Animal Airwaves

If your dog is suddenly unable to rise, or can’t move its legs, that’s a scary situation for any pet owner. However, the causes for these signs can vary greatly, ranging from trauma – such as being hit by a car – to affliction with tick-borne or other diseases, to name just a few. Getting to the root of the cause of your pet’s problem may require assistance from a veterinary neurology specialist. Dr. Gabriel Garcia, a board-certified veterinary neurologist, will describe how veterinarians work toward a diagnosis in these situations, and why pet owners faced with this problem should not panic but rather seek immediate veterinary care for the best possible outcome.

The overwhelming choice of dog foods is enough to make a pooch parent’s head spin, from boutique foods to seemingly infinite types of kibble, each touting itself as most nutritious. How does one make sense of it all?

Start by choosing a food made in the United States, where the Association of American Feed Control Officers, or AAFCO, sets dietary standards for dogs of all ages. It’s ideal if the brand has gone through feeding trials.

The manufacturer should employ veterinary nutritionists take part in peer-reviewed research. They should also be easy to contact if you have questions.

In the end, your dog’s health will be the judge. Monitor your buddy’s weight, stool, skin and coat and contact your veterinarian if anything’s off.

Depending on where you live, it’s calving season or soon will be. So, now’s the time to plan for common health problems.

Recently weaned calves are particularly at risk for respiratory disease. Your first step should be to look for telltale signs like coughing, difficulty breathing and a reduced appetite. Your veterinarian can get a better sense by using a stethoscope to listen to the calf’s breathing, taking its temperature or running other tests.

An established veterinary-client-patient relationship may allow some caretakers to administer certain treatments without an exam first.

Supportive care measures, like dry bedding, tasty feed and time away from competitive pen mates, are just as important.

Veterinary oncology today makes use of increasingly sophisticated tools and methods for treating cancer in pets. In addition to surgery and medical therapy, or chemotherapy, radiation oncology is a veterinary specialty that entails the use of controlled radiation to treat certain types of cancer. On this show, Dr. Marilia Takada, a clinical assistant professor and veterinary radiation oncology specialist, will discuss what radiation therapy is, how it works and types of cancer it’s used most frequently to treat. She’ll also discuss why radiation therapy is often used in conjunction with other therapies to ensure the best possible patient outcomes.

Exposure to smoke is bad for us all, our pets included. Reports from a recent study show that it might even increase the risk of cancer in some dogs.

Researchers looked at Scottish terriers, because they already have a higher risk of developing bladder cancer than other breeds. The study followed 120 Scotties for three years, examining their lifestyles, analyzing urine samples and speaking with their owners.

The researchers found that Scotties exposed to smoke had a six times higher chance of developing bladder cancer, well above the breed’s typical risk. Metabolites from smoke were found in the dogs’ urine, even if they were only exposed to smoke on clothes.

The results are sobering — for our pets and for us, too.

When you hear the term “scratches” in an equine context, it doesn’t refer to a superficial wound. Instead, it means a skin infection involving a horse’s lower leg. Sometimes it goes by “greasy heel,” “mud fever” or other colorful term.

Scratches is often seen in wet or muddy environments. Horses with long feathered coats, like draft breeds, are most at risk because their hair traps moisture, which can foster bacterial and fungal infections. But scratches can affect any horse.

Typical signs include scabs and a greasy discharge that progresses to inflammation, itchiness and pain. In severe cases, the skin can thicken and crack. As always, any suspicious abnormality should be addressed as soon as possible.

Even though many of us consider our pets family, most of us haven’t created a plan for their care if something happens to us. That means they could end up in shelters once we’re gone.

But there are steps you can take now to ensure that doesn’t happen. First, identify a guardian willing to care for your pet. You’ll need to consider costs, including food, preventative medicine and vet visits.

Your best bet might be to create a legally binding document that states your specific wishes. That could mean establishing a pet trust, which can be costly. Or you might put your wishes in writing and have the document notarized. Many websites can guide you and suggest legal wording for such a document.

It’s common for horses to have two or more swollen legs after times of decreased exercise. This so-called “stocking up” usually resolves with exercise, which helps move fluid through the lymphatic system.

A far more serious condition is lymphangitis [lymph-an-JĪ-tus], which involves acute, painful swelling, generally of a hindlimb. Affected horses often develop severe lameness and a fever. They may breathe rapidly, eat less and seem depressed.

The cause of lymphangitis isn’t well understood, but it likely involves bacterial entry through skin damage. The lymphatic system, including lymph nodes and blood vessels, can become infected and damaged.

So, be on guard: horses with lymphangitis need aggressive veterinary treatment as soon as possible.

Late in 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, sent letters to nine manufacturers and distributors, warning them to stop selling illegally marketed over-the-counter antibiotics.

The drugs in question are marketed for species like aquarium fish and pet birds but contain antibiotics — like amoxicillin, penicillin, erythromycin and others — that are important in human medicine.

The FDA sees two public health risks with these drugs. First, they haven’t been through FDA review for safety and effectiveness in the species for which they’re being marketed. In addition, inappropriate and indiscriminate use can increase antimicrobial resistance, which puts both people and animals at risk.

You might think a collar is unnecessary if your pet is always indoors. But here’s why most veterinarians disagree.

First, indoor pets can escape. Some pet parents get hung up on the possibility that their pets might possibly could get hung up on their collars. But in most cases, the pros outweigh the cons.

And microchips don’t take the place of collars. Microchips must be read at a veterinary clinic, but anyone can read a collar ID right then and there.

Finally, animals with collars are perceived as being members of a family and are more likely to be approached than their collarless brethren.

There might be health reasons not to use a collar on your particular pet, but in general, a collar ID just might save your buddy’s life.