FEATURE CASE ARTICLES
Read about the interesting cases that have come through our doors each month
Read about the interesting cases that have come through our doors each month
Bridget and Her Sore Eye
Bridget, a 12 year old Beagle, came to us with a weepy right eye.
Dr Cindy could see a 2mm foreign object in the right eye. The sclera of the eye (the dense, white, fibrous membrane that forms part of the external covering of the eye) was very inflamed and irritated. It was recommended that the foreign material be removed under general anaesthetic, and Bridget’s dedicated owners went ahead with the procedure the very next day. Prior to anaesthetising Bridget, her intraocular pressures (the pressure within the eyeballs) were measured to ensure that they were within normal limits. Dr Jess then proceeded to remove the foreign object from Bridget’s right eye. This was done via applying very gentle pressure and hooking out the foreign material with the tip of a very fine needle. A lot of care had to be taken to not inadvertently cause more damage to the eye. An approximately 1.5mm wide x 1mm deep defect to the cornea was left behind from the offending object, which healed without issues via a course of antibacterial eye drops and pain relief post operatively. |
It is important to remember that because eyes are such fragile yet important structures to the body, if you ever notice that your pet’s eyes just ‘don’t seem quite right’, do give us a call for a chat and further advice.
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Ginger and Her Sore Leg
Ginger, a Chihuahua cross, presented to KSAH at 11 months of age as she wasn't using her left hind leg after jumping into the air after her ball. She was very painful on palpation of her left hind leg. Xrays showed that Ginger had a fracture to her tibial tuberosity.
The tibial tuberosity is the front of her shin bone and is shown in the xrays on the right hand side. This is a fracture that can occur in young growing dogs as the tibial tuberosity has a separate growth plate to the top of the tibial bone. |
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This fracture was repaired by Dr Ewen Blaikie who is a visiting surgeon who performs our advanced orthopaedic surgeries. The fractured piece of bone was secured back to the front of the tibia with two metal pins to allow the bone to heal back together. Ginger stayed in hospital overnight on a strong pain relief drip and was sent home the next day with several pain relief medications to keep her comfortable. Her leg was bandaged for two weeks following surgery and she was strictly cage rested for the same duration, before slowly increasing her activity levels at home.
6 weeks after surgery, xrays confirmed that she had healed well. We later saw her back for her first yearly vaccination at which she was using her left hind leg very well as though she had never had any issues to begin with.
6 weeks after surgery, xrays confirmed that she had healed well. We later saw her back for her first yearly vaccination at which she was using her left hind leg very well as though she had never had any issues to begin with.
Miley and Her Sore Leg
Miley was only a 4 month old miniature dachshund puppy when she visited us for the first time as she was not bearing weight on her left forelimb.
Miley’s x-rays showed that she had sustained a Salter Harris type 5 fracture to her ulna (one of her forelimb bones). Salter Harris fractures are fractures involving the growth plate of a bone, and can be classified as types 1 (I) to 5 (V) as shown in the photo.
Miley’s x-rays showed that she had sustained a Salter Harris type 5 fracture to her ulna (one of her forelimb bones). Salter Harris fractures are fractures involving the growth plate of a bone, and can be classified as types 1 (I) to 5 (V) as shown in the photo.
- Type I: fracture passes all the way through the growth plate.
- Type II: fracture passes through most of the growth plate and up into the portion of bone above.
- Type III: fracture passes through the growth plate and down into the portion of bone below.
- Type IV: fracture that passes through the bone above, through the growth plate and below.
- Type V: fracture that crushes the growth plate.
Damage to growth plates before natural closure may hinder further bone development and growth in puppies. In Miley’s case, if her radius bone kept growing while her ulna had stopped, her forelimb may develop a valgus limb deformity (outward angulation of the limb).
Miley’s leg was splinted and bandaged to provide support, and she required weekly rechecks and bandage changes every second week, with repeat x-rays along the way. Her very dedicated owner was also given the difficult task of keeping her activity restricted.
One month after Miley’s injury, she was doing very well, but her limb was showing abnormal angulation. Dr Cindy performed an ulnar ostectomy; a surgical procedure where a portion of the ulna is removed. This allowed the radius to continue growing correctly without restraint from a shortened ulna, thus avoiding bowing of the leg.
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Further x-rays taken another 1 month post op showed good healing and no further progression of the angular limb deformity. With that, Miley was given the okay to slowly have her activity allowances increased again.
It was a long journey for Miley, but both her and her owner did a wonderful job during those few months!
It was a long journey for Miley, but both her and her owner did a wonderful job during those few months!
Ralph and His Ouchy Teeth
Ralph is a 6 year old Maltese X that visited us for a routine periodontal treatment. He had significant tartar accumulation on his teeth but was otherwise well.
Dr Jess performed a detailed examination of Ralph’s oral cavity under anaesthesia. She discovered a deep defect in his lower right 4th premolar (on the tongue-facing surface of the tooth).
Dr Jess performed a detailed examination of Ralph’s oral cavity under anaesthesia. She discovered a deep defect in his lower right 4th premolar (on the tongue-facing surface of the tooth).
This defect communicated with the tooth’s pulp cavity (the central chamber in a tooth containing sensitive nerve roots and blood vessels). Dental radiographs showed resorption of the roots affecting both the 4th premolars in the lower jaw.
You can see the problem tooth highlighted in the photo and xray on the right.
Resorptive lesions, whilst fairly common in cats, occur infrequently in dogs, and can affect any tooth. The cause is generally unknown. This disease process is caused by the animal’s own cells (called odontoclasts) destroying the tooth from underneath the enamel. Affected teeth are very sensitive, and if the nerve is exposed they can be intensely painful.
Affected animals can show signs of pain (e.g. drooling, bleeding, pawing at their face, difficulty chewing) or may hide their pain extremely well (just like Ralph) causing their pet parents to be none-the-wiser. The only treatment for resorbed teeth is surgical extraction.
You can see the problem tooth highlighted in the photo and xray on the right.
Resorptive lesions, whilst fairly common in cats, occur infrequently in dogs, and can affect any tooth. The cause is generally unknown. This disease process is caused by the animal’s own cells (called odontoclasts) destroying the tooth from underneath the enamel. Affected teeth are very sensitive, and if the nerve is exposed they can be intensely painful.
Affected animals can show signs of pain (e.g. drooling, bleeding, pawing at their face, difficulty chewing) or may hide their pain extremely well (just like Ralph) causing their pet parents to be none-the-wiser. The only treatment for resorbed teeth is surgical extraction.
Dr. Jess performed surgical extraction of both of Ralph’s lower jaw 4th premolars, which was an extensive and complicated procedure (due to the teeth having multiple roots). A local nerve block was injected into each jaw to numb the surgery sites. This provides a higher level of pain relief for Ralph.
The oral surgery involved the creation of gum flaps, high speed burring (to section the teeth into single roots to aid removal) and gentle elevation of the tooth roots. Post-operative x-rays were taken to confirm complete removal of the affected teeth. The gum flaps were then sutured back together to close the defect left behind by the extracted teeth.
Ralph was provided with take-home strong pain relief and antibiotics to aid recovery. He went home a happy boy.
His case showed that even if a tooth looks normal externally, disease can still exist below the gumline, emphasising the importance of intraoral dental radiographs in detecting painful dental conditions.
The oral surgery involved the creation of gum flaps, high speed burring (to section the teeth into single roots to aid removal) and gentle elevation of the tooth roots. Post-operative x-rays were taken to confirm complete removal of the affected teeth. The gum flaps were then sutured back together to close the defect left behind by the extracted teeth.
Ralph was provided with take-home strong pain relief and antibiotics to aid recovery. He went home a happy boy.
His case showed that even if a tooth looks normal externally, disease can still exist below the gumline, emphasising the importance of intraoral dental radiographs in detecting painful dental conditions.
Brucey and His Twig
Brucey is a 3 year old Jack Russell x Chihuahua cross that was rushed to KSAH after having a bout of sudden onset severe sneezing while at the park. He had also sprayed some blood droplets in the midst of his sneezing fit.
Dr Cindy anaesthetised him and performed a scoping exam of both his nostrils. She located and retrieved a 3.5cm long twig that was lodged firmly in his left nostril!
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A cross section of the dog's nasal cavity
A dog’s nasal cavity is very unique as it contains lots of convoluted folds resembling a maze. Please refer to the diagram above showing a cross section of the nasal cavity. The offending twig in this case was lodged in the common nasal meatus and could not be sneezed out due to the tight folds of the maze-like nasal structure. This anatomical feature is the reason why it is common to also get grass seeds stuck there, requiring medical intervention for removal of the object.
Luckily for Brucey, the twig had not caused too much damage apart from some localised inflammation. He went home on some anti-inflammatory medication and is now happily reunited with his favourite Lamby. |
Prophylactic Gastropexy
Titan is an 81kg, 2.5 year old bull mastiff cross that presented to KSAH for a castration and prophylactic gastropexy surgery.
A gastropexy is a surgical procedure performed in deep chested dogs to prevent a life-threatening condition called gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV) where the stomach rotates around itself, fills with air and cuts off blood supply to itself and other vital organs (please refer to diagram below).
Deep chested dogs are commonly large or giant breeds but GDV can also occur in small breeds. At-risk breeds include (but aren’t restricted to) Great Danes, Saint Bernards, Dalmatians, Weimaraners, Standard Poodles, Irish Setters, German Shepherds and Bull Mastiffs.
While the cause of GDV is not yet completely understood, predisposing factors include feeding your dog a single large meal per day or exercising your dog before or right after a meal. A prophylactic (preventative) gastropexy surgery attaches the stomach wall to the body wall to prevent it from twisting. It can be performed in conjunction with a desexing procedure or on its own.
A gastropexy is a surgical procedure performed in deep chested dogs to prevent a life-threatening condition called gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV) where the stomach rotates around itself, fills with air and cuts off blood supply to itself and other vital organs (please refer to diagram below).
Deep chested dogs are commonly large or giant breeds but GDV can also occur in small breeds. At-risk breeds include (but aren’t restricted to) Great Danes, Saint Bernards, Dalmatians, Weimaraners, Standard Poodles, Irish Setters, German Shepherds and Bull Mastiffs.
While the cause of GDV is not yet completely understood, predisposing factors include feeding your dog a single large meal per day or exercising your dog before or right after a meal. A prophylactic (preventative) gastropexy surgery attaches the stomach wall to the body wall to prevent it from twisting. It can be performed in conjunction with a desexing procedure or on its own.
In Titan's case, Dr Hadisa performed the gastropexy during his castration surgery. Titan also had one testicle located in his scrotum and the other retained in his abdomen. It was a long procedure but Titan recovered well from it.
In the photo above, Dr Hadisa and nurse Fiona celebrated with a happy Titan after they removed his stitches. We’ll miss having him in hospital as much as he will miss our beef treats!
