There are some dog breeds among which epilepsy is more prevalent than in the general population. […]

The list of joint ailments in pets, particularly dogs and cats, is almost endless. You may have noticed some or all of these symptoms and wondered what could be causing the problem. […]

There are several skin diseases that can affect both cats and dogs and, unless severe, can be treated at home. […]

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic condition that affects the gastrointestinal tract, particularly the intestines. […]

If your cat is experiencing diarrhea, there are several steps you can take to help them. […]

Skin cancer in dogs is far more common than most would expect. It accounts for approximately 30% to 40% of all cancer cases reported. […]

For any dog owner among the grimmest of news to get is that your beloved pet has been diagnosed with cancer. […]

The most common ear problems in cats are infections generally caused by bacteria, yeast, fungus, or mite infestations. If an ear infection recurs, the causes should be identified and treated to prevent more severe complications in the future. […]

Stress in pets is real and it can seriously affect how they are nourished. Chronic stress could lead to many negative outcomes with malnutrition and digestive disorders high on the list. […]

Dogs’ ears are highly vulnerable to infections and pests. The good old-fashioned advice that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure applies very much to this aspect of canine care. […]

Any owner who has dealt with a pet’s sudden unexplained vomiting or diarrhea will understand that this is a stressful experience for everyone involved. […]

Cats are known to be finicky eaters but understanding the basics of cat digestion can help you provide your pet with the nutrients they need. […]

Dogs’ eyes, similar to those of most animals, have the same function and design as humans’ eyes. Both are thus subject to many of the same age-related changes and ailments. […]

Most dog owners know that keeping your pet in great condition starts with proper nutrition. But after that, sensible skin care can also make the difference between your dog being happy or miserable. […]

Did you know that canine heart disease is just as dangerous in dogs as it is in people? The heart is one of the most miraculous “machines” that works like a pump and beats thousands of times per day. […]

Once a cat has been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), a few things need to happen. […]

If you love your pets with all your heart it’s important to know more about their hearts and what may happen to this vital organ during the course of their lives. […]

Not everyone knows that dogs can suffer from epilepsy. Find out everything you need to know about epilepsy in dogs. […]

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) refers to the gradual decline of kidney function over time. […]

What is pet diabetes? How common is diabetes in pets? What signs should I look out for? How is diabetes diagnosed? How is diabetes managed in pets? […]

Diabetes mellitus is a disease caused either by: A lack of insulin, or the body’s inadequate response to insulin.[…]

Diabetes is a chronic disease that can affect cats, dogs, other animals and humans. Diabetes is a complex disease that is caused by an inability of the body to regulate blood sugar (glucose). […]

Congestive heart failure occurs when there is a heart abnormality leading to the failure of the heart to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. […]

Diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or properly use insulin to break down glucose (a type of sugar) in foods. […]

Your pets can’t tell you where or how much it hurts but they suffer from pain just as we do. Animals have evolved to hide their pain as a protection against predators. […]

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) refers to the gradual loss of kidney function. Left untreated, CKD in cats can lead to several health problems. […]

Since dogs cannot easily tell us that they are in pain and signs may be subtle, it’s difficult to identify pain. There are many misunderstandings regarding pain in animals. […]

Surgery can be challenging for both pets and their owners.  The recovery process is usually simple, but the first few days and weeks after surgery require special care for your pet. […]

There have been significant advances in veterinary medicine in understanding how pets feel pain. Veterinarians and their health care team are trained to recognize signs of a pet’s discomfort or fear. […]

If you notice changes in your pet’s behaviour or appearance, it could be because of pain. Pets usually hide their pain and cannot tell you where or how much it hurts. […]

When we humans are in pain, we generally talk about it.  Your dog or cat can’t tell you where or how much it hurts and usually mask their pain. Animals have evolved to withdraw and hide the signs of pain because any display would put them at risk with predators. […]

Congestive heart failure (CHF) occurs when there is a heart abnormality leading to the failure of the heart to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. […]

A big part of a dog’s general wellbeing is their health. Unfortunately some breeds are more likely to suffer from certain conditions than others. These breeds are: Bulldogs, Beagles & Boxers. However, they’re not the only ones. […]

Rabies is a zoonotic viral disease, meaning a disease that normally exists in wild and domestic animals that can infect humans. It attacks the central nervous system ultimately causing disease in the brain and once symptoms develop, it’s almost always fatal. […]

Rabies is a viral disease that affects the nervous system of mammals, including humans. […]

Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis) is a zoonotic illness – it affects both animals and people. […]

Knowing the rabies risk to yourself, your community and your pets and being informed about transmission prevention and actions to take after contact with rabid animals can save lives. […]

World Rabies Day, created and coordinated by Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC), is observed annually on 28 September in many countries, including the United States. […]

