Educational Articles
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Marker-based training such as clicker training is a positive reinforcement technique that allows great precision and can help animals learn complex behaviors. Charging the marker, marking correctly, and building a reinforcement plan will help with successful training.
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Tellington TTouch is a technique developed by Linda Tellington-Jones for conditioning relaxation through gentle massage. The technique can be used in behavior modification programs designed to treat stress and anxiety in people and many species of animals.
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Mini-pigs are very social animals. Understanding their need for attention and their social interactions with the human family or another pet pig is essential to keeping your pet happy. Outdoor activities in a safe, fenced-in yard are helpful and enriching for your pet mini-pig.
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Behavioral health medications are used in animals and humans. They include antidepressants, atypical antidepressants, antipsychotics, and amphetamines. Dogs and cats often require lower doses of these medications than humans and are sensitive to overdoses. As such, when a dog or cat gets into human doses of these medications or a pill vial of their own medication, behavioral health medication poisoning can occur.
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Benazepril HCl is a second-generation angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. This medication may be used to treat high blood pressure, as a vasodilator in the treatment of heart failure and as adjunctive treatment of chronic kidney failure. High blood pressure makes the heart work harder. Over time, the heart and arteries will become damaged and not function correctly. This can lead to damage or malfunctioning of the brain, heart, and kidneys.
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Breed-specific diets are a category of commercial pet feeds available for dogs and cats that are formulated to accommodate various breed predispositions. This article provides a concept overview of these diets, including what they are and what benefits they may serve. Specific examples are reviewed in brief to illustrate case scenarios for common canine and feline breeds.
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Benign fibrous skin tumors can go by many names and in many cases don't need treatment. Surgical excision can be curative unless certain types are due to an underlying tumor elsewhere. The main focus in many cases is addressing underlying allergies or sources of pressure. To adequately diagnose these tumors, a biopsy and histopathology are usually necessary.
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Mammary tumors develop due to abnormal reproduction of the cells that make up the breast tissue. They can be benign or malignant. The incidence of these tumors is related to hormone status, specifically whether a dog is intact or has had an ovariohysterectomy, age, and breed. Because dogs can have both benign and malignant tumors at the same time, surgical removal and histopathology of all tumors are very important.
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Benzoic acid + malic acid + salicylic acid (brand name Derma-Clens®) is an acidic cleansing agent used on burns, wounds, and other skin conditions in cats and dogs. Benzoic acid + malic acid + salicylic acid comes in a topical cream.
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Benzoyl peroxide topical products (2%, 5%) are used in cats and dogs to treat bacterial infections of the skin. They are available as over-the-counter veterinary products in the form of shampoos, gels, and cream rinses.