Author: Melissa McClelland
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Medicinal Mushrooms: Cancer Fighting Fungi
Medicinal mushrooms are becoming a popular alternative and are now widely available to pet owners. You will not find very many traditional veterinarians prescribing mushrooms as a form of treatment; however we are starting to see more and more veterinary nutraceutical companies incorporating mushrooms into their formulas. Nutramax, for example, is a well known nutraceutical…
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Mushroom Mayhem: The Good and The Bad
Imagine, it’s 8am on a Tuesday morning. You arrive at work bright eyed and bushy tailed with a cup of iced coffee in hand. The phone rings at 8:01am. Client: “Hi, uh, I’ve got a question. I’m, uh, I’m not sure how to ask it.” Me: “Ok, I’m happy to help if I can.” Client:…
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Fish Oils: A Waste Of Money or Worth The Hype?
The nutraceutical market is at an all time high for human and pet products. Nutraceutical research for the benefit of our pets has also become widely popular in recent decades. Between private research companies and university studies, you can find a dog or cat publication about practically any well-known supplement. Recently, studies have suggested that…
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No, You Shouldn’t Come To The Vet While Drunk
Sticking with this week’s theme of spay/neuter, let me tell you a story. Several years ago I had the pleasure of speaking with a very nice older woman who was dropping her puppy off for a spay procedure. She was well put-together, kind, and couldn’t be more upbeat about having a puppy-free day for the…
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Is Spay/Neuter Right For Your Pet?
Benefits and Risks to Spay/Neuter Since the internet now has everyone questioning their decision to spay/neuter their pets, let’s explore the benefits and risks. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all in this scenario. Benefits of Spaying/Neutering Risks of Spaying/Neutering So, is surgical sterilization right for your pet? You’ll have to weigh the pros and cons for…
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New Spay/Neuter Recommendations from WSAVA
This week Facebook has been covered in posts about when or if to spay/neuter your pet. Five days ago the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) released their new Guidelines for the Control of Reproduction in Dogs and Cats. In this guideline they established benefits and risks, and made the recommendation that responsible pet owners…
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The Porcupine and the Dog
Every year some dog somewhere is regretting his life decisions. Spring and summer are the top seasons for dog vs porcupine fights. Porcupines are mostly nocturnal and tend to stick to heavily wooded areas. There is also a very common misperception about porcupines and their quills. They, in fact, do not throw their quills. As…
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The Garlic Controversy: Are They As Dangerous As Onions?
It’s a common myth that dogs and cats can’t have garlic. This is another topic where the internet is full of misinformation. The assumption is that since garlic is part of the onion family, that they are also toxic. This then prompts panicked pet owners to call the veterinary hospital thinking they’ve just poisoned their…
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Diabetic Cats: The Free-Fed High Carbohydrate Nightmare
We’ve been talking a lot about dogs. Today we are going to focus on cats. Specifically diabetic cats and the role diet plays. In the veterinary world, we are constantly told by clients that they can’t possibly change the food for one cat, because all of their cats are free fed from the same bowl.…
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Weird, Funny, and Unsettling Things People Have Said At The Vet
*This post may be offensive to some. But I couldn’t make this up if I tried! Many people speak their minds when they should have kept their thoughts to themselves. For this Fun Friday we aren’t going to talk about anything educational. This is purely for entertainment purposes. Below are just a few weird, funny,…