Articles

Dogs love to eat fish and fish parts, but in this region they often get sick from eating any part of the Salmonid type fish in its raw state. The disease is called Salmon Poison Disease, Fish Disease, Salmon Infection, Pacific Northwest Fish Fever, and a variety of others. Please note that it is a very different disease from Salmonella. Salmon Poison Disease (SPD) is very serious and an estimated 90 percent of infected [...]

Dogs cough for many reasons. Some are really important and need urgent attention, yet others aren’t so urgent. Often an owner thinks there is something stuck in a dog's throat. Yes this happens, but not that often. In general, my recommendation is to take your dog in for a complete exam. It seems in the summertime each year there is a local outbreak of canine kennel cough—a disease that causes coughing in dogs that [...]

Walking your dog(s) around town is a good thing for both you and your dog, but walking on roads near cars and/or the public can easily turn to tragedy should an unpredictable event occur such as being hit by a car or becoming involved in a dog fight. There are things that you can do to increase your safety and ensure that tragedy is much less likely. Have control of your dog—this means use [...]

As part of the yearly exam (or 6-month exam for elderly or sick dogs) the mouth should be examined along with all the major systems. This exam is part of medical data collection to facilitate good health in your dog. During this exam your veterinarian may find that there is something that indicates bad breath may be a medical issue (oral cancer, lung problem, heart problem, foreign body) or the exam may point at [...]

The importance of the canine nail trim cannot be understated. At Astoria Animal Hospital we counsel our clients that dogs should have their nails trimmed every 2-4 weeks, to keep them at optimal length. The canine nail adheres very tightly to the last bone of the toe and when the nail is too long it causes the last bone to be pushed up when the foot strikes the ground. This logically affects foot placement [...]

Itching in dogs can be a simple thing or a very complicated condition. In our coastal location, fleas are one of the main sources of itching in dogs. Our hospital hears one statement a lot, which is “my dog doesn’t have fleas.” Well in fact, many dogs do. It is very possible–even likely–that fleas are part of the problem if your dog and your house are not treated for them. With an itchy dog, [...]