Holly has this question about her dog...I've taken my 10-year-old mixed breed, Biscuit, in to be seeing by the vet on a regular (well pet) schedule. She is 10 years old, a border collie/ shepherd/??? mix. She had issues with diarrhea as a young dog and has been on Eukanuba low residue diet her entire life since these problems emerged (18 - 24 mos.) She is exhibiting pain in jumping up onto "her" chair, never jumps on the bed anymore and her right upper leg appears to be "wasted". Nonetheless, she still enjoys a 3 mile walk each and every day without limping and is not overweight. My vet took an x-ray of her hip and spine. While the spine shows evidence of some arthritis, the hip appears unaffected. What are we missing here? I've changed...
Christmas With The Berns
I've taken a few days off and let my associates handle the duties, a perk of being in charge. Don't worry, they're getting time off also. But I wanted to have a little extra time with my family.Yesterday I spent the entire day in PJs, playing games and watching movies with my wife and kids. It was really nice to have that kind of slow, relaxing quality time with my family. With the way life can get hectic sometimes, it can be hard to have that kind of time. We rarely slow down long enough to really see what is around us in our own lives, especially this time of year. There is so much going on around Christmas with obligations, parties, shopping, and so on that we can forget what the season is really about.Remember that this is supposed to be the Season of...
Mysterious Bloody Urine
Meaghan presents this situation...ok here is the background...female american bulldog/french mastiff mix. dob 9/2/2009.i had gotten her, Chaise, when she was 8 weeks old. she was from a litter of 13. at around 3-4 months she started to have blood in her urine. everything else was fine, eating sleeping, playing all fine. took her to vet, said twice it was just a uti. she was on antibiotics for 4 weeks and nothing helped clear it up. switched vets and the new vets ran many more tests including; xrays, cultures, cbc, liver functions, kidney function, clotting test, ultrasound, and finally exploritive surgery which she also got spayed. still nothing. all the test came back fine. and the surgery all they could say was that there was...
MMMRREOOOOOWWW!!!!
I've been practicing for 13 years, so it takes a lot for a client to really surprise or startle me. Today this happened.The client came in because her cat had been in a fight last night and had a swollen leg. Not necessarily a big deal, as I suspected an abscess or other injury. When my tech came out of the room after the initial exam, he said that the client seemed a little bit strange and wasn't being reasonable. For example, she refused to let us weigh the cat, saying he was "about 13 pounds" but not letting us confirm (I was able to weigh him later and he was 14.3 pounds). I've seen some strange clients, so I didn't worry about it much at that point, figuring it would be just another odd interaction. Little did I know....So I went into the room, introduced...
Using Drugs With Imagination
Acepromazine is a common drug in veterinary medicine, used primarily as a sedative. It comes in both pill and injectable forms and is something we use in one form or another on a daily basis. It's also been around for a long time, so it's something we're all very familiar with. Yet one of my techs showed me something quite surprising.On the bottle of acepromazine there was a drug guide, something common to all medications. These guides discuss the pharmacology of the medication, including structure, common uses, dosages, adverse effects, and so on. Much to my surprise, this is what is printed on part of that label."Description: Acepromazine maleate USP, a potent neuroleptic agent with a low order of toxicity, is of particular value in the tranquilization...
Costs Of Dog Ownership
I received a great question from a reader, Jessica....I'm going through the very intensive decision over whether I will adopt a dog next year. I am an extremely responsible, pet-experienced twenty year old, and I have two years experience in the doggy daycare industry and I know I'll have no problems properly caring for a dog. Similarly, I've also realized that I can work my schedule out so I'm home most of the day with the dog. My only concern is the cost of vet bills. I have a good chunk of money saved up in case of emergencies (which I would use if necessary) but I do wonder what the yearly physical, with shots and such, tends to cost. I know that perhaps one of the biggest problems people have when they own animals is being able to pay for them financially and I want...
Evolving Anesthesia
Currently my practice is getting ready to change our anesthesia protocols. We've spent time reviewing the literature, consulting with specialists, and deciding what is both safe and cost-effective to use. I'm pretty excited about the changes, and really believe that it will allow us to have better and safer anesthesia, as well as better and safer pain control.Most clients probably don't realize that the anesthesia can be extremely different from one veterinary practice to another. There simply is no one, single consensus among veterinarians regarding which protocol should be used. Some vets elect to do anesthesia as cheaply as possible to make it available to more people, recognizing that the cheapest drugs usually come with greater risks than others. Some vets...
