Planning for A Medical Crisis With Pet Insurance and Pet Savings Plans By Dr. Marty Becker | February 3, 2012 As a veterinarian, I’ve seen too many pet owners faced with the worst choice of all: choosing euthanasia over effective treatment for no reason other than not being able to pay for the treatment. I Read More

Aflatoxin prompts more dog food recalls  Dry dog food manufacturers are continuing to recall bags of food due to high levels of aflatoxin. Yet another manufacturer has announced a recall of dry dog food due to higher than acceptable limits of aflatoxin, and an additional manufacturer has issued new affected lot numbers from an earlier Read More

According to research from Hill’s Pet Nutrition, nutrition is the number one environmental influence on health. By using nutrigenomics, the study of how food effects gene expression, veterinarians can use nutrition to have a positive impact on conditions such as kidney disease, osteoarthritis and feline hyperthyroidism. But what do you know about what is in Read More

Dr. Cari Setzler, a veterinarian with Animal Hospital of McHenry, recalled a client who had particularly bad luck when it came to the health of her three dogs. One dog needed its spleen removed, another had a fungal infection, and a third had a hole in its diaphragm. The health problems were flukes, not breed-specific Read More

Drought spurs food recalls  Seasonal drought may have contributed to a recent set of dry dog food recalls. In less than one week, three pet food companies have announced dry dog food recalls due to aflatoxin levels that were detected higher than the acceptable limit. Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring mold by-product that is dangerous Read More

Special edition: AAHA’s top 10 holiday pet picks  With Santa’s reindeer gearing up for a sleighful of deliveries to pets and their people, pet owners are hitting the stores to do their own shopping for their furry friends. From stainless steel water fountains to Angry Birds toys, pet gifts this season will have pets (and Read More

FDA Issues Warning on Chicken Jerky for Dogs by News Desk | Nov 20, 2011 Pet owners should be aware that chicken jerky products from China may be associated with reports of Fanconi-like syndrome in dogs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned. The FDA issued the following alert: Chicken jerky products should not Read More

  Cats Are Medically Underserved In my last post I wrote about how little attention has recently been paid to the cat in the articles published in the New York Times. Although I believe in fair and balanced reporting, the lack of newsprint devoted to the cat only hurts their feelings, not their health. As Read More

The Food and Drug Administration has begun a year-long nationwide effort to test pet food for salmonella contamination, but the key concern is not the health of dogs and cats — it’s of their owners. FDA investigators began in October taking samples of dry pet food, pet treats and diet supplements from distributors, wholesalers and Read More

Dr. Tessa King, a veterinarian at Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital, answers this week’s questions. Question: If my dog is healthy, why does he need annual blood work? Answer: Blood and urine tests are extremely useful tools for looking at the overall health of your pet. From them, a vet can learn if your pet is a diabetic, Read More