Common Medical Problems

This story is all too common with consequences that were serious yet avoidable for this pet. The owner of a nine year old Labrador Retriever noticed one evening when she came home from work that her dog was squinting. She took a closer look with a light source to see if there was anything obvious… Continue reading

Pets have an uncanny ability to hide pain. This adaptive behavior originated in order that when living in their natural wild environment any weakness would not be apparent to possible predators. Frequently, in older pets, we as pet owners assume that any slowing down in behavior or activity is a function of aging. While it… Continue reading

Dogs have them ……. cats have them……. but why does the veterinary profession take them so lightly? This is the question we at the Brockton Animal Hospital have been asking for years. If your pet is scooting, licking, smelling like rotten fish (or worse) or bleeding from the rectum there is a good possibility that… Continue reading

There appears to be an odd phenomenon this year. July arrives and suddenly the fleas are swarming. That in itself doesn’t seem unusual. The onset of flea season in felines and canines varies from early July to September. This is greatly dependent on spring moisture, summer temperatures and even winter climate. This year seems to… Continue reading

It is a common story this time of year. The phone calls and visits from canine and feline owners alike with pets that are vomiting, not eating and just not acting right. Of course the typical question: “Could he have gotten into anything he shouldn’t have?” “Any possibility she raided the trash or found a… Continue reading

For several years online pet pharmacies such as Pet Med and PetCare RX have been actively marketing their products. The promise of saving money, direct shipping, less hassle are all too inviting for the pet owner to ignore. But is that the whole story? Is it safe to purchase from these online pharmacies? Are there… Continue reading

In our last post we considered how easily overfeeding occurs in many pet households. A few simple family behavioral changes can rectify this. But how do we account for the pet food manufacturer’s guidelines? Where can you find the actual nutritional calorie count on the diets and treats you are feeding? Shouldn’t following the manufacturer’s… Continue reading

In the US we are a culture that tends to like big things; big houses, big cars, big amounts of stuff and unfortunately, for our four legged friends, it seems we like big pets. My personal pet relationships include two Irish Setters and an ample cat, none small by any standard, but there is a… Continue reading

In the unfortunate circumstance that a lump that has been removed from your pet is diagnosed as cancerous, what next? That is dependent on several facts. First, and probably most important, were the margins on the biopsy clean? In other words does it look like your vet “got it all”. Of course, we can never… Continue reading

As pet owners it seems that sooner or later we find a lump on our pet that just doesn’t belong.  If you are like I am or for that matter like most people attached to their pets we always assume the worst.  As irrational as this approach may be it is part of human nature. … Continue reading