So my Dog is Pleasantly Plump??

It is hard to not give in when we think our dogs are ‘starving’.   Did you know that if you can maintain a healthy weight for your dog you can actually reduce the chance of your dog getting arthritis by 33%!!  Dogs that are overweight are also treated for the pain associated with arthritis at an earlier age. Overweight dogs also rupture their cruciate ligament (ligament in the knee)  2-3 times more often than dogs of normal weight.  Convinced yet??

So what is the secret to loosing and keeping weight off?  Read the rest of this entry »

In talking to pet owners, I have seen a lot of denial about their dog or cat’s weight problem.  For some reason we make a lot of excuses or we just chose to ignore the signs that our beloved pet is overweight.  Also, we tend to take this a bit personally.  But actually, obesity in dogs is very common.  There are many studies that estimate that 25 to 40% of all dogs are overweight.  Why is this important?  Read the rest of this entry »

This next couple of blogs will help you determine if your pet is the ONE out of four dogs that suffers from the pain and immobility caused by arthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA), also known as degenerative arthritis, degenerative joint disease, or just “wear and tear”, is a condition in which low-grade inflammation results in pain in the joints. The result is pain and wearing of the cartilage that covers the bones of the joints. Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. Marquis and Yeoman

Veterinarian Spotlight: Dr. Marquis and Yeoman

Dr. Bob Marquis of Tiara Rado Animal Hospital is using cutting-edge medicine to treat arthritis and other joint problems in large breed dogs. In the past year, he has treated nearly 20 dogs using intra-articular injection of their own adult stem cells. “We are just beginning to scratch the surface of what stem cells can do and it’s really exciting,” Marquis said. “Our work has all been very positive for these animals with no negative effects so far,” Marquis said.

Marquis hopes that some day stem cells will become widely used in veterinarian medicine. He stays well educated on new medical procedures, explaining that already researchers are finding new ways to treat kidney and liver disease using stem cells. It could become a valuable tool for doctors to treat disease in animals.

Read the full story to learn more about fat derived stem cells to treat arthritis in dogs, and their potential to treat other diseases.