If you have a deep chested or large/giant breed dog, come and see us or contact us on 9447 4644 for more information.
In the photo above, Dr Hadisa and nurse Fiona celebrated with a happy Titan after they removed his stitches. We’ll miss having him in hospital as much as he will miss our beef treats!
If you have a deep chested or large/giant breed dog, come and see us or contact us on 9447 4644 for more information.
July 2019 "Bear" - Giant Lump
Bear is a 13 year old male Labrador that presented to KSAH with a large mass on his side.
The mass, attached to the right side of Bear’s chest and abdomen measured a whopping 27 cm and was firmly adhered to the underlying muscles. Fine needle aspirates taken of the mass revealed a mixture of fat cells, red blood cells and inflammatory cells and it was suspected that this was a very large lipoma (lump of fat).
His blood tests showed no significant abnormalities in his internal organs, meaning that he was ok to be anaesthetised for his giant lump to be surgically removed.
Prior to surgery, an ultrasound scan was conducted to assess the lump’s margins and ascertain whether it had encroached into the surrounding muscle layers. The mass appeared to be reasonably well contained and had not invaded the underlying muscular abdominal wall.
Bear was then placed on fluid therapy and prepared for surgery. Dr Cindy surgically removed the 1.75kg mass (which thankfully looked like a very large lipoma). As the mass had left behind a large cavity, an active drain had to be placed in the wound to assist with healing and drainage. Bear remained with us overnight to receive IV pain relief and wound care. He was able to go home the following day on pain relief and antibiotics.
Bear has since had his sutures removed and seems much happier and more spritely without the giant lump weighing him down!
The mass, attached to the right side of Bear’s chest and abdomen measured a whopping 27 cm and was firmly adhered to the underlying muscles. Fine needle aspirates taken of the mass revealed a mixture of fat cells, red blood cells and inflammatory cells and it was suspected that this was a very large lipoma (lump of fat).
His blood tests showed no significant abnormalities in his internal organs, meaning that he was ok to be anaesthetised for his giant lump to be surgically removed.
Prior to surgery, an ultrasound scan was conducted to assess the lump’s margins and ascertain whether it had encroached into the surrounding muscle layers. The mass appeared to be reasonably well contained and had not invaded the underlying muscular abdominal wall.
Bear was then placed on fluid therapy and prepared for surgery. Dr Cindy surgically removed the 1.75kg mass (which thankfully looked like a very large lipoma). As the mass had left behind a large cavity, an active drain had to be placed in the wound to assist with healing and drainage. Bear remained with us overnight to receive IV pain relief and wound care. He was able to go home the following day on pain relief and antibiotics.
Bear has since had his sutures removed and seems much happier and more spritely without the giant lump weighing him down!
June 2019 "Bandit" - Bladder Stone
Bandit is a 5 year old female Cavoodle that presented to KSAH as she was struggling to urinate and her owners had noticed blood in her urine.
On physical exam, Dr Jess discovered that Bandit was slightly uncomfortable when her bladder was palpated but was otherwise well, and suspected that Bandit had a urinary tract infection. She performed a microscopic examination of Bandit’s urine and it contained a large amount of blood and bacteria, so she started on a course of antibiotics.
At her recheck 2 weeks later Bandit’s family reported no improvement on her medication and her urine still had blood and bacteria. Her urine was sent off for a culture to determine what kind of bacteria was causing this urinary infection, and which antibiotics would kill these nasty bugs 🧫 🦠. Strangely enough, the antibiotics she had been on for the past 2 weeks were appropriate for her infection but had not resolved her problem.
An abdominal ultrasound showed that Bandit had a large single stone in her bladder measuring 18mm x 15mm which was the cause of her ongoing infections and discomfort.
On physical exam, Dr Jess discovered that Bandit was slightly uncomfortable when her bladder was palpated but was otherwise well, and suspected that Bandit had a urinary tract infection. She performed a microscopic examination of Bandit’s urine and it contained a large amount of blood and bacteria, so she started on a course of antibiotics.
At her recheck 2 weeks later Bandit’s family reported no improvement on her medication and her urine still had blood and bacteria. Her urine was sent off for a culture to determine what kind of bacteria was causing this urinary infection, and which antibiotics would kill these nasty bugs 🧫 🦠. Strangely enough, the antibiotics she had been on for the past 2 weeks were appropriate for her infection but had not resolved her problem.
An abdominal ultrasound showed that Bandit had a large single stone in her bladder measuring 18mm x 15mm which was the cause of her ongoing infections and discomfort.
Bandit was prepared for surgery to remove the stone. Dr Hadisa initially took an X-ray of the abdomen to identify the location of the stone and it was then surgically removed from the bladder. The stone was sent to a pathology laboratory to be analysed for its contents.
It has been 1 month since her surgery and Bandit is now urinating comfortably. Her urine no longer contains blood and bacteria and she is back to her normal self. She does however have to stay permanently on a prescription diet to prevent further bladder stones from developing.
It has been 1 month since her surgery and Bandit is now urinating comfortably. Her urine no longer contains blood and bacteria and she is back to her normal self. She does however have to stay permanently on a prescription diet to prevent further bladder stones from developing.
May 2019 "Bella" - Pyometra (Infected Pus-Filled Uterus)
Bella is a seven and a half year old American Bulldog that presented to KSAH as she was losing weight, and drinking and urinating more. At the time of presentation Bella was an entire female and had her last heat 6 weeks prior. On physical exam she was underweight and had multiple masses adjacent and attached to her mammary tissue.
A full blood panel was conducted and showed evidence of chronic (long term) inflammation and anaemia (decrease in red blood cells). Dr Cindy suspected Bella had either cancer in her mammary chain, pyometra, or potentially both.
Pyometra is a life-threatening infection of the uterus that can affect female dogs and cats that have not been desexed. It occurs as a result of hormonal changes in the reproductive tract that cause thickening of the uterine wall in preparation for pregnancy. If no pregnancy occurs after consecutive heat cycles, the lining continues to thicken and creates an ideal environment for bacterial infection to occur.
Surgery is always indicated to remove the ovaries and infected uterus. Pyometra can be classed as “open” (pus discharge draining from the vulva) or “closed” (pus is enclosed within the uterus without visible discharge from the vulva).
Bella initially had a closed pyometra, which eventually progressed to a partially open pyometra and was draining green pus.
A full blood panel was conducted and showed evidence of chronic (long term) inflammation and anaemia (decrease in red blood cells). Dr Cindy suspected Bella had either cancer in her mammary chain, pyometra, or potentially both.
Pyometra is a life-threatening infection of the uterus that can affect female dogs and cats that have not been desexed. It occurs as a result of hormonal changes in the reproductive tract that cause thickening of the uterine wall in preparation for pregnancy. If no pregnancy occurs after consecutive heat cycles, the lining continues to thicken and creates an ideal environment for bacterial infection to occur.
Surgery is always indicated to remove the ovaries and infected uterus. Pyometra can be classed as “open” (pus discharge draining from the vulva) or “closed” (pus is enclosed within the uterus without visible discharge from the vulva).
Bella initially had a closed pyometra, which eventually progressed to a partially open pyometra and was draining green pus.
WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES BELOW:
An ultrasound was conducted and a diagnosis of pyometra was confirmed. Bella was placed on aggressive fluid therapy, administered intravenous antibiotics and prepared for surgery. As her health condition was poor, general anaesthetic was very risky for her. She was closely monitored and supported by our skilled team of nurses throughout her procedure.
During surgery an extremely enlarged, inflamed and pus-filled uterus was identified and removed by Dr Cindy. In the photo on the left, the uterus weighed 1.2kg and is compared to a healthy uterus of a similar sized dog. A 7.5cm x 7.5cm gauze swab was placed next to each uterus for size comparison.
Her owner is very happy that Bella has since recovered well from her surgical procedure and is back to her bouncy normal self!
During surgery an extremely enlarged, inflamed and pus-filled uterus was identified and removed by Dr Cindy. In the photo on the left, the uterus weighed 1.2kg and is compared to a healthy uterus of a similar sized dog. A 7.5cm x 7.5cm gauze swab was placed next to each uterus for size comparison.
Her owner is very happy that Bella has since recovered well from her surgical procedure and is back to her bouncy normal self!
July 2017 "Chyna" - Luxating Patella (knee cap)
Meet Chyna, she's a gorgeous one year old blue Staffy. Recently Chyna's family brought her into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital to see Dr. Emma because she was having intermittent lameness on her right hind limb. Dr. Emma examined Chyna and noticed that her right knee cap (patella) was dislocating (luxating) out of place.
A luxating patella occurs when the knee cap repeatedly moves out of its natural position in the groove of the lower femur. It can be quite painful when this happens and the dog will have difficulty putting weight on the leg. Some dogs may learn to kick and push the knee cap back into place, but over time the joint will become arthritic and painful if left untreated.
A luxating patella occurs when the knee cap repeatedly moves out of its natural position in the groove of the lower femur. It can be quite painful when this happens and the dog will have difficulty putting weight on the leg. Some dogs may learn to kick and push the knee cap back into place, but over time the joint will become arthritic and painful if left untreated.
Chyna came in for x-rays to confirm the medial patella luxation and the following week came in for her surgical repair. Chyna had a “RidgeStop” prosthesis implanted by Dr Cindy. This surgery works by screwing a special implant onto the ridge of the groove where the knee cap is dislocating. It creates a barrier to stop the knee cap from popping out of place.
In Chyna's case, the attachment of the knee cap to the bone below (the tibia) was also in the wrong position. To fix this, that portion of the tibia (known as the tibial crest) is cut and reattached to the bone in a more central position so that the knee cap is realigned back in the groove. As you can see in Chyna's x-ray, there are screws holding the “RidgeStop” implant in place and pins holding the tibial crest in its new position.
In Chyna's case, the attachment of the knee cap to the bone below (the tibia) was also in the wrong position. To fix this, that portion of the tibia (known as the tibial crest) is cut and reattached to the bone in a more central position so that the knee cap is realigned back in the groove. As you can see in Chyna's x-ray, there are screws holding the “RidgeStop” implant in place and pins holding the tibial crest in its new position.
Chyna continued her recovery in hospital for a few days after her surgery. She had physio performed on her leg several times a day during her recovery, as you can see in the photo with Emma, one of our nurses.
5 weeks after her surgery Chyna came back in for her recheck x-rays, which showed that her leg had healed beautifully. We are pleased to report that Chyna is continuing to recover well from her surgery and is enjoying life at home with her loving family
Below is a testimonial Chyna's family wrote to Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital about her care here:
5 weeks after her surgery Chyna came back in for her recheck x-rays, which showed that her leg had healed beautifully. We are pleased to report that Chyna is continuing to recover well from her surgery and is enjoying life at home with her loving family
Below is a testimonial Chyna's family wrote to Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital about her care here:
“Chyna, my one year old Blue Staffordshire Terrier, was showing obvious signs of lameness and discomfort in her right rear leg. I took her to Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital as soon as possible to investigate what could cause this sudden change in Chyna.
