An Interesting Surgery with A Sad Outcome

Yesterday was a surgery day for me, as are most Fridays. I was extra happy to see that, besides the routine stuff, we had an exploratory on a 13 yr old cat. Though, admittedly, after reviewing the case, the odds were this wasn't going to turn out well for the cat.


This cat came in the day before for vomiting, lethargy and not eating. The doctor that saw her, felt a mass in her abdomen and there was an abnormal area seen on the abdominal radiograph. Blood work, as is usually the case with most masses/tumors, was completely normal. The next step was either ultrasound or exploratory. The odds are that the ultrasound would simply show a mass but not necessarily if it was surgically resectable. The best option was to just cut the cat!


So that's what I did.  First there was quite a bit of abnormal fluid in the abdominal cavity. It was cloudy and yellow in color, strongly indicative of infection.  Then I found the "mass" that we had palpated: 

It was coming off the colon but completely blocking it as well. It was very invasive and there was obvious spread of this cancer to the omentum (which is a cool "organ" that looks like a fine web of tissue - it acts as a band aid often times and will move to cover an injury, mass, etc) and the body wall. The omentum was adhered to this lesion as well.  There were little nodules EVERYWHERE. This mass had already become necrotic and was creating a lot of local inflammation.


The bottom line was that this was not something that could be surgically fixed even temporarily. The best thing was to euthanize the cat while he was sleeping, which the owner kindly gave us permission to do. 

What A Hero!

And I thought *I* was an overachiever!


Check this story out:


Family Reopens Fallen Police Officer's Veterinary Practice

Thank Your Vet For Doing These Things

Merry Christmas!!  Here are some "gifts" from your veterinarian that he or she gives you all year round!


Pretty cool that someone actually recognizes what we do:


10 Things Your Vet Does You Don't Know About

Vets on the whole are a humble crowd, and there are many things they do on a daily basis that you aren’t aware of. Here are some of the top unrecognized practices that an excellent compassionate veterinarian does that you likely don’t know about.

10. Giving up our time.
Many vets don’t get to leave the hospital for lunch, or even have time to have a designated lunch time while at work. We are often so busy and accommodate walk-ins that our “us time” must be spent completing diagnostics, medical records, checking on patients, returning phone calls, emergency surgeries…the list goes on.  The occasion we get off work on time is so rare it’s cause for celebration.  Vets almost ALWAYS stay late for clients and their pets.

9. Pulling up an injectable drug with one needle, and switching out the needle so your pet gets a new perfectly sharp and less painful needle for the injection.
This costs the vet more money (double the costs of needles in a vet hospital and it is not insignificant), and is only for the comfort of your pet out of kindness.

8. Using high-quality surgical practices.
Many clients don’t know or care what kind of surgical care their pet receives at the vet. An excellent vet will use IV catheters (not inexpensive) so they always have venous access in case something goes wrong–which sometimes it does. They also will provide IV fluids during surgery, as well as have different methods (EKG, blood pressure, pulse oximetry) to monitor your pet while under anesthesia. My anesthesiology professor in vet school told us, “Anesthesia is the closest the body will get to death without dying.” He is right.

7. Bathing your pet.

A shockingly high number of pet owners come into the vet with their pet covered in feces or vomit without having attempted to clean them up whatsoever. An even higher number of pets will soil themselves while at the vet, despite receiving appropriate potty breaks. We can’t send them home filthy, and have to bathe them. Think of how much a groomer charges to bathe, dry, and brush your pet. We do it for free.

6. Putting in phone time with you. 
How often can you get your medical doctor on the phone to discuss symptoms, or test results with you? Isn’t it usually the nurse? Vets put in a lot of time, and generate no revenue from phone time, but still choose to because we value the personalized connection with you, the pet owner.

5. Putting in phone time with other vets.Are you aware that most vets spend time –on their own clock–consulting with other vets about unusual cases? We do. You may be getting multiple expert opinions without even knowing it. I can think of many nights where Dr. Jed and I spent the evening in the office reading the latest journal articles and bouncing ideas off of each other. And it doesn’t just happen to veterinarians who happen to be married to each other–my best friend is a vet too, and we talk daily about cases.

