Last year I started seeing a hamster named Bob. He presented to me with several abscesses under the skin, some pretty large. I talked to the owner and he agreed to let me try and surgically remove them. Now, this is a little hamster, about 37g, so any surgical procedure carries more than an average risk. But this little guy (the nicest hamster I've ever seen) did great. Unfortunately, some of the abscesses were very deep and had spread between some of the muscles and bones. I told the owner that I couldn't remove all of them and he had a guarded long-term prognosis. We started antibiotics post-operatively and hoped for the best, though I warned the owner that we might have to euthanize him soon if he didn't improve.That was almost a year ago. ...
A Client's Bad Decision
Today I had a client who really frustrated me. And this was a situation that I really haven't been faced with before, making it even more difficult to handle.The client has a deaf boxer a little over a year old who has separation anxiety issues. A few days ago he noticed the dog drooling, looked in his mouth, and saw that he had broken a tooth. Today he brought him in for evaluation. The dog was in overall good condition, but had broken off the tip of his upper right canine tooth. The fracture was fairly close to the gum line and the pulp was obviously exposed. So I began to work up an estimate for him. A healthy canine tooth has a long, curved, thick root and is pretty hard to remove. Generally the best way is to use dental drills to remove...
More on allergies
I think I passed out nearing the end of writing the last post. While I haven't documented it officially, about 25-40% (addendum: 50-60%) of my appointments are related to allergies. The dog with a chronic or recurrent otitis (ear infection): primary allergies. Chronic or recurrent pyoderma (skin infection): primary allergies. Chronic or recurrent client kvetching: primary allergies.If symptoms are classic, and the pet responds favourably to antihistamines, a presumptive diagnosis of allergy can be made (though not a complete diagnosis). If a pet doesn't respond to antihistamines, allergic disease cannot be completely ruled out, as some dogs...
Allergies
I honestly don't remember how many times I've written about allergies in dogs and cats (seriously, I don't know if it's once, twice, or more, but I digress...).At least a quarter of all patients I see have skin problems, the vast majority of them, allergies.The white or cream-coloured dog trotting in the park with four stained paws (red-brown colour) elicits an easy spot-diagnosis: allergies. If your dog or cat is constantly licking or munching on her paws, licking her forearms, scratching her armpits and or groin, shaking her head, scratching her ears, munching or licking her behind, or scratching any part of her outer anatomy, she has allergies....
Whose Fault?
From Robbie...I recently adopted a lardge bloodhound from the pound. He was too awesome a dog to get put down, and besides, my other bloodhound needed a playmate.Being from the pound, I was required to have him neutered. The procedure went well, but something did go wrong. His scrotum had swollen immensely, and so two days later they did an emergency surgery to remove it. Afterwards, the vet explained that the problem was one vein he had tied off wasn't tied tight enough and had filled the scrotum with blood. I know very well that mistakes happen, and I'm just glad the problem was resolved. However, this surgery drove the total cost up quite a bit. Times are tough and frankly, I can't afford it, but the vet is charging me full for both surgeries. I don't really see this as fair because the...
Top 10 Poisonous Human Medications
There was a recent article by a vet with the Pet Poison Helpline describing the top 10 human medications that poison pets, and I thought it was worth repeating here. Credit for this information goes to Ahna Brutlag, DVM.1. NSAIDs (e.g., ibuprofen, naproxen)—Topping our list are the common household medications called non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), which include common names such as ibuprofen (e.g., Advil and some types of Motrin) and naproxen (e.g., Aleve). While these medications are safe for people, even one or two pills can cause serious harm to a pet. Dogs, cats, birds and other small mammals including ferrets, gerbils, and hamsters may develop serious stomach and intestinal ulcers as well as kidney failure.2. Acetaminophen—When it comes to pain medications, acetaminophen...
Parenting Gets Hard
Part of my purpose of this blog is to give people a peek into the life of an average veterinarian. Those of you who are parents are going to understand today's discussion.I have two kids, a son who is almost 9, and a daughter who is 7. They are great kids and I love them dearly. Sure, they have their "moments", but they are generally sweet, well-behaved creative and intelligent children. Though I would never say that parenting is easy, it hasn't been as hard as I believe it's getting ready to be.My son has started making friends with some other boys in the neighborhood, both older than him. He has wanted to start riding his bike with them and hanging out. The extra freedom he wants has brought up several rather sticky subjects. We've already talked...