The vet gave me her ideas on what the problem could be. A week later Chyna had x-rays that confirmed the vets thoughts. I was given the current orthopaedic treatment options available, pros and cons of each, and recommendations on what they thought was best for Chyna given her age and physical condition. I felt very comfortable with the information being presented to me and agreed to the recommended procedure.
Chyna had a four day stay at KSAH after surgery. We were given visitation times to check on her and speak to the vet about her recovery. We also received emails during the nights with pictures of Chyna keeping us updated on her progress and general well-being. It was a very nice touch seeing that she was being well looked after and not just locked up in a cage. She is such a people dog.
Even with all the attention she received during Chyna’s stay it still did take its toll on her mentally and physically. No one likes hospitals and this was her first stay away from us since she was 8 weeks old. She was very stressed from the separation. Once home it took her a couple days to return to her normal self.
Chyna’s post surgery care has been exceptional. We are being kept informed on her progress and any concerns are dealt with promptly. After a week of good progress Chyna started to favour the injured leg again. KSAH took her in for half a day for some intense physiotherapy and give me some more information to better care for the way she is healing.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with Chyna’s treatment by Dr Cindy & the team at KSAH. I highly recommend KSAH & have no hesitations continuing Chyna’s lifelong healthcare with them.
Thank you for treating our fur baby so well.”
Paul
April 2017 "Dawn" - Attacked at a Park
Introducing Dawn! Dawn is a beautiful natured 3 year old Greyhound who unfortunately was savagely mauled by another dog on a walk at her local park. Dawn presented to Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital with severe dog bite injuries.
Dawn was immediately started on intravenous fluids and pain relief as she was in a lot of pain. Once Dawn was stable, she was anaesthetised and taken into surgery to assess and treat her wounds.
Dawn was immediately started on intravenous fluids and pain relief as she was in a lot of pain. Once Dawn was stable, she was anaesthetised and taken into surgery to assess and treat her wounds.
Dawn had sustained large skin wounds and extensive damage to multiple muscle layers along her back and the sides of her chest. She also had a lot of trauma and bruising to the underside of her chest, down her forelimbs and her lower back area (Image 1).
Dr Emma Sharples cleaned and flushed her wounds before debriding (removing) the damaged tissues. Several drains were placed whilst suturing her skin and muscles closed (Image 2).
Dr Emma Sharples cleaned and flushed her wounds before debriding (removing) the damaged tissues. Several drains were placed whilst suturing her skin and muscles closed (Image 2).
Photos after Dawn's second surgical procedure
Due to the extensive tissue trauma, Dawn developed dangerously high levels of Potassium in her bloodstream. When Potassium levels are too high it can interfere with the functioning of the heart and can potentially lead to cardiac arrest and death. Dawn was transferred to an Emergency 24hr Veterinary Hospital for overnight monitoring to ensure the gradual reduction of the Potassium levels. Dawn returned to Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital in the morning for continued wound management.
After a few days, although Dawn appeared to be doing well in herself, her wounds started to break down from massive infection present despite being on antibiotic therapy. Dawn was readmitted for a second surgery which involved further debridement of her necrotic (dying) muscle tissue, and a swab sample was taken of her wound to run a culture and sensitivity test.
A culture and sensitivity test is where a small sample of infected tissue or discharge is taken and grown in a laboratory to determine the type of bacteria present. The bacteria is then tested against several antibiotics to determine the most effective one we can use against it.
The result of Dawn’s culture and sensitivity test revealed a very unusual bacteria called 'Serratia marcescens', that was resistant to three different types of antibiotics.
Armed with knowledge from this test, Dawn started on a new antibiotic which remarkably improved her condition. Her wounds stopped discharging and a lot of her swelling reduced.
After three weeks and lots of intensive care by her mum at home, Dawn has now recovered from her injuries. She has lost significant amounts of muscle tissue due to the attack and only time will tell if her body regains full function. So far she is doing very well and we are happy with her progress.
Throughout the entire ordeal Dawn has been the perfect patient and very resilient despite such an extensive injury.
After a few days, although Dawn appeared to be doing well in herself, her wounds started to break down from massive infection present despite being on antibiotic therapy. Dawn was readmitted for a second surgery which involved further debridement of her necrotic (dying) muscle tissue, and a swab sample was taken of her wound to run a culture and sensitivity test.
A culture and sensitivity test is where a small sample of infected tissue or discharge is taken and grown in a laboratory to determine the type of bacteria present. The bacteria is then tested against several antibiotics to determine the most effective one we can use against it.
The result of Dawn’s culture and sensitivity test revealed a very unusual bacteria called 'Serratia marcescens', that was resistant to three different types of antibiotics.
Armed with knowledge from this test, Dawn started on a new antibiotic which remarkably improved her condition. Her wounds stopped discharging and a lot of her swelling reduced.
After three weeks and lots of intensive care by her mum at home, Dawn has now recovered from her injuries. She has lost significant amounts of muscle tissue due to the attack and only time will tell if her body regains full function. So far she is doing very well and we are happy with her progress.
Throughout the entire ordeal Dawn has been the perfect patient and very resilient despite such an extensive injury.
“You never expect when you take your dog for a walk that you will both be attacked by another dog. But just before Easter, Dawn (our rescue greyhound) and I were attacked by a large uncontrolled dog in a local park. She was badly injured and urgently needed to see a vet so Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital was our destination.
The staff were great and she was taken in immediately for surgery. Unfortunately surgery revealed even far more serious injuries. She made it through but the muscle damage was extensive and there were no guarantees as to how this would compromise her movement.
Dawn was stoic and sweet natured as always throughout the ordeal accepting all the pain with only a flinch. Despite multiple setbacks, a second operation to remove more damaged muscle, and a severe bacterial infection she has survived and is now making a steady recovery.
She can go for short walks and even attempts to trot. Being a greyhound she loved nothing more than running around the backyard, this is now beyond her but we are hopeful she will get to do this again in time.
Thanks to the care and skill of the vets and nurses at Karrinyup, Dawn will continue to have a comfortable and happy life with our family.”
-Dawn’s mum, Petah
Dawn at her 13 day Post Op Revisit, after her second surgical procedure
Dawn at her 13 day Post Op Revisit, after her second surgical procedure
January 2017 "Peetey's lumps"
Hello, this is Peetey. She's lovely little rabbit and is 6 years old. Peetey is a regular here at Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital and often comes to stay with us for boarding while her owners are away. She is always a favourite whenever she is here and loves eating her leafy greens.
Recently Peetey's owners noticed that she had a round, marble-sized lump under her belly. They brought her into us for a check up and for Dr. Natalie to examine the lump. Dr. Natalie noticed that the firm marble-sized lump appeared to be associated with the mammary (or breast tissue) on the right side. In Peetey's case, this was most consistent with a mammary (or breast) cancer. Dr. Natalie recommended that Peetey have a partial mastectomy to have the cancerous lump removed. Dr. Natalie also recommended that Peetey be surgically desexed at the same time. This is because mammary cancers in female rabbits are also often associated with cancers in the uterus.
Peetey was admitted for surgery at Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital the following week. She was placed on intravenous fluids and anaesthetised for her surgery. She had her ovaries and uterus removed (ovariohysterectomy), during which time Dr. Natalie could see that the left horn of her uterus did indeed have a large cancer as suspected. You can view the image of her uterus below - WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE.
Dr. Natalie then also performed the partial mastectomy to remove the mammary cancer also. Peetey did very well following her surgery and recovery period. We're very happy to say that she has made a full recovery is enjoying life at home with her loving family.
Domestic rabbits in Australia can have a life expectancy of 6-12 years. Unfortunately, in unsterilised female rabbits, mammary and uterine cancers are very common. They are also often associated with uterine cancers. In fact, 80% of rabbits over the age of 5 will have at least early cancerous changes in their uterus. These cancers are highly aggressive and are the biggest cause of death in unsterilised female rabbits over 5 years old.
The best was to prevent these mammary and uterine cancers is through desexing. The best age to desex a female rabbit is between 5 and 7 months of age. In male rabbits desexing can be done slightly earlier at 3 to 4 months of age. Desexing is also an effective way to help prevent hormonal aggression in rabbits.
WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE BELOW
Hello, this is Peetey. She's lovely little rabbit and is 6 years old. Peetey is a regular here at Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital and often comes to stay with us for boarding while her owners are away. She is always a favourite whenever she is here and loves eating her leafy greens.
Recently Peetey's owners noticed that she had a round, marble-sized lump under her belly. They brought her into us for a check up and for Dr. Natalie to examine the lump. Dr. Natalie noticed that the firm marble-sized lump appeared to be associated with the mammary (or breast tissue) on the right side. In Peetey's case, this was most consistent with a mammary (or breast) cancer. Dr. Natalie recommended that Peetey have a partial mastectomy to have the cancerous lump removed. Dr. Natalie also recommended that Peetey be surgically desexed at the same time. This is because mammary cancers in female rabbits are also often associated with cancers in the uterus.
Peetey was admitted for surgery at Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital the following week. She was placed on intravenous fluids and anaesthetised for her surgery. She had her ovaries and uterus removed (ovariohysterectomy), during which time Dr. Natalie could see that the left horn of her uterus did indeed have a large cancer as suspected. You can view the image of her uterus below - WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE.
Dr. Natalie then also performed the partial mastectomy to remove the mammary cancer also. Peetey did very well following her surgery and recovery period. We're very happy to say that she has made a full recovery is enjoying life at home with her loving family.
Domestic rabbits in Australia can have a life expectancy of 6-12 years. Unfortunately, in unsterilised female rabbits, mammary and uterine cancers are very common. They are also often associated with uterine cancers. In fact, 80% of rabbits over the age of 5 will have at least early cancerous changes in their uterus. These cancers are highly aggressive and are the biggest cause of death in unsterilised female rabbits over 5 years old.
The best was to prevent these mammary and uterine cancers is through desexing. The best age to desex a female rabbit is between 5 and 7 months of age. In male rabbits desexing can be done slightly earlier at 3 to 4 months of age. Desexing is also an effective way to help prevent hormonal aggression in rabbits.
WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE BELOW
The photo on the right shows Peetey's uterus with 2 masses in the uterine horns.
November 2016 "Millie"
This is Millie, she's 10 years old and is a beautiful girl. Recently poor Millie was in a bad way when she helped herself to some snail pellets in the garden. Millie's owner first noticed that Millie was not acting her usual self, she was lethargic and did not want to eat any of her food. Her owner also noticed that Millie had been passing diarrhoea and appeared to be drooling excessively.
