htttp://tvet.com Pets can have otitis externa, a condition affecting the outer structures of the ear, for myriad reasons: allergies, infections due to bacteria or fungus, genetic predisposition for an over production of oily debris, abnormal turnover rate of the tissue lining the canals or even cancer. It is also important to remember that ears are fundamentally just skin. Whenever the skin on the body is afflicted with a problem; the ears usually follow suit
Pet First Aid Emergencies
February 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
tvet.com Though many emergencies you may experience at home with your pets require immediate attention by your veterinarian or a veterinary emergency facility, the simple truth is that most pet "emergencies," aren't! Many problems may look severe, and some may cause you to panic, but most of the problems you encounter, especially after hours, can probably wait until morning. It is certainly more comforting to speak to a doctor or a veterinary technician before deciding whether or not you may need to bring your pet in for care, so it is always recommended to have an afterhours phone number available where you can speak to someone in case of a problem.
How to Give your Pet Injections
February 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment
tvet.com If you need to give your pet injections at home, I'm sure that your veterinarian or one of your hospital's staff members have already taught you what to do and walked you through the motions, so treat this as a refresher. Probably the most common reasons you will have to give injections to your pet would be to administer insulin to manage diabetes, allergy injections to help build your pets immunity against specific antigens, or subcutaneous fluids to help treat dehydration as is often necessary when managing pets with kidney disease. The principles of administering the subcutaneous injections are all the same-the key is to lift or, as we like to say, tent up the skin, introduce the needle at about a 45 degree angle all the way through the skin, then depress the plunger.
Pain Management in Pets
February 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment
tvet.com I had some rather painful surgery a few years ago and it made me appreciate how stoic our cats and dogs truly are. I was bedridden for a few weeks. It is not uncommon for my cat and dog patients who have undergone the same procedure to be up and around after only a few days. Now, was I just of a wuss or do our pets not feel pain to the same extent that we do? Dogs and cats are basically wired for pain in the same fashion that we are. Though they demonstrate their discomfort differently, they still require safe and effective pain management. . It is important to understand why our reactions vary. It goes back to survival of the fittest. Pain can be a sign of weakness and infirmity. If an animal is not strong and robust, it may be the prey rather than the predator. Tolerating pain and working through it are survival mechanisms.
Pet Internal Parasites
February 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Did you know that your veterinarian can help keep your child healthy? No we are not going to vaccinate your child or even give him or her a physical examination but rather by keeping your dogs and cats internal parasite free. You may be surprised to learn that the center for disease control estimates that upwards of 4000 Americans are affected by internal parasites every year. They commonly have contracted them from their pets. The numbers may actually be much higher because there is no mandate to report these cases. Prevention of these potentially serious infections can be achieved by simple routine deworming of cats and dogs and good personal and environmental hygiene.
