Animal Care Clinic San Luis Obispo Veterinary Hospital
As I write this, I am watching my staff finish up a grooming job on a little dog. He is getting his toenails trimmed and receiving little kisses on his head at the same time. The interesting thing about this, is that this dog used to require sedation for a grooming. He would bite his owners and required a muzzle for us to handle him. Today he is not muzzled, not drugged and is happily allowing us to make him look beautiful! We were able to train this little guy to enjoy grooming. We can do the same with toenail trims, doctor exams and any other non-painful procedure an animal needs to endure. It takes a great deal of time and patience to teach an animal that the procedure can actually be enjoyable. Read the rest of this entry »
Earlier this month, a family of little dogs came in for health certificates as they prepared to travel across country. The owner had noted one of the dog’s eyes was a little red. When Dr. Tao examined this dog, he saw what you see here in this picture. One eye was quite red, a little larger than the other eye and the pupil was quite dilated. He was concerned about glaucoma and so immediately checked the intraocular pressure (the pressure within the eyes) and confirmed the diagnosis. Glaucoma can be caused by inflammation in or trauma to the eyes, or it can be a primary problem that is almost genetically induced. Read the rest of this entry »
It is not uncommon for male cats to develop an obstruction of the urethra and be unable to urinate. Cats are quite prone to a type of non-infectious inflammation of the bladder, called interstital cystitis. Kitties with this problem may have blood in their urine, urinate in unusual places or go to the litter box frequently to try to urinate. This disease causes a lot of “debris” to build up in the bladder. Male cats have a very small urethra and this small tube actually passes through a bone on the way out of the body. If some of the debris in the bladder gets into the urethra, it can form a solid plug that will not allow urine to pass. Think about the last time you had to urinate and had no access to a bathroom – ouch!