Pet Columns

Coronavirus and Pets: FAQs for Owners

Mar 19, 2020 / Infectious Disease / Public Health / Dogs

No Evidence Dogs Get COVID-19 On March 18, two dogs were placed in quarantine after their owner tested positive for COVID-19. One of those dogs, a 2-year-old German shepherd, tested positive while the other dog was negative. As in the previous case, this is likely another instance of human-to-animal transmission. There is still no evidence...

Marijuana and Pets Should Not Mix

Jan 10, 2020 / Emergency/Critical Care / Toxicology / Cats / Dogs

Pet Poisoning Cases Get Higher In the first week that recreational use of the drug became legal in Illinois, the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital saw two cases of likely marijuana intoxication in pets. Dr. Caroline Tonozzi, a specialist in veterinary emergency and critical care who heads the small animal ER at the hospital,...

Don’t Overlook Dry Eye in Dogs

Dec 23, 2019 / Ophthalmology / Dogs

Most common eye problem in dogs Tears have an important role in keeping the eye healthy. They cover the cornea and wash away debris and infectious agents. They even have germ-fighting properties! When the eye’s tear film—the thin but complex layer of fluid coating the eye—does not contain enough tears, dogs (and people) are subject...

Traveling with Pets: Know the Rules

Dec 8, 2019 / Public Health / Cats / Dogs / Exotics

Pet travel is regulated “Most people consider pets as family members and often bring their pets with them when traveling,” says Dr. Adriana Roman-Muniz, a veterinary medical officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services. Recently Dr. Roman-Muniz spoke with students at the University of Illinois...

I-Loc: Bone Fracture Repair Option Comes to Illinois

Nov 12, 2019 / Advances in Medicine / Small Animal Surgery / Dogs

Two Days After Surgery Deuces Was Walking Dr. Danielle Marturello, a clinical assistant professor of orthopedic surgery, brought an innovative option for fracture repair with her when she recently joined the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine faculty. Meet Deuces Deuces, a two-year-old male pit bull, came to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana...

COHAT: More Than a Pet Dental Cleaning

Sep 9, 2019 / Dentistry / Cats / Dogs

Pet Dental Care Improves Quality of Life When an animal visits the veterinarian for a dental cleaning, the procedure is often referred to as a “dental.” Dr. Mallory Kanwal, a second-year resident in the dentistry and oral surgery service at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, prefers to use the term “COHAT.”...

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...