80% Of ‘Painful’ Dogs Have Spinal CompressionJanuary 22, 2010In the late 1990s, a classic study1 drew important conclusions about dogs who have “only” paraspinal pain. Out of 429 dogs diagnosed with thoracolumbar intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), 25 had signs of back pain only. “Back pain only” means they had no proprioceptive deficits and therefore had normal motor function. A myelogram was performed. It revealed that in 80 percent of these dogs, spinal cord compression was detected, which of course was not suspected …
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Who Should Euthanize Leia?January 18, 2010"Leia's owners are ready for euthanasia. Who do you want to do it?" It really was a sad situation. Leia, a 12-year-old Jack Russell, had been losing weight over several weeks. She was vomiting and anorexic. Laparotomy confirmed exactly what the referring vet's ultrasound had indicated: a small intestinal mass and enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes. Jejunal resection and anastomosis, as well as biopsies of a lymph node and the liver were uneventful. The following day, …
Changing The World, One Patient At A TimeJanuary 4, 201012/21/2009 - Would you have euthanized this patient? 12/07/2009 - Spay a pet, save a life 11/16/2009 - How (In)competent Are You? A local colleague, Dr. L, generated quite a stir in our referral community. Her dog Ursula, a 9 -year-old golden retriever, was recently diagnosed with hemoabdomen, widespread liver cancer and pulmonary metastasis, probably all due to hemangiosarcoma. Strangely, Ursula never missed a meal, and her liver values were normal. There wasn't much to do, besides making …
Allergies And Resistant Staph Infections Dominate Dermatological ConcernsDecember 23, 2009Veterinary dermatologists say general practitioners following the “three strikes and you’re out,” policy tend to hold onto the client they referred when future veterinary care is needed. While the down economy may make an owner less willing to comply with treatment, holding onto a case without results for too long can make them leave the practice for good. Just as in general practice, specialists are reporting a slight decline in business correlating with their local …
Would You Have Euthanized This Patient?December 21, 2009I just lost a patient. And I am devastated. Cuddles was a 13-year- old Maltese with right periocular swelling and enophtalmos. MRI revealed a nasal mass causing lysis of the right orbit. The mass extended in the periocular tissues. The owner was clearly informed that the mass was probably malignant. Surgery entailed enucleation and debulking of the mass through the eroded orbital bone. After surgery, the owner was told that the procedure went well but …
Emerging Threat Of Canine InfluenzaDecember 7, 2009The growing range of influenza viruses has many people concerned about their risk of infection and the risk level of their pets. Private practitioners bear the brunt of inquiries and are being asked to make determinations of viral spread that stump virologists and epidemiologists. What is known about the canine influenza virus is that the country’s shelter populations and boarding facilities are at the highest risk. Experts say the virus could spread in a shelter …
Spay A Pet, Save A LifeDecember 1, 2009Ever have a hard time convincing pet owners to spay their cat or dog? You might want to share some compelling numbers with them. It actually might help you save your patient's life. The risk of a dog having mammary tumors is 0.05 percent if she is spayed before the first heat. Then it shoots up to an 8 percent risk after the first heat, and 26 percent after the second heat. If the dog …
Pet Insurance: Benefit Schedules As Managed CareNovember 23, 2009 Jack L. Stephens, DVM, the father of pet health insurance in the U.S., wrote an article about the 80/20 percent reimbursement model of pet insurance on June 25, 2009. On August 20, 2009, Tom Kendall, DVM, replied, warning of pitfalls in that model making the case for a benefit schedule. In this piece, Dr. Stephens responds and poses a challenge. Tom, Pet insurance can and must …
Veterinarians Do Double Duty At Trade ShowsNovember 19, 2009 WANTED: Veterinarian engaged in small-animal practice. Must love dogs, cats, parrots that talk back and energetic monkeys, and enjoy working and networking in a social setting. If this sounds beyond the scope of a typical small-animal hospital environment, it is. These days, veterinarians are enjoying getting out of the exam room and being on call at the many pet trade shows that are big business across America. “Over the years we’ve had …
Obesity Is Just As Bad As SmokingNovember 1, 2009The fact that obesity reduces lifespan is a well established fact in dogs and several other animal species. Dr. Kealy1 and others have shown, in a classic study, that thin Labs outlive overweight Labs by almost two years (13 years vs. 11 years on average). I've always wondered when physicians would show a similar correlation in people. They finally have. A recent article in the Lancet2 made the point. This is a gigantic study: The …