Millie's owner brought her into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital to see Dr Natalie. Dr Natalie examined Millie and noticed that she was salivating, her right upper eyelid was drooping and she was unsteady on her feet. Dr Natalie also noticed that Millie had blue coloured diarrhoea around her bottom so she suspected Millie had eaten snail pellets.
There are three types of snail pellets:
This is Millie, she's 10 years old and is a beautiful girl. Recently poor Millie was in a bad way when she helped herself to some snail pellets in the garden. Millie's owner first noticed that Millie was not acting her usual self, she was lethargic and did not want to eat any of her food. Her owner also noticed that Millie had been passing diarrhoea and appeared to be drooling excessively.
Millie's owner brought her into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital to see Dr Natalie. Dr Natalie examined Millie and noticed that she was salivating, her right upper eyelid was drooping and she was unsteady on her feet. Dr Natalie also noticed that Millie had blue coloured diarrhoea around her bottom so she suspected Millie had eaten snail pellets.
There are three types of snail pellets:
- Blue (Methiocarb) – “Baysol”
- Green (Metaldehyde) – “Defender” and “Blitzem”
- Red (Iron EDTA) - “Multiguard” often marketed as being “safe for pets” but are also highly toxic and can cause death in pets
Millie had ingested the blue (Methiocarb) snail pellets. These have a slightly slower onset of toxicity at around 1-8 hours after ingestion (green pellets will affect pets 30 mins – 3 hours after ingestion). Some common symptoms of snail pellet ingestion include:
Unfortunately there is no direct antidote for snail pellet toxicity. Treatment is aimed at reducing further absorption of the toxin and controlling clinical signs until they wear off. Millie was admitted into hospital for gastrointestinal decontamination. To do this she was given a general anaesthetic so that she could have her stomach pumped (gastric lavage) and an enema to flush out any remaining snail pellets from her system. Millie was then given activated charcoal to help bind any of the remaining toxin and stop it from being absorbed. She was then kept in hospital on an IV drip to help flush out the toxin that had already been absorbed into her bloodstream. In patients experiencing muscle tremors or seizures, muscle relaxants are needed to control these.
The following day Millie had made a full recovery and was able to go home to her very loving and relieved owner. There are a number of reasons why our pets would want to eat snail pellets. Firstly, it's often in a pelleted form, which many pets find attractive as it resembles their usual dry food. Secondly, snail pellets are often formulated with other food products (such as soybeans, rice, oats or molasses). These additives not only attract snails but also any unsuspecting pets as well as they taste 'sweet'. It's important to remember that no snail pellets are safe. Avoiding these products altogether is the key to keeping your pets happy and safe.
- Salivation and urination
- Vomiting and diarrhoea
- Muscle tremors, seizures
- Difficultly standing and walking. This can progress to complete paralysis
- Decreased or increased heart rate
- Central nervous systems depression
- Breathing difficulties
Unfortunately there is no direct antidote for snail pellet toxicity. Treatment is aimed at reducing further absorption of the toxin and controlling clinical signs until they wear off. Millie was admitted into hospital for gastrointestinal decontamination. To do this she was given a general anaesthetic so that she could have her stomach pumped (gastric lavage) and an enema to flush out any remaining snail pellets from her system. Millie was then given activated charcoal to help bind any of the remaining toxin and stop it from being absorbed. She was then kept in hospital on an IV drip to help flush out the toxin that had already been absorbed into her bloodstream. In patients experiencing muscle tremors or seizures, muscle relaxants are needed to control these.
The following day Millie had made a full recovery and was able to go home to her very loving and relieved owner. There are a number of reasons why our pets would want to eat snail pellets. Firstly, it's often in a pelleted form, which many pets find attractive as it resembles their usual dry food. Secondly, snail pellets are often formulated with other food products (such as soybeans, rice, oats or molasses). These additives not only attract snails but also any unsuspecting pets as well as they taste 'sweet'. It's important to remember that no snail pellets are safe. Avoiding these products altogether is the key to keeping your pets happy and safe.
SEPTEMBER 2016 "FRANKIE"
Meet Frankie! Frankie is a gorgeous little 6 month old French Bulldog puppy who is always very well behaved & happy during her visits to see us. Frankie visited the clinic for her routine Spey surgery in September but it turned out her procedure wasn’t routine at all! During her pre anaesthetic assessment Dr Emma noticed that Frankie appeared to have an abnormal protuberance coming from her vulva. On closer inspection it was revealed that she actually had a developed penis in her vulva indicating that little Frankie was in fact a Hermaphrodite.
Hermaphroditism is very rare in dogs and occurs when there is a problem in normal genital development resulting in the dog having some or all of the genitals of both sexes. It is possible for a hermaphrodite to have both ovaries and testicles, one of each or a combination of the two called an ovotestis. Even though hermaphrodite's are normally sterile it is still recommended to still desex them to prevent the risk of ovarian, testicular or uterine disease so we proceeded with Frankie's sterilisation procedure. Dr Emma made a midline incision to explore Frankie's abdomen to find out what internal reproductive organs she possessed as there was no way of knowing based on her external appearance .
Meet Frankie! Frankie is a gorgeous little 6 month old French Bulldog puppy who is always very well behaved & happy during her visits to see us. Frankie visited the clinic for her routine Spey surgery in September but it turned out her procedure wasn’t routine at all! During her pre anaesthetic assessment Dr Emma noticed that Frankie appeared to have an abnormal protuberance coming from her vulva. On closer inspection it was revealed that she actually had a developed penis in her vulva indicating that little Frankie was in fact a Hermaphrodite.
Hermaphroditism is very rare in dogs and occurs when there is a problem in normal genital development resulting in the dog having some or all of the genitals of both sexes. It is possible for a hermaphrodite to have both ovaries and testicles, one of each or a combination of the two called an ovotestis. Even though hermaphrodite's are normally sterile it is still recommended to still desex them to prevent the risk of ovarian, testicular or uterine disease so we proceeded with Frankie's sterilisation procedure. Dr Emma made a midline incision to explore Frankie's abdomen to find out what internal reproductive organs she possessed as there was no way of knowing based on her external appearance .
Upon exploration of her abdomen we found that Frankie had a fully developed uterus that was connected to testicles instead of ovaries. Dr Emma performed a hysterectomy & castration which all went very well and Frankie was sutured up and recovered without issue from her surgery.
Little Frankie should hopefully lead a perfectly normal life after her surgery ,although we will need to closely monitor her external genitalia to ensure she has no ongoing issues with her extra appendage. Despite Frankie's unusual condition it does not affect in the slightest what a lovely happy little dog she is. The only question is whether little Frankie should now be referred to as Frank!
Little Frankie should hopefully lead a perfectly normal life after her surgery ,although we will need to closely monitor her external genitalia to ensure she has no ongoing issues with her extra appendage. Despite Frankie's unusual condition it does not affect in the slightest what a lovely happy little dog she is. The only question is whether little Frankie should now be referred to as Frank!
AUGUST IS PET DENTAL HEALTH MONTH
How are your pet's teeth looking? There's no time like Pet Dental Health Month to book an appointment with your friendly vet! Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital (in association with the Australian Veterinary Association) is currently running a Pet Dental Month throughout the month of August to raise awareness of pet dental problems. Dental disease is one of the most common problems that veterinarians diagnose in pets. For example, did you know that four out of five dogs and cats over the age of three have dental disease, which often goes unnoticed? In its early stages, periodontal disease is reversible. However, if left undetected it can impact heavily on a pet's quality of life. The longer it's left untreated, the more painful it is for your pet. Dental disease can also lead to other serious health problems, such as infections in the kidneys, heart and liver. While not all pets with oral health issues will display obvious clinical signs, some pets may exhibit one or more of the following:
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What can you do? It's never too late to treat dental disease!
Give your pet's oral health a tune up now. Ring our friendly team on 9447 4644 to book in a dental check.
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APRIL 2016 "TOKEN"
Meet Token, she's an adorable 1 year old blue Staffy. Token is a very friendly girl and loves to play. She particularly loves to play with balls, so much so that she swallows them whole!
Poor Token came into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital this month after she had swallowed another dog’s toy ball while playing at the park.
Token's owner took her to an after-hours emergency vet where they gave Token an injection to try and get her to vomit up the ball. Unfortunately, vomiting did not bring up the ball and it remained inside her. Token then came to Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital to see Dr Emma. Dr Emma took an abdominal x-ray of Token that showed the ball was still sitting firmly in her stomach.
Meet Token, she's an adorable 1 year old blue Staffy. Token is a very friendly girl and loves to play. She particularly loves to play with balls, so much so that she swallows them whole!
Poor Token came into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital this month after she had swallowed another dog’s toy ball while playing at the park.
Token's owner took her to an after-hours emergency vet where they gave Token an injection to try and get her to vomit up the ball. Unfortunately, vomiting did not bring up the ball and it remained inside her. Token then came to Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital to see Dr Emma. Dr Emma took an abdominal x-ray of Token that showed the ball was still sitting firmly in her stomach.
Here you can see the x-ray of Token's abdomen showing the large 5cm round ball sitting within her stomach.
Due to the large size of the ball there was no way poor Token would be able to pass it out in her stools. Token was admitted straight away for surgery. Dr Emma performed the surgery and removed the ball via an incision into the stomach. Here you can see a picture of the ball after it was removed.
Token was kept in hospital for a few days to recover after her surgery until she was ready to go back home to her loving family. We are pleased to say that Token has made a full recovery and has been going great. Needless to say, every effort is being made to keep her away from toy balls in the future!
Token was kept in hospital for a few days to recover after her surgery until she was ready to go back home to her loving family. We are pleased to say that Token has made a full recovery and has been going great. Needless to say, every effort is being made to keep her away from toy balls in the future!
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MARCH 2016 "LEXIE"
Meet Lexie, she's a beautiful and much loved 5 year old Labrador. Lexie is a very friendly and playful girl who like most Labradors, loves her food. Lexie has even developed a bit of a taste for her owner's homemade playdough! Poor Lexie has needed to be admitted to Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital on two separate occasions after she helped herself to some tasty playdough. Most homemade playdough recipes contain ingredients that dogs and cats love to eat, such as flour, cornstarch and a large quantity of salt. When ingested by an animal, this is quite toxic and can result in salt poisoning. Symptoms of salt poisoning include:
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Unfortunately when Lexie helped herself to playdough she did it very secretly without her owner knowing about it. Lexie's owner suddenly noticed that Lexie was drinking a lot of water. She even drank half a bucket of water in one go. Lexie's owner brought her straight into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital where Dr Cindy found that Lexie's stomach was very large and distended. Her blood work revealed that the amount of salt (sodium) in her bloodstream was very high. She then started to vomit a large amount of fluid which contained the brightly coloured playdough.
