A Day in the Life of a Veterinarian

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2011-10-07T16:57:00.001-07:00

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Food Allergies in Dogs

2011-05-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

I am often presented with itchy dogs. Itchy skin can be a sign of food allergies--particularly if they are itching all over their body and have chronic ear infections. (Itchy skin cal also be a sign of other problems too, so please consult your veterinarian). Clients often tell me that they have "tried" several different foods but can't figure out what the culprit is. Or they are confused because a friend has told them that all dogs are allergic to corn or that dogs shouldn't have grains. Unfortunately the grain and corn statement is an old wives tale that seems to have alot of staying power. Grains are not bad and corn is not evil....unless your particular dog is allergic to a particular grain and/ or corn. Dogs are omnivores (like humans) and need carbohydrates in their diets. Carbohydrates come in many forms such as rice, corn, barley, wheat, and oats. High protein diets or all-protein diets are not the answer to food allergies, as many dogs can also be allergic to chicken, beef, or fish.

IMO, the "problem" with trying a new and/or hypoallergenic food is that most people don't do it correctly and/or don't understand how to do a food trial. Briefly, the part of the food that your dog is allergic to is the allergens or proteins in the food. The allergens will stay in his body for 6 weeks causing those side effects that are so troublesome (itching, hairloss, licking, ear problems)....so it will take a minimum of 6 weeks ---after even one bite--- for the side effects from those allergens to dissipate. Therefore, while on a hypoallergenic diet, your dog cannot eat ANYTHING else --ie; treats, supplements, cat food, human food, garbage, etc. The first time that he "cheats", he will start all over with the 6 week period of itching, hairloss, licking, ear problems and other symptoms. If, after 6 weeks on a hypoallergenic diet, he is not itching and the ears are better, you can write that food on your list of "foods my dog can eat". Then, you can gradually add in one protein source every 2 weeks to see how his body reacts. Perhaps the first week you add in chicken ONLY (home-made, not a newly purchased food) and he does great. Put chicken on his list. The next 2 week period you add in egg ONLY and he does great. Put egg on his list. The next time you offer him green beans but he starts itching like crazy----this goes on the list of "foods my dog canNOT Eat". Now, you have to wait 6 weeks to let those side effects dissipate before you "try" a new protein source (food).

Types of commercial foods that you can try are Duck & Pea, Venison & Potato, Bison, Rabbit, Sweet Potato, etc. You just need to make sure that it is a protein source that he has never been exposed to (eaten)....this can be difficult for an adopted dog because you don't know his history. But, most of the foods I've listed are a pretty safe bet. You can purchase any of those foods at a veterinary office or a specialty dog food store. Royal Canin, Wellness, and Natural Balance are excellent brands of commercial hypoallergenic dog foods. My favorite local specialty dog food store is Mud Bay Granary. They have many locations in Western Washington http://www.mudbay.us/store_locations.htm

If the food trial option is too cumbersome, you do have the option of allergy testing. The best option for allergy testing is to visit a veterinary dermatologist http://www.animaldermatology.com/home The dermatologist will perform skin prick testing to determine exactly what your dog is allergic to---food and environmental. At the same visit, antigen serum is made so that you can give your dog de-sensitization injections at home. There is also another type of allergy testing that can be done by your regular veterinarian---a blood draw is taken and the blood sent away to be tested by a special labortory. There is some controversy about how accurate this test is, but I have had alot of success for my clients using this method. Antigen serum can be made from this series of tests also.

I hope this helps.

Dr. Sonnya

Why should I support Breed Rescue?

2008-05-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

One of the things that we do at our clinic is to provide veterinary care and shelter for purebred bloodhounds that are homeless until appropriate homes can be found. I get alot of comliments for the work that we do, but the real champion is Sara Grant. She is the person behind the scenes that does all the work; she answers emails, fields phone calls, talks to prospective owners endlessly, and manages all the details.