It’s unclear what causes most cancers in cats. Fortunately for cat owners, feline cancer is not as common as cancer in dogs. Still, it’s good to be aware of the signs of cancer in cats because they can hide illness which can delay diagnosis and treatment. […]

Better healthcare and improved nutrition have increased the average lifespan of canines. Unfortunately, with old age comes greater cancer risks. Still, any dog can develop cancer when an abnormal growth of cells occur […]

Stomach and intestinal cancer is also known as leiomyosarcoma, which arises from the smooth muscles of the stomach and intestines. Leiomyosarcoma is an uncommon cancerous tumor that is an extremely serious and painful disease. […]

What is Pancreatic Cancer (Adenocarcinoma) in Dogs? The pancreas is a gland organ in the digestive and endocrine systems. It is responsible for hormonal and digestive functions. Pancreatic cancer develops as abnormal pancreatic cells multiply rapidly in the pancreas. […]

It’s important to find and treat cancer in cats as early as possible because many types of tumors in cats tend to form, grow and spread quickly. With the appropriate treatment, long-term prognosis can be improved. […]

Cancer is a complex disease that is unfortunately very common in both humans and dogs. It can be triggered by various things such as environmental, genetic and lifestyle factors. […]

This is Part 2 of Common Canine Cancers: Read Part 1 first.

The following tumors and cancers are rare in cats. Some brain tumors start in the brain. They’re called primary tumors and are very rare. Secondary tumors on the other hand develop as a result of a different cancer that has spread to the brain. Brain tumor symptoms may include: […]

More and more cats are developing diabetes mellitus. Cat owners need to act on this alarming fact by learning more about this chronic disease. […]

More dogs, especially older dogs, are developing diabetes or diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes). […]

Feline diabetes, or diabetes mellitus, is a disease caused when the body cannot properly respond to the hormone insulin, which is produced and released by the pancreas. As in the human body, the cells in a cat’s body need energy in the form of glucose (sugar) for their […]

Dogs, as well as other mammals such as, cats, horses, monkeys and humans can be affected by diabetes – a chronic disease. […]

Diabetes is a chronic disease that can affect dogs, cats, other animals and humans. Diabetes is a complex disease that is caused by an inability of the body to regulate blood sugar (glucose). […]

Diabetes, or diabetes mellitus in dogs, is a chronic disease caused when the body cannot properly respond to the hormone insulin, which is produced and release by the pancreas. […]

Cats, like humans, can suffer from acid or gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD. Acid reflux is quite common in cats and while younger cats are at greater risk, cats of all ages may be susceptible. During a gastric reflux episode there is an uncontrollable reverse flow […]

Dogs, like humans, can suffer from acid or gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD. Acid reflux is quite common in dogs and while puppies are at greater risk, dogs of all ages may be susceptible. During a gastric reflux episode there is an uncontrollable reverse flow of gastric […]

Constipation is the inability to routinely and easily evacuate the bowels resulting in retention of faeces or passage of hard, dry faeces. When a cat is constipated, the colon—the section of the lower intestine that contains undigested food, mucus, bacteria, and dead cells before elimination—has become impacted with […]

Constipation is the inability to routinely and easily evacuate the bowels resulting in retention of faeces or passage of hard, dry faeces. When a dog is constipated, the colon—the section of the lower intestine that contains undigested food, mucus, bacteria, and dead cells before elimination—has become impacted with […]

Cats with acute diarrhea may defecate more frequently, and may have softer, looser or more watery feces. Blood, mucus, or even parasites may be visible in or on their stools and they may have accidents in the house. Diarrhea is quite common and is brought on by […]

Dogs with acute diarrhea may defecate more frequently, and may have softer, looser or more watery feces. Blood, mucus, or even parasites may be visible in or on their stools and they may have accidents in the house. Diarrhea is quite common and is brought on by […]

Luckily, when it comes to ear infections, cats are not as vulnerable as dogs. Still, when they do get them, the effects can be painful and even cause damage if left untreated. Signs and Symptoms of Ear Infections in Cats […]

If your dog has an ear infection, it’s really important to approach the problem properly. The safest and smartest first step would be to contact your vet. […]

The first thing you should know is that ear infections in dogs are quite common. The important thing is to address signs and symptoms as soon as you notice them. […]

Ear infections, causing painful itchiness and irritation, are not as common in cats as they are in dogs. Although ear infections themselves are problematic, there can be underlying causes of the inflammation of the external ear canals that become inflamed. If your cat gets an ear […]

Ear infections, causing painful itchiness and irritation, are one of the most common problems afflicting dogs. Although ear infections themselves are problematic, there are usually underlying causes of the inflammation of the external ear canals that become inflamed with bacterial or yeast overgrowth. With overgrowth of […]

Seizure disorders in dogs are common and there are many causes which can include birth defects, metabolic defects, infections, a brain abscess, toxins or vascular disorders such as strokes and high blood pressure. […]