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Treatment for salt poisoning involves careful intravenous fluid administration, blood electrolyte monitoring and supportive care. For Lexie, the second time she was admitted, Dr Cindy had to induce vomiting to reduce further absorption of salt from the playdough. You can see the colourful array of dough that she brought up in the photo. We are pleased to say that Lexie made a full recovery after treatment and was happy to be home with her loving and very relieved family.
If you think your dog or cat could have eaten some playdough, it's important to call your veterinarian immediately. It's also important to remember that commercially made playdoughs also contain salt, though typically at lower quantities. Even relatively small quantities of salt can cause problems in smaller pets. Additionally, a large enough mass of ingested playdough can cause a digestive foreign body obstruction.
If you think your dog or cat could have eaten some playdough, it's important to call your veterinarian immediately. It's also important to remember that commercially made playdoughs also contain salt, though typically at lower quantities. Even relatively small quantities of salt can cause problems in smaller pets. Additionally, a large enough mass of ingested playdough can cause a digestive foreign body obstruction.
FEBRUARY 2016 "OSCAR"
Meet Oscar, he's a 3 year old Burmilla. Oscar initially came into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital because he was drooling from his mouth and struggling to eat his biscuits. Our Veterinarian Dr Natalie Jones, examined him and discovered his gums were very swollen and starting to bleed. He was diagnosed with a severe condition known as Feline Plasma Cell Stomatitis.
Plasma Cell Stomatitis (or Lymphocytic-Plasmacytic Stomatitis) is a severe and painful oral disease. It can occur in cats of any breed, however there is a predisposition in breeds such as Himalayans, Persians, Burmese, Siamese and Abyssinians. This condition results from an excessive immune system reaction to the plaque and dentine on their teeth. This means that they become allergic to their own teeth as well as the plaque around their teeth.
Some symptoms often found in cats with Plasma Cell Stomatitis include:
Some treatment measures that may be required include:
Recently Oscar had four of his premolars extracted as these were the teeth his immune system was reacting to most severely. He has also been on a course of steroids and antibiotics to settle the inflammation.
We are pleased to say that Oscar has been doing great after his oral surgery. He's eating his biscuits happily and his mouth is no longer painful. Although he will require ongoing monitoring and dental care throughout his life, Oscar is happy on his road to managing this condition. He is always a star patient here at Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital!
Meet Oscar, he's a 3 year old Burmilla. Oscar initially came into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital because he was drooling from his mouth and struggling to eat his biscuits. Our Veterinarian Dr Natalie Jones, examined him and discovered his gums were very swollen and starting to bleed. He was diagnosed with a severe condition known as Feline Plasma Cell Stomatitis.
Plasma Cell Stomatitis (or Lymphocytic-Plasmacytic Stomatitis) is a severe and painful oral disease. It can occur in cats of any breed, however there is a predisposition in breeds such as Himalayans, Persians, Burmese, Siamese and Abyssinians. This condition results from an excessive immune system reaction to the plaque and dentine on their teeth. This means that they become allergic to their own teeth as well as the plaque around their teeth.
Some symptoms often found in cats with Plasma Cell Stomatitis include:
- Bad breath
- Pain in and around the mouth
- Difficulty eating and swallowing
- Increased salivation and drooling
- Preferentially eating soft food
- Weight loss
Some treatment measures that may be required include:
- Steroids to relieve the pain and inflammation.
- Antibiotics to control any oral infection.
- Teeth cleaning under general anaesthesia to remove the plaque build up every 6 months or more often.
- Home care such as prescription dental diets, mouth washes and daily teeth brushing.
- In advanced cases, some or all of their teeth may need extracting. This may seem drastic, but once the pain from the gum disease resolves, they are able to eat with ease again, which results in a much happier cat.
Recently Oscar had four of his premolars extracted as these were the teeth his immune system was reacting to most severely. He has also been on a course of steroids and antibiotics to settle the inflammation.
We are pleased to say that Oscar has been doing great after his oral surgery. He's eating his biscuits happily and his mouth is no longer painful. Although he will require ongoing monitoring and dental care throughout his life, Oscar is happy on his road to managing this condition. He is always a star patient here at Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital!
JANUARY 2016 "FELIX"
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This is Felix, he's a very handsome 11 year old white Domestic Short Hair cat. Felix came into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital last month for his annual vaccination and check-up. His owner was concerned about some scabby lumps that had been forming on the outside of his ears. Dr Cindy examined Felix and found that these lumps were skin cancers that had developed on his ears.
A common type of skin cancer is “Squamous Cell Carcinoma” or SCC. SCCs are malignant and particularly invasive tumours that can spread to other locations in the body.
SCCs of the ears and face are caused by excessive sun exposure over a long period of time. It is more common in white cats, or cats with white ears, just like Felix. They usually form on areas of sparsely haired skin such as ear tips and noses. These tumours start out as red, crusty sores and with time, they slowly get bigger and spread.
Treatment of SCCs depends on the number and size of cancerous lesions* present. If only one small lesion is present, it may be removed with cryosurgery (freezing). If the lesions are multiple and larger, surgical removal is needed. Felix had multiple large lesions on both of his ears. This meant that the only way to successfully remove all of the cancers was to surgically remove both of the upright parts (or pinna) of his ears. Felix also had small cancerous lesions on his nose which were removed by cryosurgery (freezing).
We are pleased to say that Felix has been doing very well after his surgery. He's able to live a perfectly normal life without his ears. He may look a little different now but we think he's just as cute as ever. He will need ongoing monitoring to make sure he doesn't develop any new sores on his face. He will also need to limit the amount of time he spends out in the sun.
Some other preventative measures that can be taken to reduce sun exposure include:
A common type of skin cancer is “Squamous Cell Carcinoma” or SCC. SCCs are malignant and particularly invasive tumours that can spread to other locations in the body.
SCCs of the ears and face are caused by excessive sun exposure over a long period of time. It is more common in white cats, or cats with white ears, just like Felix. They usually form on areas of sparsely haired skin such as ear tips and noses. These tumours start out as red, crusty sores and with time, they slowly get bigger and spread.
Treatment of SCCs depends on the number and size of cancerous lesions* present. If only one small lesion is present, it may be removed with cryosurgery (freezing). If the lesions are multiple and larger, surgical removal is needed. Felix had multiple large lesions on both of his ears. This meant that the only way to successfully remove all of the cancers was to surgically remove both of the upright parts (or pinna) of his ears. Felix also had small cancerous lesions on his nose which were removed by cryosurgery (freezing).
We are pleased to say that Felix has been doing very well after his surgery. He's able to live a perfectly normal life without his ears. He may look a little different now but we think he's just as cute as ever. He will need ongoing monitoring to make sure he doesn't develop any new sores on his face. He will also need to limit the amount of time he spends out in the sun.
Some other preventative measures that can be taken to reduce sun exposure include:
- Applying sunscreen to the ears, nose and areas of the body that have a thin hair coat
- Placing a shade or reflector over windows for cats that like to spend a lot of time on the window sill
*lesions are a region in an organ or tissue which has suffered damage through injury or disease, such as a wound, ulcer, abscess, or tumour.
NOVEMBER 2015 "DAISY"
Meet Daisy, she's a gorgeous 4 month old Border Collie Puppy. Daisy is a real sweetheart and loves her cuddles. Daisy came into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital recently for her puppy vaccinations. Her owner suspected that she may have had a tick on her. Dr Natalie examined Daisy and found she did have several brown dog ticks on her body, the largest of which was in between her toes! Fortunately, Daisy was very brave and allowed Dr Natalie to gently remove the ticks (some of which can be seen on the swab in the photo below).
Bush ticks and brown dog ticks are commonly found in Western Australia, particularly in areas of bushland (see map below). Dogs are the most common host of the brown dog ticks. Adult ticks are flat and red-brown in colour. As the tick feeds, it engorges with blood and swells to an olive colour (as can be seen in the top right corner of the swab below). If left untreated, tick numbers will increase rapidly and very high infestations can cause anaemia due to blood loss. Ticks can also transmit blood parasites, causing further illness.
Paralysis ticks are not naturally found in Western Australia. Reported cases in Western Australia are seen in animals that have recently traveled from the eastern states (New South Wales and Queensland). Signs of paralysis tick intoxication include weakness starting in the back legs, lack of coordination and breathing problems. It can be fatal and these signs can take up to three days to present.
If you live in or visit a tick area, it's very important to use a tick control product such as “Frontline Plus” or “Nexgard” and to check your pets for ticks daily. You can check your pet for ticks by running your hands through their coat, feeling their skin for anything unusual. Also check between the toes and inside the ears. Should you find a tick, it should be removed immediately. Tweezers can be used to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull the tick out in one firm, steady motion.
After Daisy had her ticks removed, she was given “Frontline Plus” spot on treatment to kill any remaining smaller ticks (they can be very hard find in that fluffy long coat of hers!). We're happy to say that little Daisy has been going great after treatment and enjoying all the attention she gets from her loving family.
Meet Daisy, she's a gorgeous 4 month old Border Collie Puppy. Daisy is a real sweetheart and loves her cuddles. Daisy came into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital recently for her puppy vaccinations. Her owner suspected that she may have had a tick on her. Dr Natalie examined Daisy and found she did have several brown dog ticks on her body, the largest of which was in between her toes! Fortunately, Daisy was very brave and allowed Dr Natalie to gently remove the ticks (some of which can be seen on the swab in the photo below).
Bush ticks and brown dog ticks are commonly found in Western Australia, particularly in areas of bushland (see map below). Dogs are the most common host of the brown dog ticks. Adult ticks are flat and red-brown in colour. As the tick feeds, it engorges with blood and swells to an olive colour (as can be seen in the top right corner of the swab below). If left untreated, tick numbers will increase rapidly and very high infestations can cause anaemia due to blood loss. Ticks can also transmit blood parasites, causing further illness.
Paralysis ticks are not naturally found in Western Australia. Reported cases in Western Australia are seen in animals that have recently traveled from the eastern states (New South Wales and Queensland). Signs of paralysis tick intoxication include weakness starting in the back legs, lack of coordination and breathing problems. It can be fatal and these signs can take up to three days to present.
If you live in or visit a tick area, it's very important to use a tick control product such as “Frontline Plus” or “Nexgard” and to check your pets for ticks daily. You can check your pet for ticks by running your hands through their coat, feeling their skin for anything unusual. Also check between the toes and inside the ears. Should you find a tick, it should be removed immediately. Tweezers can be used to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull the tick out in one firm, steady motion.
After Daisy had her ticks removed, she was given “Frontline Plus” spot on treatment to kill any remaining smaller ticks (they can be very hard find in that fluffy long coat of hers!). We're happy to say that little Daisy has been going great after treatment and enjoying all the attention she gets from her loving family.
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OCTOBER 2015 "GYPSY"
This is Gypsy, she's an adorable one year old Schnauzer. Gypsy is a bright and energetic young pup. She's very inquisitive and loves to play with her family. Poor Gypsy has gotten herself into a bit of bother over the last few months by chewing and eating things she shouldn't.