I wrote this article a few months ago for the Pacific Rim Bloodhound Club newsletter (http://www.pacificrimbloodhoundclub.org/) in response to rumors that not all bloodhound breeders feel that Rescue is their "problem". The thought that a responsible breeder would turn his/her back on the unfortunate ones in our breed angered me greatly, thus the following article was born. Even though the article concerns bloodhounds, it is relevant to all breeds and their respective Breed Rescue organizations.

Why should I support Breed Rescue?

Occasionally someone will ask, ‘Why should I care about breed rescue, it isn’t my responsibility?’ As someone up to her eyeballs in Rescue, I would like to answer that question from my perspective.

First - and most important - is our love for the breed. We are all in this club because we love Bloodhounds. They are a special and unique breed. We love them because they are comical, quizzical, independent, competent and, in a word, lovable. People are attracted to the breed’s unique appearance and their reputation for being a combination of slow-moving porch dog and super-sleuth extraordinaire. Unfortunately, the drooling, pyoderma-proned, destructive, vocal, hyperactive, independent hounds that they are often eventually make the uninformed realize that they are in over their heads.

Politically, we are faced with issues such as AB-1634 in California, which attempts to ban dog breeding. As Susan Hamil pointed out at the American Bloodhound Club (ABC) meeting held during Regionals this year, “This legislation will likely be picked up in other states.” The ultimate goal of the activist groups supporting this type of legistation is an end to all dog breeding across the United States. The restrictions proposed will effectively put an end to purebred dog breeding, both by responsible hobby breeders and breed enthusiasts or will make it cost prohibitive to breed. This could conceivably lead to the extinction of many of the more unusual breeds, such as the bloodhound. Effective opposition requires preemptive action including having breed rescue in place to keep representatives of our breed from further overloading the shelters, humane societies, and pounds.

It is my opinion that breeders should be the parties that are the most supportive of and active in breed rescue. Virtually all ABC member/breeders adhere to the highest standards of owner selection for their puppies and being available to take a puppy back at any time during its life. That, however is not enough. Every puppy bred and placed in a home potentially displaces another dog, as there are more dogs than homes. Moreover, there is no way to guarantee that the puppy will not produce more dogs in future generations, regardless of the contract that the new pet owner signed. As a veterinarian, I see examples of this every day. Several months ago, a client presented her new puppy, which was an unusual breed for our area. During the exam I recommended spaying her new pet. She emphatically refused, while acknowledging that she had signed a contract requiring her to spay her dog. She described to me “the way it worked”: “You see, breeders only have a few dogs that are show quality from each litter, and the rest they have to place as pets. They must restrict breeding of all of the pet quality dogs that they sell, so that they can retain a monopoly on the available homes”. This enlightened client realized that she could make her money back if she bred her dog and sold the puppies as “pets”.

We must act as champions and benevolent caretakers of our breed. As Antoine De Saint-Exupery said “You become responsible forever, for what you have tamed”. In breed rescue, we are often called upon to euthanize the lost souls -- the aggressive, the unsocialized, and the unplaceable. Factors forcing us into this necessary but heartbreaking task include:
ð Many dog owners are in denial about an aggressive dog situation. They cannot bring themselves to make the difficult decision of euthanizing their pet, yet they are too afraid to keep it in their home or around their family, so they turn to Rescue.
ð Compassion and humanity require us to end the suffering of those that are trapped in the pain of mental illness.
ð We do not want our breed’s reputation to be tarnished by the few truly aggressive dogs that are in the general population as they get bounced from home to home to shelter to home.

Whether you are involved in Search and Rescue, are a breeder, or are just an enthusiast, we are all responsible for the welfare of this wonderful breed. Go home tonight and spend some time looking deep into the eyes of the hound that you love the most. If tomorrow a tragedy separated you and your pet, you can feel comforted in knowing that breed rescue will be there to provide compassionate care for that wonderful soul and place him/her into a carefully selected, loving home. If for no other reason, we should all be enthusiastic supporters of breed rescue.