4. Reviewing adverse reactions of medications with you.
Has your MD or pharmacist ever reviewed side effects of a drug with you? Likely, you just sign the slip or electric screen that says you are aware of the potentials, and they give you a handout. A good vet takes the time to make you aware of a drug’s side effects, and how it should be administered.

3. Typing up personalized instructions for you to read at home with tests performed, your pet’s diagnosis, what that means, and the step-by-step home treatments.This takes a tremendous amount of the veterinarian’s time. and we gain no revenue from this.  The vet that takes this time is out for your pet’s well-being, as we can do a stellar job in the hospital, but if the pet owner doesn’t understand what to do at home, the pet will remain sick.

2. Grieving with you.
When people find out I am a veterinarian, they always say, “I don’t know how your get used to that, putting animals down. I could never do that.” Well, we don’t get used to it. It never gets easy, and it’s something we have to mount up and do for the well-being of the pet and their pet parent. You may think this gets easier with time for your vet, but the truth is, most vets take it home with them. Not only the vets, but the staff as well. Your tears are not the only ones shed when that sad time comes, rest assured. We remember that face and that sloppy wet nose too.

1. Saving you money.
A veterinarian who wants to practice quality medicine and keep your budget in mind will offer to write you a prescription when possible to get generic drugs elsewhere, such as human pharmacies like Target and Walmart where hundreds of drugs are available for less than $4/mo. Instead of spending all your money on pills at the vet, this allows the pet to get the medicine it needs, as well as the diagnostic to ensure that we are treating the right disease.

Great News!

This is an awesomely exciting story out of Penn State, who despite the media crucifixtion plans, continues to do what any top university does best, continue to educate and pursue worthwhile research. Go State! (Guess they better not close down the university and guess the students and alumn REALLY don't have to hang their heads in shame...sarcasm folks..pure sarcasm here...). Since I lost a very special man, my wonderful grandfather, to this dreaded disease, I am very hopeful they are on their way!


What does this have to do with veterinary medicine? Well, animals are always used first as test models. In most cases, veterinarians are involved at one or more stages of early research - lab animal vets, veterinary pathologists, veterinary oncologists, etc. And in this case, the researchers are part of the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences. It is often also the case that research developments benefit both animals and humans. 


Penn State Working on Cure for Leukemia

Be Careful When Baking With Dough This Season

Many people would assume that if a pet ingested bread dough, it wouldn't be a big deal. It's just dough right?


This article explains why it's a serious danger:


The Dangers of Bread Dough Ingestion

The Toxic Things Hiding in Your Purse

This is an article from one of my veterinary journals that I thought would be important for my followers to read. It discusses some of the common toxic things many women carry around in their handbags.


Check It Out

Speaking of dangers, please don't use tinsel if you have cats. Anything "string like" poses a huge temptation for many cats. They can end up in surgery or worse, dead. Keep ornaments out of reach of cats, dogs, puppies and kittens. Do NOT feed your pets holiday goodies: remember our friend "pancreatitis?"
If they stress with company, please put them somewhere they will feel safe or ask your vet for a mild sedative. 


And please, spoil them - get them cool and cute toys and treats MADE IN THE USA and NOT CHINA! 

Yes, Your INDOOR ONLY Kitty Does Need Rabies Vaccinations!

This story illustrates exactly why we recommend keeping even an indoor cat or a small dog that hardly goes out, up to date on rabies vaccination.  


If A Human Can Get Bit By a Bat in Their Home, Why Can't Your Pet?

Awesome!

This is a wonderful video showcasing an amazing cat and her team of surgeons and engineers. I am so glad that some people value life this way.  This does NOT mean I support doing ANYTHING to keep an animal going. No no no. In fact, I often have to advocate for the patient to have the owner let it go. Just because we can doesn't mean we should. However in this case, the cat is clearly not suffering!


Check It Out

Sure..No Problem..Don't Listen...

..adjust your own meds..do what you want..but remember, there will be a price to pay. It is often at your pet's health but it will often also include your wallet.  


Here's an example. If your pet is on anti-seizure meds, you give them AS directed. You do not stop giving them because the pet is now "ok." When we recommend a referral..strongly..it's not because we get anything out of it. We don't get "kickbacks." It's about what is best for your pet.  


