Health

Normal healthy dogs can hold their pee for four to eight hours. Puppies and senior dogs need to go more often, and high temperatures can cause the dog to drink more and need to go more often.

Community dog water sources can have bad things in them, so it’s best if you avoid them.

Cancer. My heart dropped to my stomach. In February 2010 my Border Collie Daisy became one of an estimated six million dogs diagnosed with cancer each year. Chemotherapy. My stomach tumbled to my feet. The diagnosis was scary enough; how could I possibly consider chemotherapy? I had visions of a treatment worse than the disease itself. As it turns out, my preconceptions of chemotherapy were far worse than its reality. Chemo hasn't cured my dog – more on that later – but it's given us more than 18 months (and counting) of joyful, quality time together.

Canine parvovirus type 2 (also known as CPV, CPV2, or just “parvo”) has been sickening and killing dogs and puppies since 1976, the year...

A wet nose strengthens your dog’s sense of smell, which is one of his most amazing senses. In a few instances, however, a wet nose can indicate something is amiss.

Dogs recovering from anesthesia can take about 12 - 24 hours to return to their normal selves. You can expect some common side effects during this period, including sleepiness, whining, disinterest in food, and a wobbly gait.

Urinalysis is a screening test that may be helpful in diagnosing many diseases, but it is an especially important test to perform whenever any urinary tract disease or abnormality is expected. Abnormal appearing urine (cloudy or red colored), difficulty in urinating, abnormal frequency of urination, or abnormal flow are all indications for ordering a urinalysis.

Arthritis pain, which affects four out of five older dogs, interferes with everything that makes life special for our best friends. Wouldn't it be great if we could turn the clock back? Technology may not yet offer a time machine, but it can seem that way for dogs treated with modern therapies that make them feel like puppies again. Would laser treatments, shock wave therapy, Pulsed Electromagnetic Frequency therapy, or other innovative treatments help your dog jump onto the sofa or run and play the way she used to?

The term “recovery collar” is becoming the standard term to refer to what has been called an Elizabethan collar, a pet cone, or more humorously, a lampshade, a pet radar dish, and, of course, the misnomer “cone of shame.” There is no shame in needing help! The term Elizabethan collar is still heard frequently, but because it tends to be shortened to e-collar and because that’s also a shortened version of electronic collar, the phrase is falling out of use for this application.

Most of us have seen signs or advertisements for anesthesia-free teeth cleaning" for dogs and cats. To most people

The symptoms of marijuana toxicity will vary based on the dog, but general symptoms in dogs include depression, vomiting, urinary incontinence, ataxia (wobbliness), tremors, stupor, and bradycardia (slow heart rate). However, Dr. Wismer explains about 25% of dogs exposed to cannabis will become stimulated instead of depressed and show agitation and high heart rate. Dogs with severe marijuana toxicity can develop low blood pressure and coma.

There is absolutely no evidence, not one bit, suggesting that providing comfort and security to a distressed dog causes the dogs anxiety or fear to increase. Why then, does this myth persist among dog owners and even with some trainers? Why are owners still advised to ignore their dog when he is distressed or anxious or fearful, as if providing any attention to the dog will reinforce those emotions?