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An 8-10 hour fast should be sufficient for all of those tests. It is always a good idea to ask the lab what they want, as requirements vary. Sara

Dear Lil, When I was a conventional vet, I used Pellitol, but that was many moons ago. Our older technicians are familiar with Pellitol (and like it), and they worked in conventional practices. Pellitol fell out of favor because it can be messy and stain. It is incredibly safe and effective...

Dear Tasha, I like vet Lise Hansen's book "The Complete Book of Dog and Cat Health". Dr. Hansen does a great job of addressing every aspect of care and health, and the book is highly readable. Best regards, Sara

Pellitol is available from compounding pharmacies. I order it from Wedgewood. The Whole Dog Journal had an excellent article about it: https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/care/updated-alternative-treatments-and-supplements/ I do not know of an OTC source for Pellitol. You would probably want to...

Dear Gisela, Short legged, long backed dogs are prone to neck and back problems. This is because their body mechanics put extra stress on the joints, and because the cartilage between the joints ages prematurely. I would strongly suggest acupuncture, as this has been shown to have better...

Dear Laura, I would not use 200 C potencies for a deep seated problem unless you are working with a homeopath. A 200 C potency is valuable for acute care where you are certain of the need for a particular medicine. For example, it would be a good choice to give 200 C Aconite for a robust...

Dear Laura, As always, the best thing is to prescribe on the totality of the case. There are certain homeopathic medicines with an affinity for estrus problems, like Pulsatilla, Sepia, Lachesis, and Lilium-tig, so you might read through the materia medica of those medicines and see if any...

Would you be able to ask the company if a dog gets them wet, do they get soft so the dog can swallow them whole? The big problem with rawhide - aside from its questionable provenance and digestibility - is that dogs chew on it, get it soft, then swallow it in one go. This might not matter so...

Dear Tasha, A canine dentist could show you pictures and x-rays illustrating how retained baby teeth adversely affect the health and alignment of the permanent teeth. Once the permanent teeth begin to erupt, the baby teeth should fall out on their own. The retained teeth should be removed as...

Dear Lil, Chinese herbs are prescribed based upon the signs of the patient as well as the disease process. The formula and effects of Xiao Chai Hu Tang, (Minor Bupleurum combination, Harmonize the Qi) are described thus: TCM Patterns Qi-Pathogenic Ingredients...

Dear Tasha, The Raw Feeding Veterinary Supply is definitely a good resource. Honey's in the UK is a fantastic raw food company with a brilliant ethos: https://honeysrealdogfood.com/ When I lived in the UK, the local organic butcher (we were in Gloucestershire) was able to provide all the parts...

Dear Debbie, If Buxton will be cooperative for repeated bathing, followed by the lime - sulfur dips, they do work well and decrease the itch right away. Ten years ago I had three Berners with sarcoptic mites after a plague of mangy foxes in the woods they loved to visit. The bath / dip...

Cruciate ligament injuries are indeed common. A cruciate injury is less likely considering that Murphy is a young dog and sexually intact. It is more likely that he injured himself in Agility, and forelimb and toe injuries are among the most common Agility injuries. The same treatments apply...

Hmmmm, there are a lot of possibilities. Since you have tenderness in the toe, I would address that first. If he still is lame, x-rays would be in order. Bruises and Sprains: Bruises may cause swelling of the affected body part. In dogs, feet and legs are most commonly bruised. You can...

Small cats (wild and domestic) are predators eating small meals. Large cats eat large meals infrequently, small cats eat small meals frequently This means that two meals a day is more attuned to the natural dietary rhythm of domestic cats. There are certainly cats that do just fine on one...

Some dogs like to tug, and that can actually be a good way to look at their teeth, if they are focussed enough on tugging that they will allow you to use another toy (not your finger) to push the lips up to look in the mouth. Above all, be safe. If the mouth is uncomfortable, there may be no...

Dear Lil, Kidney disease can affect the filtering units / glomeruli (which filter out waste protein and retain valuable protein) or the collecting tubules (which concentrate the urine) or both parts of the kidney. Most elderly dogs like JJ with chronic renal disease have compromise of both...

Dear Lil, UPCR is an objective measure of the amount of 'good' protein present in the urine. Creatinine is normal waste protein, and is normal in urine. The other protein that is measured is 'good' protein that is leaking through the filtering units (glomeruli). There should not be much of...

Dear Christine, This kind of walking, with toe dragging and stumbling, sounds like Rocky is having proprioceptive problems. Proprioceptive problems can occur when arthritis impinges on the tiny nerves that leave the back, or it can occur with degenerative problems like degenerative myelopathy...

Dear Christine, I agree with Dr. Jeff's suggestions. The only area I see that shows any significant bony change is a wee bit of cranial buttressing on the 4th lumbar vertebra. That's the one on the side view where the front of the can-shaped part of the vertebra flares down a bit more than...