I was trying to think of an Earth Day post for pets and the closest thing I could come up with was an interesting story I read in the NY Times about earthquake emergency planning for pets in San Francisco.

Apparently the City by the Bay is taking things to the next level in this arena. I'm not really surprised by that since most things happen there about five to ten years before they happen anywhere else in the country, unless you live in Oklahoma.

Continue Reading "Disaster Preparedness for Pets " »

There may be no greater fear for a pet owner than the thought of their little furry loved one lost in the big, scary world. This week is National Pet Identification Week. Pet identification has evolved over the years, from collar tags to tattoos and, more recently, implanted microchips.

Using name-tags and collars are a great way to help identify your pet, and they show anyone who may find them that your pet is domesticated and has a home. But, collars can tear or slip off and tags can fade, rust or get scratched beyond the point of legibility. Check your pets’ collar and tags at least once a month to make sure this is not the case.

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Interesting article in the NY Times last week about medical and surgical advances in Veterinary Medicine over the last several years.

The thrust of the article was more about the cost of treatment than the advances in treatment. That's a little discouraging from my perspective.

Why should a sophisticated medical procedure performed by a highly skilled medical professional cost less if it's done by a Vet?

Maybe it's because we value the life of a pet differently than that of a human.

Continue Reading "Advances in Veterinary Medicine" »

No, your eyes are not deceiving you, that is a picture of a glowing cat. Earlier this month the journal “Natural Methods” reported that U.S. scientists had developed a strain of green-glowing cats with cells that resist infection from the feline immunodeficiency virus, or FIV, which causes AIDS in cats.

The Mayo Clinic’s team of physicians, virologists, veterinarians and gene therapy researchers, along with collaborators in Japan, hope the finding may help prevent the disease in cats and advance AIDS research in people. The study involved inserting antiviral monkey genes that block the virus that causes feline AIDS into feline eggs before they are fertilized.

Continue Reading "What's So Great About a Glowing Cat?" »

It is that time of year again – time to get in line for the seasonal flu vaccine. But, did you know your dog may benefit from one as well?

Canine Influenza is a contagious respiratory disease in dogs first discovered as a cause of severe respiratory illness in a group of racing greyhounds in 2004. Dog flu continues to be a threat to primarily groups of dogs held in close quarters, such as in breeding facilities, shelters and pet stores.

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With the looming threat of a double-dip recession, many people continue to cut back. Pet owners weren’t in that group. The American Pet Products Association (APPA) released 2011 – 2012 pet industry spending figures which revealed that pet owners show no signs of slowing down their spending. In 2010 an estimated $48.4 billion was spent on companion animals. The forecast for 2011, despite a global recession, is even higher - an increase in spending in excess of $50 billion.

Continue Reading "Can't Put a Price Tag on the Love of Pets" »

Last week I told you about the first few days of my Veterinary Mission trip to Honduras. After two days of vaccinating and deworming more than 1,000 animals ranging from cattle, horses, goats, pigs, dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, geese to a rabbit and a parrot in the villages of Potrerillos and Agua Dulcita, the group of 32 veterinarians, veterinary technicians and students were off to the next village.

Continue Reading "Making a Difference in the Mountains of Honduras, part 2" »

Recently I joined a group of 32 veterinarians, veterinary technicians, students and other eager participants for a veterinary mission trip to Honduras sponsored by St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church of Seguin and the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas. Our destination was Siguatepeque, an agricultural center of about 75,000 people at 3,000 feet elevation in the central mountains of Honduras. While this is my first time, many of the group have been going annually for 25 years. Even though I have over 30 years experience as a veterinarian. this was a new adventure in a rural third world environment.

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Last post I discussed the importance of annual wellcare as an important reason to visit the Veterinarian. One of the reason to get an annual check up is the new focus on pain management for pets. In the past we failed to recognise the role that chronic pain plays in companion animals. We know that pain management is an important concept for people but things are changing rapidly for pets.

Continue Reading "Is Your Pet in Pain?" »

There may be no greater fear for a pet owner than the thought of their little furry loved one lost in the big, scary world. This week is the American Humane Association's National Pet Identification Week. Pet identification has evolved over the years, from collar tags to tattoos and, more recently, implanted microchips.

Continue Reading "This seasons hottest accessories: tags, tattoos and chips" »