Eager Young Minds

When I got into veterinary medicine, I knew my job description would be highly varied. Yesterday was an absolute blast. . Each year one of the vet schools across Canada host the SCVMA Symposium and this year it was held at the University of Calgary Veterinary Medicine. I was asked to go to USVM for the day to do two sessions on humane handling of cats for the students.

I started by going over some basics of cat development and then we got into the fun part of cat body language. Cats are much more subtle in their signalling so it is our job to learn from them. I have some very neat cases (I could be prejudice!) we could go over. Pictures are definitely worth a thousand words when it comes to figuring them out.

Then we started to practice. What the students didn’t know was that we were going to practice with balls and stuffed animals before they were allowed near the cats. The reason for using the balls was to practice holding animals appropriately when they try to get out of your hands. Wish I had a video of the first student who volunteered. I had her hold the ball while I spoke to describe what I was going to do. As I was part way through, I hit the ball from underneath so the “cat” went running across the room. She didn’t make that mistake again!

Once that exercise was done, they practiced wrapping the stuffed animals in towels. There are a variety of holds for them to practice and I wanted the students feeling comfortable with the technique before using the cats.

I wasn’t too sure what to expect with the cats. I remember the ones we had in vet school and they weren’t the happiest of animals. The UCVM cats were great. They were so happy to have undivided attention, toys and treats. Once the students had perfected a hold, the cats were given treats and/or a small play session then onto the next hold. By the end, we had some of the happiest cats I have ever seen being restrained. I was so proud of the students. They did such a great job and were like little sponges. (Plus, I got a really cute scarf as a thank you.)

No Bones Please!

On a fairly regular basis, I have owners tell me that one of their dog’s favorite chew toys is a bone. Unfortunately I have seen all types of bones cause problems. At this point in my career, I don’t care if it’s the biggest knuckle bone that’s been boiled. It can still cause issues.

The most common issue is gastrointestinal (GI). Bones can get caught in the esophagus, trachea, stomach and/or intestines. If the bone(s) poke through the stomach or intestines it can cause peritonitis. Peritonitis is a very difficult to treat bacterial infection of the abdomen. Bones will often scrape the lining of the intestines causing bleeding. Vomiting and diarrhea are also seen and may indicate surgery is needed.

Early in my career, I literally saved a patient by doing a rectal exam. A couple brought in a very lethargic 85lb dog. On physical exam, his abdomen was painful but all he could really do was groan. His history included getting a new bone every weekend. They swore he was never able to get any pieces off the bone. Well, the rectal found a piece of bone wedged sideways in the pelvis. I was able to gently turn and remove it. A follow up call found him back to his usual self.

The most recent bone case involved a goofy Labrador retriever (as an owner as well, what else can you say about them?). She had been seen a couple days before at the emergency clinic for vomiting and diarrhea caused from eating a bone. Antibiotics and stomach protectants were dispensed. When I saw her, she hadn’t improved very much so we took the radiograph. At least bones show up easily! The shards of bone were in the large intestine so we knew it was just a short matter of time before they would pass and she could continue to heal. She was one of the lucky ones.

Christmas Came Early

Last Friday, we had a very sick cat come in to the hospital. Blackie was very dehydrated, had a fever and could barely lift his head. His owners said he had been loosing weight lately and his appetite was poor.

We admitted him for ICU treatment. In Blackie’s case, this meant radiographs (normal), taking blood for analysis, starting antibiotics and fluids. When cats stop eating well, they are at greater risk of developing hepatic lipidosis. This means their liver gets clogged with the fat their body is trying to break down for energy. I was very worried. I warned his owners the prognosis wasn’t very good but since he was only 5 years old it was worth a fight.

The next day we got his bloodwork results. The hepatic lipidosis was confirmed and his muscle enzymes were elevated. We started force feeding him small amounts of a special canned food that can be mixed into a slurry. He wasn’t exactly appreciative but his life depended on it.

Blackie was also lucky that his owners could visit every day. It really helps to keep the animal’s spirits up. He purred for us during his massages but his motor really roared when they came in. They brought him a plush animal that he routinely curled up with for naps.

It took five days, but we finally got Blackie back on his feet so he could go home for Christmas. He has masticatory myositis (inflammation of the cheek muscles - an autoimmune disease). I received an email update today saying he was starting to eat on his own. He even gets to go visiting over the holidays as he needs multiple medications and must be monitored carefully. Blackie is our Christmas miracle!