Last August, she swallowed parts of a toy that unfortunately got stuck in her gastrointestinal tract causing a blockage. Gypsy's owners noticed something was very wrong with her when she started vomiting repeatedly and was very lethargic. She was not her usual bright and energetic self at all. She was admitted into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital for emergency surgery to have the pieces of toy removed from her small intestine. Gypsy remained in hospital until she was back to eating normally again and was happy to go home to her very relieved family.
Unfortunately that wasn't the only spot of mischief Gypsy has gotten up to this year. In October her owners were very concerned when Gypsy was not wanting to eat her food and was vomiting and lethargic again. She was very sore when the Dr Cindy was feeling her abdomen. Abdominal x-rays and a contrast study revealed that she did indeed have another gastrointestinal blockage from something she had eaten. Surgery was again performed to remove the blockage, which this time was found to be pieces of bamboo. Fortunately for Gypsy, she made a full recovery after her surgery and was home a few days later.
Many dogs (as well as cats) love to chew and play with things and may swallow these items to cause a gastrointestinal blockage or other problems. Some foreign objects we commonly encounter include pieces of toys, socks, clothing, corn cobs, stone fruit seeds, elastic bands, strings, bones, sticks and even fishing hooks. These are all capable of being swallowed and becoming lodged in the gastrointestinal tract. Vomiting is often a hallmark sign of a gastrointestinal blockage and may be accompanied by abdominal discomfort and loss of appetite. If your pet is exhibiting any of these signs it is important to have them examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible.
We're happy to say that Gypsy is back to being her bright and bubbly self. Her owners are very careful to keep potentially chewable items out of reach from her and ensure she gets lots of exercise and playtime to keep her occupied.
This is Gypsy, she's an adorable one year old Schnauzer. Gypsy is a bright and energetic young pup. She's very inquisitive and loves to play with her family. Poor Gypsy has gotten herself into a bit of bother over the last few months by chewing and eating things she shouldn't.
Last August, she swallowed parts of a toy that unfortunately got stuck in her gastrointestinal tract causing a blockage. Gypsy's owners noticed something was very wrong with her when she started vomiting repeatedly and was very lethargic. She was not her usual bright and energetic self at all. She was admitted into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital for emergency surgery to have the pieces of toy removed from her small intestine. Gypsy remained in hospital until she was back to eating normally again and was happy to go home to her very relieved family.
Unfortunately that wasn't the only spot of mischief Gypsy has gotten up to this year. In October her owners were very concerned when Gypsy was not wanting to eat her food and was vomiting and lethargic again. She was very sore when the Dr Cindy was feeling her abdomen. Abdominal x-rays and a contrast study revealed that she did indeed have another gastrointestinal blockage from something she had eaten. Surgery was again performed to remove the blockage, which this time was found to be pieces of bamboo. Fortunately for Gypsy, she made a full recovery after her surgery and was home a few days later.
Many dogs (as well as cats) love to chew and play with things and may swallow these items to cause a gastrointestinal blockage or other problems. Some foreign objects we commonly encounter include pieces of toys, socks, clothing, corn cobs, stone fruit seeds, elastic bands, strings, bones, sticks and even fishing hooks. These are all capable of being swallowed and becoming lodged in the gastrointestinal tract. Vomiting is often a hallmark sign of a gastrointestinal blockage and may be accompanied by abdominal discomfort and loss of appetite. If your pet is exhibiting any of these signs it is important to have them examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible.
We're happy to say that Gypsy is back to being her bright and bubbly self. Her owners are very careful to keep potentially chewable items out of reach from her and ensure she gets lots of exercise and playtime to keep her occupied.
SEPTEMBER 2015 "TOM"
Meet Tom, he's a mischievous three year old cat who got into a spot of bother last month when he managed to swallow something very worrisome! Tom's owner brought him into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital after they noticed that he had eaten a long piece of thread. Since then he had vomited and was gagging repeatedly. He was also very lethargic and was off his food.
Tom was admitted into hospital and x-rays showed he had a large, long metal object lodged in his throat. The foreign body identified was a sewing needle and can be clearly seen in the x-ray below.
Meet Tom, he's a mischievous three year old cat who got into a spot of bother last month when he managed to swallow something very worrisome! Tom's owner brought him into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital after they noticed that he had eaten a long piece of thread. Since then he had vomited and was gagging repeatedly. He was also very lethargic and was off his food.
Tom was admitted into hospital and x-rays showed he had a large, long metal object lodged in his throat. The foreign body identified was a sewing needle and can be clearly seen in the x-ray below.
While Tom was under general anaesthetic, Dr. Ruth was able to pass an endoscope down into his throat to find the needle in question. Using long forceps, the needle (which also had some thread still attached) was removed from poor Tom's throat.
Tom stayed in hospital for a few days on antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and pain relief. Within a few days he was back to normal at home and back to his old tricks again (but staying away from needles and thread!)
Tom was very lucky that the needle did not cause more extensive damage to his throat, oesophagous and trachea. Thread and other string-like objects can also be very dangerous for cats, causing what is known as a “linear foreign body”. These lodge in the intestines and cause it to bunch up and cause extensive intestinal damage requiring emergency surgery. It's best to keep objects like these well away from cats that may want to play with and ingest them.
Tom stayed in hospital for a few days on antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and pain relief. Within a few days he was back to normal at home and back to his old tricks again (but staying away from needles and thread!)
Tom was very lucky that the needle did not cause more extensive damage to his throat, oesophagous and trachea. Thread and other string-like objects can also be very dangerous for cats, causing what is known as a “linear foreign body”. These lodge in the intestines and cause it to bunch up and cause extensive intestinal damage requiring emergency surgery. It's best to keep objects like these well away from cats that may want to play with and ingest them.
AUGUST 2015 "VALI"
Meet Vali, he's an adorable 3 month old “Bugalier”. Vali is full of energy and loves his food. So much so that he got up to a bit of mischief one night when he ate some leftovers that had been buried in the garden! Vali happily helped himself to some leftover Dhal (containing lentils, onion and garlic) and in the process also ate a large amount of sand that it was buried in.
Poor Vali was not feeling very well. He was off his food and had vomited numerous times throughout the night. Vali's owner brought him straight to Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital that morning. The vet examined Vali, and could see that he was not his usual bright and energetic self. He was very nauseated and lethargic. The vet held a stethoscope to his abdomen and could hear a lot sand moving around in his gastrointestinal tract! A lot of sand could also be palpated on rectal examination.
Vali was admitted to hospital for blood work and abdominal x-rays. His blood work showed some electrolyte changes secondary to his vomiting and his x-rays revealed there was indeed a large amount of sand throughout his large intestine (as visible in the x-ray below). Vali was started on intravenous fluid therapy to help hydrate him and flush out the sand from his large intestine.
Meet Vali, he's an adorable 3 month old “Bugalier”. Vali is full of energy and loves his food. So much so that he got up to a bit of mischief one night when he ate some leftovers that had been buried in the garden! Vali happily helped himself to some leftover Dhal (containing lentils, onion and garlic) and in the process also ate a large amount of sand that it was buried in.
Poor Vali was not feeling very well. He was off his food and had vomited numerous times throughout the night. Vali's owner brought him straight to Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital that morning. The vet examined Vali, and could see that he was not his usual bright and energetic self. He was very nauseated and lethargic. The vet held a stethoscope to his abdomen and could hear a lot sand moving around in his gastrointestinal tract! A lot of sand could also be palpated on rectal examination.
Vali was admitted to hospital for blood work and abdominal x-rays. His blood work showed some electrolyte changes secondary to his vomiting and his x-rays revealed there was indeed a large amount of sand throughout his large intestine (as visible in the x-ray below). Vali was started on intravenous fluid therapy to help hydrate him and flush out the sand from his large intestine.
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Because the dhal Vali had ingested along with the sand contained onion and garlic, Vali had to be monitored closely for any signs of anaemia. Onions and garlic are toxic to dogs and can cause a condition called haemolytic anaemia. This is because they contain an ingredient called “thiosulphate” which damages the red blood cells circulating through the body.
That night and the following morning Vali managed to pass a lot of sand out in his stool. Another x-ray was taken to make sure that all the sand had passed through. Once all the sand had passed through, Vali was feeling much happier in himself and started to eat his food eagerly once again. He was happy to go home and continue his recovery with his very relieved and loving family.
It's important to remember that dogs will often try and eat any food scraps they may find in the garden, even when buried. Ingesting a large amount of sand with the food scraps makes for a troublesome combination!
That night and the following morning Vali managed to pass a lot of sand out in his stool. Another x-ray was taken to make sure that all the sand had passed through. Once all the sand had passed through, Vali was feeling much happier in himself and started to eat his food eagerly once again. He was happy to go home and continue his recovery with his very relieved and loving family.
It's important to remember that dogs will often try and eat any food scraps they may find in the garden, even when buried. Ingesting a large amount of sand with the food scraps makes for a troublesome combination!
JULY 2015 "BRUCE"
This is Bruce, he's an adorable four and a half year old Mastiff X. Weighing in at 53kg, Bruce really is a gentle giant. He has a calm and loving nature and makes friends with everyone he meets.
Recently poor Bruce ruptured the cranial cruciate ligament in his left knee. Cruciate rupture is a common injury in dogs (as well as in people) and causes instability in the knee. It's a painful injury and dogs will often not be able to put much (if any) weight on the affected leg. Cruciate ligament rupture requires surgery to stabilise the joint and assess for any concurrent cartilage damage within the joint.
This is Bruce, he's an adorable four and a half year old Mastiff X. Weighing in at 53kg, Bruce really is a gentle giant. He has a calm and loving nature and makes friends with everyone he meets.
Recently poor Bruce ruptured the cranial cruciate ligament in his left knee. Cruciate rupture is a common injury in dogs (as well as in people) and causes instability in the knee. It's a painful injury and dogs will often not be able to put much (if any) weight on the affected leg. Cruciate ligament rupture requires surgery to stabilise the joint and assess for any concurrent cartilage damage within the joint.
Bruce came into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital to have his cranial cruciate ligament failure surgically treated. The surgical technique used is called a “Modified Maquet Procedure” or MMP. This operation is based on a technique developed almost 50 years ago for use in human knees by Dr Maquet, a Belgian orthopaedic surgeon. The surgery works by redirecting the force generated by the large quadriceps muscles in the leg, which then compensates for the failed cruciate ligament. This is achieved by cutting free and moving forward the part of the tibia where the quadriceps muscles attach (this portion of bone is known as the “tibial tuberosity”). The cut portion of bone is then advanced and stabilised using a modern orthopaedic implant called an “Orthofoam wedge”. The Orthofoam wedge is made of porous titanium that promotes rapid bone in-growth and healing.
