Pet Columns

Lumps and Bumps on My Pet

Jun 24, 2019 / Cancer Care / Cats / Dogs

Accurate Veterinary Advice Is Empowering Imagine petting your dog or cat and finding a lump, something you hadn’t noticed there before. Feeling alarmed, you turn to an online search engine, which yields lots of scary diagnoses: cancer, tumor, cyst, fatty mass. What does this all mean? And which condition does your pet actually have? According...

The Tell-tale Murmur: Heart Problems in Puppies

Jun 17, 2019 / Cardiology / Dogs

Heart Murmurs Often Go Away By Six Months of Age Although the occurrence is rare, some puppies are born with heart conditions that should be detected and treated as soon as possible to ensure that they lead a healthy life. Dr. Jordan Vitt, a veterinary cardiologist at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in...

Parvovirus: It’s Not Just for Puppies

May 27, 2019 / Infectious Disease / Internal Medicine / Preventive Health / Dogs

Parvovirus Is Everywhere; Vaccinate Your Dog Parvovirus, commonly known as “parvo,” is a contagious virus that can be very serious and even fatal in dogs. Dr. Jennifer Reinhart, a small animal internal medicine specialist at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, explains that parvo is a problem that can be seen in...

Oncologists Study Immunotherapy to Combat Osteosarcoma

Apr 1, 2019 / Advances in Medicine / Cancer Care / Dogs

Study Uses High-Precision Radiation Technology Every year, 10,000 dogs in the United States are diagnosed with osteosarcoma, an extremely aggressive malignant bone tumor that typically occurs in a weight-bearing limb. Recently, Morris Animal Foundation funded a three-part study at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine to examine whether the body’s own immune system...

Spring Things: Wildlife Babies, Heatstroke in Dogs

Mar 25, 2019 / Emergency/Critical Care / Preventive Health / Dogs / Wildlife

Dos and Don’ts for a Healthy Spring April showers and May flowers aren’t the only signs of spring. There are also baby birds and hot dogs. Every spring the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine issues reminders about how to manage these animal signs of spring for the best outcomes. First, the wildlife babies....

Warmer Weather Warning: Go Slow to Prevent Heat Stroke

Mar 24, 2019 / Emergency/Critical Care / Preventive Health / Dogs

Heat stroke requires immediate medical attention The approach of summer brings a spike both in temperatures and in cases of heat stroke in dogs. Dr. Maureen McMichael, a boarded emergency and critical care specialist who heads the emergency service at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, urges owners to acclimate their dogs...

Keep Your Medications Away from Pets

Mar 4, 2019 / Emergency/Critical Care / Preventive Health / Toxicology / Cats / Dogs

Or make emergency veterinary visit They say curiosity killed the cat, and it gets dogs into some bad situations as well. Curiosity often leads to disaster when pets find their way to human medications such as NSAIDs, acetaminophen, and at-home chemotherapy. Dr. Tina Wismer, the medical director for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center and...

Got an Itch?

Feb 18, 2019 / Dermatology / Cats / Dogs

Itchiness Could Mean Allergies With winter’s dry air and cold temperatures, it’s no wonder everyone—including your furry friends—has dry skin! But unrelated to the weather, dry and itchy skin caused by allergies is a very common chronic problem in animals year-round. Dr. Clarissa Souza, a veterinarian in the dermatology service at the University of Illinois...

I Think My Pet Had a Seizure. Now What?

Jan 7, 2019 / Neurology / Cats / Dogs

Seizures have a wide variety of causes Seizures in pets can be scary for pet owners. Knowing what seizures look like and what to do when they occur can help put pet owners at ease. Dr. Devon Hague, a veterinary neurologist at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, sees multiple patients every...

Pets and Holiday Decorations Don’t Mix

Dec 17, 2018 / Emergency/Critical Care / Preventive Health / Toxicology / Cats / Dogs

Dangers Lurk in Lights, Plants, More What you think of as holiday décor just might look like playthings to your pets. “Animals will investigate anything new in their environment,” says Dr. Michael Biehl, a veterinary toxicologist at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. “They explore things with their mouth, which can get them...