Our Expert: Dr. Ernie Ward
How to Ward Off Holiday Weight Gain in Pets
By Dr. Ernie Ward | December 21, 2012We’re in the final stretch of that terrible trifecta of weight gain: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. The 39 days in between these holidays offer a multitude of meals for your family to gorge…View Full Post ›
Sights, Smells and Sounds That Stress Your Pet
By Dr. Ernie Ward | December 3, 2012We live in a world chock-full of arresting — and often overwhelming — sights, smells and sounds. But while you can block all that background static with state-of-the-art Bose…View Full Post ›
Scientists Find That Flea Prevention May Help Protect You From Some Serious Illnesses
By Dr. Ernie Ward | April 27, 2012The war on fleas just got more personal. New research published by the Bartonella research team at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine now connects the Bartonella…View Full Post ›
Do Dogs Get a Runner's High? You Bet
By Dr. Ernie Ward | April 20, 2012You’ve probably heard of or experienced “runner’s high.” It’s a powerfully positive mood that typically follows a long, hard run. You feel on top of the world, ready to face any challenges. In…View Full Post ›
Feline Arthritis — A Condition That's More Common Than You Think
By Dr. Ernie Ward | April 13, 2012When I graduated from veterinary school 20 years ago, we learned that cats were so well designed and adapted that they incurred very few injuries or diseases related to their joints and bones.…View Full Post ›
Why a Decline in Veterinary Visits Puts This Vet in a Bad Mood
By Dr. Ernie Ward | March 23, 2012I recently got some bad news. And I hate bad news — especially when I find out that the news is actually worse than I thought it was. The bad news is that pet owners are taking their pets…View Full Post ›
What My Cat’s Mysterious Death Taught Me About Life
By Dr. Ernie Ward | March 16, 2012Pellie was the greatest cat whom I’ve ever known. By knowing, I mean sharing a few years with a spectacular species that’s hard to fully understand. But that’s not what…View Full Post ›
Canine Power Walking: How to Achieve a Good Aerobic Pace
By Dr. Ernie Ward | March 9, 2012Walking for fitness and weight loss is different from simply strolling for pleasure with your dog. To get in a real workout with your four-legged workout buddy, you need to move fast enough to…View Full Post ›
Top Tips for Acing Controlled Leash Walking
By Dr. Ernie Ward | March 2, 2012Many dog owners are either embarrassed or apprehensive about walking their dogs around the neighborhood — especially if their pets are prone to bark, growl or snap at a stranger or another…View Full Post ›
Bologna for Breakfast? Why I Believe One Fast Food Chain Has Gone Too Far
By Dr. Ernie Ward | February 24, 2012Following my column last week about getting your walk on with your dog, and this column about vegetarian dog diets, it seems fitting that I discuss something that's been bothering me around…View Full Post ›
The Fat Pet Reality Gap: Why Good Owners Let Their Pets Gain Weight
By Dr. Ernie Ward | February 10, 2012Wellness is my thing. As I’ve told my veterinary colleagues for many years, wellness is not the absence of illness. In fact, in many of my articles, I’ve explored why defining health…View Full Post ›
Why Boredom Could Be Stressing Out Your Pet
By Dr. Ernie Ward | February 3, 2012Try this little experiment: Ask a four-year-old to lie very still in a room by himself for six to nine hours, with no games, no books and no human interaction. Sure, he can look outside and…View Full Post ›