August 2008

Beach dog familyMany dog owners love to take their canine companions to the beach with them during the summer. Unfortunately, other people (particularly non-dog owners) sometimes take exception to having Bowser on the beach. These individuals often cite potential infectious disease risks as a reason to ban dogs from the beach.

While there are some potential

Cat Lounge(2)There is a degree of risk of disease transmission from any contact with an animal, just as there is from any contact with another person.  Some of the diseases involved are minor or even insignificant, while others are potentially devastating.  And the risk can change in certain situations, such as pregnancy. A developing fetus is

People often ask me questions about “Clostridium” in dogs and cats, with the impression that “Clostridium” is a specific disease. Actually, Clostridium is a large bacterial genus (a group of related bacteria), which includes species that range from harmless to deadly. Some of the more important species are described below:

Clostridium

Pig EarPet treats derived from raw animal products such as rawhides and pig ears (yes, pig ear treats are actually dried, raw pig ears) are widely available and commonly fed to pets, particularly dogs. Being a raw product, there is an inherent risk of contamination with potentially harmful bacteria such as Salmonella. In 1999, an