Your Dog Has Diabetes. Now What?
Dogs with diabetes have high blood sugar (glucose) because they can’t produce their own insulin. This means that your dog is “insulin dependent” and will need insulin injections twice a day, every day, for the rest of his or her life. Managing diabetes is not a small undertaking. Along with giving insulin injections twice daily, strict rechecks with your veterinarian and close blood sugar monitoring are necessary, especially at the beginning of insulin therapy. Diabetes canno

Recent Study Supports Safety of Dental Anesthesia
Bad teeth cause more than stinky breath. Dental disease in dogs also causes a lot of pain. Just like people, dogs have sensitive nerves in their teeth that become painful when inflamed. Ask anybody who’s ever had a toothache - it hurts! While brushing with veterinary toothpaste and giving dental chews can help, anesthetized procedures are necessary to clean heavy tartar, take x-rays, identify bad roots, and perform extractions. No, He’s Not Too Old “Isn’t he too old for anest

Traveling With Your Dog: Preventing Fleas and Ticks
One of the benefits of living in the desert is that we have far, far fewer problems with fleas and ticks than most areas of the United States. While fleas might occasionally be picked up in damp basements, and ticks may be found around Mt. Charleston, these little critters don’t do well in our typically hot and dry climate. Of course, this good fortune goes out the window when traveling. In particular, many Nevada residents head to the west coast for vacation or to visit fami

Should You Give Your Pet Medical Marijuana?
Since recreational marijuana was recently legalized in Nevada, I have heard more questions about using medical marijuana for pets. A quick Google search will return numerous stories about pets benefiting from marijuana and related components when used to treat pain, nausea, or seizures. While these stories often bring promise of a powerful natural remedy, questions of safety and efficacy remain. A Veterinarian’s Role I have opinions about a lot of things. For example, I think

Half of America’s Pets Should Have This New Year’s Resolution
Are you hitting the treadmill for your New Year’s resolution? Trying to shed a few extra pounds? Well there’s a good chance that your pet could benefit from the same goal in 2018. Approximately 59% of cats and 54% of dogs are overweight in the United States, according to an annual survey by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. Extra weight increases the risks of heart and lung problems, skin infections, and joint pain, just to name a few issues. A Fixable Problem One o

Coyotes Getting Bolder After Dry Spell
While it may not come as a surprise to most residents in the Las Vegas area, coyotes can be a real risk to your pets. And now, after a long dry period, the risks are higher, even if you don’t live at the edge of the desert. As the dry spell grows longer and water sources become more scarce, coyotes and their prey head into urban areas to find a drink and something to eat. Coyotes have been known to range up to 100 miles in a night, and they aren’t afraid to enter neighborhood
