ask a vet

Stinging, biting insects are a part of summer we could all do without, but chances are, if you and your dog spend time outside, you will encounter one. Dogs are very curious by nature and often have their faces and mouths in places they do not belong. Some dogs are even tempted to snap at wasps and bees and are stung inside their mouths. A bee or wasp sting is usually not a very big deal to most dogs. It … Read more

 Have you ever come in the door to a blizzard of pillow stuffing? What about the garbage can turned over or the items knocked off the counters? Does it seem like whenever your dog is left to his own devices, he finds mischief? It may seem like it, but it is not always so simple. Think about your dog like the animal that he is and not a little human. He is wired to survive. Humans used to be a … Read more

Have you ever been excited to give your dog an extra special treat or chew and when you hand it over she grabs it and slinks away like she thinks that you are going to steal it back? You are not alone. Many dogs have this custom and it can seem like a personal insult to you as the bearer of wonderful things, right? But don’t take it too personally. Let’s look at why a dog might behave in this … Read more

Our live stream video has spurred a lot of excellent questions. There is always a lot of talk about allergies in pets. That’s because allergic disease is extremely common among dogs. You can view the video by clicking here. Many people assume that an allergic dog will sneeze and have itchy eyes like we do. But actually, an allergic dog is much more likely to have itchy feet. Affected dogs will lick their feet and sometimes pull at their nails … Read more

We laugh when we see photos of very large dogs trying to curl up in tiny dog beds. We wonder why in the world that big dog would choose to lie on that little bed when there is a bigger one visible in the photo. To try to explain this phenomenon we have to look at who the dog is. In such a situation, there are clearly at least two dogs in the environment and one is large and one … Read more

Some dogs will eat feces or “poop” from other dogs or even their own poop, and sadly, almost every dog will eat a cat’s fecal material. This behavior is called coprophagia and it is very hard to train away. So why in the world do they do it? Coprophagia is considered normal behavior (although gross) in canines. All of the reasons why dogs engage in coprophagia are not known, but there are some pretty good theories why dogs eat feline fecal … Read more

We humans see certain behaviors in our dogs and think they are cute, but some of these behaviors, (like tail chasing) can be a compulsion. Compulsions are irresistible urges to behave a certain way and occur very repetitively and often. These behaviors are defined as abnormal because they seem to lack purpose and can impact the quality of life in a negative way. Dogs can be an excellent model for human disorders and compulsive disorder is no exception. Multiple studies … Read more

When someone new arrives on the scene, dogs are alert. Some may even act aggressively or defensively. Dogs are animals and all animals are wired in a way that supports the best chances of survival. If you watch nature shows, you have probably seen wolf packs interact. They respond swiftly to the arrival of a strange wolf and are instantly on their guard for the intentions of the newcomer. New animals could represent a threat to the group as an … Read more

Sometimes you glance up and your dog is staring intently into your eyes. It is as if your dog has something to say to you. Studies indicate that canine species communicate with each other by gazing. Dogs specifically seemed to have evolved to look at humans’ faces even more than socialized wolf counterparts.1 I understand you. Do you understand me? Perhaps your dog not only has something to say to you, but feels that he is also gaining information from … Read more

We see memes on the internet that seem amusing, like dogs looking frightened in cars and captions about going to the vet, but really, since the vet is your first line of defense to protect your dog, it is much better for everyone if your dog likes going to the vet. You might be thinking that you can’t blame your dog because there are injections and samples of all kinds, but if you and your vet work together as a … Read more

We are all familiar with a dog’s response when the door bells ring. Some dogs really flip out, but all dogs react in some way to the sound. Have you ever really considered why that is? Much like Pavlov’s dogs who associated the sound of a bell with being fed, your dog knows the sound of the doorbell represents a change. Pavlov’s bell made the dogs salivate in anticipation of feeding and the doorbell sound is a learned association for … Read more

