Marigold is a sweet, middle-aged, orange tabby cat found as a stray and taken to the city shelter. Affectionate and easy-going, she had everything going for her, except for one critical flaw that threatened her adoptability -- she had constant liquid diarrhea. Even though she was a favorite at the shelter, her cage was constantly a mess, as was her bright orange fur, and it wasn’t long before Marigold was deemed “unadoptable.” Soon after, her digestive issues earned her a spot at the top of the shelter’s euthanasia list.
What if your cat loves dairy, but even a treat-sized dollop of milk or cream leads to unpleasant symptoms like gas, diarrhea, or vomiting? Actually, that’s pretty normal. Most adult cats have trouble digesting dairy products because they lack the ability to break down lactose, the sugar found in milk. Lactose makes up between 2% and 8% of milk.
Anxiety and aggression are common problems in dogs. In fact, it’s estimated up to 70% of behavioral problems in dogs can be attributed to some form of anxiety, according to the Journal of Veterinary Behavior. As strange as it sounds, the bacteria that live in your dog’s gut (digestive tract) may affect their mood, and therefore their behavior. Evidence suggests that the gut influences the brain, and these two are constantly communicating with each other.
Most dogs get all the vitamin B12 they need from their food. But dogs with digestive disorders or other health issues may not be able to absorb enough of it, and the resulting B12 deficiency can cause serious health problems, including diarrhea, weight loss, and even seizures. When AnimalBiome CEO Holly Ganz’s dog Yuki developed pancreatic cancer at the age of 16, for example, her B12 levels plummeted.
Mr. Darcy is a dashing dachshund-beagle-terrier mix dog who lives in New York City. When he started having bloody diarrhea on the sidewalk every day, it was a nightmare for poor Mr. Darcy and his family as well. His veterinarian couldn’t figure out what was wrong. He became lethargic. His people were worried. But luckily Mr. Darcy got help from the people who know all about gut health and digestive disorders in pets.
In dogs and cats, diarrhea is an extremely common occurrence. But did you know that many diarrhea cases are caused by a bacterial pathogen called Clostridium difficile (which is commonly called C diff for short)? If you take your sick pet to the veterinarian with a report of frequent diarrhea, your vet will likely run a test on their stool that looks for the presence of particular bacterial pathogens, including Clostridium difficile. If C diff is detected in your pet’s stool, it’s very likely the culprit for causing their diarrhea.
Itch, itch...scratch, scratch and repeat—persistent dog scratching can consume your dog’s life, along with causing your pet to feel miserable. Since pesky itching affects many dogs and their pet parents we asked Dr. Michael Sterns of 4Paws Mobile Veterinary Services in Mountain View, California to offer some of his thoughts regarding how to help itchy dogs. Many people don’t realize that allergies are just as common in our pets as they are in us. A common skin disorder in dogs that causes itchy skin is atopic dermatitis. In fact, it is the second most common allergic skin disease in dogs.
Did you know that vitamin B12 (also called cobalamin) is crucial for your cat’s health? But if your cat suffers from a chronic digestive disorder like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or pancreatitis, their body may have trouble absorbing or retaining enough of this nutrient. In a sick cat, symptoms such as lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation may be partly due to B12 deficiency.
Halloween is almost here—many of us enjoy this haunting holiday but our pets often find it truly scary. The things that make Halloween fun for us humans like frightening sounds or trick-or-treaters at the door in costumes may overwhelm our furry companions. And some elements of Halloween can pose safety risks for our pets. Below we’ve provided a few tips to help your pet have a safe, spook and stress-free Halloween.
Before joining the AnimalBiome team, Kirsten Copren ran a biotech lab focused on cancer genomics at UCSF, trained hard-working teams of scientists, and way-back when was an organismal biologist studying insect genetics. We asked her about her background, her work at AnimalBiome, and of course her pets.
