It is curious the things we accept as true without pausing to ask whether they match what we know to actually be true, often without even noticing that we are doing it.
Viewing entries tagged
dogs
For those of you with a weak stomach or no interest in the ins and outs of surgery...or both...skip this post!
Those of you who like the weird and the gross, read on.
One of the coolest surgeries we do is stone removal surgery from the urinary bladder.
Stones can be quite pretty. These look like roses to me.
We take stones out for two reasons - they hurt and they can obstruct the urinary system, especially in males.
Before surgery, we do a physical exam and blood work. When we have patients undergoing anesthesia, we - of course - want it to be as safe as possible.
The day of surgery, the pet is fasted. He or she is sedated and anesthetized. An IV catheter is in and anesthesia monitoring equipment is hooked up.
The pet is placed on their back on the surgery table in the surgery room. Lights are aimed at their belly.
Warning! Here is the gross/cool part...An incision is made into the abdomen and the urinary bladder. The stones are scooped out - I am not making this up - with a tiny measuring spoon. We have three. They say "smidge," "sprinkle" and "pinch." I use the "smidge" spoon, the smallest one.
The bladder incision and the abdominal wall incision are sewn back up and x-rays are taken to make sure all of the stones are out. The stones are sent to a lab for analysis.
And the pet lives happily ever after, hopefully forever stone free.
It was a busy Saturday morning. Kelly ran into the treatment room carrying the tiny West Highland White Terrier puppy, the puppy that her Mom had recently adopted after her first Westie had died. Puppy was having trouble staying awake.
Puppy had ingested at least ten and - later we found out - probably closer to twenty or twenty-five ibuprofen.
We administered a medication to cause Puppy to vomit, but she lost consciousness before she was able to vomit.
Stephanie asked me if I thought she would live. "No," I said, and started to cry.
I called ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center and reached Dr. Helen Myers. Thank you Dr. Myers! She advised us on medications and supportive care and recommended we get her to the nearest 24 hour care facility as soon as possible. I asked Dr. Myers if she thought Puppy would live. "This is bad," she said.
My next calls were to Russ and his Mom to ask them to begin praying.
I then called VCA Midwest Vet to let them know Puppy was coming. Thank you VCA Midwest Vet! For being and for being there for Puppy.
Puppy's gums were blue. Her temperature was dropping, and she was still unconscious. Kelly got an IV catheter placed in a matter of seconds, her Mom got her to the emergency hospital and we waited.
The first update was promising. Puppy was awake and taking oral medications.
That evening I called again. Puppy was eating! She was also being carried everywhere and properly spoiled. Her gastrointestinal system was stable, and her kidney and liver values were normal.
And then, over two days after her ordeal began, against all odds, Puppy went home.
She is home and well with no long term damage. Everything is once again as it should be.
One of the best feelings in the world is the feeling when a newly adult dog runs across the exam room and jumps into my lap after we have not seen each other for a year.
The power was out. There was nothing we could do but wait. I wrote in my notebook. I comforted the dogs when they whined.
The cats didn't care. They had their sunlight.
It was quiet. We settled into the dark, the dogs and I. Maybe I needed the pause to be reminded how important writing and comforting are to my well-being. Subtly, so slowly I almost missed the transition, I shifted from waiting for the power to come back on to just being.
ONE YEAR AGO
THE KURTENBACH SERIES, PART 1 - MARCEL
TWO YEARS AGO
Abby and friends made sure all the dogs and cats had a gift to open Christmas morning! Abby said it matched the picture in her head perfectly.
Thank you from Abby to...
Grandma Finch
Grandma Nelson
Jaime Williams and Ross Nelson
Dr. Adrienne Kanne
Penny and Scott Bell
Kathi Ortmeier
Dr. Pete Bashara
Racquet Corner
ONE YEAR AGO
TWO YEARS AGO
I am thankful for Joy's medical issues.
Joy has chicken and seasonal allergies.
I am not afraid to dive into an eight week food trial with a client, or to use weeks after to pinpoint an allergen. Because of Joy, I have successfully brought several patients through the process and to comfort by avoiding the food or foods to which they are allergic.
I don't think an entire year of pattern watching is too long to figure out seasonal allergies.
I too hate seeing my dog miserable. Itchiness truly can be worse than pain. When I tell you that, know that I understand.
Joy has hypothyroidism.
She was overweight. Her coat was a mess. I understand how easy it is to miss gradual changes when you see your pet every day.
Joy injured her cruciate ligament and needed surgery.
I understand the financial stress. Dr. Merkley showed no financial mercy, but he took amazing care of our dog, so I'm good.
I understand how major this is.
I understand how difficult resting your dog for 6-8 weeks is. Many times, Joy would run past us with her leash we were supposed to be holding flying behind her.
When you say you cannot watch your pet receive an injection, I remember being in the middle of Joy's surgery with Dr. Merkley and needing to stare at the clock across two rooms so I did not black out.