Proud Daughter

I am going to let you know about the work my mother, Heather A Logan, has been doing for the past fifteen years. She developed and facilitated the Pawsitive Directions Canine Program at Nova Institution for Women. This is a Federal Prison for women inmates. She teaches the women how to train rescued dogs as assistance dogs.

All the training is done using operant conditioning behaviour analysis (known to many as clicker training). This allows the women to train the dogs using non-punitive methods. They also learn how to give back to the community. These women get to see functional families doing the absolute best they can for their family members. This would not be something the majority of the women grew up seeing. The profound effect on the inmates is amazing. Their hard work allows disabled children and adults alike to have a new found sense of purpose and independence.

At the end of the month, my mother will be retiring from the job. It is one that is often frustrating and thankless. She stands up for her women (a number of them I consider to be adopted sisters) and is often the only true mother figure they have ever had. Her program has garnered many awards both in North America and abroad. The Pawsitive Directions Canine Program has the lowest rate of inmates re-offending. More than 50 service dogs have been placed and a number of my “sisters” have gone on to work in the dog industry; whether it be dog trainers, kennel operators, veterinary assistants or dog walkers.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to let everybody know how incredibly proud I am to be this woman’s daughter. Her strength and determination are an absolute inspiration. Because of her, I became a veterinarian and started my own hospital. I will never be able to thank her enough.

For more information about this program, you can visit her website www.cloverfieldbehaviour.com

Surgical Surprises

This week we had a couple of surprises when it came to our surgeries. The first one had the owners, staff and I laughing. A new client brought in the families new 16 week old kitten to be neutered. They had been told it was a male but the kids wanted to call him Dolly. When we are admitting for surgery we always double check just to be sure. Well…..turns out he was actually a she and the kids had found the perfect name!

The other neat find was when we were getting ready to do a spay on a 6 month old small breed dog. My AHT, Kelly, asked me to take a quick peak at the mouth as there were some retained baby teeth. There were five upper baby incisors that needed to come out but the bottom teeth were the most intriguing. There were only three adult incisors (supposed to have six) and the baby canine teeth hadn’t fallen out which was causing the adult teeth to erupt to the inside of the mouth.

This can become a major problem. If we did not remove the baby teeth, the adult teeth would continue to erupt improperly and would end up damaging the hard palate. My mouth hurt just thinking about what could happen. I took a quick dental radiograph to make sure nothing else was going on in the lower jaw.

Once I was done with the routine spay, I extracted the baby teeth. This is the one time we do not suture the incisions closed. We want to give the adult teeth every chance to move outward to their normal position.

Finally Foiled!!!

My youngest dog, Cardinal, is your typical goofy Labrador retriever. If he weren’t so cute it would be very difficult to overlook some of his transgressions. The third time I walked into the phone store for a new Blackberry in a one week period, I could barely believe it.

About a year and a half ago he went through a period where nothing on any counter, whether at home or in the staff room, was safe. What he can do in a split second to a plastic container would make your mind reel. Catching him was basically impossible so we made sure the counter was always clear. He quit counter-surfing in a month at home and two months at work.

Over the past few months, Cardinal has discovered the game of “open the closet door”. The goal is to find something to chew, preferably treats in coat pockets or leather in any form. His tastes are getting expensive. We have tried a variety of ways to keep him out of the closet. This week, my receptionist, Sarena, asked her boyfriend, Caulder to work on one of my ideas. He took it and made it impossible for Cardinal to break into the closet. My hero!!!

Rainbow Bridge

I am in a unique position as a veterinarian. Part of my oath is to relieve suffering. This includes humane euthanasia. It is certainly not an easy part of my job but certainly a necessary one.

I am also getting to a point in my 10 year career where I have known many of my patients since they were young. There is great joy in watching as they grow and play. The aspect I am dealing with now is that these same patients are now old and developing a variety of diseases, some manageable, some terminal.

Today, I had to perform a euthanasia on a patient with hemangiosarcoma of the liver. We had known for the past few weeks she had this dreadful cancer. She was monitored closely for quality of life. I received the call this morning that it was time. I was able to say goodbye as she passed.

The stunning part was that the client's other dog was euthanized for the same disease approximately 1 month ago. I was not able to say goodbye to that dog as I had sent her to the specialist centre thinking she was having side effects to the chemo. Ultrasound found a mass on the liver which had started to bleed. It had to be performed immediately.

It is a privilege and an honor to have known these two dogs. My favorite memories of the two of them are when they came to the hospital for routine exams. I could not start the physical until I had gotten onto the floor for their hug. They were so loving and trusting. I shall miss them terribly and my heart breaks for their owners who have lost such loved members of their family.