Wildlife blog of Dr. Palazzolo and the Long Beach Animal Hospital

Rabbit Skin Infection

Carl Palazzolo2024-10-18T15:34:52-07:00April 27th, 2020|Rabbit|

Introduction Rabbits are prone to skin infections that can be difficult to control. Their skin is very thin and prone to trauma. Rabbits harbor a bacteria called Pasteurella than can complicate any infection they pick up. This page shows the case of a rabbit named Roger that has a serious skin infection due to a maggot infestation. You won't have to look at any maggots, but you will see a serious skin infection in the pictures that follow-these pictures are not suitable for all age groups. Cause Maggots are the larvae of flies that hatch when flies lay eggs on an

Kidney Cancer in Dogs – Causes, Signs, and Treatment

Carl Palazzolo2025-04-09T21:14:48-07:00April 26th, 2020|Dogs|

Introduction It's not that often that we see a primary kidney cancer in a young pet. This page will show you how we diagnosed and treated it on a one year old Basenji. This story emphasizes how fast things change, and a pet that is perfectly healthy on a physical exam and blood panel, can change for the worse in a short period of time. If this owner had not brought this dog in for an exam this dog would have died. This is why Wellness Exams are recommended every year, and more often on senior pets. It also shows

Disk Disease (IVD)

Carl Palazzolo2024-08-06T07:34:09-07:00April 26th, 2020|Cats, Dogs, Rabbit|

Disk disease occurs in cats and dogs, with the occasion problem in other species. This dog pinched nerve problem is similar to what happens in us people. Since it occurs mostly in dogs, this page will emphasize disk disease in dogs, although the diagnosis and treatment of disk disk applies to cats and other species as well. A pinched nerve in dogs is similar to a pinched nerve in cats and other species. Even though it occurs more often in dogs, cats can get it also. This cat is getting laser therapy on its spine, you will learn more about

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in Dogs

Carl Palazzolo2025-04-21T10:55:22-07:00April 25th, 2020|Dogs|

IBD is an inflammatory condition of the stomach, small intestines, or large intestines (the gastrointestinal (GI) tract). It is sometimes called Idiopathic IDB. The Idiopathic part means that the cause of the condition is unknown. IBD tends to be chronic in nature. It is one of the most common conditions of the gastrointestinal tract diagnosed in pets, especially in cats. Despite its prevalence, it is one of the least understood conditions, especially regarding cause. Some pets respond well to treatment, others do not. Some cases of IBD involve the liver and pancreas. In this case there are 3 diseases occurring, and we

Hypothyroidism

Carl Palazzolo2024-08-13T11:03:08-07:00April 25th, 2020|Current News|

The most common hormone problem encountered in dogs is hypothyroidism. It results when the thyroid gland does not secrete an adequate quantity of thyroid hormone called thyroxine. Many internal organs are affected, and the resulting problem depends on which organs are most affected. Cats do not get this problem, but get an opposite problem called hyperthyroidism. Their problem involves excess thyroxine and its effect on the internal organs. Anatomy The thyroid gland is a small gland located at the throat, near what might be termed in people the "adam's apple". It has two lobes, and can be felt with careful palpation.