Exotics Week: Practice Builder
Today's entry is specifically directed at veterinarians and veterinary students. But the rest of you can get some insight into running a veterinary practice.I know that as veterinarians we don't get much practice in exotic pet medicine in school, and some vets simply don't like seeing these pets for personal reasons (such as s snake phobia). However, I've known many vets who don't see exotics because they feel they don't have the right training for it and are unwilling to take the steps to get the training. Those vets are missing out on a potential practice builder.I'm one of the few vets in my area who will see just about anything you can bring in (other than livestock and large animals). I don't consider myself an expert, but I can certainly see many kinds of animals...
Exotics Week: Overgrown Teeth
All rodents and rabbits (technically rabbits are lagomorphs, not rodents) have teeth with open roots that grow throughout their lives. By chewing on hard objects they naturally wear the teeth down so they don't become too long. However, sometimes the teeth do become overgrown and this can cause serious problems.Most people don't look at their pet's teeth, so early signs usually go unnoticed. It's also impossible to see their molars by simply looking at their mouth, so normally the incisors are the only ones visible. Therefore problems with the incisors can be noticed by an owner, but not problems with the molars. ...
Exotics Week: Blood Feathers
Anyone who has birds should know about blood feathers. This isn't a disorder and is a natural part of the feather growth. However, broken blood feathers can be a big mess.When a new feather starts to grow in, it has blood in the shaft to give nutrients during the growth phase. The blood gives the shaft a dark blue appearance and is very distinctive. Here are a couple of pictures.Once the feather reaches full growth, the blood recedes, leaving the shaft hollow and clear.Problems can happen when the blood feather breaks. This can occur when the wing or tail beats against the side of a cage or other hard object, during...
Exotics Week: Guinea Pig Mites
I see a lot of guinea pigs in my practice and the single most common problem I see in them is skin mites. Now first I want to clarify that mites and lice are very different. Mites are microscopic and lice are barely visible. Though they may have some similarities in causing itching, their behavior and progression are different.A guinea pig with skin mites is invariably itchy. Sometimes mildly so, but often very significantly so. In fact, a guinea pig can itch so severely that they will go into full-blown seizures. This may happen spontaneously or after handling or scratching. Though the seizures are scary to see, they aren't harmful and will go away once the pet is treated.These pets will start to have scaly, scabbed skin and will lose hair. As the...
Exotics Week: Metabolic Bone Disease
Continuing with reptiles, let's take a look at another completely preventable condition in captive reptiles...metabolic bone disease. This disorder involves a lack of proper bone absorption of calcium, resulting in a serious health condition. Though it's primarily seen as a problem in the bones, calcium is also involved in proper muscle contraction so you can see muscle problems as well.Proper calcium metabolism requires two parts. First is taking in enough calcium. Reptiles must be fed specific calcium-rich fruits and vegetables, especially dark green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, etc.). It's sometimes surprising how many people don't realize that many pet reptiles are mostly herbivores and don't need much in the way of insects as...
Exotics Week: Vitamin A Deficiency
I haven't done a themed week in a while, so it's about time. Exotic pets are a strong interest of mine to the point where I'm designated as training people in this area in my practice. I thought I would share some important topics that might help owners of these pets.The first topic is vitamin A deficiency, mainly seen in turtles. This is a completely preventable disease, as it's related to improper feeding. The patient most commonly presents with swollen, puffy eyes and potentially torn or raw skin. It's also common to have some nasal discharge. Though lab tests can help establish the pet's health, this is...
Why So Many Women?
There was a recent article describing why women choose certain professions, especially in medicine. The study described that one of the biggest determining factors was not an inherent love of the field, but its low cost to families. The professions that allowed the best balance of work and family are the ones that women are choosing to go into. And yes, veterinary medicine is one of those fields. Here's a quote from the article.Among professions with the fastest-growing proportions of women are veterinary medicine. Because of growth in veterinary hospitals and emergency clinics, vets increasingly have been able to eliminate on-call, night and weekend hours, and to work part-time, Goldin says. The proportion of female grads in vet medicine has soared to almost 80%,...