Seizures beget seizuries..it's called "kindling"  - ie seizures cause MORE seizures. Not a good thing. 


*sigh*


So now, after extensive sedation/drugs, your pet will have to go to an overnight care facility and you will have to spend a lot more than if you had done what your vet recommended. Oh well. I just feel bad for the pets.

Why Have A Pet?

Ok, giant sigh here. I go through this far too often. This feeling  of frustration and questioning why some people have pets.


Today this was brought to my heart and mind because of the owner of an older cat. This cat was in for a specific problem - an injury and subsequent infection. This was minor and with a little cleaning and antibiotics, he will be fine.  However as part of being a thorough and honest veterinarian, I discussed some other things that were going on with this cat:


-weight loss of nearly 3lbs since last year (very significant in a small sized animal - in this case, it was a 26% drop from last year - if you are 150 lbs, that is 39 lbs - may sound great to you but not if you didn't "try" to lose it..there's a problem here) so we need blood work to check out our organ function, etc


-ways to make the cat more comfortable as it was clear this kitty had arthritis and wasn't doing the things he loved or was able to before 


-an abnormal heart rhythm that could indicate hyperthyroidism (especially coupled with the weight loss) - we need blood work! 


No, no. And no. And why? You might guess money. The tests and recommended arthritis supplement are too expensive? No. No. Why you ask? Well, the cat's old. You know, when SHE gets old I am so sure she'll just decline any pain meds or anything needed to diagnose a potentially very treatable condition (hyperthyroidism). Yeah. Ok. 


Personally, I'd love to stick a label on these people so when they are old (and in their mind age is a disease apparently), their docs won't treat them. 


Pets are a responsibility. A lifelong one. That life "long" is usually theirs as we often outlive our pets - unless we get a Macaw when we are 60 years of age or something. And if people don't have the finances to do it all, that is one thing. But to simply act like "oh well, it's old" ? No. Not right. Get a stuffed animal. 

Have The Darn Thing Removed When it's Small!

When we see pets for lumps or bumps, we see a wide variety of scenarios. This includes everything from the small tiny itty bitty thing you can hardly see (yet the owners want removed NOW) to huge bleeding masses that "suddenly" appeared (not really.)


But overall, they mostly fall somewhere in between. Most people are reasonable with them. I speak for myself ONLY here - I don't recommend removing every single mass. It depends on a lot of factors - where it is, what I think it is (based on appearance, location, my experience, breed, etc), what it looks look, if it will affect function or in the case of show animals, appearance and finally finances of the owner.


There are just a few cases I almost ALWAYS recommend removal of a growth:


1. Cats - high rate of malignancy period. I don't wait on any cat masses. 


2. Boxers (and some other breeds) with skin masses - high incidence of a malignancy called a Mast Cell Tumor


3. Growths on the toes, legs or ears/face of a dog. Why? Well, even if they are benign, we don't have much tissue to work with here. If they start to grow, they may get to the point that we may not be able to close the tissue.  


The growth below is on an older Golden Retriever (a breed with a high incidence of cancer anyhow.) We saw it mid summer and it was not this large at all. Now that the dog is licking at it and it's oozing on the floor/carpet and oh, probably that it's the holiday season with guests coming, we have it removed. Fortunately I was able to get enough apparently (key word) clean tissue around and under this mass and still close it. 


The pictures show pre op and post op. This is MOST likely a locally invasive malignant growth called a hemangiopericytoma  but we won't know until the pathology report comes back this week.

Be Aware of Toxic Holiday Plants

People always think Poinsettias are toxic. They are not. They are, at worst, irritating to the mouth and intestinal tract. There are far worse plants on this list. Please be aware of it and keep them out of reach of your pets.  And know what type of plants are in your house too. This will be a huge help if your pet does ingest part of one. 




Speaking of Pets
Holiday plants and pets

By KIM DONOVAN

Article published on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011

 

The holiday season is upon us once again. Decorating for the holidays most always includes using plants and flowers to beautify our environment.

There are many plants and flowers that are toxic to pets but only a few of the most popular holiday plants will be discussed here. It is important to know what parts of the plant or flower are toxic and what symptoms your pet may experience.

