Respiratory infections in cats and kittens are very common. The upper respiratory tract in the cat is made up of the nose, throat and sinus area. Viruses are the most common cause of respiratory disease in cats, with Feline Calicivirus and Feline Herpes virus causing 85 to 90% of all respiratory disease in cats. Upper Respiratory Tract ( URT ) infections are common in shelters, catteries and multi-cat households. The viruses are transmitted from cat to cat by sneezing, coughing,… Continue reading →

What does your pet think about Hallowe’en? I have written before about Hallowe’en parties for pets but not all pets like Hallowe’en. In fact some of them think it is very scary. Here are some things you can do to help your pet adjust to Hallowe’en. The two biggest problems with Halloween are injuries and poisoning — and animal emergency clinics traditionally see plenty of both. When you’re planning to include your pet in holiday plans, keep pet protection in… Continue reading →

Idiopathic Feline Vestibular Disease in the northeastern U.S. and Canada is seen most commonly in the fall. No one knows what actually causes this problem which is why it is idiopathic–we doctors are “idiots” because we can’t figure out a cause! The Vestibular system in the cat is responsible for making sure that the body is in the correct position with respect to gravity. This system will alert the brain if we are standing, sitting, lying down, falling, spinning in… Continue reading →

One of the most common questions I receive from cat owners is about chronic renal failure or chronic kidney disease. Chronic kidney failure is extremely common in older cats. In most cases when the pet starts to show signs of kidney disease, the cause of the problem may be long gone but the damage to the kidney has been done. When we treat this disease we do not expect cure it but to manage the problem so the kitty have… Continue reading →

Dogs and cats have an amazing skeletal system that is composed of bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments. The joints are the skeletal hinges that allow the skeleton to move and flex in amazing ways. When joints are damaged by disease or injury, inflammation results. Inflammation in the joints is known as arthritis.

There are some exciting things happening at PetWellbeing! We have developed and launched a series of new products to help improve pet health and well being. These new products were developed by holistic veterinarians using traditional herbal remedies integrated with the newest scientific research. One such product is Blood Sugar Gold. This herbal formula is for diabetic cats and can be used along with conventional treatments for diabetes. It is similar to our Mellit product but it is new and… Continue reading →

Fall is a time of pumpkins, apple picking and bladder problems in cats. Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is common problem in cats. Symptoms of FLUTD can be varied and range from a cat urinating outside the litter box to a complete urinary obstruction which is an emergency in male cats. Although this condition affects both male and female cats, urinary blockage generally occurs only in male cats.

It is late summer and the living is easy except for those pets with ragweed allergy. If you do not have ragweed in your area, you are fortunate indeed. In Southwestern Ontario, Canada where I live we not only have ragweed, we have giant ragweed! These weeds grow up to 10 feet tall and are enormous, with enormous amounts of pollen. Dogs that have ragweed allergies are generally fine all summer until the end of August when they suddenly start… Continue reading →

Systemic hypertension, or high blood pressure, is very common in humans but can also be a problem for pets. Our pets do not smoke, do not worry and usually do not have high cholesterol, but as they age high blood pressure can be a problem. When blood pressure rises in our pets, the smallest vessels in the body are the most effected. The increased pressure causes the vessel to explode and bleeding into the area results. This is particularly important… Continue reading →

Pet owners frequently complain of age related problems with their older pets. Common complaints are house training issues, memory loss, confusion, disorientation, panting, drooling, wandering, night pacing and other sleep disturbances , obsessive licking and other conditions. These behaviours usually start gradually and many times owners do not notice them until they are quite severe.