The Right Toothpaste
Sam asks this question...At my puppy’s first vet visit I was given instructions on how to brush my dog’s teeth and a couple of sample toothpastes. I am almost out of the samples, so I stopped by PetSmart the other day to pick up some more and was a bit overwhelmed at the varieties (vanilla-, mint-, beef-flavored, “Natural”, and even some advertising they contain fluoride). They did not have the brand my vet uses (CET). Of course I know not to use human toothpaste for dogs, but now I am wondering: what ingredients to look for and what ingredients to avoid. Is the kind my vet uses better and if so, how? Any insight you have in regards to this issue would be greatly appreciated.First, Sam, I have to commend you for working on brushing your dog's teeth. Regular dental care will help...
"Handicapped" Vets?
An interesting question was sent to me yesterday.I stumbled upon your website through google and found it most interesting. You also seemed pretty friendly so I thought I'll email you.I'm a 19 year old girl going to University of Sydney to study to be a vet! This has always been wanted to do and I'm so glad I've gotten an offer.However, I have unusually shaky hands that still tremble slightly despite supporting my hands on the table etc....Would that affect a vet student drastically? Do you have any advise?Thank you so much.I wanted to bring this up in a public forum because it brings up an interesting and relevant question. What do you physically need to be a successful vet? Can you do it with physical handicaps or limitations?The short answer is "yes", you certainly can...
He Really Did Get Something Stuck!
I had an interesting case today. An otherwise normal cat came to me for coughing or vomiting a little, being a little lethargic, and swallowing a lot. The owner thought that something was stuck in his throat and wanted us to check it out. Now the large majority of the time when an owner thinks that something is caught in the throat it turns out to be something else. However, I did notice that the cat was swallowing more than normal, especially after I felt his throat. Though he was a good cat, he wasn't letting me get a good look back in his throat, so we ended up sedating him to allow a better exam.Once he was asleep I was able to be more thorough. The main part of his mouth was normal, and there was nothing wrapped around his tongue (sometimes when a cat tries...
Global Warming?
Global warming (or "climate change" as is now the politically correct way of putting it) has been a hot-button topic for at least a decade or so, and there are passionate people on both sides of the issue. While the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has reached the conclusion that global warming is occurring and is caused by humans, there are thousands of climate scientists who disagree. I also have yet to see any of the predictions by the global warming advocates come true in the last several years. Global temperatures have actually been decreasing in the last eight years, and we haven't seen the horrible weather they were expecting. Remember when Hurricane Katrina devistated the American Gulf coast? That was a record-breaking year for hurricanes,...
Plastic Problems?
Would you believe that there is such a thing in pets as an allergy to plastic? No joke. And in my experience it's one of the more common ones. I'll see several suspect cases per year, and they generally appear very similar. The pet will come in with irritation or a rash around its mouth. It's usually a noticable problem but not a serious one, so it can be overlooked or ignored for a while. In severe cases there can be some localized infection and discomfort, though it is almost always limited to the area around the mouth and chin (basically, anywhere the pet can closely contact the bowl).Thankfully, this is very easy to rectify. No need for expensive testing, chronic medications, or visits to specialists. Switch to ceramic or metal bowls and...
The "Scam" of Good Medicine
I had an interesting client today. In December I saw her dog for blood in the urine. As is pretty standard in these cases I wanted to run a urinalysis. That was an ordeal, as she wanted a line-item breakdown emailed to her explaining every little detail of what we wanted. Finally she agreed, and we discovered a pretty basic urinary tract infection. I sent the dog home on antibiotics and wanted to do a recheck in two weeks. That was December 18th. Today she calls and says that there is no longer blood in the urine, but the dog is still having to urinate frequently. Okay, no problem. I can recheck the pet and see if the infection is cleared. So I want to do a recheck with a repeat of the urinalysis. She thows a fit because she...
Back To The Grind
Well, the holidays are certainly over, and I've been back to work regularly, but have taken a bit of a break from blogging. That doesn't mean that things haven't been happening! Here's a quick run-down of events in the life of a vet...--I had a lingering cough that turned into full-fledged bronchitis and I'm now on some potent medications for it. I have my wife to thank for talking me into going to the doctor. Why is it that doctors are usually the worst patients?--Our practice is growing steadily, and I've begun the process of interviewing a new doctor to bring our total to three. We have a good candidate, and we'll see if she will accept.--I had a bad bite case come in on Saturday. The dog had been bit by another dog in the family (not the first time the...
