February is Pet Dental Health Month.  Keeping a pet's teeth and mouth clean is important to their overall health. Watch this video to find out how NOT to receive adequate pet oral hygiene.

Dr Hackworth

Problems With Your Dog's Knee

This video discusses one of the most common orthopedic surgical problems we diagnose and treat.  I hope this information helps.

Pain In Our Pets

We see a lot of dogs and cats with pain that their owners mistakingly believe is just their pets "getting older."

Pain is as real in our pets as in us.  Watch this video.

Heartworms Are Serious!

Heartworms can cause serious problems, even death.  This video shows a surgery to help a dog that is so ill, she would probably die soon.  The lesson is to keep your dog on heartworm preventive year round.

Don't watch this video before eating..

Heartworm Removal Surgery

Holiday Hazards

Pet proof your home and save your pet an emergency visit! Click on the link below.

Holiday Hazards Slideshow

Snowflakes!

Snow is in the air!  Your pets need assistance with the colder weather.  The link is a short video produced by the American Veterinary Medical Association to help us pet owners.

Cold Weather

Urethral Obstruction in Cats

     One of the saddest times as a veterinarian is when a patient is presented seriously ill with a condition could have been easily prevented and treated if caught earlier.  I had one such patient this weekend.
     A beautiful neutered male cat died at home from a ruptured urinary bladder.  The history and examination pointed toward a urinary tract obstruction.  The death was due to "Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease."
     Sometimes, mainly in male cats, a plug forms in the urethra (the tube that leads from the bladder to the outside).  Once the plug has formed, urine builds up in the bladder, causing intense pain and may quickly cause kidney damage.  Since one of the kidneys' jobs is the remove toxic waste from  the body, any stoppage causes these poisons to increase in the bloodstream,  which causes a painful and prolonged death.
    So please watch your kitties for signs:  more frequent visits to the litter box but little or no urine production;  constantly licking his genitalia; or urinating in unusual places.
     Urethral obstructions are emergencies.  If the symptoms are found early, treatment is normally very successful.
     Prevention is also very important.  Make sure your cat gets good exercise and stays lean.  Feed a high quality diet that is low in magnesium and make sure there is always a supply of fresh water.  Maintain a clean and enticing litter box.  Special diets or even surgery may be needed.
Call us if you have any questions or you may view a handout from the American Veterinary Medical Association by following this link:  Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease