Experts on animal health from the college's clinics in Urbana and Chicago share their knowledge in informative columns written for animal owners. Scan the categories and tags at left for topics that interest you. Subscribe to our weekly Pet Health Columns email.
![[cat acne column]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/pc-pieper-acne-260x157.jpg)
Animals typically develop acne in middle age Acne plagues many teenagers and even adults, but did you know that animals get pimples too? Dr. Jason Pieper, a board-certified veterinary dermatologist at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, sees a few cases of pet acne every year. Acne occurs when a hair follicle...
![[Deputy Chad Beasley and his partner Arco]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/pc-k9-arco-260x157.jpg)
Give a wide berth to working dogs Working dogs can be police dogs (K9s), service dogs, search and rescue dogs, or even Seeing Eye dogs. Each type of working dog goes through special training for its role. These dogs have a very special bond with their human partners. Deputy Chad Beasley, with the Champaign County...
![[Yorkie]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/pc-dcm-diet-fries-260x157.jpg)
DCM on the rise in small breeds Veterinarians around the world have seen a sharp rise in cases of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM, in which the heart is enlarged and weakened) in dogs not previously recognized as predisposed to this condition. The one linking factor: a grain-free diet based on exotic ingredients. “For the past year...
![[dog scratching in backyard]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/pc-july-fleas1-260x157.jpg)
What Pet Owners Need to Know The FDA recently alerted the pet-owning and veterinary public about the potential for neurologic adverse events in dogs and cats treated with drugs that are in the isoxazoline class. Most dogs and cats receiving these medications have not had neurologic adverse reactions. What medications are involved in this...
![[maine coon cat heart disease]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/pc-feline-heart-disease-260x157.jpg)
Heart disease is harder to detect in cats than in dogs Cats and dogs may occupy similar places in people’s hearts, but when it comes to the two species’ hearts—and heart disease—there are a lot of differences. Dr. Ryan Fries, a veterinary cardiologist at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, explains some...
![[Jr Surgery pre-op for cat]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/pc-keating-anesth-260x157.jpg)
Anesthesia Needed for Many Procedures Anesthesia is an induced, temporary loss of sensation. It is an important part of any surgery or procedure that requires an animal to remain completely still. Although putting your pet under anesthesia may sound scary, Dr. Stephanie Keating, a board-certified veterinary anesthesiologist at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital...
![[Dr. Gary Brummet examines a cat]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/pc-brummet-hyperthyroid-cat-260x157.jpg)
Prognosis Is Good with Early Diagnosis Senior cats are at a greater risk for developing hyperthyroidism than any other age group of cats. In fact, 95% of cats with hyperthyroid disease are 10 years old or older. Dr. Gary Brummet, the small animal primary care veterinarian at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in...
![[cat at veterinary visit]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/pc-fiss-maxwell.jpg)
Less Invasive, Less Expensive Option Explored Feline injection site sarcoma (FISS) is an aggressive form of cancer in cats associated with the administration of vaccines and injectable medications. It affects as many as 1 in 1,000 vaccinated cats. This cancer was once thought to be a rare side-effect of rabies vaccines, but now experts believe...
![[Zucca goes to the vet]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/pc-cat-2-vet-260x157.jpg)
Find Out All That Cats Need Cats have a reputation for being low-maintenance, independent creatures, especially in comparison with dogs. But the truth is that providing a healthy, happy life for your cat involves a lot more than just a daily meal and clean litterbox. August 22 is National Bring Your Cat to the Vet...
![[sick dog canine influenza]](https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/pc-dogflu-sullivan-260x157.jpg)
Canine Influenza H3N2 Spread Across U.S. A new strain of canine influenza made headlines in 2015 when it first appeared in the United States, sickening hundreds of dogs in Chicago. It took less than three years for that strain to spread to more than 30 other states. Dr. Drew Sullivan, director of the Medical District...