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Bladder Stones in Dogs

2021-04-16T19:32:12-07:00April 10th, 2020|Dogs|

Stones in the urinary tract (kidneys, ureters, and urinary bladder, and urethra) are common in dogs and cats. Even though dogs get kidney stones, it is bladder stones in dogs that cause more problems. Urolithiasis is a medical term for stones anywhere in the urinary tract. When it is in the kidneys it is a nephrolith, in the ureters it is a ureterolith, and when it is in the urinary bladder this stone is called a cystolith or cystic calculi, and when it is in the urethra it is called a urethrolith. We will use stone, calculi, and urolith synonymously

Cat Bladder Stones

2020-04-11T10:07:56-07:00April 10th, 2020|Cats|

Stones in the urinary tract (kidneys, ureters, and urinary bladder) are common in cats. Even though cats do get kidney stones, it is bladder stones that cause more problems. The medical terms for bladder stones are urolithiasis or cystic calculi. We will use stone, calculi, and urolith synonymously in this page. The two most common calculi are calcium oxalate and struvite. Stones can also occur in the kidneys, where they are called nephroliths. This page will limit its discussion to stones in the bladder. Towards the end of the page we have a video of a surgery where we remove

Dog and Cat Cancer in Animals

2022-01-12T10:56:19-08:00April 8th, 2020|Cats, Dogs, Rabbit|

The scientific word for cancer is neoplasia, meaning new growth. In reality, it is an abnormal growth of cells that interferes with an organ's ability to function, resulting in a degree of failure in that organ. Some of these abnormal cells break off from the organ and spread to other organs in the body, causing them to fail. This process is called metastasis, and is the hallmark of malignant cancer. Later in this page are links to pages with details on the more common cancers in animals. This includes dogs and cats, canines and feline, along with birds and reptiles

Iguana Bone Disease (NSHP, MBD)

2021-02-19T16:56:50-08:00April 2nd, 2020|Reptile|

The most common reptile brought to our hospital is the green iguana. The primary reason owners bring in their ill green iguana is because it has developed a disease called metabolic bone disease (MBD), also known as nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism (NSHP), or just secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHP). This page shows how we diagnose and treat Iguana Bone Disease (NSHP, MBD). This Iggie decided he just wanted to hang out and drink our free coffee This big boy shows how much bigger they can get. Unfortunately, some of these male iguanas are this large because they were fed a diet too high in protein

Liver (PSS) Shunt Surgery

2022-11-01T17:25:25-07:00March 4th, 2020|Cats, Dogs|

A problem can occur where the blood flowing to and through the liver has a problem. There are several variations on this problem blood flow. In this page we will be correcting the blood flowing from a blood vessel that is directing the blood away from the liver and not into the liver like it should. This is called a liver shunt, also known as a porto systemic shunt (PSS). This page shows a surgery to correct an extra-hepatic PSS (porto systemic shunt) in a cat using an ameroid ring. More than one year after surgery this cat is doing fine,

Intestine Tumor in a Cat

2020-02-10T12:04:01-08:00November 11th, 2019|Cats|

Tumors are common in cats, especially as they get older. This page describes how we treated an intestinal tumor in an 11 year old cat named Ruby. The format in this page will be different than our other disease pages. In this one we will present it as a case study, and show the diagnostic process that allowed us to make this diagnosis. We will follow the parameters of the diagnostic process in this case, the same process we use in every diagnosis me make. If you are not familiar with this process click here  for a quick review, then come

Spleen Disease (Hemangiosarcoma, Hematoma)

2021-03-10T15:16:18-08:00November 11th, 2019|Cats, Dogs|

It is not uncommon for us to encounter problems with the spleen. Sometimes it just enlarges without any major problems, sometimes it twists on itself, sometimes it causes internal bleeding, and oftentimes it becomes cancerous. This page will emphasize cancer of the spleen, called hemangiosarcoma. A rupturing spleen is a medical emergency requiring immediate veterinary care. These dogs can collapse and go into life-threatening shock. The Long Beach Animal Hospital, staffed with emergency vets, is available until the evenings 7 days per week to help if your pet is having any problems, especially shock, seizures, pain, difficulty breathing, or bleeding.

Himalayan Cat

2019-11-26T23:07:38-08:00September 2nd, 2019|

The Himalayan  The Himalayan is a Persian-type cat with a short face, heavy body and long, thick coat. This breed arises from the Persian cat, with Siamese bloodlines introduced (about 60-70 years ago) to get the striking ‘pointed’ coloration.  Like all long-haired cats, they need frequent brushing and regular grooming. They tend to have gentle dispositions and make very good pets. Hereditary Cataracts, both of which can be seen in kittens as young as 2 or 3 months of age. This might appear as a cloudiness on the front of the eye. As a ‘brachycephalic’ (a short-faced ) breed, Himalayans

Siamese Cat

2019-09-02T01:07:38-07:00September 2nd, 2019|

The Siamese Cat  The Siamese is one of the oldest cat breeds, first recorded in Siam (now known as Thailand). A favorite of royalty and now a popular family pet, the highly intelligent Siamese is energetic, vocal, bonds strongly, and needs (demands) plenty of attention.  Their close attachment to their owner can lead to Separation Anxiety (most commonly seen in dogs), so plan on giving them plenty of attention and get used to them nosing into your business.  Siamese cats are predisposed to ‘wool sucking,’ a stereotypical behavior in which they suck or chew on (and sometimes eat) blankets and

Shih Tzu

2019-11-26T23:31:58-08:00September 2nd, 2019|

Shih Tzus are wonderful pets due to their friendly personality. Their name comes from the Chinese word for “lion dog”, because the breed resembled the lion as depicted in traditional oriental art.  They have silky long hair and typically weigh between 11 and 15 pounds. Shih Tzus are predisposed to certain diseases though, so careful observation of your pets daily routine is important. Any significant change in this routine is cause for a veterinary examination. Our web site at /search-by-disease/ has detailed information on many of the diseases Shih Tzu are prone to. Shih Tzus can develop kidney disease (renal

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