My Pet's Doctor Blog | MyPetsDoctor.com - Part 2

Giving And Loving For Pets

January 21, 2010

I graduated from Mary Carroll High School, Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1969. My best friend from 7th grade to 12th was Eddie.
My father was a teacher at Richard King High School, across town, and Eddie and I became acquainted at South Park Junior High because both of our fathers had to drop us off early [...]

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Sam The Westie Update

January 19, 2010

I am pleased to report that our little Westie patient, Sam, (original story) (first update) (second update) has made dramatic improvement.
We did all we could here at our hospital, but finally had to call in an expert, board-certified veterinary dermatologist Dr. Steven LeMarie’ to perform skin testing for Sam and begin hyposensitization, or “allergy shots.”
Hyposensitization [...]

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Early Spay And Neuter

January 18, 2010

Dear Reader,
Please be aware that the photographs of tissues below are graphic, which is why we have put them at the bottom of the page. Squeamish readers may elect to read the text and forego scrolling all the way down to the pictures.
EARLY SPAY AND NEUTER
Bob Barker and many other spay/neuter advocates, as well as [...]

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Happy Birthday, Stephanie!

January 16, 2010

Today is our receptionist, Stephanie’s, birthday.
To surprise her, all of the staff on duty this morning, and I, called her cell phone to sing Happy Birthday.
The surprise was on us, however. Her husband answered the phone, “Hola,” which is Spanish for “Hello,” according to Dora The Explorer.
They moved here about a year ago from a [...]

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Tapeworms In Dogs And Cats

January 15, 2010

Tapeworms in dogs are Dipylidium caninum, Taenia pisiformis and Echinococcus granulosus.
Tapeworms in cats are Dipylidium caninum and Taenia taeniaformis.

Dipylidium caninum
Let’s begin with the tapeworms you are most likely to deal with in your pet, Dipylidium caninum or D. caninum. As with many parasites, the life cycle of D. caninum is complex and includes an intermediate [...]

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Guest-Pet Etiquette

January 14, 2010

Have you ever invited friends or family for a stay in your home, only to be surprised that they brought along an uninvited guest? A four-legged guest? Or two? This really happened to me and taught me a valuable lesson about taking one’s pets for visits.
Veterinarians tend to be gregarious folks, often learning their open-door [...]

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A Cat With A Urinary Tract Problem

January 14, 2010

A cat with a urinary tract problem.
After thirty years of practice it certainly isn’t an unfamiliar scenario for any day of the week. However, Theodore turned out to be a very unusual presentation.
His pet parents, we’ll call them Joe and Susie, had gone on vacation. Nevermind where they went, we’ll just say it’s one of [...]

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Reeves Elementary School Kids Learn About Veterinarians

January 12, 2010

Dear Readers,
This post is being presented today at Thomas L. Reeves Elementary School in Long Beach, Mississippi. Dr, Randolph will be in the classroom of Mrs. Jill Lipski and Mrs. Robbin VonderBruegge. as part of an annual January program to emphasize the importance of reading in the daily activities of various professions.

My name is Dr. [...]

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What Is A Veterinarian?

January 11, 2010

I’m writing this column at an interestingly serendipitous location: my Uncle Sam Burrell’s house in Attala County, Mississippi. Interestingly serendipitous because it is here that the seed was planted for me to become a veterinarian.
My wife and I talk to each other on the phone almost every night when either of us is out of [...]

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Heated Pet Bed

January 9, 2010

Knock, knock! FedEx delivery!
Pearl’s new heated kitty bed just arrived. We’re telling her it’s a heated pet bed . She can’t read the box and doesn’t need to know it says “kitty” and she is a Poodle!
The following are some of the candidates for a heated pet bed:

Older pets, like Pearl. Their metabolism is slower than [...]

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Stronger Antibiotics

January 8, 2010

“Doc, he’s just not getting well like he should. I think he needs a stronger antibiotic.”
This is a sentence one hears a lot in the medical professions. You may have even said it yourself. Today we will explore the “strengths” of antibiotics, and learn how “strength” differs from “spectrum.”.
First, let’s talk about what antibiotics are [...]

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Pet Health Insurance Saves Lives

January 7, 2010

“Our 1 year old Pekingese, Nick passed away on January 3, 2010. We don’t know if he ingested rat poison, but after taking him to emergency veterinarian he had X-rays taken and he was shown to be bleeding internally. They sedated him. He never woke up. They let us take him home and said if [...]

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Dog Raincoat

January 6, 2010

Most of us pet lovers probably already have a sweater to keep our dogs warm. A
dog raincoat can help keep him dry, healthy and happy.
What characteristics should we look for in a dog raincoat?

Of course, it needs to be waterproof. Most are made of PVC, polyvinylchloride, which is the same material that the water [...]

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Obesity Epidemic In Dogs And Cats

January 5, 2010

Obesity, is, of course, a national epidemic in people. Sadly, obesity in cats and obesity in dogs are also at epidemic proportions, and we’re not any closer to winning the battle in pets than we are in people.
Need some incentive to help your pet lose weight? Consider Trouble:

Trouble suffers from Feline Diabetes and Feline Hyperthyroidism. While [...]