The following day after surgery Bruce was comfortable enough to start bearing weight again on his left leg. Bruce was kept in hospital for a few days after his surgery and was the perfect patient. He enjoyed getting plenty of cuddles and TLC from our vets and nurses during his stay. It is very important that dogs have carefully controlled activity after any knee surgery. Generally this means no running, jumping or general “rough play” for at least the first 6 weeks. This allows the bone enough time to heal.
The following day after surgery Bruce was comfortable enough to start bearing weight again on his left leg. Bruce was kept in hospital for a few days after his surgery and was the perfect patient. He enjoyed getting plenty of cuddles and TLC from our vets and nurses during his stay. It is very important that dogs have carefully controlled activity after any knee surgery. Generally this means no running, jumping or general “rough play” for at least the first 6 weeks. This allows the bone enough time to heal.
Bruce has been doing well after his surgery and is enjoying being back at home and getting spoilt by his family. In a few weeks’ time he'll be coming back into the clinic to have a repeat x-ray done on his knee. This allows us to make sure his bone is all healing nicely. We wish Bruce all the best for the rest of his recovery!
JUNE 2015 "ROXY"
Meet Roxy, she's an adorable one year old Pug X. Roxy's Owners brought her to Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital this month when they noticed she was shaking a lot, tremoring and was unable to walk. Her owners reported that she had eaten 3 or 4 macadamia nuts the night before. She did not begin to show any clinical sings until the following morning. Roxy was examined by the Veterinarian, who based on Roxy's history and clinical signs, diagnosed her with macadamia nut toxicity.
The mechanism of macadamia nut toxicity is not entirely known and diagnosis is made based on a history of exposure. Macadamia nuts may also be visible in the faeces or vomitus. Clinical signs will usually start within 12 hours of nut ingestion. Dogs generally need to ingest 2 grams of macadamia nuts per kilogram body weight before signs of toxicity are shown. Clinical signs may include lethargy and vomiting initially, followed by muscle tremors, joint stiffness, inability to walk and fever. Dogs are the only species in which these toxic signs have been reported.
There is no specific antidote to macadamia nut toxicity but fortunately most dogs will recover within 24 hours with supportive treatment and care. Roxy was admitted into hospital and placed on intravenuous fluids to help flush out the toxin. She was also given activated charcoal by mouth to help bind any remaining macadamia nut in her intestines and prevent further absorption of the toxin. In some cases, if the ingestion of macadamia nuts was known to be within the past hour, vomiting can be induced.
Roxy's symptoms improved steadily throughout the day and she went home the following morning after making a full recovery. Her owners were very happy to have her home and well again!
It is important to remember that there are a number of other poisons that can also cause similar clinical signs. If you are uncertain about something your pet may have ingested, please contact us here at Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital on 9447 4644 for further advice.
Meet Roxy, she's an adorable one year old Pug X. Roxy's Owners brought her to Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital this month when they noticed she was shaking a lot, tremoring and was unable to walk. Her owners reported that she had eaten 3 or 4 macadamia nuts the night before. She did not begin to show any clinical sings until the following morning. Roxy was examined by the Veterinarian, who based on Roxy's history and clinical signs, diagnosed her with macadamia nut toxicity.
The mechanism of macadamia nut toxicity is not entirely known and diagnosis is made based on a history of exposure. Macadamia nuts may also be visible in the faeces or vomitus. Clinical signs will usually start within 12 hours of nut ingestion. Dogs generally need to ingest 2 grams of macadamia nuts per kilogram body weight before signs of toxicity are shown. Clinical signs may include lethargy and vomiting initially, followed by muscle tremors, joint stiffness, inability to walk and fever. Dogs are the only species in which these toxic signs have been reported.
There is no specific antidote to macadamia nut toxicity but fortunately most dogs will recover within 24 hours with supportive treatment and care. Roxy was admitted into hospital and placed on intravenuous fluids to help flush out the toxin. She was also given activated charcoal by mouth to help bind any remaining macadamia nut in her intestines and prevent further absorption of the toxin. In some cases, if the ingestion of macadamia nuts was known to be within the past hour, vomiting can be induced.
Roxy's symptoms improved steadily throughout the day and she went home the following morning after making a full recovery. Her owners were very happy to have her home and well again!
It is important to remember that there are a number of other poisons that can also cause similar clinical signs. If you are uncertain about something your pet may have ingested, please contact us here at Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital on 9447 4644 for further advice.
MAY 2015 "JAY"
This is Jay. He's a 16 year old Staffy x Bull Terrier. I think you will agree that Jay is a very handsome little man. Jay is a happy dog and loves being spoilt by his owner. His owner adopted him when he was a puppy and they have been the best of friends for the past 16 years.
Jay's owner noticed that Jay was starting to get quite stiff and sore in his joints coming into the winter months. He would often get sore after his walks and would also take longer to lie down and get comfortable at the end of the day. Jay's owner brought him to Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital for a check up and the vet found that he was showing signs of arthritis.
Arthritis is a painful inflammatory condition affecting one or more joints. The most common joints affected are the hip, knee, shoulder, elbow and spine. It is caused when the cartilage within the joint is worn away and the joint fluid (which lubricates the joint) becomes thin and watery. This creates friction and pain when the animal moves. Arthritis is very common. It is estimated that one in five dogs in Australia suffer from arthritis. It is more common in older medium to large breed dogs, but pets of any age and any size can be affected.
In many cases the signs of arthritis can be subtle. Some common signs include:
• reduced activity and reluctance to walk/play
• stiffness in the legs (especially in the morning or after sleep)
• difficulty getting up
• reluctance to climb stairs or jump in the car
• limping in one or more legs
• licking or biting joints
• occasional whimpering or yelping
• changes in personality (less playful or becoming more aggressive/irritable)
Depending on the severity of the arthritis, treatment may involve one or more of the following:
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain and inflammation of the joints
• Pentosan (or Cartrophen) injections, which help to maintain joint health and preserve joint cartilage that has been damaged by arthritis
• Oral joint support supplements containing fish oils, glucosamine and chondroitin
• Mild to moderate exercise to maintain joint function and muscle tone
• Weight loss, as extra weight will put added pressure on the joints
• Warm and comfortable bedding to protect sore joints
• Physiotherapy and warm water swimming
In Jay's case, he was started on a course of pentosan injections and dispensed anti-inflammatories to help make him feel more comfortable. He was also started on an oral joint support supplement (Bradfield's Glyco-Omega Plus) which he thoroughly enjoys added to his food! As you can see in the photo, he absolutely loves his winter coat and warm bed to snuggle into on a cold winter's day.
This is Jay. He's a 16 year old Staffy x Bull Terrier. I think you will agree that Jay is a very handsome little man. Jay is a happy dog and loves being spoilt by his owner. His owner adopted him when he was a puppy and they have been the best of friends for the past 16 years.
Jay's owner noticed that Jay was starting to get quite stiff and sore in his joints coming into the winter months. He would often get sore after his walks and would also take longer to lie down and get comfortable at the end of the day. Jay's owner brought him to Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital for a check up and the vet found that he was showing signs of arthritis.
Arthritis is a painful inflammatory condition affecting one or more joints. The most common joints affected are the hip, knee, shoulder, elbow and spine. It is caused when the cartilage within the joint is worn away and the joint fluid (which lubricates the joint) becomes thin and watery. This creates friction and pain when the animal moves. Arthritis is very common. It is estimated that one in five dogs in Australia suffer from arthritis. It is more common in older medium to large breed dogs, but pets of any age and any size can be affected.
In many cases the signs of arthritis can be subtle. Some common signs include:
• reduced activity and reluctance to walk/play
• stiffness in the legs (especially in the morning or after sleep)
• difficulty getting up
• reluctance to climb stairs or jump in the car
• limping in one or more legs
• licking or biting joints
• occasional whimpering or yelping
• changes in personality (less playful or becoming more aggressive/irritable)
Depending on the severity of the arthritis, treatment may involve one or more of the following:
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain and inflammation of the joints
• Pentosan (or Cartrophen) injections, which help to maintain joint health and preserve joint cartilage that has been damaged by arthritis
• Oral joint support supplements containing fish oils, glucosamine and chondroitin
• Mild to moderate exercise to maintain joint function and muscle tone
• Weight loss, as extra weight will put added pressure on the joints
• Warm and comfortable bedding to protect sore joints
• Physiotherapy and warm water swimming
In Jay's case, he was started on a course of pentosan injections and dispensed anti-inflammatories to help make him feel more comfortable. He was also started on an oral joint support supplement (Bradfield's Glyco-Omega Plus) which he thoroughly enjoys added to his food! As you can see in the photo, he absolutely loves his winter coat and warm bed to snuggle into on a cold winter's day.
APRIL 2015 "BUTCH"
Meet Butch, he's an adorable little twelve year old poodle x. Butch recently came into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital because his owner had noticed he had a large golf ball- sized swelling underneath his right eye. The vet examined Butch and found that the swelling had actually formed due to a tooth root abscess.
The particular tooth involved was the 4th Upper Premolar. This tooth is the largest in the dog's mouth and is also often referred to as the “Carnassial Tooth”. It is a massive three rooted tooth with long roots that dogs use to shear and crack their food. Chewing on bones or hard stones will often cause this tooth to fracture.
In Butch’s case, his carnassial teeth on both the left and right side of the mouth were fractured and showing evidence of dental disease. This fracture in the tooth allows bacteria to migrate up the root of the tooth and into the surrounding bone. This then forms a swelling under the skin just underneath the corresponding eye. People will often confuse this condition with an eye infection, insect bit or puncture wound. If untreated, the infection will spread either into the eye, into other teeth or into the surrounding bone or nasal sinus.
Meet Butch, he's an adorable little twelve year old poodle x. Butch recently came into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital because his owner had noticed he had a large golf ball- sized swelling underneath his right eye. The vet examined Butch and found that the swelling had actually formed due to a tooth root abscess.
The particular tooth involved was the 4th Upper Premolar. This tooth is the largest in the dog's mouth and is also often referred to as the “Carnassial Tooth”. It is a massive three rooted tooth with long roots that dogs use to shear and crack their food. Chewing on bones or hard stones will often cause this tooth to fracture.
In Butch’s case, his carnassial teeth on both the left and right side of the mouth were fractured and showing evidence of dental disease. This fracture in the tooth allows bacteria to migrate up the root of the tooth and into the surrounding bone. This then forms a swelling under the skin just underneath the corresponding eye. People will often confuse this condition with an eye infection, insect bit or puncture wound. If untreated, the infection will spread either into the eye, into other teeth or into the surrounding bone or nasal sinus.