Euthanasia

2008-05-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

Because of my profession, I deal with euthanasia on an almost daily basis. Every euthanasia situation is different, but I have found peace with what I do. I help end lives. Perhaps I am only justifying the act, but I feel that we, veterinarians, are blessed to be able to provide this service; this service of ending lives.

Occasionally I will have an owner that isn’t prepared to let their best friend die. Still other owners wish to provide hospice to their pet until the pet dies at home. More often then not, I am called out to euthanize those pets just minutes before they would die naturally, because the natural ending is too horrific for the owner to watch. It is in the eyes of those dying pets that I see my future. The eyes that are glassy from pain and suffering speak to me. They plead for a speedy departure from this earth, because their body just won’t let them go. It is in those moments that I realize that this is how most human lives will end; how my life will end. I will not be allowed to die at the end of a needle, but will be left to suffer through those final weeks, days and moments. That is the journey that I will travel as my life comes to an end.

A wish flickers across my mind in those moments. It is a wish that I cannot quite allow to materialize. Our society has labeled human euthanasia as immoral and unethical, so it would be wrong to give the wish more than a glancing thought as it flickers across my mind. But it is there, waiting.

I allow myself a bit of solace when I help an animal pass from this world. I am blessed to be able to bring about a peaceful end. The owner will often apologize for making me euthanize their pet, but I am not sad for the pet and the apology is unwarranted. I am most sad for those left behind.

By the edge of a wood, at the foot of a hill,
is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run,
when their time on earth is over and done.

For here, between this world and the next,
is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On the golden land, they wait and the play,
till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.

No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
for here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,
their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.

They romp through the grass, without even a care,
until one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.

For just at that instant, their eyes have met;
Together again, both person and pet.
So they run to each other, these friends form long past,
the time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they felt while they were apart,
has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,
and then, side-by-side,
They cross over…together.

At Rainbow Bridge
Inspired by a Norse legend

Our Miracle

2008-05-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

It was the last day in January and I got the dreaded phone call: Giant, elderly dog, suddenly unable to get up, eat, or drink. I asked the owner, FR, to meet me at the clinic, knowing full well what I was about to see.

The owner rushed his friend in carrying the 110 lb, 12-year-old mastiff in to the exam room. The patient, Fred, was panting heavily and his gums were pale. After running bloodwork and finding that he was extremely anemic (low red blood cell count), I placed a needle in his belly and got back 12 cc of frank blood.

I remember well sitting in the exam room and telling the owner that my worst fears were correct. His best friend had hemoabdomen, a belly full of blood. He was bleeding internally and at this age it was most likely due to a tumor of the spleen that had ruptured. I explained that even if we did everything—surgery, remove the spleen, chemotherapy--- Fred probably wouldn’t live more than a month or two.

I gave FR time to let this sink in. His face was sunken in despair as the many thoughts and questions raced through his mind, and then he looked up at me with a sudden gleam in his eye and simply said “Let’s do it”. That statement summarized everything; Fred was his best friend, his closest ally, and if there was any chance at all of saving him, FR wanted to try.

We re-arranged our appointments and worked in the exploratory surgery that resulted in removing Fred’s spleen and part of his liver. We suctioned out over 3,000 cc of blood from his belly and gave him 500 cc of whole blood over the next 24 hours. We were pumping IV fluids into him as fast as we could. The first of several miracles followed; It was less then 24 hours after his surgery but Fred was walking, eating and occasionally biting the assistants. He wanted to go home.

We sent Fred home and he continued to improve. Within 48 hours he was up, walking, eating and drinking. In the meantime, Fred’s report came back on the 2 tumors we removed. He had a highly metastatic hemangiosarcoma of the spleen and a hepatic carcinoma of the liver. Either tumor alone had a poor prognosis; having both was devastating.

