In performing a Chemistry Profile, a group of results relates to the proteins in the bloodstream. First is “total protein.” This result has significance because the total amount of protein of all kinds in the bloodstream is important in the regulatory processes of a number of functions. One is controlling the balance of fluid movement [...]
Thanksgiving Day is rapidly approaching. Thursday night, Friday and through the holiday weekend veterinarians will be treating cases of acute gastrointestinal (GI) inflammation and pancreatitis all over the country. Indeed, all over the world in areas where Thanksgiving is celebrated. Why? Because pet owners will be feeding leftover people food to them, thinking it is [...]
Preparing your pet for laboratory testing varies according to the type of test being performed. The two most-commonly performed tests, fecal flotation and heartworm test require no preparation at all. However, to save your pet from the discomfort of staff having to obtain a stool specimen with a rectal probe, bring in about a tablespoon [...]
One of the most terrifying maladies a pet owner can face with his four-legged friend is a seizure. Even the mildest forms, in which a pet simply stares off into space disconnected from the world, can be terrifying. When seizures reach the most dramatic stage, the grand mal seizure, the helpless onlooker is terrified. Let’s [...]
A diagnosis of heartworms is not a death sentence, even in a somewhat older dog. Precious “Sweetie” came to see us this week, her first doctor’s visit in her 8-year lifespan. Not surprisingly, having never been on a heartworm preventive and living in a swamp-surrounded, mosquito-laden area of a southern state, her test came back [...]
This is Sara. Well, more specifically, this is Sara’s right eye. Sara’s first visit with this eye problem was about a week ago, and she presented with a history of squinting and protecting the eye. We examined Sara thoroughly, and found no other physical problems on the body, so we turned our focus to the [...]
“Dr. Randolph, is she just too old to have surgery?” Thirty years ago this client’s statement would have applied to any pet over six years of age. Twenty years ago that age limitation might have been set at age ten. For the last ten years age, alone, is not a consideration for which patients we [...]
In the last edition of “At The Laboratory With My Pet’s Doctor”, we studied the details of the Complete Blood Count. Today, and tomorrow, we will look at a battery of tests called the “Chemistry Profile“. In the Complete Blood Count, we were examining physical bodies, tiny little cells that circulate in the bloodstream. With the [...]
Here is a real-life example of what can (and did) happen when fear of anesthesia causes a pet owner to delay important needed care. Dutchess came to our hospital in October, 2008, for a routine vaccination visit. We had previously diagnosed cataracts in both eyes, a heart murmur in her chest, a growth that needed [...]
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