Most people are familiar with arthritis in dogs but do not know that older cats also suffer from arthritis. Research shows that 100 percent of cats over 10 years of age have arthritis in one or more joint. The difference is that cats show more subtle signs of arthritis than dogs because cats are very good at hiding signs of disease. Symptoms of arthritis can include stiffness on rising, reluctance to jump, obvious limp, litter box accidents ( because the… Continue reading →

Tracheal collapse is a condition commonly seen in Toy breed dogs such as Poodles, Pomeranians and Yorkshire Terriers. When it does occur, the dog makes a distinctive honking sound that is frightening. It sounds like the dog can not catch his breath. Why does this happen? The trachea or windpipe is a fairly rigid tube made up of rings of cartilage. These rings are not complete circles but rather like 3/4 circles with a muscle ( the tracheal membrane) joining… Continue reading →

Winter is just around the corner, actually starting in about 2 1/2 weeks. Now is the time to get your pet ready for winter. Although I do not agree that pets should be keep outside all the time, there are people who do not allow their pets in the house. If this is the case it is important that outdoor cats and dogs have adequate, warm shelter for the winter. Now is the time to review your dog or cat’s… Continue reading →

Pet ownership has a number of proven health benefits. Pets have been shown to improve physical, mental and emotional health in humans. These benefits include enhancing social skills to decreasing a person’s risk of heart attack. Having a pet in the home can lower a child’s risk of having allergies. This will not help families in which the adults already have allergies but it may help the child in this household. Some results show a greater than 33 % reduction… Continue reading →

House soiling or feline inappropriate elimination is the most common behavioural problem reported by cat owners. Problem behaviours can be urine or stool deposited outside the box or marking/spraying behaviours. When a client askes me about a cat box problem the first thing I recommend is that a medical problem be ruled out. This means a trip to the veterinarian and if it is a urinary problem, a urine sample needs to be examined.