COVID-19 aka SARS-CoV-2
As the spread of the corona virus (COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2) persists, the number of questions raised also expands. One thing to keep in mind is that as of now, the beginning of March 2020, we don’t have all of the answers, we do not have a vaccine and effective treatment Read More
Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is a bacterial disease that can affect both humans and animals. The bacteria is transmitted through tick bites and of the variety of ticks that inhabit the northeast, the primary tick responsible for the spread of the disease is the deer tick. Deer ticks are found in grassy, Read More
Canine Influenza
Due to cases of canine influenza (H3N2) that have recently been confirmed, the Monmouth County SPCA is closed to the public until early January 2020. You can find more information on the closing of MCSPCA here. Canine influenza, is a highly contagious respiratory virus which is spread from dog-to-dog. Dogs Read More
Chocolate and Caffeine Toxicity
As the holidays approach nearer, the risk of exposure to chocolate and caffeine containing products increases substantially. Theobromine is a chemical compound found in chocolate that is toxic to dogs and cats. Theobromine, along with caffeine results in a multitude of clinical signs depending upon the quantity ingested. Some clinical Read More
Injection-site Sarcomas in cats
An injection-site sarcoma is a commonly occurring tumor that typically arises secondary to vaccine administration or other injections. These tumors were once known as vaccine-site sarcomas, vaccine-associated fibrosarcoma or vaccine-associated sarcomas, however these terms are now considered to be outdated due to the incidence of tumors arising from injections that Read More
What is Leptospirosis?!?!
Leptospirosis is a bacteria spread in the urine of infected animals that causes a variety of symptoms ranging from lethargy, vomiting, anorexia, fever and more. This bacteria can affect the liver and kidneys of infected patients. A big concern for patient’s that are infected with leptospirosis is the risk of the bacteria being Read More
Stay up to date on food recalls
The American Veterinary Medical Association maintains a database listing pet food and treat recalls. This database can be sorted by pet (ie. dog, cat, or other); can be view by the last 90’days or the last 365 days. This serves as a good resource for veterinarians and the public to Read More
Antimicrobial Resistance
The American Veterinary Medical Association website briefly discusses antibiotic use and overuse potentially leading to antibiotic resistance (see link – AVMA Antimicrobial Resistance). A common example of antibiotic resistance that most people are familiar with is MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus)
Hill’s Prescription Diet 2019 food recall
In January of 2019, Hill’s issued a voluntary recall of their canned dog food products due to elevated levels of vitamin D. The elevated levels of vitamin D has been associated with a vitamin premix that the company uses in their canine canned dog foods. The recall has since been Read More