I talked to some highly regarded veterinary oncologists (cancer specialists) and read everything that I could find on Fred’s tumors. Without chemotherapy, Fred had less than 2 months to live. With chemotherapy he might live 7 months—if he hadn’t had all of that blood in his abdomen. The blood in his abdomen made his survival time much lower—he would be lucky to live for 3 months. I kept re-playing in my mind “Let’s do it” and continued to search for the best chemotherapy options for Fred.

Once the plan was outlined, we scheduled his chemotherapy to start 2 weeks later—he would be getting 5 treatments of Doxorubicin every 2 weeks. In addition, part of his chemotherapy protocol involved getting Metacam (meloxicam) daily. We would help support him his system with a daily multi-vitamin, an iron supplement, and a liver supplement.

Every 2 weeks Fred arrived for his chemotherapy. He was always bright and happy to see us. Since he had a nasty habit of biting if he was irritated, we would always sedate him for his chemo. The sedation also insured that he didn’t move while the drug was being pumped in through an IV catheter. It was extremely important that he didn’t move, because the drug will destroy the skin, muscle and other tissues if it gets outside of the vein. It took 4 hours to get all of the medication into him each time.

Several days after each chemotherapy treatment, Fred’s appetite would deteriorate. FR, determined to keep Fred strong, would cook him the choicest cuts of meat. When all else failed, Fred would always eat his prime rib or liverwurst.

Several unexpected positive outcomes came out of his treatment; the Metacam controlled Fred’s chronic arthritis and for the first time in years he had a spring in his step as he happily made the rounds at work, greeting all of his dad’s clients. The new diet of meat only (and occasionally cat food) relieved his long-standing allergies so that he no longer itched, scratched and licked. His skin, hair and eyes were truly glistening.

This week was a milestone. Fred came in for a recheck. We ran blood work and aspirated an enlarged lymph node. Except for a slight infection, the blood work came back perfect; the liver and kidney chemistries showed no abnormalities. The lymph node aspirate also returned normal. Fred is now 3 months beyond the original diagnosis—3 months beyond the morning that he collapsed and emergency surgery was performed to save his life. His will to live and FR’s deterimination to give him every opportunity to survive has resulted in no less than a miracle. Fred is our miracle.

The Bald Eagle

2008-05-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

I walked into work and greeted our first client. RB brought our patient in a large, white metal cage, which you couldn't see into. He said the occupant was a real "bad boy" who would love to tear us apart.
We brought the cage and occupant into an exam room, discussing how we were to restrain him. RB opened the front door to the cage, and a beautiful, adult male bald eagle came hopping out, all the time watching us and trying to find an escape route at the same time. RB herded him into a corner and grasped his legs through the towel, while I restrained his head. We were both very nervous, as an eagle's talons are extremely painful if they get them into you. Together we carried our patient into the radiology room and placed the anesthesia mask over his head. D, JA and JB already had set up the anesthesia and x-ray machines, and they were all standing watching and waiting for their cue to jump in and help.The eagle quickly succumbed to the anesthesia and was asleep so that an exam could be performed. We soon found that his right wing had blood oozing from a small hole and that air could be felt under the skin. We were immediately suspicious of a gunshot wound. I uttered the thought outloud, and RB immediately became sickened at the thought of someone shooting such a majestic creature for sport or game. The xrays confirmed our suspicion. The bald eagle had a fracture of the right radius from a single bullet. Additionally, his humerus had a spiral fracture, likely from hitting the clearcut tree stumps, as he came tumbling to the ground. Our Eagle was found up near Forks, Washington. He had been on the ground for at least 2 days, before our rehabilitator-client, RB, was called out to get him. The Eagle's wife sat up in the trees screaming and crying as he was taken away. RB fed him and nursed him for several days before realizing that his right wing was hanging a bit lower then the left wing, and brought him to us for radiographs.
We contacted Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine so that the eagle could have the best surgeons and the best care available. Tomorrow the Bald Eagle will be placed on a Horizon Airline flight to Pullman. Hopefully, after surgery and rehabilitation, he will be able to fly again and will be released back to his wife and his home. ..

