Dog Tips

• Animal Care Clinic Tips

  Springtime Outdoor Reminders

  

  Posted 12:53 PM 5/14/2013 by Richard Tao, DVM

  San Luis Obispo and the entire Central Coast is a wonderful place to be a dog. Not only is our climate near perfect all year round we also have acres of open space and miles of beaches for our pups to frolic and play in. We can all relate to the sheer joy our pets feel when the comfortable days (More)

  
  

• Animal Care Clinic Tips

  My dog has developed a large mass on his leg

  

  Posted 5:07 PM 4/30/2013 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP

  Q: My dog is 11 and developed a large hard mass on [his] rear leg. It has moved over and down. Vet says there is concern but has to remove mass starting at $800. He is not showing any behavior changes. He yelps when he lays on it. Advice on leaving it verses removal or other options? It is just (More)

  
  

• Animal Care Clinic Tips

  Animal Care Clinic: My dog eats everything in sight, including trash! Help!

  

  Posted 10:41 AM 3/18/2013 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP

  Q: My dog has a eating disorder, she never gets filled up? Vet said to feed her 1/4 cup of food twice a day, with green beans, but she sneaks, gets into garbage, toilet paper, baby diapers, gross, what can I do? She's way overweight, small dog?

  A: Your dog does not have an eating problem - (More)

  
  

• Animal Care Clinic

  Our new dog cowers, what should I do?

  

  Posted 10:04 AM 2/12/2013 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP

  Q: We just adopted (2 days ago) a little dog that cowers at times. We plan to make an appointment, but what to do in the meantime?

  A: Congratulations on your new adoption! Hattie is a lucky girl. Cowering can be normal behavior for a little dog and is quite common for dogs that have lived (More)

  
  

• Animal Care Clinic Tips

  Mast Cell Tumors

  

  Posted 9:43 AM 11/28/2012 by Marissa Greenberg, DVM

  Kaia is a 10-year-old Boxer. Unfortunately, boxers are a breed predisposed to many kinds of cancers. One of those is a cancer called a Mast Cell Tumor. Mast cells are a kind of cell that is found in many types of tissues in the body, including the skin. They have little granules in them that (More)

  
  

• Animal Care Clinic

  How can I tell if my pet is overweight?

  

  Posted 12:14 PM 10/23/2012 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP

  Obesity is one of the most common diseases we see at Animal Care Clinic - and also one of the most dangerous. We know that large breed dogs who maintain a healthy weight will live 2 YEARS longer than those that are overweight. This advantage is probably even greater in small dogs and cats. We (More)

  
  

• Animal Care Clinic Tips

  Why does my pet's breath smell so bad?

  

  Posted 3:44 PM 10/4/2012 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP

  Bad breath can be caused by oral problems or even stomach and upper intestinal disease, but 95 percent of the time bad breath in dogs and cats is due to dental infection. As plaque builds up and then calcifies into tartar and calculus, bacteria invades the tissues around the teeth causing (More)

  
  

• Animal Care Clinic Tips

  Keeping your pet safe from the summer heat

  

  Posted 2:50 PM 8/31/2012 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP

  The summer heat has found it's way to much of the Central Coast and the rest of the country as well. Our pets can easily overheat without the ability to remove their fur coat. Don't leave your pet in your car, and consider going for walks in the morning or evening to avoid the heat of the day. (More)

  
  

• Animal Care Clinic Tips

  My 9 year old lab won't put weight on her leg, what might be wrong?

  

  Posted 8:31 AM 7/31/2012 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP

  Q: Choca is 9 and has been limping intermittently for the past few weeks. Now she will not put weight on her left, front leg. Clearly [it] is her left elbow. What are the most common possibilities (We know that diagnosis will be needed) and what are the basic charges we can expect, at least (More)

  
  

• Animal Care Clinic

  When your dog gets winded and has difficulty breathing

  

  Posted 1:15 PM 7/11/2012 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM

  Q: Pat wrote in to our Central Coast Expert Animal Care Clinic about Zeke, her Brittany who has recently developed a wheezing and has difficulty breathing at times. He has gone from running in the dog park to walking around a bit, and when he does that he is completely winded and it takes him a (More)

  
  

• Animal Care Clinic

  Is your dog sleeping all day?

  

  Posted 1:15 PM 7/11/2012 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP

  Q:  My dog has been going to bed early all of a sudden. She has had no other health or behavior changes - she just goes to bed on her own relatively early. She used to just go to bed when we did. All she does is sleep all day so it isn't like she's had a lifestyle change to make her more (More)

  
  

• Animal Care Clinic Tips

  Is your dog's nose peeling? It might not just be a sunburn

  

  Posted 1:13 PM 7/11/2012 by Bonnie Markoff, DVM, ABVP

  Q:  Living near the coast, Wilbur has been having trouble with the tip of his nose peeling from being sun burnt. What product should I use on him? I have been putting sunblock on but he is always licking it off. Any better ideas?

  A:  Dear Frances, I am sorry to hear that (More)