• Holly is used in making wreaths or decorating mantles. It is the berries that are toxic. The severity of the symptoms usually correlates with how many berries are eaten. The symptoms seen after ingestion are vomiting, diarrhea, and depression.

• Mistletoe is customarily hung in doorways so that when two people are under the mistletoe at the same time they are obliged to kiss. The berries are toxic but some sources say that the leaves and stem are more toxic than the berries. Either way, it is important to make sure that these are not ingested. This plant can cause significant vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, decreased heart rate, erratic behavior, sudden collapse and even death.

• Amaryllis (with red or red and white flowers) is very popular during the holiday season. It is the flower that is most toxic. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, depressed appetite, excessive salivation, tremors, and sometimes abdominal pain.

• Poinsettia is probably the most frequently seen holiday plant. It is the sap from the leaves (not the flower) that can be irritating if ingested. If enough is eaten it can cause vomiting but it is basically non-toxic. 


The Rest of the List

Pets ARE a Luxury

I feel like this is truly MY mantra. Pets ARE a luxury.


You need food. You need shelter. After that, if you have kids, you need to provide those things for them. Then there's education. Then there's maybe some fun stuff for the kids. 


THEN. if you look at  the above, your household expenses and find that, with ALL of those, you have some disposable income and you do not need to FINANCE a pet and better yet will rescue one, you get a pet.


You get a pet and know that:


1. Simply to keep that pet healthy, they will require check ups as babies and as they grow (puppies/kittens into adults), vaccines, preventatives to keep them healthy. The need yearly maintainence = twice yearly if older, more if on meds or with problems. 


2. Anytime, a situation could arise where they could simply get sick or get into something. This situation will require a vet visit, testing and medication. Sometimes it could require 
hospitalization or surgery.  You are responsible for that.


3. It is not anyone's fault at the vet hospital that your pet is sick. We DO love animals. We also have bills to pay and mouths to feed. That same hospital needs to pay it's own bills - drugs, electricity, staffing, etc. YOU are responsible for your pet. If you can't be, relinquish it and do NOT get another one.


4. Pets cost money. Bad things happen that you can prevent and that you can't (just like with human children). Do not get a pet and fail to take care of it and then blame others for the fact that now you are facing a huge bill with a poor outcome.

Oldest Species of Tiger Found

The Nerd In Me Loves This Stuff!!

Maybe We Should Share This With Dogs in Bad Homes

Never thought I'd see this day....

Dog shoots man

Published: Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011 12:19 p.m. MST

By Pat Reavy, Deseret News

BRIGHAM CITY — It wasn't his dog's bark or bite that had a Brigham City man concerned, it was his aim.

A man was recovering Wednesday after being shot over the weekend by his dog.

A 46-year-old Brigham City man and a friend were duck hunting Sunday about 8:30 a.m. on the north end of the Great Salt Lake near the bird refuge, about 10 miles west of Brigham City.

The two had their canoe-like boat in a shallow marsh area when the man got out of the boat to either set up or collect decoys. He laid his 12-gauge shotgun across the bow of the boat, said Box Elder County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Kevin Potter.

Read the rest of this interesting story...

Please Spay Your Dog

...when she is young....

...or you will end up with the scene above..a nasty rotting pus filled uterus that makes your dog sick and costs you more money. Is it worth it?

A Moment I'll Remember!

A little over a year ago, I attended a feline health continuing education seminar at Cornell University. During that seminar, one of the speakers/professors at the veterinary school, asked for volunteers for something going on the next day. It had to do with forming teams to do CPR on a "fake" kitty. I felt compelled. 


So, I, along with just a few others, got to be the first people in the world - yes, WORLD - to practice CPR in different "case" scenarios on a computerized type kitty. It looked like a stuffed cat but was hooked up to a computer. She had a "heartbeat", a "pulse" and "respirations." In addition, we could intubate her and have "venous access." Very cool. The different scenarios would be presented with history, signalment (age, breed, etc) and then signs and exam findings as well as the computer generated results of say, an EKG. 


This article talks about Dr. Fletcher's development of the robotic canine for CPR, etc. He developed that one first.


I'm just glad I overcame any fears I had about "performing" in front of my peers and volunteered! It was actually a lot of fun. My team saved our case from dying and I was instrumental in that!

