The urinary system may look simple - two kidneys, a bladder and a few little tubes - but it is a complex system that is vital for life. The entire blood supply is filtered through the kidneys almost constantly. Toxins, by-products and excess amounts of certain substances are removed from the blood. As the blood [...]
We learned about normal spleens and what they do 2 weeks ago, but what happens when things go awry in the spleen? Remember that the spleen helps to filter the blood. Sometimes it does this too aggressively. Infectious agents or cancer cells can be removed so vigorously that pets become anemic. Sometimes the spleen will [...]
I thought we ™d take a break from our anatomical tour to remind of two summertime maladies. Foxtails (grass awns) are everywhere right now. We are removing them from noses, ears and toes and other orifices! Please keep your dogs & cats away from fields of dry grass. Check between your dogs toes every night [...]
Last week I wrote about normal large intestine function. Probably the most common problem we see with canine large bowels is colitis. This is an inflammatory response that is usually due to dietary change or anxiety/stress. In most cases we will see a semi-sift to runny stool that contains blood and or mucus. Sometimes the [...]
My articles in 2006 have been devoted to a tour of the body and we have made it all the way to the large intestine. In May we looked the small intestine, where most digestion and nutrient absorption takes place. Ingesta (food with water and few other goodies) next enters the large intestine, or colon. [...]
Last week we learned about normal small intestinal function and that lots can go wrong here. Consumption of food contaminated with certain bacteria or toxins can lead to irritation of the intestinal lining. This irritation can cause more water to be secreted - diarrhea. It can also cause peristalsis (movement) to stop and thus cause [...]
Animal Care Clinic is up to another community service activity - and we want every one of you to join us! Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society ™s celebration of cancer survival that also serves as a great fundraiser and educational event. This is a 24 hour relay. That means that our team, [...]
Thank you to all of you who came to our Open House earlier this month. We truly enjoyed meeting each one of you and showing you around our facility. Thank you also to those who donated blood and registered to be potential bone marrow donors - what a great community we live in. If you [...]
I hope you are reading your paper early today, because we are having an open house and would love to meet you. Come down to Animal Care Clinic between 9am and 2pm today and let us show you around! You can start by meeting our newest doctor! Marissa Greenberg has joined us this week as [...]
Last week we looked at what the liver does. Signs of a sick liver can be quite varied. Mils cased may just cause poor appetite and lethargy. Vomiting and diarrhea may occur and some ani- mals will drink a lot of water. As cases get more severe we will start to see a rise in [...]