If you’re like many pet owners today, you’ll do whatever it takes to keep your pet happy and healthy. Our plans help make that possible by offering reimbursement levels of 70%, 80% or 90%, after a deductible. We also offer a 100% level of reimbursement.
Hi. My name is Dr. Marc and I’m filming for Pets Bets Insurance, answering some Facebook questions for you guys at Broadway Veterinary Hospital in Boise, Idaho.
This question comes from Emily. She says that she has four neutered cats and two years ago three of them started getting recurring urinary tract infections, ranging from moderate to severe. Some of them even included getting treatment such as months of antibiotics, and they even did a PU surgery, which essentially turns a male cat into a female cat to help avoid getting obstructed. All the cats are on prescription food. They drink from a fresh fountain. They take glucosamine to prevent inflammation of the bladder. And they use phenolate to reduce stress. She scoops their litter boxes daily. Her question is, “Can a UTI be viral? What are the odds of three to four cats getting UTIs within such a close period of time? And why are they so recurrent?”
Emily, that sounds like a really frustrating situation, but I commend you on what you’ve done so far. That’s a really great job as far as medications. I think it’s important for you to know that as many as 50% of cats cannot actually be diagnosed as far as what’s causing these problems. We do know that there is a neuro-hormone that goes on in those little kitty brains that can actually cause stress related lower urinary tract disease. And for this reason, I might pursue that a little bit more aggressively. So we recommend having, at least, one litter box per cat plus one more. So for you that would be five litter boxes. Keeping those clean. We can look at the environment of these cats. Is there something that’s causing stress that’s leading to these diseases? A behavioralist can oftentimes come in and kind of look at the interactions and maybe make some recommendations. And also seeing your veterinarian is important, too, because sometimes even anti-anxiety medications can benefit. Especially with such an extreme case of these problems for years for you. Viral problems is not something I can diagnose, unfortunately. It doesn’t mean they don’t exist, but it is just not something we can pursue at this point in time. I hope that helps, Emily.
Dr. Marc is a veterinarian and guest blogger for the highly rated pet insurance company, Pets Best Insurance.
Hi. My name is Dr. Marc and I’m filming for Pets Best, answering some Facebook questions for you guys at the Broadway Veterinary Hospital in Boise, Idaho.
This question comes from Jessica. Jessica says that her dog gets eye boogers and has a bit of blood in his ears from itching. “My vet says he has allergies, and I clean his eyes and ears just like the vet told me to, but is there anything else I can do to help, like eye or ear drops? Thanks.”
Dr. Marc is a veterinarian guest blogger for pet insurance provider, Pets Best.
First let’s start with clarifying what shivering (or trembling) is versus what a seizure is.
A seizure is when the dog suddenly loses all body control, paddling their legs, jerking or convulsing. It can last for a number of minutes. To learn more, visit Dr. Fiona’s blog post on dog seizures.
Shivering is when a dog can make eye contact with you and respond to you, but its body is shaking. Shivering can vary from minimally, to a lot, but the dog still has control of its body.
6 Reasons Your Dog May Shiver
1) The most common reason a dog shivers is due to being cold. A normal dog’s temperature may be as high as 102.5 F. Since a dog’s body is warmer than a persons, just touching your dog won’t accurately let you know if they’re cold or not. So be careful during the winter months with dogs being outside, especially little dogs.
Pets Best Insurance is about more than just pet insurance; they want your dogs and cats to live long, healthy lives. As a guest veterinarian blogger, I’m happy to help in that mission by answering pet health questions you have regarding your dogs and cats.
“My dog licks her paw all the time and now has this huge knot…what can I put on it to make it go away?”
While I can’t diagnose your pet via Facebook, I can tell you some conditions your pet may be experiencing. It’s extremely important she see her veterinarian in order to get a proper diagnosis and treatment.
Three Potential Causes of Lumps on Paws
1. Infections caused by foreign bodies
If there’s a large knot, sore or lump on your dog’s paw, this may be due to an infection caused by a foreign body. Cheat grass, plant material and thorns/stickers are common items I’ve found lodged in pet paws, and they all cause uncomfortable infections. Any foreign body is extremely agitating to animals and may cause abscesses in addition to lumps, which may appear knot-like. Typically, minor surgical removal is required, along with medication to help rid the body of the infection.
Hi. My name is Dr. Marc and I’m filming for Pets Best Insurance, answering some Facebook questions for you guys at Broadway Veterinary Hospital in Boise, Idaho.
This question comes from Brittany. She says: “My dog is one who will not go potty outside at all. He’s a rescue and was really traumatized” by events prior to her getting him. She says, “We walk him, reward him, and nothing seems to work, including taking his potty pad out, and playing with him for a long time. He just won’t go outside. He still waits until we are inside before he’ll go,” she says. “I know he gets it because he’ll use a potty pad. He is 35 pounds and this is getting out of control”.
Dr. Marc is a veterinarian guest blogger for 
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