Warning From a Vet About Ketamine Abuse in Humans

This is not something I'm hearing about as much as I was say, 10 years ago. But I'm sure there are people out there that will seek any drug high. Veterinary clinics have been and will be targets for break ins since we have all sorts of controlled substances on hand. Granted they should be locked in a DEA approved safe.


This vet in England took a video to show how quickly ketamine knocks a horse down. I've used it in cats and dogs and I can tell you that it does not look fun at all. We usually add diazepam to the mix so that it smooths out the muscle spasms, etc. But diazepam is more quickly metabolized so when they wake up, they can be in what we call a "dissociative" state - or the "ketamine crazies" - ie, a cat in a cage will have her head going back and forth and you imagine she's seeing 100 mice or 4 dogs staring at her. You go to touch her and she has a very exaggerated recoil reaction. Not something I'd personally want to abuse.


Check this out: Ketamine Warning

I Wish I Had Pictures

As I am sure you aware by now, I love to take pictures of cases I see in practice. They are fun and great for education. I've now gotten in the habit of doing it fairly routinely.  


I had a surgery that I wish I had pictures of but since I was the surgeon and it was pretty involved/intense, it didn't happen. I'm sure you understand the patient's well being comes before any thought of what would be cool for my blog. 


A young chocolate lab (lab being the key word here..number one consumer of things not meant to be eaten) came in a few weeks ago for vomiting. On her physical, another veterinarian felt what we both suspected to be an intussusception. This is where one part of the intestine telescopes into another part and can cause a partial or total obstruction.


Here's what it looks like:

This can be sliding or become adhered resulting in tissue damage/death.  


In our case, the dog was hospitalized on fluids and kept overnight. Blood work and radiographs of her abdomen were normal.  By the next morning it was gone. The dog was doing great and sent home on medications. 


What causes this? We often see it in young animals and most commonly it's anything that causes increased peristalsis or movement of the GI tract - such as parasites, dietary indiscretion, etc.  


This dog came back a week or more later. She was vomiting and losing weight. She was still a very active puppy.  When we palpated her again, we felt the intussusception. She was still so active and eating, we scheduled her for surgery after the weekend.


At that time, we thought we'd be going in to basically assess the area and likely resect the affected portion of intestine or tack the entire small intestine so that it wouldn't continue to recur. 


When I opened this dog up, I did find the intussusception in her lower small intestine. Amazingly, the tissue was healthy and it was easily undone. There were no adhesions or scar tissue present. But upon looking at the rest of her intestinal tract, it soon became clear she had a linear (string like) foreign body. Yes this was the cause of the intussusception.


I had to make an incision in 3 parts of her small intestine to get this string and the balled up wads of it out. I couldn't just pull it out of one area or I'd risk lacerating the already somewhat "angry" tissue. I felt something in her stomach but when I went in to find it, I couldn't. 


Still after closing up the other incisions, I re-ran the entire GI tract and sure enough there was a perforation where I could visibly see this string. She was on the verge of peritonitis. I attempted to pull out the string and the end that went up through the stomach would NOT budge. My boss, the vet that originally saw the case, was able to look in the mouth and found a loop of string wrapped at the base of the tongue - far back and cutting into it. She pulled it out from that way and it was a very long piece. 


Closing up the perforated area was tricky - the tissue would not hold suture well but resecting it was not an option at the time. Overall it was healthy, the dog had been under quite a while (in any dog but especially a puppy, I worry about hypothermia) and this area was right where the pancreas is located. I did not want to mess with that!   


So, we closed it all up, flushed her out and I prayed that her youth would work for her and she'd heal fast (with the help of some good antibiotics to cover her). 


We are nearly a week out and she is doing fabulous! 


This type of presentation is typical for cats - they eat string and often it gets caught under the tongue. That's why I always look under the tongue of a cat that comes in for vomiting. Dogs it's not usually they case. They may eat string or things that can become stringlike (towels, carpeting) but it doesn't typically hang up in the mouth like that. 


In any case, it was (shhh) fun to do. 

I've Never Seen One

It's always been MY standard policy to do a full physical exam before a procedure, notably a spay or neuter. 


