Safely Trim a Pet Rabbit’s Back Nails There’s a lot you’ll learn to do to your rabbit that won’t be as intimidating as trimming her nails, the first time around at least. As a vet, I’ve had owners come to me with a bunny who have overgrown, broken nails, after an owner has trimmed the…
Spot Internal Parasites in Dogs One of the misconceptions that I face most frequently as a veterinarian is that dogs are free of parasites as long as their feces look normal. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Most internal parasites in their egg or larval phase are not visible to the naked eye, and…
My Ferret Sleeping So Deeply As an exotic pet veterinarian, my number one cause for a panicked call from a ferret owner goes like this: “Help me! My ferret has fallen over, and he can’t be woken up no matter how much I call him or shake him; I think he’s dead!”. Of course, it’s…
How to Measure Resting Respiratory Rate in a Dog with Heart Failure?. For those of you who have a precious pet with a diagnosis of heart failure, you probably feel like you’re already a major part of your pet’s health care team-administering medications, observing behaviour changes and now, here’s another one of the biggest (life…
The Paradox of the Purr: Why Your Cat is Purring Loudly While in Pain or Distress. One of the most commonly asked and worrying questions I am asked is; “My cat is purring but is in obvious pain what is going on?” We associate the comforting hum with the ‘happy cuddly’ feline draped over our…
How to Check if Your Dog is Dehydrated?. One of the MOST frequent question I’m asked as a veterinarian by a nervous pet owner is this: “How can I tell if my dog is dehydrated?” In animals of any species, it can become a critical and potentially fatal problem very fast. Thankfully, there is ONE…
The Silent Emergency: What a Sudden Drop in Dog Body Temperature Means in Seniors. As the years pass and our precious fur babies enter their golden years, with their age comes a range of health conditions. Unfortunately, many of these conditions develop fairly suddenly, and one concern every owner should be aware of as their…
How to Build a DIY Non slip Ramp As a veterinarian, there is nothing more heart wrenching than having a loyal senior companion-once bounding with anticipation for his or her ride now tentatively hesitant at the door; the joints ache and will no longer bend in the usual eager way. Frankly, being expected to hurdle…
What to Do When Your Cat Refuses Low-Protein Prescription?. As a veterinarian specializing in feline nutrition, one of the most common and distressing phone calls I receive goes something like this: “I bought the special kidney food the vet prescribed, but my cat won’t touch it. What do I do?” You are not alone. Low-protein…
The Complete Guide: How Much Wet Food Should a Spayed Indoor Cat Eat Per Day?. Many cat owners see dinnertime as the ultimate game of guessing: wanting to prepare a tasty feast for our furry companion, yet fearing overindulgence not to mention the potentially detrimental effect this can have on, say, a neutered house cat….