Just because it’s more common for dogs than cats to suffer from epilepsy doesn’t mean epilepsy in cats should be taken lightly. Before we get to symptoms, causes and treatment it’s important to understand the difference between a seizure and epilepsy. […]

There are often warning signs when a dog is about to have a seizure. A dog may begin to act scared, dazed, stressed or anxious without cause. Dogs may also have trouble seeing, experience muscle and limb contractions, and even lose bowel and bladder control. […]

Epilepsy is a brain disorder that is more common in dogs than in cats. It’s also important to know that a seizure is a single occurrence while the word epilepsy is used when two or more unprovoked seizures have occurred. […]

Cats have very unique and beautiful eyes. They can detect much more light than we can, however, their color vision is limited. Threats to healthy eyes include injuries, conditions and diseases. […]

Dogs’ eyes are very important organs that help them form images of the world. Threats to healthy eyes include injuries, conditions and diseases. […]

Welcome to Part 2 of common eye conditions in canines. […]

Cats are weird, wonderful and rumoured to be wise… especially when you look in their eyes! But, how do they actually view the world around them? Well, science has come up with a few generally agreed upon facts to help us understand this interesting feline organ. […]

Uveitis is one of the most common eye disorders in cats and can be extremely serious. Without medical attention, your cat’s eyesight is at great risk. Uveitis is inflammation of the uvea, which is the dark tissue at the […]

Just like people, dogs can suffer from many of the same diseases, including heart disease (otherwise known as cardiomyopathy). […]

Heart disease is frequently called a “silent killer” because of a lack of early signs of the disease and the fact that cats are natural survivors and masters at hiding pain. […]

The main function of the circulatory system (also known as the cardiovascular system) is to transport blood, nutrients, gases and hormones to and from the cells throughout the body. […]

The body needs oxygen-rich blood. The heart makes sure this blood gets around. Then, once the oxygen-depleted blood goes through the lung fields, the cycle repeats. A cat’s heart is a small yet impressive organ which works around the clock. In fact, their little hearts beat like crazy, which is surprising, since cats seem calm and confident most of the time. […]

Dogs are susceptible to heart disease just like their human companions. It is estimated that approximately 10% of all dogs in the United States have heart disease. Heart disease in dogs is almost as common as it is in humans. […]

Heart disease refers to any dysfunction of the heart. There are many types of heart disease in cats, but the most common are diseases of the heart muscle or cardiomyopathies. […]

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common, progressive and debilitating disease in cats, affecting a large number of cats crossing consulting room tables in veterinary clinics. The prevalence of feline CKD increases with age. Geriatric cats in general often develop some degree of kidney disease. […]

The feline kidneys are paired organs that reside in the dorsal abdomen. One is situated on the left and the other on the right. […]

Early stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats is often unnoticed. Once you start noticing signs and symptoms, the disease is usually already in stage 2, late stage kidney insufficiency, or possibly stage 3, early kidney failure. […]

Feline kidneys are paired organs that reside in the dorsal abdomen. One is situated on the left and the other on the right. The kidneys at birth are the same kidneys for the rest of a cat’s life. […]

CKD affects approximately 35% of geriatric cats and up to 10% of cats that visit veterinary clinics. The disease is progressive over time and occurs where there is long-standing, irreversible damage to the kidneys that weakens their ability to remove waste products from the blood and regulate other essential functions. […]

Your cat’s kidneys are responsible for many vital functions. […]

Chronic kidney disease is staged depending on the severity. This is estimated based on the level of waste products in the blood and abnormalities in the urine. […]

Chronic kidney disease (CKD), or a slow decline in kidney function over time, is common in cats. Filtering the blood and making urine are the most important functions of healthy kidneys. […]

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is mostly a progressive disease and clinical signs are initially unnoticeable or subtle and mild. […]

Cats’ kidneys, as in other animals and humans, are essential for normal bodily functions. […]

Unfortunately, it is difficult to predict life expectancy with malfunctioning kidneys since each case is unique; however, there is a difference in life expectancy with regards to managed and unmanaged kidney failure. […]

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the two main kidney diseases that can affect cats. CKD is usually caused by long-term diseases that slowly damage the kidneys and reduce their function over time. […]

The kidneys in cats are very important for the functioning of the body. Kidneys have a variety of vital functions. […]

The kidneys have many functions. Two of the major functions include removing waste products from the blood and conserving water in the body. With kidney disease the kidney function declines and toxic waste products like urea and phosphorous begin to build up in the body. […]

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) requires lifelong treatment and can be challenging for both the cat and its human family. […]

With treatment and careful management, cats with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) can have a good quality of life. […]

Several studies have shown that dietary management plays a key role in cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) which is a common and unfortunately incurable condition. CKD is actually more than just a common progressive condition, it is a leading cause of death in cats, often due to the complications it causes. […]