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Interspecies Physical And Metabolic Similarities

January 4, 2010

“Is that the same as people amoxicillin?” Mrs. Jones asked.
It’s a logical question, since most people are under the mistaken impression that there are a lot of differences between people and animals.
I learned of mammalian anatomical similarities when I took a trip to Washington, D.C., between my freshman and sophomore years at Auburn University’s College [...]

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Interpreting Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) Tests

January 2, 2010

Smoky came to see us this morning. He has been hanging around since just after Hurricane Katrina, but it took four-plus years to get him sufficiently domesticated to bring him to the clinic.
Georgia, his new owner, had been under the impression that “he” was a “she” and that he had never seen a doctor before. [...]

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New Year’s Resolutions For Pets

January 1, 2010

“I don’t want to.”
“What do you mean you don’t want to?”
“I don’t want to and I’m not going to do it this year.”
“But, but, but…that would be nontraditional. That would be un-American.”
“Call it whatever you want, but I’m not making New Year’s resolutions this year!”
You can have this argument with yourself all you want to, [...]

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Perianal Gland Tumors In Dogs

December 31, 2009

Perianal gland tumors are common in intact (not neutered) male dogs. They are extremely uncommon in cats, as cats do not possess the sebaceous glands around the anus that dogs do.
Fortunately, we don’t see many mature dogs who have not been neutered, so this is a fairly uncommon tumor, but I suspect that a dog [...]

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Hairballs In Cats And Dogs

December 30, 2009

Hairballs.
Now there’s a delightful subject to read about over breakfast!
Also known as tricholiths, obstruction of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract by ingested hair is a common problem in cats and a less common problem in dogs. While it is rare in people, it does occur, usually when a nervous habit causes a person to twirl, pluck [...]

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A New Christmas Pet

December 29, 2009

This time between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day is pretty laid back.
If pets stayed out of the turkey, dressing, giblet gravy and cranberries then there’s only a small chance that we will see them this week.
One kind of “case” though, that does show up is the new Christmas puppy. “Beaux” made his debut at [...]

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Heart Failure Takes Samantha Home

December 28, 2009

Sometimes the saddest events can be so touching.
I got a call from Samantha’s mom today. The whole family (including Samantha’s “nutso” brother, Deogie) was in Florida, visiting Dad’s side of the family.
Mom said, “Samantha hasn’t eaten in three days, she’s coughing and she’s drooling so bad her feet and chest are wet.”
“I know times are [...]

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Dog And Cat Food: Pick One

December 26, 2009

Clearly, in retrospect, I was premature in recalibrating Martha’s automatic feeder.
I just brought home a new bag of Martha’s food, Hill’s Mature Adult Indoor Cat Formula, only to find it has a new, pyramidal shape.
Oh, and the name changed, too.
Which, I’m relatively sure, has everything to do with marketing and little to do with nutrition.
But, it [...]

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A Christmas Prayer For Animals

December 25, 2009

Tis the week before Christmas, and one could say that this is where it all began, my relationship with animals. I’m spending the weekend with my second father, my Uncle Sam Burrell, who partly reared me on their dairy farm in the late 50s and 60s.
Uncle Sam, like many folks approaching age 98, began, and [...]

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Swine Flu In A Dog

December 24, 2009

First it was people, then it was ferrets, then a cat.
Now, swine flu has been confirmed in a dog.
Like the previously-reported cat, this Bedford, New York, dog was elderly at 13 years of age. As in previous cases of pets infected with the 2009 H1N1 virus, this dog’s owner had been ill with the same [...]

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Pet Care In A Pet Owner Emergency

December 23, 2009

Continuing the theme from yesterday of caring for pets in one’s absence, let’s discuss a less drastic situation, one in which a pet owner is simply disabled.
This scenario is reminiscent of my wife, Brenda’s injuries back in July, 2009. Her fall took place at 10 PM, and, while I live in the world of medical [...]

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Who Will Care For Your Pets If You Can’t?

December 22, 2009

What would you want to happen to your pets if you were physically or mentally unable to care for them?
That very situation presented itself today when a longtime client was hospitalized and not expected to recover.
Fortunately, his sister will be able to care for the three cats in her home. They will continue to be [...]

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Glaucoma In Dogs and Cats

December 21, 2009

Glaucoma in dogs and cats results from a variety of abnormal conditions of their eyes which cause a rise in the pressure of the fluids within the globe.
Normal intraocular pressure (IOP), the pressure of fluids inside the eye, is controlled by a delicate balance between fluid production and fluid removal. Specifically this fluid is aqueous [...]

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Calibrate Your Pet’s Automatic Feeder

December 21, 2009

Does your pet eat from an automatic feeder?
Our Martha does, and I’d previously discussed a problem with it getting out of adjustment and “shorting” her twice-daily meals.
Frankly, I misinterpreted the initial signs: licking Pearl’s Prescription Diet t/d, sitting by the feeder for long periods before each scheduled feeding, and, eventually, weight loss.
Fearing the worst, I [...]

