Comments

• On the Blog Post So You’re Thinking About Getting a Dog

  Patrick Tate

  7:42 am on Tuesday, July 10, 2012

  Great information, Sarah. Thanks for sharing!

  Ashley - my wife and many of my clients are also severely allergic to animals, but can tolerate living with certain dogs. Recently, there have been a lot of questions about this subject submitted to my "Ask the Vet" column. Maybe the answers will help if you ever decide to get another dog (or visit friends that have dogs).

  Why are people allergic to dogs and what makes a dog hypoallergenic?
  http://webstergroves.patch.com/articles/why-are-people-allergic-to-dogs-and-what-makes-a-dog-hypoallergenic

  Which dog breeds are best for people with allergies?
  http://webstergroves.patch.com/articles/which-dog-breeds-are-best-for-people-with-pet-allergies

  What can I do to help reduce the number of allergens on my dog and in my house?
  http://webstergroves.patch.com/articles/ask-the-vet-f592612e

  Reply

• On the Blog Post So You’re Thinking About Getting a Dog

  Patrick Tate

  7:33 am on Tuesday, July 10, 2012

  Great information, Sarah!
  Ashley - my wife and many of my clients are also severely allergic, but have been able to tolerate living with certain dogs. Maybe the answers to recent "Ask the Vet" questions about this subject will help if you ever decide to get another dog (or visit friends that have dogs).

  Which dog breeds are best for people with allergies?
  http://webstergroves.patch.com/articles/which-dog-breeds-are-best-for-people-with-pet-allergies

  What can I do to help reduce the number of allergens on my dog and in my house?
  http://webstergroves.patch.com/articles/ask-the-vet-f592612e

  Reply

• On the article How Can I Help My Dog Cope with the Fear of Thunderstorms?

  

  Patrick Tate

  10:03 am on Monday, April 2, 2012

  Thanks for the research info, Cindy. I’m glad to have feedback from a professional dog trainer with your credentials. Because of space limitations, I didn’t get to mention the “Anxiety Wrap” – the forerunner of all other pressure garments and definitely the most versatile (www.anxietywrap.com). I’m getting a lot of questions about the use of pressure garments and hope to devote a future Ask the Vet column to the subject!

• On the article Is It Bad for an Indoor Cat to Occasionally Roam Outdoors?

  

  Patrick Tate

  8:09 pm on Sunday, March 11, 2012

  Thanks for your comments, Megan! I think you might've missed my March 4th Ask the Vet answer to the reader question "How Can We Satisfy Our Indoor Cat's Desire to Go Outside?" I recommended some safe ways that cats can experience the outdoors - including walking on a lead with a harness. Glad to hear your cats wear collars with ID tags!
  http://webstergroves.patch.com/articles/how-can-we-satisfy-our-indoor-cat-s-desire-to-go-outside

• On the article How Can I Improve My Pet's Dental Hygiene?

  

  Patrick Tate

  1:03 am on Tuesday, January 17, 2012

  Good questions, Ron! But it would be difficult to formulate a nutritional plan for your dog without knowing more details – medical history, type of stones, breed, age, activity level, etc. In the majority of pets, food is prescribed to address one main issue, but in your dog’s case it is a little more complicated. You are wise to be cautious about the urine PH. I would recommend consulting with your veterinarian before making a dietary change. TD might work for your dog as a complete or partial diet. For cases like yours, Hill’s nutritional specialists offer a free consultation service to veterinarians. I have used them many times and have been very pleased with their expertise.

  I'm happy to hear that you began brushing your dog’s teeth and that he doesn’t seem to mind. It is well worth the time and effort! (I need to do a better job of tooth brushing with my own two dogs!) The dog toothpaste should not affect the PH in a significant way.

• On the article How Can I Improve My Pet's Dental Hygiene?

  

  Patrick Tate

  2:49 pm on Friday, January 13, 2012

  Thanks for the input and link, Thomas! The Veterinary News Network does a great job of educating pet owners with balanced and accurate information (often hard to find!). The dental videos & articles are extremely helpful. Please don't hesitate to comment and send VNN links to future Ask the Vet columns!

• On the article What Are the Most Dangerous Household Hazards for Cats?

  Patrick Tate

  3:10 pm on Friday, January 6, 2012

  Thanks for the comments, Ron and Owen! In the Hiding Places section above, I forgot to mention that cats often seek out warm places to sleep. Of course, cats always seem to surprise us - our cat Ozzie loved the refrigerator!

  Reply