I’ve been in practice for more than a decade, and I feel lucky to have never seen a case of canine distemper. It’s a mean virus, to be sure, killing more than half of its victims (most of which are puppies). It often starts innocently enough with a runny nose, but progresses to ravage the […]
“How often should I bathe my cat?” I’m asked with surprising frequency. It’s a perfectly valid question, but anybody who’s ever bathed a cat will understand that it usually answers itself the moment you dare to try. I remember my first job at a veterinary hospital in high school. My inaugural assignment? Bathe this cat. […]
Sure, we’ve got Coke versus Pepsi, Yankees versus Red Sox, and Apple versus Android. But do any of these really hold a candle to the age-old rivalry between cats and dogs? If their depiction in pop culture is any indication, they’ve been squaring off since the dawn of time. I’m always a bit envious when […]
From aspirin to antacids, we take it for granted that there are dozens of medications readily available for purchase without a prescription. The familiarity of these products in everyday life implies a degree of safety when used properly, and it is not a large stretch to assume that they are similarly safe in pets. But […]
From the Monticello-Saunders Trail winding gently up Carter Mountain to the cool streams and swimming holes of Sugar Hollow, Charlottesville is spoiled for choice when it comes to great hiking. And every one of those trails has one thing in common: They’re all improved by having a dog at your side. Sometimes a minor tune-up […]
Nobody really likes to bring their cats to the vet. Unlike dogs, who are typically excited to do anything at all, cats can smell a hospital visit from miles away. While most are easy enough to catch and corral, others go DEFCON 1 as soon as they see that carrier come out of the closet. […]
A 9-year-old Rottweiler I’m examining is clearly having trouble lifting her hind end off the ground. And once she does, it’s obvious that she’d just as soon lie back down. It’s been getting worse for a few months, and I can see that the muscles of her rear legs are withering from disuse. “I’m worried […]
Ticks occupy a special place in our world, and it’s not a good place. The degree of revulsion they trigger in most people is spectacular. I can have the cutest, happiest puppy wagging his tail on the exam table. But if I find one little tick, clients’ faces reflexively contort in ways that would suggest […]
There are few experiences in life that elicit both excitement and distress like moving into a new home, so just imagine how it must feel for our four-legged friends. After years of a comfy, stable routine, the entire world is instantaneously upended for no apparent reason at all. Nothing is where it used to be. […]
Having a pet go missing is anguishing. Posters go up and APBs are phoned in to local shelters and veterinary clinics, but so many cases go unresolved. Proper identification is the easiest way to make sure that your wayward pet comes back home. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones, and that’s the case […]