NETWORK BLOG
DoLittler: Blog
Depressing DNA: On genetic diseases and the future of pet-dom
from DoLittler: Blog
on Thursday January 28th, 2010 at 04:03 PM
For the past eight months, Ive been putting together this genetic disease library for Embrace Pet Insurance. Its a labor of love and a well-paying jobnot to mention a great review of the 120 most common genetic diseases we see in companion animal medicine. Problem is, its also depressing.
Why? Because every time I get to the end of an article (on, say, spina bifida or elbow dysplasia) Im forced to stare down the same underlying problem yet again.
Let me explain: After spending 600 carefully...
Tear stain products for pets, redux
from DoLittler: Blog
on Wednesday January 27th, 2010 at 07:02 AM
How hard is it to keep those pesky porphyrins at bay? In case youve never heard the word before, a porphyrin is the rusty colored pigment that gives white-faced pet owners good reason to look their pets mug askance. Because if 1) your pets face is pale and 2) her tears spill over, well thenvoilá!youve got tear staining.
Sad-eyed pets the world around may not care a whit whether the fur that outlines their snout looks ruddy or not. It certainly doesnt hurt or signal disease. It just IS. Which...
BSL is a bitch...until a judge says otherwise
from DoLittler: Blog
on Tuesday January 26th, 2010 at 11:02 AM
Yesterdays post on PetMD treated the controversial topic of BSL (AKA, breed specific legislation). OK so it may not be that controversial among the peteratti (i.e., smart pet peeps like you), but rest assured there are plenty of ill-informed politicians looking for a quick way to impress their constituents with laws like Miamis sweeping, 25 year-old pit bull ban.
But not all states and municipalities are going the same way on this issue. While politicians may push to install these seemingly...
Why do coupon-clipping cat owners get such good deals on their feline’s food?
from DoLittler: Blog
on Monday January 25th, 2010 at 08:32 AM
Heres one for you: My mother recently noticed that cat food coupons are more enticing than dog food coupons. Theyre not only more plentiful than those for dog foods, she notes, they also offer far better deals (which is doubtless a maddening concept for a coupon-clipping, cat-less pet owner).
Whats up with that? Considering thatveterinary-wise, anywaycats are second-class citizens relative to their canine counterparts, how is it that cat owners get better deals than dog people?
I mean, if cats...
Ketamine and butorphanol recalls, FDA oversight, corporate responsibility and pet health
from DoLittler: Blog
on Saturday January 23rd, 2010 at 04:02 PM
By now, some of you have heard the news that two common animal drugs manufactured by Teva Animal Health have been recalled. Unfortunately, my two in-house colleagues never got the memo on the toxicity tied to certain lots of these injectable drugs. In fact, if I hadnt checked our stash last month when fellow blogger Christie Keith called on this issue, our hospital mightve still been dishing out potentially poisonous drugs without any inkling at all. Same goes for a wide margin of my...
Risk assessments for pet products and procedures: How far should veterinarians go to keep your pets safe?
from DoLittler: Blog
on Friday January 22nd, 2010 at 06:31 AM
How much should a veterinarian explain up front before your pet undergoes any given procedure or prescribes any drug or product? Its a question that came up in this past Wednesdays post on microchip risks and one weve treated here before with respect to non-steroidal pain drugs and the inherent risks of anesthesia.
Heres the exchange:
"The problem I have with mircochips is that vets don't inform people of the risks. When my cats were chipped, it was presented as harmless to them in every way. I...
Just how expired is that veterinary drug in the window?
from DoLittler: Blog
on Thursday January 21st, 2010 at 07:31 AM
Ive got this problem, you see. I collect and stockpile old drugs. Its something I feel compelled to do whenever a med on our shelves goes past its expiration date. Ive also been known to ask clients for their leftover tabs and caps after their pets have passed into the beyond. (Tactfully, of course.)
I know it sounds kind of tackynot to mention borderline illegalbut I cant seem to help myself. Its just that to do otherwise seems so wasteful. I mean, picture it: a cardboard box full of purged...
Microchip safety: Privacy, public policy, individual pet health and (most of all) getting pets back home again
from DoLittler: Blog
on Wednesday January 20th, 2010 at 10:04 AM
Nothing is 100% safe. Nothing. Theres no perfectly safe flight, drug, car ride, surgery or sidewalk. Any drug, food, supplement or medical device with the power to help you also has the power to hurt you. That much we know for sure.
Its the cure vs. kill conundrum and its a big deal when it comes to all kinds of veterinary subjects. Usually its the anesthesia and the commonest drugs that get all of our attention in this department. But sometimes, medical devices like microchips get targeted...
Stars To Raise Funds for Nevada SPCA
05/18/13 Raising spirits as they raise funds, a...Flowers: The Movie
05/18/13 Hope you enjoy this movie of today's blooms!! Today'sMousebreath Auditions A Success
05/18/13 Hey, Cameron here. I'd like to do an update on...Famous last words
05/18/13 I was doing relief work for a local clinic a few days this...
latest news & articles
May 17th, 2013
May 16th, 2013
May 16th, 2013
May 15th, 2013
May 14th, 2013
May 13th, 2013