Arthritis is a general medical term describing inflammation of the joints. Osteoarthritis (OA) or degenerative joint disease (DJD) is the terminology used when referring to a form of chronic joint inflammation that is a progressive and permanent disease of joints. […]

Dogs, just like humans, can also suffer from osteoarthritis (OA), sometimes called degenerative joint disease. […]

Advances in veterinary medicine have helped to extend the lives of our pets. Because of longer lives, chronic diseases such as osteoarthritis are more common. […]

Since dogs cannot easily tell us that they are in pain and signs may be subtle, it’s difficult to identify pain. There are many misunderstandings regarding pain in animals. […]

Joints are found throughout the body wherever two bones meet. A joint is formed when two bones come together and are held in place by supporting tissues. […]

Just as we humans feel pain, so do dogs. Pain and discomfort are experienced for similar reasons […]

Pain in cats is a tricky thing because it’s rarely obvious… until it’s quite severe. Cat owners should therefore educate themselves about the signs and symptoms of pain in cats so they can offer relief as soon as possible. […]

Dogs will rarely cry or whine unless they are in severe pain. […]

Experts define pain as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage.” […]

There are as many manifestations of pain as there are conditions, injuries and individual dogs. […]

Feline surgical procedures fall under two categories: elective procedures and those that are non-elective (urgently necessary). […]

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are medications that relieve pain and reduce inflammation in both animals and humans, as well as fever in humans. […]

If you’re a pet owner, it’s important to educate yourself about nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in case your pet needs them someday. […]

With obvious injuries or after surgical procedures, we can assume that a dog will experience pain. […]

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can help dogs and cats experiencing pain caused by injury, a chronic condition or surgery. […]

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are medications used to relieve pain and to reduce inflammation. […]

Excessive grooming, head shaking and scratching can all be signs of cat skin problems. You should always pay attention and investigate when your cat’s behavioral patterns change. […]

Nobody likes having an itchy or irritated skin and your dog is no different. Unfortunately, skin problems are very common in canines and shouldn’t be ignored. Fortunately, most causes of skin problems in dogs are not difficult to address and treat. Some can even be prevented. […]

A common skin condition in cats is an abscess that can form if an irritation worsens or if bacteria invades the skin. An abscess can be quite unsightly and alarming and can be found on almost any part of a cat’s body. Whether small or large, abscesses will […]

A common skin condition in dogs is an abscess that can form if an irritation worsens or if bacteria invades the skin. An abscess can be quite unsightly and alarming and can be found on almost any part of a dog’s body. Whether small or large, abscesses will […]

If you haven’t heard of stud tail in cats, or want to know more, here’s a handy overview. […]

Yeasts are microscopic fungi. Opportunistic fungi can increase and cause skin, paw and ear infections when the circumstances are right. The condition can be super uncomfortable and should be addressed as soon as possible before it gets worse. […]

NSAIDs are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that relieve pain, fever, and inflammation. […]

Anemia is not a specific disease and doesn’t present in isolation, but is a symptom or condition that occurs as a result of other processes going on. When a cat has anemia there is a drop in the number of red blood cells […]

Anemia is not a specific disease and doesn’t present in isolation, but is a symptom or condition that occurs as a result of other processes going on. When a dog has anemia there is a drop in the number of red blood cells in […]

As in humans, stress and anxiety in cats can impair the ability to function and further aggravate existing physical conditions. Any change in a cat’s environment can cause stress and anxiety. Environmental changes are often the cause and emotional stress is the effect. […]

Anxiety or fear is the feeling that something bad or unpleasant will happen. It is related to uneasiness, nervousness, restlessness, tension and dread. When it feels like a situation, person or object is posing a threat, whether real or believed, an instinctual anxiety can be […]

A cat’s respiratory system consists of the large and small airways and the lungs. As a cat breathes air in through its nose or mouth, the air travels down the trachea, which divides into the tubes known as […]

Dog owners need to be aware of the risk of aspiration (or inhalation) pneumonia. What is aspiration (or inhalation) pneumonia? Aspiration pneumonia, also called inhalation pneumonia, occurs when a dog’s lungs become inflamed […]

To understand how a cat’s liver works and what it does, you have to know a little bit about its structure and location. The liver sits behind the diaphragm and in front of the stomach, slightly more to the right side.[…]

Dogs, like humans, can experience chronic stress causing a variety of physical issues that can develop into serious health problems. Prolonged stress may also affect a dog’s emotional state making him more aggressive or potentially dangerous. Stress or anxiety are more common in dogs than we think. […]

Feline aids, or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), is a complex retrovirus that only cats can contract. It is the same class of virus as HIV (a lentivirus), but it causes immunodeficiency disease in domestic cats (weakening of the immune system). […]