Animal Health Topic

Development of a Cytochrome P450 Phenotyping Test to Quantify Breed and Genetic Differences in Drug Sensitivities in Dogs

Diabetes mellitus occurs due to an animal’s inability to produce enough insulin and/or use it properly. Insulin is a hormone that efficiently breaks down sugars, fats, and proteins, including the sugar glucose. Without insulin managing glucose levels, sugar accumulates in the blood and spills into the urine and can result in serious health conditions. Pets […]

Sildenafil, the generic version of the drug known as Viagra, could be the long-awaited remedy for a group of dogs with a rare disorder called megaesophagus.

What is hyperthyroidism? Hyperthyroidism is the overproduction of thyroid hormone by the thyroid glands. Cats have two thyroid glands located in their neck. One or, more commonly, both glands can enlarge and overproduce thyroid hormone. The average age of cats with hyperthyroidism is 13; only about 5% of hyperthyroid cats are younger than 10. What […]

Blood and urine tests can help your veterinarian get crucial information about the health of your pet. Blood tests are often performed as a biochemistry profile, or chemistry panel, which is a collection of blood tests to screen several organs at one time. Some blood tests are very specific for a single organ, whereas other […]

What causes diarrhea in dogs and cats? Diarrhea in dogs and cats can be caused by stress, viruses, bacteria, parasites, foreign bodies (including bones, sticks, and other objects), diet, food allergies, toxins, tumors, disease, and more. Your ability to answer questions about your pet’s diet, habits, environment, and specific details about the diarrhea can help […]

Vomiting is a common problem in dogs and cats, and there are many causes, some of which can be managed at home and others that can be quite serious and require veterinary care. A problem that can be confused with vomiting is regurgitation. Vomiting is the ejection of contents of the stomach and upper intestine; […]

When your dog scoots its rear end across the floor it most likely isn’t due to worms. Dogs scoot when their anal sacs are uncomfortable. Anal glands and anal sacs are part of normal canine anatomy, and every canid from wolves to Chihuahuas have them. What are anal glands and anal sacs? Anal glands are […]

Determining the sex (gender) of a kitten is easy when you know what to look for.

What is Lyme disease? Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne disease (transmitted by insects or arthropods) in people, is caused by corkscrew-shaped bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, carried by ticks that transmit the infection when they feed on animals and humans. In the United States, Lyme disease occurs predominantly on the Pacific Coast, the Midwest, and Atlantic Coast […]