Pet Columns

It’s Time to Get Your Pet’s Teeth Cleaned

Nov 19, 2018 / Dentistry / Cats / Dogs

Brushing needs to be consistent to be useful Did you get your six-month appointment reminder from your dentist recently? It’s important to keep up on those appointments for your dental health, and it’s just as important that our pets get their teeth cleaned as well. Dr. Katherine Kling, part of the dentistry and oral surgery...

Can Dogs and Cats Get Acne?

Nov 12, 2018 / Dermatology / Cats / Dogs

Animals typically develop acne in middle age Acne plagues many teenagers and even adults, but did you know that animals get pimples too? Dr. 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 becomes...

Police Dogs Work Hard, Play Hard

Nov 5, 2018 / General Care / Dogs

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...

FDA Alert on Flea Medications

Oct 22, 2018 / General Care / Parasites / Toxicology / Cats / Dogs

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...

New Dog Flu Is Here to Stay

Jul 30, 2018 / Infectious Disease / Preventive Health / Dogs

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...

Avoid Hot Weather Hazards for Dogs

Jul 2, 2018 / Emergency/Critical Care / General Care / Preventive Health / Dogs

Dehydration, Heatstroke Are Preventable Ironically, the dog days of summer—the hottest time of the year—are not always good for dogs. Dr. Jennifer Reinhart, a specialist in veterinary internal medicine at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, shares tips on preventing dehydration and other hot weather hazards that could require a trip to...

Lives Intertwined: Pets, People, and ‘One Health’

Jun 18, 2018 / General Care / Public Health / Birds / Cats / Dogs / Reptiles / Small Mammals

Pet Ownership Benefits People “One Health” is a term used to convey the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health. In their recent book, Beyond One Health: From Recognition to Results, coeditors Drs. Jack Herrmann and Yvette Johnson-Walker, faculty members at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, devote an entire chapter to the...

Dog’s Painful Growths between Toes Removed by Laser

Jun 4, 2018 / Advances in Medicine / Dermatology / Dogs

Interdigital cysts are fairly common Poor Ares was in pain. The three-year-old Doberman Pinscher had sores between his toes on all four paws when he came to see Dr. Jason Pieper, a veterinary dermatologist at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana. Ares had been licking at the bumpy sores and some of...

Pet’s Sudden Paralysis in Spring May Be ‘Spinal Stroke’

Apr 30, 2018 / Neurology / Cats / Dogs

Spinal Strokes May Follow Strenuous Activity With the long, cold winter coming to an end, dogs and their owners are longing to get outside and enjoy the warmth. However, a beautiful day of activity outside after a relatively stationary winter could mean an increase in dogs suffering from a fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE), more commonly known...

Register in April for the National Service Animal Eye Exam

Apr 9, 2018 / Ophthalmology / Preventive Health / Dogs / Horses

Register Online, Then Call Illinois for Appointment Every May since 2008, veterinary ophthalmologists across the country have volunteered their time to provide free eye examinations for service animals. The annual event, which is organized by the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) and Stokes Pharmacy, has provided screening for about 60,000 animals. Drs. Bianca Martins...