By Dr. Laura Hady Unlike human bladder stones, which form due to metabolic disorders and dehydration, pets often develop bladder stones due to infection or certain commercial diets. Some symptoms of bladder or urethral (the tube that carries urine to the outside from...
By Dr. Laura Hady I entered the specialty of pet physical rehabilitation after my own dog, Bucky, was hit by a car in a freak accident. While he had no external wounds, his 13th thoracic vertebrae had been fractured, he could not walk, and he bit me when I tried to...
By Dr. Laura Hady The spleen’s vital functions of storing blood, filtering pathogens, removing old blood cells and storing platelets often go unnoticed. In humans, the fist-sized spleen is on the left side of the abdomen. In dogs and cats, the spleen is flatter, has a...
By Dr. Laura Hady About 10 years ago, a client told me that she found an option online that helped lower the cost of her dog’s unaffordable $400-per-month seizure medication, which was at the time only available at human pharmacies. She and I both were relieved that...
By Dr. Laura Hady I think we take for granted the three critical functions of our pet’s respiratory system unless there is a problem with breathing or coughing. Air comes through the nose and mouth, is directed to the trachea (windpipe), goes to each lung via tubes...
By Dr. Laura Hady I once read an article about the things human doctors want patients to know. Topics addressed included health habits, stress relievers and questions to ask at exams. It even stated that doctors know when we are lying to them. Considering pets, here...
By Dr. Laura Hady The sense of touch in pets starts with the sensory nerves in their skin, the tissue under the skin, their paws, nose and whiskers, which detect changes in airflow. All allow pets to feel textures, temperature, pain and pressure with the message then...
By Dr. Laura Hady Pets can hear about four times better than humans because they hear a much wider range of frequencies than we do. They use their hearing to help them hunt, stay safe and communicate emotions. So, healthy hearing plays a vital role in daily life....
By Dr. Laura Hady We often don’t think about the complexity of vision in our pets until we see them bump into objects, have decreased maneuvering in dim light, or when we see redness, cloudiness or discharge in their eyes. Vision begins when light enters the eye...
By Dr. Laura Hady Similar to humans, pets have an immune system that helps prevent and fight infectious diseases. Pets have both innate immunity and acquired immunity. The first line of attack on invaders is innate immunity, which is present at birth. Acquired...
