dog Archives - Your Vet Wants You to Know

older Labrador retriever gently panting at the beach

Hospice and End of Life

Preventing and relieving suffering in pets is important all life stages, but particularly during end of life care. Hospice veterinarian, Dr. Mary Gardner, co-founder and chief information officer of Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice, joins this episode to tell us about a sweet golden retriever named Bogey, bucket lists, palliative care, and euthanasia or “good-byes.” If your dog or cat is an older animal, your geriatric pet could benefit from this discussion on how to identify ways to improve your final time together, and what to expect when it’s time.

Puppy Vaccines

Congratulations on your new puppy! To make sure you enjoy a happy, healthy best friend for many years to come, it’s time to talk to your veterinarian about which vaccines they recommend to protect your bouncing ball of tail wags against preventable diseases. Join Dr. Alina Barland, family veterinarian, to discuss core vaccines for dogs and common vaccine questions from pet owners.

Dog Flu

Canine influenza is a respiratory virus that can be transmitted between dogs. The Los Angeles Public Health Veterinarians suspect that between July and October, 2021, there were over 1,000 cases, the largest outbreak ever in LA County. In this episode, Dr. Durocher-Babek, veterinary internal medicine specialist, talks about canine influenza. She provides prevention tips to help keep your pet safe, using many of the same methods being used for SARS-CoV2, such as vaccination, disinfecting surfaces, and isolating when an animal might be ill.

Leptospirosis

Rodents, like rats and mice, can make pets and their owners sick from a bacterial infection called leptospirosis, or lepto for short. Urine from infected rodents can be found in puddles in the city and in rural areas. Finding out a pet has lepto as early in the disease as possible is crucial for recovery. Talk to your family veterinarian about vaccinating against this infection. Listen to this episode to find out what to watch for and how to protect your pet and yourself from this life-threatening disease.

Heat Stroke

This episode is a must listen for anyone with a dog and provides the tools you need to prevent and save your dog’s life from heat stroke. For a pet left in a car when the temperature outside is 72 to 96°F, the temperature inside the car rises an average of 41°F within 30 minutes. 80% of that increase takes place within the first 5 minutes. Cracking the windows makes no significant difference, even on breezy days. Pre-cooling with air conditioning makes no significant difference. Dogs cannot cool themselves as efficiently as humans can, and the panic they experience trapped alone in rising temperatures worsens the already excessive panting. Certain breeds, like English Bulldogs, Pugs, French Bulldogs, Boxers, or overweight dogs, are at a higher risk. Bringing your pet to an emergency vet as fast as possible will help save their life.

Common Dog Toxins

Ingestion of toxic substances is a common reason for emergency room visits for dogs. One of the best ways for pet owners to prevent pet health emergencies is to be knowledgeable about common toxins in and around the home. Emergency veterinarian Dr. Christine Klippen discusses some of the most common toxins for dogs in part one of this two part episode.

Atopica

Atopica (cyclosporine) is a commonly used symptomatic treatment for allergic dermatitis in dogs and cats. Atopica works to decrease swollen paws and ears, as well as provide safer long term relief than steroids. Learn about the benefits and drawbacks to this therapy.

Cytopoint

Cytopoint is a revolutionary new anti-itch therapy for symptomatic treatment of itch in dogs with allergies. This therapy provides an average of 4 weeks of itch relief and can be used in many dogs who cannot use other anti-itch treatments because of other medical conditions. Find out more about the benefits and drawbacks of this therapy.

Fleas and Flea Allergies

Fleas and flea allergies are the most common type of

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