One of the most common problems in our pet population is allergies. Both inhalant (seasonal) allergies and food allergies can affect dogs and cats. In the mp3 file from AVMA embedded on this page, you can hear Dr. Karen Kuhl, a board-certified veterinary dermatologist at the Midwest Veterinary Dermatology Center in Buffalo Grove, Ill., discuss allergies, their diagnosis and treatment, in dogs and cats.

Press play to start the MP3

By now, I am sure you are all familiar with summertime hazards for pets. We understand that heat is more problematic for pets since they rely on panting to get rid of metabolic heat. Panting is not nearly as efficient as sweating for heat reduction.  

Here is a link to a fascinating article in the Wall Street Journal about the attraction of large cats to various perfumes used by people. 

Dogs are social animals. This behavior allows them to establish an order of dominance, to cooperate in pack pursuits like hunting, and to just enjoy being together. Pet owners have found that they can increase the quality of life of their dogs by using these instincts in controlled environments like dog parks. However, there are also risks involved, both to the dogs and the owners, when dogs are brought together. The AVMA has published an excellent group of articles on minimizing the chances of bad things happening in controlled interactive environments.  

The link is: http://www.avma.org/animal_health/disease_risks_dogs/default.asp . A printable version is also available at the site.