth surface that delays the accumulation of calculus on the tooth. For pets, polishing can only be performed properly under anesthesia. Furthermore, cleaning only the exposed surface area of the teeth neglects the one place where periodontal disease is most profound – below the gum line.

Periodontal disease is one of the most common problems in pets. If left untreated, it will lead to infection and disease which may spread to other organ systems in the body. Liver, kidney, and heart valve infections are commonly caused by periodontal disease.

Preventive dental exams and regular cleanings are key to avoiding this easily preventable disease. But, in between dental cleanings, taking care of your pet’s teeth at home will help to prevent and delay the onset of problems with the teeth and gums. Use dental home care products – never use human toothpaste! – designed to remove plaque buildup, like a soft-bristled toothbrush and a special pet dentifrice product.

Nobody enjoys going to the dentist and your pet is no exception. However, the agony that comes with poor dental health is no comparison to the few minutes it takes to take care of your pets’ teeth. Think about it this way, you brush your teeth every day but still need regular professional dental cleanings. Shouldn’t your pet receive the same level of dental care? As my mother used to tell me when I asked if I had to brush my teeth – “No, just the ones you want to keep!”

-- Dr. Craig --

Sometimes you just have to quote from the press release.

"On December 20th, Americans nationwide had the opportunity to vote online to raise funds for five national pet-related charities. Over the course of the day, Purina ONE beyOnd donated $200,000 total to the charities and the online voting determined how much of the monetary pool each charity would receive. 

Well, the results are in and here is the breakdown of how much each nonprofit will receive as a result of the online voting: 

We spent the Holidays in the Valley of the Sun, aka Phoenix, with my wife's parents watching the rest of the country get pummeled by winter. Actually it was kind of cool in Phoenix barely making it to seventy most days. I did manage a couple of mountain bike rides in the White Tank mountains in my summer attire and I walked around in shorts most of the time.

My wife's parents live on the Western fringe of Phoenix in a house ruled by two dogs. Dog number one is Mickey, a Bichon Frise and dog number two is Zach, a Cairn Terrier. Both are neutered males that pretty much have the run of things. They do spend nights in their respective crates in the garage, but by day they lounge on any available piece of furniture.

I was in the gym this morning warming up on the bike, trying not to watch the TV. I slipped up and noticed a story about dogs on one of the cable "new" channels. Turned out to be a pretty interesting story about military working dogs and the Veterinary care they receive if they are injured in the line of duty.

I followed up when I got home and found the web site for the Holland Military Working Dog Hospital. I took a spin around the site and came away very impressed with the level of care provided at Holland. The have a complete facility with radiology, CT scans, surgery and even rehabilitation services.