Articles
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An E-collar or cone may be needed after your dog has surgery or if he has a wound. Your dog should wear the E-collar following the directions provided by your veterinarian. You may need to make a few adjustments in your home to ensure your dog does not get stuck in confined spaces. Also, you may need to adjust his feeding station to assist with his eating habits.
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Potential purchasers of yearlings and even foals at public sales increasingly ask for endoscopic examinations ('scoping') of the larynx and pharynx to be performed in an attempt to assess 'soundness of wind'.
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Many liquid potpourri products and essential oils, including oil of cinnamon, citrus, pennyroyal, peppermint, pine, sweet birch, tea tree (melaleuca), wintergreen, and ylang ylang, are poisonous to dogs. Both ingestion and skin exposure can be toxic.
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Horses are kept for many different reasons including athletic competition, breeding, pleasure riding and companionship.
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Open and honest communication with your veterinarian and veterinary healthcare team throughout your cat's life lays the foundation for effective communication when that cat's life begins drawing to a close. Discussion with your veterinarian will clarify any specific medical implications of your cat's disease that can serve as benchmarks to suggest that euthanasia should be considered. Most often, euthanasia is provided at the veterinary practice or in your home. The veterinary healthcare team will be an important partner as you negotiate the difficult days and decisions leading up to your cat's peaceful passing.
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To be classified as a fever of unknown origin (FUO), the body temperature must be above 103.5°F (39.7°C) for longer than a few days in duration, with no obvious underlying cause based on history and physical examination. A fever is beneficial to the body, but if a fever remains above 106°F (41.1°C) for more than a few days several consequences occur within the body and can be life threatening. If your pet has a fever, your veterinarian will perform a thorough physical examination, perform diagnostic blood tests, urine culture, and possibly other diagnostic tests including imaging, cytology, blood cultures, and fecal cultures. The diagnostic work-up for FUO may be quite involved. Antibiotics are often prescribed to treat any underlying bacterial infection or to prevent bacterial infections from occurring as a secondary problem. Cats that have persistent fever or a fever that waxes and wanes must undergo a thorough work-up so that the cause of fever can be discovered and treated before irreversible damage occurs.
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Horses and ponies often receive cuts and other wounds particularly on their face and legs. Many require just simple first aid measures, while others require the attention of your veterinarian.
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The expected birth of a foal from a favorite mare is an exciting but worrying time for many horse owners. Ideally, help and advice should be sought from your veterinarian or someone with experience in foaling mares, in good time before the event.
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Unfortunately, it is occasionally necessary to try to foster a foal onto a mare that is not its natural mother. This may be for any one of a number of reasons.
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Genetic (DNA) testing is readily available, whether you are using it for fun to find out what breeds your pet is made up of or if you are looking into possible medical conditions. DNA samples can be collected either from a cheek swab or a blood draw. Knowing which breeds your pet is made up of can help you and your veterinarian prevent or prepare for health issues in the future.