When it comes to calico or tortoiseshell cats, this is sometimes overlooked. That's because this color pattern is sex linked in its inheritance pattern and almost (key word) all cats are exclusively female.  


I've always checked, though, hoping for a male cat. I have not found one but apparently there was one here:


Surprise!

Mushy Paw Pads in a Cat

A middle aged cat came in for lameness on one of her paws. This is what we found:

At first glance, you might think she burned her pad. These pads are often very "mushy" to the touch - not the normal semi firm consistency of a healthy pad. 


This condition is called pododermatitis. It can affect all the feet or just one or more. It generally affects the "large" pads on each foot or paw - the metacarpal pads (in the front paws) and the metatarsal pads (in the back paws). More specifically, this lesion is most often correctly called lymphocytic plasmacytic pododermatitis. That is a description based on a biopsy of these lesions. Lymphocytes and plasmacytes are the types of cells found in this lesion. 


Unfortunately, this is still a poorly understood condition. It seems to be similar to what we call eosinophilic granuloma complex (ECG), which can cause lesions on the upper lips ("rodent ulcers"), patches on the belly (eosinophilic plaques) or lines of inflammation that run down the hind legs in on the back surface (linear eosinophilic granulomas). 


They all seem to represent a type of heightened or over response of the cat's immune system. We know that in many cases of EGC, underlying allergies can be the cause (flea allergies, food allergies and inhalant allergies). 


Pododermatitis may or may not have a cause like this. Typically, one is not found and it's a matter of trying to resolve or remove the lesion. They are often treated with steroids - either oral or injectable, sometimes in the lesion itself. Antibiotics are also sometimes helpful. For refractory cases, the best course is to remove the pad. This seems to be a moderately painful problem for the cats as they are often lame. I have seen cats with all four feet affected. 


Fortunately, this is not a very common condition. 

I Don't Know What To Say

I have a few "topics" I thought about discussing that were inspired by some cases recently but today one of my last cases made such an impression, I'm using that as blog fodder today.


A middle-aged lab mix came in to have a skin problem evaluated. This has been going on for over a year. Another practice saw it, then another vet at this practice saw it and treated it differently. All of that was many months ago. In the meantime, the owner had changed the diet and got some meds "off the internet." Hm. Whatever they are.


The owner was also advised to seek the counsel of a veterinary dermatologist. This is not a bad idea in a case like hers. Skin problems are among the most common reasons us general practitioners see dogs. They are also among the most frustrating to treat. One reason is compliance, but another is that many of them are and will be chronic. It seems even when I tell owners this up front, they still don't "get it." They'll treat for a while and then stop or not have a follow up visit.  


This client told me she didn't want to see a veterinary dermatologist. I thought money would be the reason. That's fair and understandable. Yes, specialists do cost more. Her reason was not that. Her reason was that she felt they wouldn't solve the problem. Huh? But I can? I hope. If she hears what I am saying I guess.  Still, THEY deal with the worst, most unsolvable problems that us GP's cannot seem to fix or at least the owners hear the same thing from a $150/visit specialist so they actually do listen!


In any case, this dog has a condition that is chronic- a yeast infection of the skin. There can be underlying allergies but again, that can take a lot of time, money and diligence on the owner to figure out. Food allergies are complex. She has the pet on a "grain free" diet - a trend these days. However, all dogs are not simply wheat or corn sensitive. I've seen those that have issues with eggs, peas, pork, lamb, chicken, beef...get the picture? A true food trial involves a novel protein/carb diet for 8-12 weeks with NO..NO..No other treats/foods, etc. AND then you re-challange the dog with the old diet. THAT is a true diet trial.


The other component is inhalant allergies. We can blood test for these. This can be costly and will require injections if there are things the pet reacts to.


This dog needs to be on long term oral meds for her skin. And by long term, I mean life time. She will get weaned to a 2-3x/weekly dose at some point if the owners follow up properly.


Situations like this are frustrating for us too. We want to see these animals get better but it requires a TEAM effort.

Just Say NO..

..to any..ANY..edible (use the term loosely here) products made in China. I think that's a good idea for human and pet alike.


Here is another recall on a chicken jerky product that can affect your dog's kidneys.


http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/fda-repeats-warning-on-chicken-jerky-for-dogs/

Who Does This?

