Sharing the Medicine Chest with your Dog

Which drugs in your home are safe for both you and your dog? Which are most definitely not?

October 2016 - You might share the medicine cabinet mirror with your dog while you shave or apply your makeup, but some of the medicines you have inside the mirrored door are very, very toxic to your pet and should at all times be kept out of paw’s reach. Says the American Veterinary Medical Association, “about one quarter of all phone calls to the Animal Poison Control Center are about human medications. Your pet can easily ingest dropped…

The Calories in Your Dog’s Treats

Many treats contain more calories than are healthful.

As the nation’s people go, so go our dogs. By some estimates, at least 40 percent of the pet dogs in the U.S. are overweight, which puts an extra burden on their joints and backs and predisposes them to hormone-related diseases like diabetes. It’s not all about transferring our own sedentary, non calorie-burning lifestyles to our dogs. Some of it is that dog food simply tastes much better than it used to.

Treating Urinary Continence in Older Female Dogs

Diagnosing and treating urinary incontinence.

We once had a client who thought he was causing his dog to urinate in the house because she was picking up on his anxiety and depression. The man had lost his job and thought maybe his best “girl” was responding to his mood and therefore not even bothering to wait to pee until she got outside. …

Making Bath Time Better For Your Dog

Ways to help your dog and you feel more comfortable with a wet cleansing

“Dogs love to dig in and roll in the dirt and run through the woods, and though they don’t like to go out in the rain will gladly jump in a swamp or smelly debris,” says veterinary dermatologist Laurie J. Stewart, VMD, DACVD. Maybe that’s why Dr. Stewart, owner of Veterinary Dermatology of New England in Westford, Massachusetts, quips that “bathing in dogs is highly underrated.” Truth be told, healthy dogs who are free of…