Dr. Ken Tudor

By Ken Tudor, DVM Feeding the overweight cat is simultaneously both the easiest and the most complex of tasks. With few exceptions—like the Maine Coon at the large end and the emaciated looking Siamese at the small end—the ideal target weight for most cats is approximately 10 pounds. Unlike with dogs, we know the exact size of the thin cat inside Garfield and how many calories he needs....

OpEd: I am a big believer in the family bed. For the first 13 years of marriage, a herd of cats and dogs joined my wife and me in bed every night. After that, our two children, who were four years apart, joined the menagerie. The results were extraordinary. The bonding with our pets was so formative that they were easily trained without any expertise on our part. Potty training was never an issue...

It seems a wolf will accept any sexual partner when another wolf is not available. Faced with dwindling numbers starting 100-200 years ago, wolves in southern Ontario, Canada, have been mating with coyotes and dogs. This has created a breed called the “coywolf” by those studying this new creature. This information is featured in a recent Science and Technology section of The Economist...

“The solution to pollution is dilution” is the phrase we veterinarians now use to explain how to prevent urinary crystal and stone formation. Time, observation, and studies have shown us that there are no magical diets for solving this problem and that water consumption is key. Different types of crystals and stones form depending on whether the urine is acidic or alkaline. Special diets...

Over 25% of dogs eight to 10 years old suffer from the pain of osteoarthritis. Of dogs 10-13 years old, 35% are afflicted. For dogs weighing over 50 pounds the rate is reported to be 45%. The numbers for cats show an even greater occurrence of arthritis. A 2011 study found: 61% of cats 6 years and over showed x-ray evidence of arthritis in at least one joint   48% of cats in the same age group...

I am sure you have all been told that your pets don’t need any supplements if they are on a commercial diet that meets AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) nutrient requirements. For adequate nutrition that is probably true. But who wants just adequate nutrition for their pet? Like ourselves, we want our pets at maximum health and wellness. Commercial diets fall short of...