A handful of the intestinal parasites common in puppies and kittens, especially roundworms and hookworms, can infect people as well, and young children face the highest risk. Roundworm eggs passed in stool linger in soil, sandboxes, and garden beds. Hookworm larvae can penetrate bare skin during something as ordinary as backyard play. Human infections are [...]
A senior pet who looks and acts healthy still benefits from routine screening, because dogs and cats are very good at hiding early disease. Slowing down, drinking more water, or losing a little weight is easy to write off as normal aging, yet those same changes can be the first quiet signs of kidney disease, [...]
Vomiting is one of those things every dog and cat owner deals with at some point, and most of the time a single episode after a fast meal or a questionable backyard snack is not a cause for concern. The picture changes when vomiting becomes a pattern: weekly episodes, vomiting paired with weight loss, vomiting [...]
The phone call we often get goes something like: "I was petting my dog and felt something under the jaw. Is it normal?" Sometimes it is. A reactive lymph node responding to a tooth infection, a skin wound, or a recent illness can swell temporarily and resolve once the underlying problem is treated. Other times, [...]
When your veterinarian hands you a bag of heart medications and explains that your pet needs them every day, it is natural to feel a mix of worry and confusion. Pimobendan, furosemide, ACE inhibitors: the names are clunky, the schedules are specific, and nobody handed you a pharmacology degree when you adopted your pet. What [...]
"He looks healthy to me" is one of the most common phrases heard right before a veterinarian gently places hands on a dog's ribs and reveals that the situation may be a bit more... well padded than expected. Body condition scoring exists for exactly this reason. It is a structured, hands-on evaluation that goes well [...]
You're enjoying a quiet moment with your pet when something feels off. Maybe it's a sour smell when your dog pants in your face, or inflamed gums you notice during your cat's mid-yawn stretch. Suddenly, dental health moves from a "someday" task to something that needs attention now. With shelves full of chews, rinses, and [...]
A Pet Owner's Guide to Evaluating Dog Daycare for Health and Safety Daycare promises tired, happy dogs and peace of mind for busy owners. But behind the marketing photos of playing pups, important questions need answers. How are dogs grouped? What's the staff-to-dog ratio? What happens if a dog gets injured or becomes ill? What [...]
You wake up to that distinct, awful sound: your dog is throwing up (and usually on your favorite rug). Immediately, your mind races. Was it just eating grass too fast, or is this a sign of something serious? Every pet owner knows that sinking feeling of panic when their dog is sick. Whether it's a [...]
Changes in fur texture or bald patches often point to underlying medical issues rather than simple shedding. Common causes include allergies, parasites, or infections. A professional exam identifies the root problem so treatment can begin quickly. At Twin Maples Veterinary Hospital, our AAHA-accredited team uses advanced in-house diagnostics including cytology, skin testing, and comprehensive blood [...]
