If you’ve ever had a puppy, the term “parvo”—short for parvovirus—is surely enough to send shivers down your spine. This extremely contagious virus is known for taking a previously healthy puppy that was showering you with smelly puppy breath kisses and playing one day to nearly or actually fatally ill in a matter of days.

If you’ve ever had a dog or cat who has lived with you for many years, you know that they undoubtedly become a member of your family. So when you notice them slowing down or, worse, showing signs of pain, you might wonder whether your precious pet is nearing the end. And while we know this is the last thing you want to face as a pet owner, we all also realize that it’s an inevitable part of opening our hearts and homes to these wonderful animals.

When the current outbreak of novel coronavirus disease, or COVID-19, first came to light in December 2019, researchers indicated that animals were the likely source of the virus. So people are naturally asking, "Can my pet contract and transmit this virus?" That question has become even more valid after one dog - the pet of an infected owner in Hong Kong - recently tested "weak positive" for the virus.

Winter is in full swing, and that means colder temperatures, sometimes in the extreme. It can be fun playing in the cool, crisp air (and even snow for some parts of the country!) with your dog, but the cold weather also has some potential health risks to your pup. Just as you have to take precautions for your dog in the

When your dog or cat visits the veterinarian, the doctor will use a stethoscope to listen to the heart.

Bloat in dogs is an extremely serious and dangerous medical condition that should be treated as a medical emergency. Even mild cases of bloat can turn fatal. Although the causes of bloat are still not clear, the symptoms that occur are fairly consistent and are a sign that you should seek immediate medical attention.

In Eastern medicine, the heart is the organ that controls mental vitality; it is the seat of consciousness. It also governs the blood. Increasing anxiety is often observed with heart disease. In fact, the changes in consciousness can actually be severe enough to cause seizures.

In the Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) model, the kidneys are the spark that fuels metabolism. In a cooking pot analogy, the kidneys represent the fire under the pot. They warm the rest of the body. When kidney function declines, the fire dies down, and as a result, the body becomes slower, weaker, and colder.