Articles

People and pets routinely died from infections before penicillin, the first antibiotic, was introduced in the first half of the 20th century. Today, veterinarians use antibiotics to treat many types of bacterial infections, including skin, respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Although antibiotics can help your pet avoid serious illness or even death, they can lead to other problems if they’re not

Could Your New Year’s Diet Be Deadly for Your Pet? If you’re planning to lose weight in the new year, you’re not alone. In fact, “diet to lose weight” was one of the top five resolutions when Vitagene surveyed Americans about the content of their New Year’s resolutions. Replacing sugar with an artificial sweetener offers a simple way to cut

Your Big Dog May Be More Likely to Develop These Health Problems Are you familiar with the health conditions common in big dogs? Your large breed dog may be at increased risk of developing one or more of these conditions. Hip and Elbow Dysplasia Hip and elbow dysplasia occur due to malformations in the hip or elbow joints. As a

As with anything, pet vaccinations can be too much of a good thing. Similar to parents who are learning more about vaccinations for children, veterinarians and pet owners alike are beginning to question some of the standard wisdom when it comes to protecting pets. There are certain fatal diseases against which every pet should be protected, but the questions now

Do you favor the rapid swoop-and-bag approach to picking up your dog’s stools or scooping cat litter? Although most pet owners would rather not prolong contact with their pet’s feces, sneaking an occasional peak can provide valuable clues about your furry friend’s health and habits. Brown, Green or Yellow: What Stool Colors Mean Normal stools are brown, although stool color

A surprising issue that has arisen in the American political arena is not foreign policy, but rather which breed of dog the Obama’s chose to join their family in the White House. Barack Obama has announced that his family narrowed their breed choices to a Labradoodle, a mix between a Labrador retriever and a Poodle, and a Portuguese water dog.

For years, pet owners have disagreed about whether purebred or mixed breed dogs are healthier. Until recently, there was no scientific data to back up their opinions, but UC Davis researchers recently helped answer the question with a landmark health study. The Arguments Pet owners who thought that mixed breed dogs were healthier argued that inbreeding in purebred dogs increased

Does your pet regard your lawn as the perfect place to snack? Eating grass may not seem very appetizing to you, but your pet doesn’t share your disdain. In fact, both dogs and cats enjoy eating a little grass from time to time. We’ll explore why pets eat grass and explain what you should do if you notice that your

Has it been awhile since you’ve seen your pet? Although your cat, dog or rabbit could just be enjoying a little nap in a quiet corner of the house, lengthy disappearances may occasionally be a sign of an illness. Familiarizing yourself with some of the more subtle symptoms your pet displays when he or she is sick can help you

Acute renal failure and chronic renal failure are two health problems that commonly affect cats. Acute renal failure can affect cats at any age; emergency care is essential to treating this condition and saving a cat’s life. Chronic renal failure typically occurs in senior cats. According to the American Association of Feline Practitioners, 49% of all cats over the age