Before we discuss how nitrates and nitrites affect dogs, we have to put on our chemistry caps. Chemistry of Nitrates and Nitrites Nitrates and nitrites are chemical compounds that consist of nitrogen and oxygen. A nitrate is made of a bond between a single nitrogen atom and three oxygen atoms. A nitrite is a bond…
Bloomberg and several other news organizations have recently written investigative articles about polyfluoroalkyl or perfluoroalkyl (PFAS). If this is a new topic for you have come upon, we thought you’d need some background information. The following article provides you with a guide about this class of chemicals. When you first start reading, you might think…
1. All animals are not the same: young have higher thyroid levels old have lower levels small and toy dog breeds gave higher levels large and giant dog breeds have lower levels sighthound breeds have lower levels 2. Most common endocrine disorder of dogs 3. Most common endocrine disorder older cats after diabetes 4. Thyroid…
Myasthenia Gravis is a deficiency of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, that results in a neuromuscular junction dysfunction. Think of it like talking to toddlers: they do not have enough words to communicate effectively. In this instance, there is not enough acetylcholine sending vital information from the nerves to the muscles. This results in muscle weakness of…
In June 2013, the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association published a study called “Prevalence of inherited disorders among mixed-breed and purebred dogs: 27,254 cases (1995–2010)” that was compiled by The University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine (UC Davis). The researchers searched all of UC Davis’ medical records for confirmed diagnoses of inheritable diseases…
Just because your dog doesn’t smell like a bag of corn chips; he still could have a yeast infection. And, if your dog does smell like a bag of corn chips, he more than likely has a yeast infection. Yeast (fungi) and bacteria are commonly found on all bodies. In fact, they are…
Wheezing? Raspy? Rattling noise? Panting more heavily than usual? Loud panting? Pitch or volume changes to your dog’s bark? Oftentimes, we attribute these stridor and other sounds to old age, allergies, or heat. It could be one of these conditions. The problem is we may become accustomed to the slow progression of changes that actually…