Some people say that dogs are like potato chips and no one can have just one, but is this really a good thing? Can a single dog be happy? Should you have more than one dog? Like so many things, the answer is not one size fits all. It lies in the individual dogs and the individual environment. If you have a lot of time for your dog and can provide regular playtime and exercise, you are probably all your … Read more

As human beings, we have a few societal issues (to say the least) with exposing our rears to other people, both new friends and old. We would much prefer to shake hands with new people and our idea of reaffirming family bonds does not include asking your friends to scratch your rear. But if you were a dog, you would see things differently. We all know that some dogs really like certain smells that seem foul to us. Sometimes they ... Read more

Dog lovers know in their hearts that being around dogs is good for them, but did you know that there is scientific proof? Science is really catching up with what we already know and research dollars are being invested in proving the value of the human-animal bond. Here are just a few of the reasons everyone should have a dog.   Dogs Make You  Exercise and Improve Your Cardiovascular Health Dogs need exercise and mental stimulation and so do you, … Read more

Let’s face it, you can learn a lot from poop. It can be an outward manifestation of your dog’s overall health that you can easily check yourself. So take the time to get the “scoop on the poop” every day. What does the poop tell you? Color Poop is brown, right? Well, yes, but the actual color can depend on several factors. If there are dyes in the dog food, it can affect the color of the stool and still … Read more

“You’ve got the cutest little baby face” crooned many singers over the years, but do we really choose who we love based on their facial characteristics? A recent group of researchers thinks we do, at least for our dogs.¹ Dogs are descended from wolves, although our modern dog differs significantly from his lupine ancestor. ² Some people believe that wolves who were more tolerant to human presence took advantage of scavenging opportunities to become the dogs we know today. But then … Read more

Studies have shown that dogs are able to sniff emotions and dog lovers instinctively know it’s true. But did you know that dogs have asymmetrical noses when it comes to fear odors? The suggestion is that they can “feel” or perceive emotional scents differently depending on the source. If you are the source, your dog’s sensitivity is very different than other sources. Although studies in the past have reported asymmetries in the nostril use of dogs when sniffing various emotion based … Read more

Hip Dysplasia is a term that we are all somewhat familiar with, but do you really know what it is? It is an important source of pain for our dogs. Affected dogs often act stiff or sore on their rear legs. They may have difficulty rising or walking on slick surfaces. They may also resist jumping onto furniture or into vehicles as the disease progresses. Sometimes, dogs are so brave that they hide their pain from hip dysplasia completely, but … Read more

There have been numerous articles and posts about the high number of pit bull type dogs in shelters all over the country. Statistics have been reported as high as 80% of dogs in shelters are speculated to be pit bull type dogs, but according to whom? We know that shelters are not able to feasibly afford to DNA test all their dogs. So veterinarians and shelter staff are left with trying to visually speculate their breed. Up until now, no one … Read more

There are so many different flea products available on the market, both through veterinarians and over the counter. It is hard to name one specific product as the best flea product. Don’t expect to find one that will be preferred by everyone. However, the two basic formulations, topical and oral, do have some pros and cons. You’ll need to consider these when you decide what will work best for you and your dog. Topical Flea Products Topical means that the … Read more

Since our dogs are our closest companions and frequent travel buddies, we want to be sure that they can travel safely with us. It is an established fact that a dog running loose in a moving car is not a safe situation. Injuries to the dog could occur in the event of an accident and even worse, an accident could be caused by the unrestrained dog, injuring both dog and people. Several states have distracted driving laws which could be … Read more

We love our dogs. We live with them every day. The destructiveness of a dog behavior issue cannot be emphasized enough. If your dog is damaging your furnishings when you are away or become aggressive to humans, there is a potential for irreparable damage to your bond with your dog. Behavior problems are the unspoken emergency. When you search the web for what to do for medical emergencies, dog behavior problems do not make the list. But they should. We … Read more