Animal Care Clinic Tips

• ANIMAL CARE CLINIC TIPS

  Battling matted fur

  

  Posted 10:46 AM 12/17/2010 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM of Animal Care Clinic SLO

  Thank you, Shawna for your question about grooming Persian cats. This can be a big problem for many cat owners! The fine hair of a Persian easily clumps together to form matts - those Rastafarian type clumps of fur that cannot be broken up with a brush.

  Matts can be very painful and even (More)

  
  

• ANIMAL CARE CLINIC TIPS

  Mercy, Love and Pure Christmas Joy

  

  Posted 12:09 PM 12/14/2010 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM

  It's Christmas time. A time I often reflect on how God has blessed us so richly. One of his greatest blessings is the animals. This morning our pastor used a wonderful animal analogy in explaining God's mercy on us. I wanted to share it with you and expand upon it a bit in hopes that this analogy (More)

  
  

• ANIMAL CARE CLINIC TIPS

  Itch, Scratch, Lick and Chew!

  

  Posted 4:19 PM 12/8/2010 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM

  Both Rachel and Jennie have asked about itchy pets recently.

  Rachel has three Pugs that are so itchy that they scoot, chase their tails and are even aggressive towards each other.

  Jennie's kitty, Dobbie, has dandruff and is itchy enough that it seems to hurt when she scratches his (More)

  
  

• ANIMAL CARE CLINIC TIPS

  Oxygen therapy for pets

  

  Posted 5:33 PM 10/25/2010 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM

  Cindy has asked if oxygen treatment may have contributed to the death of her kitty who had suffered chest trauma. This is a very interesting question that cannot be answered completely without more information, but I can address the use of oxygen in trauma cases.

  Oxygen and fluids are (More)

  
  

• ANIMAL CARE CLINIC TIPS

  Heart Failure in Dogs

  

  Posted 2:42 PM 10/19/2010 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP

  Lisa has used the Animal Care Clinic KSBY Expert page to ask about heart enlargement causing fluid in the lungs. Lisa, let me start by offering my condolences; your use of the past tense in reference to Shanna implies that she must have died from heart failure. This is a common problem among (More)

  
  

• ANIMAL CARE CLINIC TIPS

  Does size matter?

  

  Posted 11:39 AM 9/8/2010 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM

  Emma has asked about her 1 year old cat/kitten who seems healthy but only weighs 3-4 pounds. Please accept my apologies for the delay in answering your question, Emma - I was in Mongolia where, oddly enough, this very subject came up at the small animal where I advise. It seems there are a number (More)

  
  

• Animal Care Clinic Behavioral Tips

  Ask the Expert: Separation Anxiety

  

  Posted 2:39 PM 8/17/2010 by Bonnie Markoff

  Lindsay has just adopted Jasper, a crossbred dog who did not have a good life before coming to her home. Lindsay is worried he has separation anxiety and is curious about training methods.

  Many dogs adopted as adults (and many raised from puppyhood) have behavior issues that can look like (More)

  
  

• ANIMAL CARE CLINIC TIPS

  Ask the Expert: How do I get that skunk smell out?

  

  Posted 10:31 AM 7/29/2010 by Dr. Bonnie Markoff

  Dear Terri,

  Sorry for the delay in getting this answer to you. We recommend:

  • 1 quart peroxide
  • ¼ cup baking soda 
  • 2 tablespoons liquid dishwashing soap (like Dawn)

  Mix together (may need a bigger batch for a bigger dog) and apply all (More)

  
  

• Animal Care Clinic Tips

  Ask the Expert: Itching and skin diseases

  

  Posted 10:28 AM 7/29/2010 by Dr. Bonnie Markoff

  Dear Jackie,

  I am so sorry Baby is so miserable with this itching. Skin disease can be very simple or very complicated. If it gets complicated, it can be expensive to diagnose and to treat. Let's hope Baby's condition has a simple answer.

  The most common causes of hairloss and (More)

  
  

• Animal Care Clinic Tips

  Ask the Expert: Vomiting after meals

  

  Posted 10:17 AM 7/29/2010 by Dr. Bonnie Markoff

  Dear Anna,

  Thank you for telling us about Asia. Vomiting after meals is a common problem and can be very disconcerting (let alone messy!) Luckily, there is much that can be done to help Asia to be happier and healthier. There is no doubt that vomiting after every meal is not normal.

  (More)
  

• Animal Care Clinic Tips

  Before You Breed

  

  Posted 12:52 PM 4/12/2010 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP

  Many pet owners dream about breeding their beloved pets. The thought of having a bunch of puppies or kittens in your home can be very exciting. It is so good for children to learn about life by helping with the birthing process. Unfortunately, there are many things that can go wrong, and the (More)