Pets need preventive care. Just like people. No one would think of having a human baby and not taking it to a doctor, yet we get calls at our hospital all the time that start with, “My dog is “x” years old and has never seen a veterinarian because he’s never been sick.” One wants [...]
A MyPetsDoctor.com reader writes “Dr. Randolph, when I take my kitty to see his doctor I like to hold him myself, but my veterinarian won’t let me. Is that standard practice everywhere?” Indeed, it is. I was in my 20s when I made the decision to become a veterinarian. When I told my Uncle Sam, [...]
Each Saturday until they are all displayed we will add the Thank You Notes that Mrs. Lipski’s and Mrs. VonderBruegge’s students wrote when Dr. Randolph of MyPetsDoctor.com visited their Reeves Elementary First and Second Grade MultiAge Classroom.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
Regular readers will recall that our kitty, Martha, is undergoing diagnostics and treatment for a urinary tract infection (UTI). With most canine and feline patients veterinarians can obtain a urine specimen by one of three common methods, all performed on the awake patient. Martha, on the other hand, is not “most” patients. Martha may most [...]
“Hunting dogs don’t go to veterinarians.” “I beg your pardon?” I asked, incredulous, and sure I’d heard wrong. “That’s what my son said,” Curtis’ new mom said. “And where, precisely, did he get this gem of information?” I wanted to know. “From his hunting buddies.” As I examined Curtis, mom and I proceeded to have [...]
How far do we go? That question came up this week in caring for Zelda, a kitty in the prime of life at age 7½, who presented with the primary complaint of loss of appetite. Our first indication that something was terribly wrong came when we weighed Zelda and compared her weight to her last [...]
See Monday, August 10, for Part 1 of Dog and Cat Hurricane Evacuation. Suppose you are a policeman, fireman, other first-responder, veterinarian or just a person who is philosophically opposed to evacuation. You are determined to stay through the storm, no matter what. If you intend to stay, many of the same preparation instructions still [...]
I was out on an errand today when a regular MyPetsDoctor.com reader asked, “Why don’t you put names of medications and dosages on your Web site?” The answer is a little complicated. We do name certain medications used in certain conditions. Dosages, on the other hand, can vary from patient to patient and even day [...]
What are your expectations of your veterinarian’s feelings about pets? As I was conversing with an acquaintance I was surprised at her reaction when we were discussing pet grief. Jan is facing the loss of her 19 year old kitty who is in kidney failure. Tina is down to five pounds of body weight. Jan doesn’t [...]
Many of you have followed my wife, Brenda’s, stories of her injury and healing. Story One. Story Two. On her very first day in the Rehabilitation Wing of Memorial Hospital at Gulfport she got a visit from Redmen, a wonderful Pomeranian who is a certified therapy dog. Joan Webb is his owner, handler and trainer. [...]
The name “Smokey” took on a whole new meaning at a London, KY, backyard cookout as this little Smokey got too close to the cooking action. Look at this photo of Smokey with a giant grilling fork impaled, not just in his head, but in his brain! His veterinarian, Dr. Keaton Smith, of the Cumberland Valley [...]
Board-certified veterinary internists have a saying, “Cats are not small dogs.” We general practitioners might hear that admonition at any continuing education event. The point of the proverb is that cats are different from dogs, physically and metabolically. Do you know what else cats aren’t, that dogs aren’t either? They are not people. Don’t get [...]
Allergy alert! It seems that every other dog and cat who comes in the front door of our hospital is complaining of itchiness. Allergy years tend to run in cycles. Dogs’ immune systems are known to be able to react to 64 allergens that they inhale, as well as contact and other allergens. Dust, pollen [...]
Recent Comments