Have we veterinarians done such a poor job? Little Simba came in to see us today. He’s four months old and has never seen a veterinarian before today. He came in today only because he was sick with a cough. Veterinarians have long set the standard for preventive care. We have been about prevention of [...]
Part Two Of Dog and Cat Osteosarcoma has been moved here, consolidated with Part One.
Osteosarcoma. It’s an ugly word for an ugly disease. And it’s taking my friend, Catherine, pictured below, whom I’ve been treating since 2003. Let’s break down the word. “Osteo” is a Latin prefix referring to bone. “Sarcoma” describes a group of usually malignant tumors of connective tissue such as bone, ligament, fat, cartilage and various [...]
I saw a worm in my pet’s stool. Now what do I do? First and foremost, carefully collect the specimen. Your pet’s doctor may need to see the worm to make an accurate diagnosis. Use disposable gloves, wrap the worm in a moistened paper towel and put it in a plastic bag. Keep it cool [...]
It’s fascinating to me how animals develop expectations that if something happens once it will happen again, if not repetitively. Today Brownie came in to see us for a routine examination and her mom was telling us about a recent incident in which a mouse came indoors for a visit. Brownie, self-designated protector of the [...]
Man’s best friend escaped from his yard and was accidentally run over by a passing car. The kitty you got from the humane society just last week ran out through an open door the same day you got him. A few days later you found him under the house with a horrible cat fight wound, [...]
Previously we have discussed the potential for dangerous fraud in pet medications. Yesterday an Associated Press wirestory by Marilynn Marchione told horror stories of swine flu-related products that ranged from diagnostics to therapeutics. “Medications” are being sold online without a prescription. One product the FDA tested, claiming to be Tamiflu, contained only talcum powder and [...]
The story of little Susie is one repeated altogether too often in the United States. It is a sad tale of a puppy who got excellent care as a new baby, finished the puppy series of vaccinations, had her spay surgery, and never saw a doctor again. You can substitute kitten for puppy and neuter [...]
Recently I received a comment on www.MyPetsDoctor.com from Xandra in the Philippines. She was unfortunate enough to have had her dog ingest rat poison and to not have access to emergency after-hours pet care where she lives. Xandra was fortunate in a couple of other ways, though. One, she has Internet access, and was able [...]
Dewclaws. Even the name is funny. Spellcheck doesn’t even know it. Then, again, spellcheck doesn’t know “spellcheck”, either! Dewclaws are functionless first digits (toes) on the inside of the front legs of most dogs and cats, and on the rear legs of some individuals. When present on the front legs they almost always have three [...]
Sometimes pet owners administer their pets’ heartworm preventive right on schedule, but they get heartworms anyway. There are no perfect medications. One of my staff members came to me with a surprise a few months ago, “Dr. Randolph, I have something to tell you.” Her lower lip began to tremble. “I’m pregnant.” She took her [...]
I got these two letters in the electronic mail from a mother who obviously knows how to rear a terrific and caring child. You surely recall the story of Brindle, discovered lost and nearly dying by little eight year old Tristan. Here is an update to the ongoing story of Brindle’s recovery. TRISTAN’S MOTHER’S FIRST NOTE Dr [...]
Kristi called with a question while I was away from the clinic. She needed help finding a Rabies tag number for a patient no longer in our computer system. “Sure, that’s easy. What’s the tag number?” I said, and she gave me the number. “Something’s not right,” I replied. “That’s only a four-digit number.” “I’m [...]
Anal sacs are reservoirs for scent material produced by microscopic anal glands. Every dog and cat has two, and they are located at 5 o’clock and 7 o’clock from the center of the anus, inside the external anal sphincter muscle. They are connected to the outside of the body by way of small ducts which [...]
Does your pet suffer from motion sickness? If so, you suffer right along with him. The smell. The mess. The icky way his hair is matted for days afterward. Veterinarians have had a number of tools at our disposal for controlling the vomiting that occurs with motion sickness, but never one as effective as Cerenia. [...]
We lost our “mascot” today. Sweet Dorothy, our next-door-neighbor dog who loved to hang out at our clinic succumbed to old age and arthritis today. She was but one month from her 15th birthday, and quite spry for a 70-pound dog who had a human-equivalence age of 109. Dorothy was named after the writer, Dorothy [...]
Recent Comments