10
10, 2020
Ear Cleaning in Dogs and Cats
One of the most important things you can do to keep your pet's ears clean and healthy is to clean them periodically, especially if they have been prone to infection. This page will show you the proper technique using a medium sized dog as an example. The technique for a cat is similar, the only major difference is in restraint. No matter which species you are restraining, pick a room that is quiet and free of small children. Please let one of our nurses give you an actual demonstration of this technique to develop your confidence. Before we institute any
8
10, 2020
Kidney Disease (Chronic Kidney Disease) in Dogs
This page describing kidney disease is very thorough, with pictures and information on anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology, in addition to symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. If you pace yourself and set aside the time to read it you will get through it. We have a summary page on kidney disease if this page is too detailed. Even though this page is thorough, the physiology of the kidneys is complicated, and only a summary of how the kidneys work is presented on this page. How the kidneys regulate water consumption and urine production are controlled by complex and highly refined interactions between plasma
7
10, 2020
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
Many dogs and cats are living longer than in the recent past, and unfortunately, are acquiring diseases that were not commonly seen in the recent past. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is one of these diseases. High blood pressure (BP) can be primary, where the cause is unknown. In most animals though, it is secondary to some other disease. The increase in blood pressure affects many organs, particularly the liver, eyes, kidneys, and heart. Hypertension hastens the progression of these diseases, and substantially predisposes your cat to blindness. Dogs can get high blood pressure due to various diseases, but we see the problem more
21
09, 2020
Dog Spay
Introduction One of the most common surgical procedures performed at the Long Beach Animal Hospital on dogs is a spay, known medically as an ovariohysterectomy (removal of the ovaries and uterus). We usually abbreviate it as an OVH. What is spaying in dogs or ovariohysterectomy? Spaying is the removal of both ovaries and most of the uterus in a female dog. What are the benefits of spaying a female dog It is performed for several medical reasons: It prevents dogs from going into heat It prevents dogs from getting pregnant It prevents dogs from getting a uterine infection called a
18
06, 2020
Mast Cell Tumors in Cats & Dogs
Introduction Many pets will get a malignant Mast Cell Tumor (MCT) in their lifetime. Other names for MCT are mast cell sarcoma, histiocytic mastocytoma, and mastocytosis. This disease has a cutaneous form (skin) and a systemic form (internal organs). The cutaneous form is more prevalent, and is sometimes referred to as the “great pretender” because the skin growth appearance is so variable. What might seem like just a minor swelling or inflamed area can be a highly malignant cancer. It might also be called the “great fooler” because most people underestimate the problem. MCTs have the potential to be highly malignant and