Bonding With The Physician
I've come to a good understanding and bond with my own physician. He's known what I do since I started seeing him and we'll sometimes talk about cases together. I went to see him today and realized that veterinarians and human doctors have things in common besides our medical training.He was running late today, and it was almost an hour from the time that I checked in until he came into the room. Honestly, it didn't bother me. I always bring a book or something to work on when I have a doctor's appointment, because there's usually a wait. I'm also well aware of how your schedule can get off-kilter, so I'm very forgiving of other doctors' delays. When he entered he apologized for the wait. Since we sometimes "talk shop" he explained one of the cases...
Don't Share Your Dinner....SERIOUSLY!
My clinic received a big reminder why people should never share their meals with their pets. Here in the US last Thursday was Thanksgiving. To you non-Americans, this is an annual holiday in memory of one of the first colonies in the US after they survived a hard winter and gave thanks. It's a time for getting together with family, being thankful for what we have, and eating lots of food. Traditionally, the staple of the Thanksgiving meal is turkey, though lots of other things are also served.Last week a client gave her seven pound yorkie a turkey leg and gravy. Over the weekend she developed acute pancreatitis and has been in the clinic for the last couple of days. She's stable, but is in serious condition and is very painful. Pancreatitis is a common...
Where Does Obligation End? Part 1
Recently we had a client visit one of our clinics (we're a multi-location practice) because she believed her dog had eaten some rat poison. The doctor worked up a treatment plan and it was presented to the owner. She said that she could not pay for the services. She was offered Care Credit (a medical credit card here in the US), but said she wouldn't qualify. She didn't have any other credit cards, and said that her check would bounce. Basically she was offered every payment option we have (we don't do in-house billing and payment plans), but couldn't do any of them. So treatment was not performed and she was referred to a local emergency clinic in hopes that they might be able to work out payment with her. Her visit there ended up the same way, with...
Pain In The Neck
Back in September I saw a dog for a swelling on the neck. Apparently the dog had fallen while running back in the Spring, and had landed on a sharp rock. Since then she .had a bloody swelling on the left side of her neck where she hit the rock. A previous veterinarian had thought this was a hematoma (blood swelling or clot under the skin) and various treatments hadn't helped. So she came to me for a second opinion.I noticed that there was a slight draining tract and some inflamed tissue that was potentially preventing it from closing. Whatever the cause, we needed to do surgery to try and resolve the issue. The owner agreed to the procedure, and a couple of weeks later one of my associates performed the surgery. Now keep in mind that this was about four...
No Blame In Cancer
Here's a question from Stefanie...I just recently found out that my 14 year old Queensland Heeler/Australian Shepherd dog has a squamous cell carcinoma in her throat. It is attached to her soft palate and left tonsil and is quite large. (I was shown a picture of it) To quote the biopsy results "poorly differentiated, aggressive, locally invasive". Since she is 14 - after discussing options with the vet (her recommendations were referral to an oncologist, "debulking" the tumor which would buy some time but not necessarily prevent it from growing back, or just keeping her happy and comfortable for as long as possible). I was told she has 3-6 months and the tumor will likely eventually cut off her airway. I chose option three - keeping her happy and comfortable and will put her down when...
Pica
Pica is a medical condition veterinarians sometimes encounter in practice. Pica comes from the latin word for magpie, a bird with a reputation for eating almost anything. Pica is considered a symptom of disease (like vomiting or fever, for example), not a disease per se. Pica can be exhibited by dogs and cats suffering from a plethora of medical conditions, from gastrointestinal parasites, to anemia, to liver disease, to cancer. While most humans who exhibit pica have serious mental illness (OCD, schizophrenia, etc), dog and cats almost invariably have a physical condition, often a lack of a dietary requirement or nutrient of some kind, or...
Heartworm Resistance?
There is a potentially emerging problem here in the US....potential resistance of heartworms to current preventative medicines. While it's not time to panic, there is reason for concern.One of the worst areas in the US for heartworm disease is the lower Mississippi River region. The presence of water as well as high temperatures and humidity throughout the year make it an excellent breeding ground for the mosquitoes that carry heartworm disease. In the last few years there have been several cases reported of dogs who had been consistently on prevention yet still developed heartworm disease. It's gone beyond a couple of questionable cases to the point that top parasitologists are investigating the possibility of resistance.All of this fear is currently speculation and...