We expected our mutt-mix-Heinz 57 dog to be the healthiest thing ever. However, because of her medical issues, I have grown as a veterinarian and pet parent. My empathy has been stretched to encompass a little bit more than it had, and that is always a good thing.
Dr. Chris Byers is a friend and colleague right here in Omaha Nebraska. He is a specialist in emergency and critical care AND a specialist in internal medicine! I appreciate his help on the difficult cases (including our own Luna Lovegood) and his overall expertise and knowledge. Thank you for your post Doctor! I know readers will love it as much as I do!
Guest post from Dr. Chris Byers...
I’m often asked what I’d do if I wasn’t a veterinarian. That’s a hard question to answer given I’ve wanted to be a pet doctor since age 5. My first aspiration was to be a dinosaur veterinarian. Yet not just any dinosaur! I only wanted to work with stegosaurus.
When I finally grasped the concept of extinction, my passion turned skyward. I wanted to be the first veterinarian in space. To my dismay, one of my undergraduate professors at Colorado State University, Dr. Martin Fettman, a board-certified veterinary pathologist, beat me to the punch when he served as Payload Specialist on NASA Space Shuttle Mission STS-58 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1993.
Nevertheless, the “what if” question has always intrigued me. If I’m being honest, I don’t think I’d work in veterinary or human medicine. I’d work in the music industry. Music has always been a way to calm my soul. As one who was bullied as a child, I frequently found solace in song. I would listen to poignant lyrics, and believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that the words were written just for me. As the saying goes, music is my connection to what the world doesn’t know about me.
What if I could bring my two passions together? Could veterinary medicine and music collide for the greater good of improving animal health? It seems the answer to this unique question may be yes! Veterinarians and researchers are beginning to investigate the effects of music on stress in various animals, including our furry companions. In humans, music therapy reduces pain and anxiety levels. Patients with traumatic brain injuries and those requiring mechanical ventilation may improve more rapidly. Music stimulates the body to change brain activity, immune responses, and hormone systems.
Investigations regarding the benefits of veterinary music therapy are in their infancy. Only a few studies have been performed to date, and results have been relatively mixed. One study demonstrated classical music initially reduced stress in kenneled dogs based on behavioral changes, cortisol levels, and heart rate variability; however, the dogs became accustomed to the music after a day, nullifying the initial positive effects. A subsequent study by the same group of researchers suggested varying musical genres reduced this habituation effect.
Jimi Hendrix once said, “Music is a safe kind of high.” I, for one, am excited to see what the future holds for music therapy in companion animals. Perhaps we will learn song is an essential therapy - a new drug per se - in the care of our furry friends.
Dr. Christopher G. Byers is a practicing small animal specialist who is board-certified in both emergency/critical care and internal medicine. He is also a Certified Veterinary Journalist who publishes a weekly blog for pet owners - CriticalCareDVM.com - with the sole purpose of educating pet parents about the benefits of partnering with board-certified veterinary specialists. He may be found on all major social media at CriticalCareDVM.
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Post from one year ago today...
March 16, 2016
I hope you have enjoyed this series!
Do you want to see MORE pictures and hear MORE stories from Dan in the future?
Do YOU have a story to tell?
THE KURTENBACH SERIES, PART 1 - MARCEL
THE KURTENBACH SERIES, PART 2 - GAMBLER
THE KURTENBACH SERIES, PART 3 - THE FOUNTAIN CREEK GENERAL STORE
THE KURTENBACH SERIES, PART 4 - THE FLOWERS
THE KURTENBACH SERIES, PART 5 - AZLYNN GRACE
THE KURTENBACH SERIES, PART 6, LEATHERWORK
THE KURTENBACH SERIES FINALE - MORE DOGS AND SOME CATS...
Here are some great pictures of other dogs and cats Dan has known...
Gus and Dan on the North Shore of Lake Superior.
Gus in the Yard
Happy Old Gus
Gus - to his chagrin, a kitty magnet —— Gus with Rocket
Gus with Harvey
Gus with Little Bit
Wolfie in the Yard
I hate when a family comes in with a friend and I send them home with only a collar.
If you see "Nice dog, but ___" followed by ANYTHING on a medical record, it means the dog will bite you.
Halloween Safety Tips!
Do you know what is mean?
The most important biomarker for cardiac valvular disease is matching hair bows and toenail polish.
In downtown Estes Park we accidentally found the best little place for lunch.
"Perhaps one central reason for loving dogs is that they take us away from this obsession with ourselves."
A client brought her dog in to have his anal glands expressed. She said, "Thanks for squeezing us in," and I started giggling.
Don't say "one more beer" to the vet!
Why is it that pets who are not above eating smelly socks...or worse...are offended when it is suggested that they drink barium?
On Doc’s last day, his Mom told me that he had been named after Dr. Mark Williams, a well-loved Omaha vet who passed away in 2008.