Dr. Teresa Hershey

The Canine flu has been receiving a lot of attention lately, and has become an increasing concern for dog owners. The canine influenza virus is a relatively new pathogen of dogs. It was first identified in January 2004 by Dr. Cynda Crawford at the University of Florida Veterinary School. It was identified in a group…

Westgate Pet Clinic understands that bringing your cat to the veterinarian can be stressful! Many cats are nervous about the car ride and new places. Our aim is to decrease the stress for our feline patients and their people as much as possible. Our staff gets extra training on cat diseases, behavior and proper cat…

Urinary incontinence in female dogs is quite common. The anatomy of the lower urinary tract consists of the bladder and the urethra which in female dogs empties into the vagina. There is a muscular sphincter at the top and bottom of the urethra. When these muscles are constricted, or tightened up, they prevent urinary flow…

Getting a cat to take their medication is sometimes not an easy task! If your cat won’t readily take medication in food, then sometimes we need to pop the pill in their mouth. There are some cats that are very difficult to pill and suspect that you are poisoning them when you try to hide…

The unfortunate truth in America is that cats are considered second class citizens to dogs. Shelter statistics help us paint a story about the welfare of cats. Cats are relinquished to shelters at a rate of about 2:1 compared to dogs. Only 1% of cats are reclaimed from shelters compared to a whopping 50% of…

The Canine flu has been receiving a lot of attention lately, and has become an increasing concern for dog owners The canine influenza virus is a relatively new pathogen of dogs. It was first identified in January 2004 by Dr. Cynda Crawford at the University of Florida Veterinary School. It was identified in a group…

How do I choose food that is right for my pet? Choosing the best pet food for your dog or cat can be very confusing. With hundreds of options available, how do you decide? One of the biggest criteria consumers use for judging a food is how the bag looks! Although this seems silly, if…

Lyme disease is spread by ticks, and the ticks are out in Minnesota! Ticks live for many years, and can survive the winter in a dormant stage. Ticks become active when the ground temperature is about 45 degrees Fahrenheit, so sometimes ticks will be out even if there is snow on the ground. Because ticks…

Mast cells are immune cells in the skin. These immune cells respond to allergies and irritations in the skin and help the skin heal. Sometimes, however, they begin to multiply abnormally to form a tumor. In fact, Mast Cell Tumors (MCT) are the most common malignant skin tumor of dogs. Mast Cell Tumors can look…

What is Lyme Disease? Lyme Disease is a condition caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans and dogs through the bite of infected black legged ticks. Most people that get exposed to the Lyme bacteria get sick with symptoms ranging from fever and fatigue to infection in the joints and nervous…