Sick Feral Kittens
Here's a question from Patti....Back in August I spotted a tiny kitten lounging on my driveway. I felt sorry for it because of the heat and decided to give it water and a bit of food. (I know not to, but it was a kitten!) Anyway I set it out there, the kitten ran off, then I saw what turned out to be mama cat and another kitten. I opted to continue feeding all three of them. Mama seemed to bail after about a month or so. It was getting colder outside, so I fashioned an old cat carrier into a shelter with a blanket. They use it too. So here is the problem. The kittens both have been sneezing and the smallest one is really congested. They are so skittish, so I can't grab them up to take them to the vet. I talk to them to try to put them at ease. They will allow me to play with...
Post-Bone Problems
Donna sent this in... I am writing in reference to my 7 mo. old English Mastiff. I recently gave him a large raw cow bone on Monday afternoon and the following Wed. he became ill. I fed him his kibble which he started hacking and proceeded to throw all that up. He started to shiver, hack just general not feeling well. I took him to our new vet and my pup did have an elevated temp. 103. the vet said he had a bacterial infection poss. e-coli, salmonella. He kept him overnight and I picked him up the next morning with the only instructions to give him his antibiotics and pain meds, Tramadol 2 50mg every 12 hrs. There was no bloodwork or x-rays taken. I got my pup to eat some boiled chicken and rice shortly after I got him home (about noonish)" then later that...
Normal Play?
Yesterday I had a client that was worried about her seven month old puppy being aggressive. In the exam room the dog was energetic and sweet with no signs of behavioral problems. As I questioned the owner and delved into the behaviors I realized that the owner was describing normal play behaviors. It's actually not uncommon for an average pet owner to be confused, as some play behaviors in dogs can appear aggressive. And since animal behavior is a strong interest of mine, that's today's blog topic.Here is a recent picture of my two dogs: Inara on the left and Yvaine on the right.Looks pretty fearsome, right? ...
You've Worked Too Long As A Vet When....
Part of my goal for this blog is to peel back the curtain of veterinary medicine and let people see what the life of an average vet is like. For those outside of the profession this may be a bit of an eye-opener at times as you see things that you never realized. This may be another of those times.A friend of mine who is also a vet comes up with some great humorous lists that always have surprising truth in them. I saw him post this list a few days ago and really laughed at it. There are many things here that non-veterinarians (or their staff) simply won't understand or find funny. But those of you who have been in the profession for any length of time will likely laugh out loud. One of the most amusing thing about this list is that it is completely and utterly true...and to those of...
Cancerous Eye
Good week for reader questions! Here's one from Darlene.Our cat, Tig, is a 13 year old (indoor only) domestic short haired cat. She has been in very good health until the last month or so. We began to notice the color of her iris began to get darker. In addition, sometimes her pupil began to stay open wider than the other pupil in the other eye. She has not shown any signs of pain. She does not wash that eye anymore and will let you pet her face near that eye. We recently took her to the vet to be examined. They informed us she likely has an iris melanoma with glaucoma in that eye. They have recommended she have an enucleation procedure performed. They would have the eye sent to UGA to see if the tumors in the eye were Cancerous. We have become more comfortable with the removal...
Painful Swallowing
Here's a case sent in by Kristin...I have an 8 month old Maltipoo that I rescued 4 months ago. He was late getting his shots because the previous owners did not give him his shots. He has had his 6 in 1 shots but has not received Bordatella because I thought it was included in the 6 in 1. Recently he has been sick. Slight cough, slight fever so I took him to the vet and he has been on antibiotics for approximately a week. Nothing too abnormal about this scenario so far right? Well, here is where it gets interesting. I told the vet the first thing I noticed about him being sick was an unusual behavior. When he would attempt to eat he would extend his front left leg out in front of him and whine in pain. He went off his feed entirely just prior to me taking him to the vet for about 3...
Chupacabra Revealed
Here's a story that's perfect for Halloween.For those who aren't into cryptozoology, the chupacabra is a creature seen in parts of the Americas that has a legendary status similar to Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. The name literally means "goat sucker" based on its behavior of drinking the blood of goats and other farm animals. The Wikipedia entry on chupacabras lists the following description: The most common description of chupacabras is a reptile-like being, appearing to have leathery or scaly greenish-gray skin and sharp spines or quills running down its back.This form stands approximately 3 to 4 feet (1 to 1.2 m) high, and stands...
