Question: What can be done to reduce the number of allergens on a dog and in a house? Answer: There are many things you can do to both your dog and living space that help reduce allergens. In fact, I would recommend these techniques for anyone that owns a “furry” animal, whether they have pet allergies or not. It is healthier for pet owners to live in a house with less allergen–filled dander, and visitors certainly appreciate it! Pets also benefit from the extra attention to their coats and skin. These techniques work well with any type of dog breed– whether hypoallergenic or high-shedding. …

Heat stroke or heat exhaustion, medically termed hyperthermia, is not uncommon in dogs, particularly mid to large breeds and those with short snouts. Dogs have only nominal ability to dissipate body heat, mostly by panting. This action permits core body heat to be lost over a moist surface in the mouth cavity, as air moves over that surface. A normal body temperature for a dog might range anywhere from 100-102.5°F. When overheating occurs, body temperatures can rise to more than 106°F. By this time, the body physiology may already be undergoing irreversible changes, causing damage and …

Veterinary medicine has evolved in direct parallel to human medicine in many regards. Most family veterinarians in our community sport a great deal of technology, such as ultrasonography, digital radiology and more. You can even find that your family vet has developed special interest in areas of veterinary practice to include exotic animal medicine, avian specialization or dermatology, for example. Nonetheless, our Chesterfield pet owners expect as good care for their dogs and cats as they expect for themselves. St. Louis hosts a broad collection of animal health specialty services, and, …

More than 1,000 species of bats exist worldwide, representing the single most diverse grouping of mammals on the planet. In fact, nearly 20 percent of all mammalian species are bat species.  Bats are the only mammals truly adapted to flight; their finger bones are lengthened and conjoined to neighboring digits by leatherized webbing. these structural adaptations allow bats to fly, just like birds have done for millions of years. Although most people grow up conditioned to fear bats as the flighted depiction of vampires searching out human prey for their blood meal, less than 1 percent of bat …