With the Iditarod around the corner, I will be putting out some articles about different aspects of training, the race, the dogs, the mushers and all the rest, up 'til I am on a sled . Here goes. What is an Alaskan Husky? The Alaskan Husky is not a pure bred breed recognized by any official organization, but is defined only by its purpose, which is that of a highly efficient dog that pulls a sled. The Alaskan Husky is a blend of various Nordic breeds that may often be crossed with other breeds for various traits that are looked upon to...

A note from a happy customer and a dog that has been kicking butt in competition: “My dog, Lucky vom Rainmaker (Deutsch – Drahthaar) was top scoring dog this year (2014) in the prestigious JGV-USA Oberlaender with a perfect score of 196. This score was the highest score in North America for all HZP Events. The HZP is a test that evaluates the advanced natural abilities of a versatile hunting dog. Most of the dogs who run a HZP are between 10 and 24 months of age. A full HZP (with 5 dogs) will usually last for an entire day. An...

Yachi Hirai and “Vega” won the USDDN World Championships in Freestyle Disc dog recently in Athens,Georgia. Second place was taken by his son, Kosuke Hirai and his dog “Jake”. Thrid place was Dr. Mona Konishi and “Laika”. Go Team Momentum! They all feed Momentum along with the great training and it shows.

America’s Favorite Veterinarian is a nationwide contest created by the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) to identify and celebrate extraordinary veterinary professionals practicing in all areas of veterinary medicine from private practice to public health, agriculture to academia. This contest honors and recognizes those entrusted to preserve and protect the health and well-being of animals and to celebrate the special relationships pet owners share with their veterinarians . “I am sincerely taken aback to have been voted America’s Favorite Veterinarian. It’s humbling to think our little community, clients and friends rallied and showed support in a way I just never expected; it’s...

It is the start of the itchy season and I am getting a lot of questions. So, here is an article that we did a few years back that might be very helpful with trying to diagnosis what is causing your dog or cat to scratch. "The Itchy Animal-How to Understand What is Going On and How to Try to Fix It. This is an article by Dr. Tim that many may find interesting and helpful. Share it with others, please. The itchy dog or cat. By far the most common issue I’ve seen over the years as a veterinarian....

People often ask what is the difference in a food formulated for an active dog versus a dog that may be more stay at home orientated. With activity, dogs tend to have a gastrointestinal tract that could expedite movement of the food through its lumen, or the inside of the GI tract. These dogs need a food that is highly digestible (so uptake happens quickly versus a long period required for digestion to occur or not at all if the ingredients of poor quality or poorly manufactured), and also need a food that may allow for slower transmission along the GI...

How much to feed my puppy is a frequent question that is asked. The answer is in your hands. So, first off, pups do best being fed 2-3 times a day. Remember also that when a pup eats they often have to go outside for a nature break within 5 minutes, so that will help you with predicting and house training much more quickly. Next, the guidelines on bags of food are just that - rough guidelines. I like to recommend feeding enough food so we can feel the ribs and still have some cushion present, thus they are not...

Pictured below is a patient of ours named “Butter.” “Butter” has 26 toes - the most I have ever seen and one off from the world record!  An interesting note here is that I have worked in two Great Lakes   coastal communities (Huron and Superior) and have seen a large over-representation of these cats that I never saw in other  veterinary hospitals where I've worked. Seafaring days gone by must have brought some cats ashore that viewed "any port in a storm” more than in the literal sense.....  A polydactyl cat is a cat with a congenital physical anomaly; a genetic mutation that...

Team Momentum Yachi Hirai & VEGA of Japan took first place in the United States Disc Dog (USDDN) World Finals Championship held the weekend of October 12-13 in Georgia. Congratulations to Yachi and Vega!

Urinary incontinence in female dogs. Do you have a female dog that leaves a few drops to a puddle of urine behind her after she rests for a period of time? This could be an issue with being able to “hold their urine” and is treatable in most cases so don’t be ashamed. After being spayed some female dogs will have an issue later in life where they start to leave wet spots where they laid down. Checking further into this it is evident it is urine. What to do next? Don’t fret, there is an answer. First thing is...

This truly is an amazing dog food. I have fed quality foods in the past and I really feel this is the best of them all. I really spend a lot of time on dog food nutrition and I like knowing what each and every ingredient is. Dr. Tim's has given my girls an awesome shine on their coats, lots of all day energy, plus firm stools. Both dogs go twice a day. It must taste good to them because one of my girls is kind of a picky eater and she will eat this with no hesitation. I did find...

Hair loss on a dog. What is normal? First, most dog blow, or lose, their coat twice a year. They will constantly be shedding some hair but 2 major hair changes occur naturally. What triggers this can vary-time of the year, light, etc. This type of hair loss is uniform, all over the body and will not typically cause bare spots to develop. You have to vacuum a lot more. On the other hand their are conditions that can cause a dog to start to lose hair that are symptoms of other problems that are developing or are in full...