Cardiac disease in an african grey parrot

2008-05-14T17:13:00.000-07:00

A 23-year-old Congo African Grey parrot presented with feather picking of the left chest and inside of the wing web. Finances were limited, so the feather picking was treated conservatively w/ silver sulfadiazine ointment and systemic antibiotics (15mg/kg enrofloxacin PO). A soft tube collar was placed and behavior and diet modification was implemented. The parrot responded well to treatment, but presented 4 months later with self mutilation of the left inner wing web. The mutilation involved full-skin thickness and muscle. At this time the owner was feeding an excellent diet (Harrison's w/ occasional green veggies) and following all behavioral modification recommendations. Again, due to financial limitations, we attempted to repeat the previous treatment modalities. This time he did not respond to the treatment, the feather picking continued, and the owner released ownership of the bird to the clinic.

Chemistries revealed a mild hypocalcemia (7.3 mg/dl – normal 8-13 mg/dl) and hyper-CK (547 U/L– normal 100-300 U/L). Radiographs were fairly unremarkable. The following day the bird was taken adopted and taken home by one of our technicians. He was active, vocalizing and eating well. Later that day he was found in his cage dead.
A necropsy was performed. Grossly, the heart muscle had small pale patches and the mural vessels had yellow, thick plaques which appeared to nearly occlude the great vessels. Histopathology was performed which confirmed our clinical diagnosis of marked arteriosclerosis with myocardial necrosis leading to acute cardiac failure.
In the future, cardiac disease will be part of our differential list in older parrots with feather picking of the left wing.

The Owl that was hit by the car

2008-05-14T17:11:00.000-07:00

Sara, our office manager at the vet clinic, thought that I should post a blog about our Owl, so here it is – dedicated to Sara and the owl.

Jordan, Sara's sister, found a large, barred owl one dark, cold night sitting in the middle of the road. Although he was sitting upright, his head kept falling to the ground and he was wobbling back and forth, clearly close to death. Unfortunately, Jordan's arm was in a cast, so despite her best efforts, she couldn't scoop up the owl. Our heroine went to the nearest house, crying and nearly hysterical, forcing the poor man to come out into the cold of the middle of the night and put the owl in her car. He wasn't any too happy about this either, but how do you say no to a beautiful, young lady crying on your doorstep?

Her job still wasn't done, because now she was knocking on MY door, owl in hand. I really didn't mind, though, because 1. I love birds and would do anything for them and 2. At least I didn't have to drive into the clinic in the middle of the night.
We set the owl up in a warm, hospital cage in my laundry room. He was extremely shocky and hypothermic.
Jordan named him after herself. His name was now JJ.

In the morning, I brought our owl-friend into the clinic and we put him under general anesthesia, took x-rays, treated his dehydration and cleaned up his wounds. Evidently, he skimmed off a moving car, suffering a fractured orbital (eye) rim and fractured upper beak.

JJ stayed with us for several days, and his heroine faithfully came to the clinic and visited him during his stay. We searched all feed stores and pet stores in the county to find feeder mice to feed him. We even had employees searching the grain bins in the middle of the night for mice and moles.

After several days, JJ regained his strength and was well enough to be released. Late one night, I went back to the location he was found. JJ sat on my arm for about 10 minutes, looking around at the world and back at me again. It was a very poignant experience, as I was convinced that in his own way, JJ was thanking me for everything that we did for him. There was no fear and no concern. After a while, JJ slowly and unceremoniously lifted off. I watched him fly off into the night sky until the dark engulfed him.

The only negative thing that happened as a result of JJ's stay with us is that damn mouse. JJ refused to eat the mouse and nobody seems to want a pet mouse. I've tried unsuccessfully to pawn him off on all my employees, their children, our clients, and our clients' children. So, everyday we clean that mouse's cage and feed him. Does anyone want a mouse? He's really cute, friendly and…..