Sweet little Spooky was saved from cryptorchidism surgery by this green tattoo. Spooky showed up at a client’s home a few weeks ago. They have two cats already, and no room indoors for him to be a pet, but they didn’t want nature to ravage him, either. We examined him and found his left ear partially missing. [...]
Cryptorchidism occurs when testicles fail to enter the scrotum and instead are retained in the abdomen. Equivalent terms are “retained testicle(s)” and “undescended testicle(s).” Crypto, from the Greek kryptos, means “hidden.” The Greek word orkhis means “testicle.” In mammalian embryos (people, dogs, cats, cattle, horses, etc.), gonads of both genders begin life immediately below each kidney. [...]
Sheri writes: My cat has a cyst just under his left ear. It started out as a lump, and has grown to be a dangling sac. I want this thing gone. The veterinarian says it’s fine to stay, and the issue is that he can’t be put under because of his heart murmur. Is the [...]
“Doctor, I’m concerned. My pet had surgery today to remove a mass under the skin one inch in diameter, but his surgical incision is six inches long. Why is that?” The surgical technique for removing masses such as the one illustrated in the photograph at right is called excision. The term stems from the Latin [...]
“What kind of tumor is it, Doctor?” This common question is difficult, often even impossible, to answer prior to testing. A “pre-test” administered by our pathology professor, Dr. Groth proved that merely looking at mass on a patient will rarely give us an accurate answer. Neither will a look at the mass after surgical removal. [...]
Mandy from California writes with a question: “I believe my cat has a Cuterebra. Do you know how much the veterinarian will charge to have it removed?”It’s a common and reasonable question. Alas, it is a question without an answer. It’s a cousin to the question we got on the phone earlier today: “My dog [...]
Missy writes with an interesting question: I adopted an older cat who the previous owner told me is fixed, but she doesn’t have the tattoo. Is there anyway to ensure she is fixed and get the tattoo for her? To read about spay/neuter tattoos, click here. Yes, Missy, you have several ways to solve [...]
Lisa writes: “My Husky has a cyst on his upper back that is slightly over an inch around and tall. It has not burst or drained. My veterinarian said to leave it alone or he could have surgery to remove it but that it would probably come back. Will it come back? I’d like to have [...]
My 10-year-old Rambo has an ear haematoma about 2 cm size. This is the 3rd time he got one, in spite of drainage with a syringe every time. Last time I gave him an antibiotic also. Can you please tell me conservative management this time with drug and please specify the dose of drugs? There [...]
Melissa writes with some interesting questions: “My 3 year old Siberian Husky has a sebaceous cyst (diagnosed by 2 different veterinarians). It started off a pea size, about 6 months ago and grew to an inch wide, by an inch and a half tall. It burst a week ago (what a mess!). Now it is an [...]
Sarah writes: My 9 year old golden retriever just went through Auricular Hematoma surgery as described above, http://www.mypetsdoctor.com/auricular-hematoma-in-dog-cat, with the incision in the middle and the sutures throughout the whole ear. These were left in for a little over two weeks. This was an expensive surgery and we did all the things our veterinarian told [...]
Umbilical hernia is an inheritable condition in dogs. Insufficient research has been completed in cats to know whether inheritance is a factor. Sedona really knows how to take a nap! Just as in people, the umbilicus, or navel, serves as the attachment location for blood and waste products to be exchanged from the mother to [...]
Recently we discussed Lucy, whose chronic ear problems required her to undergo a surgical procedure called Zepp Lateral Ear Resection. We performed the procedure and it went uneventfully. The only down side is that, after the procedure, when we were easily able to access the horizontal ear canal, we found it to also be swollen closed. [...]
Auricular hematoma: Let’s break down the words. Auricular is an adjective referring to the ear. “Hema” is a prefix referring to blood. “Toma” means swelling, and is the root for our word tumor. Auricular hematoma occurs when blood collects between the skin layers and cartilage of the flap of the ear, known as the pinna. [...]
Anesthesia in old dogs and cats. If you want to scare a pet lover, tell him or her that you are going to need to perform surgery on their pet who is in his teens. For lay people, it’s still a pretty scary concept. However, in modern times it is nearly an everyday event. Of [...]
Ever watch a football game and see an injury that just made you turn your head and wish you hadn’t seen what you saw? That’s the nature of knee injuries. “Clipping” is a personal foul in football that involves hitting a player from behind, above the knees, to tackle him. Clipping is outlawed because it [...]
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