It's amazing the stuff you simply CANNOT make up.


Check this story out:


Children Exposed To Rabid Bat at Birthday Party

Something I Have NEVER "Seen"

A really nice older gentleman came in with a cat we hadn't seen in a few years. This cat is FIV + (I wrote about this feline specific virus in January).  


The owner has another cat and both of them are mostly indoors. He did say this cat had some outside time but not much and not far from home. In the past, this cat had an eye infection so he thought what he was seeing was a recurrence of that. This had been going on for almost a month (no I have no idea why he waited that long). I do not advise waiting that long with eye issues, as it can mean the difference between vision loss and sight and/or keeping the eye or needing to have it removed.


This is what I saw with this cat's eye:

The "cloudy" area you are seeing is not ON the cornea. It is behind it. The bottom picture shows it a little better. Any ideas? 


Another hint: when you shine light into it, you can see a "Y"


Here's a diagram that might help you:

It's the lens.  The lens is the oblong disc shown above hanging between the darker thick black lines (the iris or colored part of the eye.)


The lens luxated, or popped, forward into the anterior chamber. How does that happen? Not easily. This takes some trauma. A typical cat fight, even a good swat to the head, is not likely to cause this unless the other cat is a mountain lion. 


Usually we will see the lens luxate back into the posterior chamber. What we see then, as we look through the iris and into the pupil (or dark central part of eye) is a "half moon" in the back of the eye representing the lens, which will drop down a little. This type of injury is usually associated with a fall from a height or a auto vs pet situation. 


I have no idea how this happened and the owner has no historical comments that would help us. The bottom line is, the eye is comfortable, blind and there is nothing to do for it. 


We measured the intraocular pressures as a lens being in the front chamber may cause problems with fluid flow, resulting in glaucoma. Right now, kitty is fine. 

Sometimes There is No Substitute

Here's something that came up today. A client had a young German Shepherd (the most common breed that gets this disease) that was recently diagnosed with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. This means that the dog's pancreas does not produce enough digestive enzymes for the dog to absorb the proper nutrients from her diet. Without treatment, the dog will have chronic diarrhea and continue to lose weight, as well as have other health issues secondary to malnutrition.


Fortunately, they can utilize pig pancreases to make a powder supplement we can give to dogs. This works extremely well.


In the case of this dog, she's gained weight, her coat looks great and there are no issues.


However, this is a not an inexpensive product. Why? It's not cheap to make. Utilizing animal organs and going through the process of purifying them and guaranteeing the proper levels of active enzymes are in EACH dosing costs a bit of money.  


The client that owns this dog came to me today with a product that he thought was "comparable." I was not familiar with it but figured I'd check into on a break. I went on line and found the ingredients, sources, etc. As it turns out, this product:


1. Lacks one of the KEY enzymes needed
2. Is not made from the very effective porcine pancreas but instead via fermentation involving fungi 
3. Does not have the vitamin support in the product we use (key because lack of ability to digest fats can lead to A,D and E deficiencies)
4. Is a nutraceutical (not an FDA approved drug) therefore, the  active ingredients are not regulated at all. It may have what it says or not. One batch may, the next not, etc. 
5. The 2 enzymes it does are MUCH lower in quantitative active units than the veterinary product.


Trust me, we want to buy the cheapest product WE can find too. Then we don't have to charge as much either. Sometimes, prevention or control of a disease, while seemingly costly, is actually cheaper than treating the myriad problems that go with going cheap or not treating.

Occupy Stupidity

As if the dogs involved weren't bad enough, now we have canines being affected too.


You gotta love these people. And who's tax dollars and donations are paying for someone else's poor decision, bad judgement and lack of proper veterinary care? Yeah, mine and likely yours.

Contagious dog illness spreads at Occupy SF camp

By: Max DeNike | 11/14/11 9:53 PM
Examiner Staff Writer

Dogs better watch their backs at the Occupy SF camp.

Three pooches residing at the Justin Herman Plaza space have tested positive for the highly contagious and deadly parvovirus, putting all four-legged friends there at risk, according to San Francisco Animal Care and Control.

Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2011/11/contagious-dog-illness-spreads-occupy-sf-camp#ixzz1dpduTg00