Aging reworks a dog or cat one body system at a time: the kidneys filter less efficiently, the thyroid drifts off balance, blood pressure creeps upward, and the heart, lungs, and joints slowly remodel. None of those changes announce themselves early, so senior screening assigns each system its own test: bloodwork and urinalysis for the [...]
Eyelid problems like entropion (rolling inward) and ectropion (drooping outward) usually warrant surgery once the lid is consistently rubbing the cornea or trapping debris against the eye, and waiting past that point tends to mean more damage, not less. A dog or cat does not need to live with an eye that tears constantly, squints [...]
Finding a swollen lymph node on your pet is scary, and the right response is action rather than observation. An enlarged node means the immune system has identified something to address, and the range of possible somethings is broad: a tooth that has gone bad, an allergy that has progressed to a skin infection, a [...]
Intestinal parasites are one of the most common health issues in young animals, and they are present more often than most new families expect. Puppies and kittens are frequently born with or acquire parasites in the first days of life through their mother's milk or the environment, and the standard deworming protocol exists precisely because [...]
It is tempting to rely on the number on the scale at your pet's visit to decide whether they are at a healthy weight. But that number can be misleading. A compact, muscular dog can weigh the same as a soft, overweight dog of the same breed, and without looking at the whole picture, the [...]
Dental home care is one of those topics that sounds simpler than it is in practice. Brush daily. Yes, but how? With what? Starting when a pet has never been handled around the mouth? The Tidmore Veterinary Hospital team has guided enough owners through the process to know that "here is a toothbrush" is not [...]
Maybe your dog has been a little stiff after naps, or your cat's skin seems irritated no matter what you try, and standard tests have not pointed to a clear answer. If you have ever felt like something is off with your pet but the usual approach is not quite connecting the dots, you are [...]
When Hair Loss Runs Deeper: Causes of Alopecia in Dogs and Cats Changes in a pet's coat can be easy to miss at first, then suddenly feel impossible to ignore. Thinning fur, bald patches, or uneven hair loss often signal more than routine shedding, and the pattern can offer important clues. In some pets, hair [...]
You watch your pet sleep more, maybe they're gaining or losing weight despite normal eating habits, and you worry. Is it just old age, or is something else going on? Changes in appetite, weight, or energy often signal thyroid dysfunction, a surprisingly common issue. Learning how these hormonal shifts affect your animal helps you advocate [...]
A healthy, shiny coat reflects a pet’s internal health and overall wellness. When hair begins to thin or bald spots appear, it often points to a deeper issue that needs attention. Hair loss, known as alopecia, can be triggered by a range of factors including allergies, parasites, hormonal imbalances, stress, or underlying medical conditions. Identifying [...]