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Cat Urinary Tract Problems

December 18, 2009

Anny writes to us from the Bay Area of California with a question about her kitty, who got an injection of Convenia, the long-acting antibiotic. In her post she describes some circumstances that every cat owner needs to know how to deal with.
Hi, Dr. Randolph,
My cat, Money, is about 4½ years old. A few weeks ago, after [...]

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Avoid Puppy Mills, Adopt From A Shelter

December 17, 2009

One of the ways we can prevent the sadness we wrote about yesterday in Tila’s story is to stop supporting puppy mills and unscrupulous, indiscriminate breeders.
Today I saw Rocky, a two-year-old, mixed breed small dog who is going to make his new family’s life very happy. He came from our local humane shelter and beat [...]

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Sometimes Loving Pets Brings Sadness

December 16, 2009

Why, oh, why does there have to be so much sadness in the world?
There is a flea market a couple of hours from where I practice that churns out sadness like your car churns out carbon monoxide.
Puppy and kitten mill operators come from all around to hawk their wares and the unsuspecting in the crowd [...]

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Capstar For Flea Control

December 15, 2009

Today let’s talk about Capstar, a wonderful medication and a tool in the never-ending battle against fleas.
Capstar, nitenpyram, is an amazing little tablet marketed by Novartis Animal Health that is safe in dogs and cats. Give one pill and it begins killing fleas within twenty minutes, and will continue to kill fleas for 24 hours, [...]

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Dog And Cat Biopsy

December 14, 2009

Biopsy.
It’s a scary word, isn’t it?
But it doesn’t have to be, because a biopsy can just as easily bring good news as bad.
First, let’s define biopsy: “The removal and examination of tissue, cells or fluid from the living body.”
So, though we may usually think of a biopsy in terms of taking all or part of [...]

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How Much Would You Pay For A Dog?

December 12, 2009

How much would you pay for a dog?
Here, in the richest country in the world, several million dogs and cats are euthanized each year because there are not enough homes for all of them.
That number grows every day, mostly because people won’t have their pets spayed and neutered.
How many times have our clients said to [...]

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At The Laboratory With My Pet’s Doctor: Bacterial Culture and Sensitivity

December 11, 2009

Here we are back in the laboratory with your pet’s doctor. Today we’ll be discussing the test called bacterial culture and sensitivity.As the name implies, it’s a two-part test: The culture part of the test tells you that something is going to be grown. In fact, laboratory technicians will take the specimen the doctor sends [...]

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San Juan: Great Excuse To Board Your Pet

December 10, 2009

Ahhhh, the good life.
After I wrote of my current bout with the flu, a client sent me an email.
Seems he was really concerned.
Seems he could feel my pain.
Almost.
He probably could have felt my pain if he had been at home, here in Long Beach, but, instead, he was in San Juan, Puerto Rico! He just [...]

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Pets Should Drink From Bowls

December 9, 2009

What started out as “cute” might actually be a bad habit.
Take pets drinking from a faucet. It’s really cute to see a little kitten tilt his head to drink. It’s cute the way he comes meowing to the faucet every time you pass a sink.
Did you ever think it would be your cat who made [...]

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When Your Pet’s Doctor Is Sick

December 8, 2009

What does a solo practitioner do for patient care when he is out of the office, sick?
I’ve often heard the question asked, “How do you know the difference between a cold and the flu?” I’ve often heard the answer, “If you have the flu, you’ll know it! You will feel like you have to die [...]

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At The Laboratory With My Pet’s Doctor: Urinalysis

December 7, 2009

In an ongoing series, MyPetsDoctor.com has informed you about laboratory tests your pet is likely to have performed as routine screening tests, as preoperative tests, and as tests designed to diagnose illness.
Today we’re going to look at tests commonly performed on urine.
The most basic is urinalysis, which is performed in two parts. First, let’s start with [...]

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Sara Gets A New Catherine

December 5, 2009

Cute, cute, cute!
After Catherine’s osteosarcoma diagnosis and subsequent passing, her “sister,” Sara, went into a deep funk.
Most dogs and cats snap out of their depression quickly when a disruption such as loss of a roommate occurs, but Sara’s unhappiness seemed to linger and linger.
Another of our clients had adopted Hoagee from a Golden Retriever rescue [...]

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About the Doctor

Dr. James W. Randolph is a small animal veterinarian in Long Beach, MS. A 1980 graduate of Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine his special interests are Dermatology and Internal Medicine. In his spare time he enjoys weekly teaching a Sunday School Class at a nearby nursing home, singing in the choir in his Baptist church, furniture making and other woodworking and bass fishing. He is married to the talented artist Brenda Randolph, and they enjoy visiting their children and grandchildren whenever possible. They are allowed to share their home with sweet poodle, Pearl and grouchy black cat, Martha.