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Butch was admitted into hospital and the infected carnassial tooth was removed under general anaesthetic. Because his other carnassial tooth was also fractured and likely to cause a similar problem in the future, it was also extracted. The abscess was then able to be drained and the rest of his teeth were then scaled and polished to remove existing plaque. He was started on strong antibiotics to clear the infection and also sent home with lots of pain relief.
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After two weeks of medication Butch's mouth had healed beautifully and he was a much happier dog again. Butch's owners are now brushing his teeth with a special doggy tooth brush and flavoured toothpaste to help keep his teeth nice and clean.
OCTOBER 2014 "TAJ"
Meet Taj, he's a three year old Kerry Blue Terrier. He's a super handsome and affectionate boy, who loves posing for the camera. Taj's owners recently brought him into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital when he was in a very poorly way. That day he had been lethargic, vomiting and not wanting to eat his breakfast, which was very unusual for young Taj!
When the vet examined Taj, she noticed that he was quite tender in his abdomen and had blood coming through into his stools. He was also very dehydrated. The vet suspected that poor Taj had a condition known as “Haemorrhagic Gastroenteritis” or HGE. The exact cause of HGE is unknown. It may be related to dietary indescretion (eating foods different to what the dog is usually accustomed to), bacterial infections or bacterial toxins. It is thought that stress may also play a role in some cases.
Meet Taj, he's a three year old Kerry Blue Terrier. He's a super handsome and affectionate boy, who loves posing for the camera. Taj's owners recently brought him into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital when he was in a very poorly way. That day he had been lethargic, vomiting and not wanting to eat his breakfast, which was very unusual for young Taj!
When the vet examined Taj, she noticed that he was quite tender in his abdomen and had blood coming through into his stools. He was also very dehydrated. The vet suspected that poor Taj had a condition known as “Haemorrhagic Gastroenteritis” or HGE. The exact cause of HGE is unknown. It may be related to dietary indescretion (eating foods different to what the dog is usually accustomed to), bacterial infections or bacterial toxins. It is thought that stress may also play a role in some cases.
Taj was admitted into hospital and started on aggressive intravenous fluid therapy to correct his dehydration. He was also started on antibiotics to combat the bacterial infection, as well as pain relief to help poor Taj feel more comfortable. He was offered small amounts of a bland, low-fat intestinal diet as well as a small amount of boiled skinless chicken breast to help ease his stomach back onto food. Taj was kept in hospital for 4 nights under care until the haemorrhagic gastroenteritis had resolved.
We are pleased to report that Taj has been going well since his stay in hospital and has made a full recovery. His owners are pleased to have him back at home, bright and happy and full of energy!
We are pleased to report that Taj has been going well since his stay in hospital and has made a full recovery. His owners are pleased to have him back at home, bright and happy and full of energy!
SEPTEMBER 2014 "ALFIE"
This is adorable Alfie. He's a one year old Border Collie x Staffy. Young Alfie was found
as a stray by the City of Stirling Rangers and was brought into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital for veterinary assessment.
Poor Alfie was in a very sorry state when he was brought into us. He had a nasty skin infection and a lot fur loss around his face, under his neck and all over his body. He was very itchy and sore. A skin scrape revealed that Alfie had a skin mite known as “Demodex”.
This is adorable Alfie. He's a one year old Border Collie x Staffy. Young Alfie was found
as a stray by the City of Stirling Rangers and was brought into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital for veterinary assessment.
Poor Alfie was in a very sorry state when he was brought into us. He had a nasty skin infection and a lot fur loss around his face, under his neck and all over his body. He was very itchy and sore. A skin scrape revealed that Alfie had a skin mite known as “Demodex”.
Demodex mites are microscopic and live deep in the hair follicles of the skin. They are not transmissible to other animals or humans. In low numbers, Demodex can be a normal inhabitant of dog skin. In some cases, however, these mites can take over and lead to a condition known as “Demodecosis”. This can happen quite commonly in puppies and young dogs less than 2 years of age. It is usually due to their growing/immature immune system allowing the mite to proliferate.
Despite being very sore, Alfie had the most beautiful nature in hospital. He was very brave when having his skin sores cleaned and treated. Alfie was started on antibiotics and anti-inflammatories to treat his skin infection. He was also started on an anti-parasitic medication to treat the Demodex mite.
Alfie's loving and trusting nature won over the hearts of all of the vets and nurses at Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital. So much so, that one of our nurses decided to adopt Alfie and give him the loving forever home he deserves. We are pleased to say that Alfie's skin is improving dramatically each and every day with treatment. His skin sores have all healed up and his fur has started to grow back again. Alfie is loving his new home and especially loves playing with his squeaky toys and having snuggles on the couch.
Despite being very sore, Alfie had the most beautiful nature in hospital. He was very brave when having his skin sores cleaned and treated. Alfie was started on antibiotics and anti-inflammatories to treat his skin infection. He was also started on an anti-parasitic medication to treat the Demodex mite.
Alfie's loving and trusting nature won over the hearts of all of the vets and nurses at Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital. So much so, that one of our nurses decided to adopt Alfie and give him the loving forever home he deserves. We are pleased to say that Alfie's skin is improving dramatically each and every day with treatment. His skin sores have all healed up and his fur has started to grow back again. Alfie is loving his new home and especially loves playing with his squeaky toys and having snuggles on the couch.
AUGUST 2014 "LUCY"
Meet Lucy, she's an adorable 7 year old Bichon Frise. She lives at home with her brother Lewis. Lucy's owners noticed that Lucy had been urinating more frequently and would occasionally have some blood in her urine. They also noticed that poor Lucy would sometimes seem uncomfortable and strain when urinating. Lucy's owners brought her into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital where x-rays were performed and revealed that Lucy had two large stones sitting in her bladder. These are circled in the x-ray of Lucy's abdomen below. Bladder stones (also sometimes referred to as “uroliths” or “calculi”) are rock-like collections of minerals that form in the urinary bladder. These stones irritate and damage the lining of the bladder, resulting in blood in the urine. They also cause inflammation of the bladder wall, often resulting in pain and discomfort during urination. There are multiple factors that can result in the formation of these bladder stones. They may form in dogs and cats of any age and in dogs are usually associated with a urinary tract infection. Bladder stones can develop over a period of weeks to months to even years. Lucy had a surgery at Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital to remove the two large bladder stones. The procedure is referred to as a “cystotomy” and involves surgically opening the bladder through an abdominal incision to retrieve the bladder stones. Lucy was kept in hospital for a few days after surgery to recover and given antibiotics to treat the infection. Lucy was a lovely little patient in hospital and we are pleased to say that she has been going well at home since her surgery. She's now on a special diet to prevent any bladder stones from re-developing in the future. |
Lucy's pre-operative xray
Lucy relaxing with her pal Lewis
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JULY 2014 "MAXIMUS"
Meet Maximus, he's one year old Chihuahua cross Jack Russell Terrier. Maximus's owners adopted him a puppy from the City Of Stirling Animal Care Facility. He is a lovely little dog and is loving his forever home with his very devoted adopted family. Maximus was starting to have some behavioural problems particularly when he was around new people. With training, behavioural advice and a lot of hard work Maximus has come a long way. Here is a testimonial written by Maximus's owner we would like to share with you:
“When we adopted Maximus he was between 12-16 weeks old. He was so lovable towards us, but fearful of everyone and everything else. He was anxious when we left and scared when others came close. We showered him with love, but at ten months his behaviour was at it’s worst.
Everything was difficult. Taking him for a walk, leaving him at home, letting people into the house, feeding him, removing his collar and taking him to the vet. He growled at everyone, got snappy, scratched the doors and whimpered if we left him and refused to eat. It became evident that what we had thought was just puppy behaviour wasn't.
We didn’t know what to do, we didn’t know what the first few months of his life were like so we decided it was time to get him some proper behavioural training. After searching around we found ‘Allbreeds K9 Bootcamp’ it sounded like everything our Max needed. It was hard sending him to stay there for 10 days and we were open minded with the type of change we would see. We weren’t expecting a miracle.
When we picked him up the change was amazing, it felt like a miracle! He was a different dog and we couldn’t believe it! In the two hour handover with owner Tim alongside trainer Kristy we learnt so much about why Max was the way he was. We also learnt about the training methods they were using on him and how to do them back at home. We were told that the reason for Max’s previous behaviour is that he thought he was leader of the house and he was actually so stressed out thinking he had to keep the house and us in order! The staff were absolutely amazing! There was still a lot of work to be done at home by us and there still is. You need to stick to the routine and training in order to maintain a well behaved dog, you can’t slip back into your old habits.
Anyone who feels they have a dog with behavioural problems should check out the Allbreeds K9 Bootcamp! Everyday Max is making progress, we hope one day he isn’t fearful of anything at all.
These days the only difficulty we have with Maximus is his yearly needles.. but hey who am I to judge, I hate needles too ;)”
Meet Maximus, he's one year old Chihuahua cross Jack Russell Terrier. Maximus's owners adopted him a puppy from the City Of Stirling Animal Care Facility. He is a lovely little dog and is loving his forever home with his very devoted adopted family. Maximus was starting to have some behavioural problems particularly when he was around new people. With training, behavioural advice and a lot of hard work Maximus has come a long way. Here is a testimonial written by Maximus's owner we would like to share with you:
“When we adopted Maximus he was between 12-16 weeks old. He was so lovable towards us, but fearful of everyone and everything else. He was anxious when we left and scared when others came close. We showered him with love, but at ten months his behaviour was at it’s worst.
Everything was difficult. Taking him for a walk, leaving him at home, letting people into the house, feeding him, removing his collar and taking him to the vet. He growled at everyone, got snappy, scratched the doors and whimpered if we left him and refused to eat. It became evident that what we had thought was just puppy behaviour wasn't.
We didn’t know what to do, we didn’t know what the first few months of his life were like so we decided it was time to get him some proper behavioural training. After searching around we found ‘Allbreeds K9 Bootcamp’ it sounded like everything our Max needed. It was hard sending him to stay there for 10 days and we were open minded with the type of change we would see. We weren’t expecting a miracle.
When we picked him up the change was amazing, it felt like a miracle! He was a different dog and we couldn’t believe it! In the two hour handover with owner Tim alongside trainer Kristy we learnt so much about why Max was the way he was. We also learnt about the training methods they were using on him and how to do them back at home. We were told that the reason for Max’s previous behaviour is that he thought he was leader of the house and he was actually so stressed out thinking he had to keep the house and us in order! The staff were absolutely amazing! There was still a lot of work to be done at home by us and there still is. You need to stick to the routine and training in order to maintain a well behaved dog, you can’t slip back into your old habits.
Anyone who feels they have a dog with behavioural problems should check out the Allbreeds K9 Bootcamp! Everyday Max is making progress, we hope one day he isn’t fearful of anything at all.
These days the only difficulty we have with Maximus is his yearly needles.. but hey who am I to judge, I hate needles too ;)”
JUNE 2014 "MOLLY"
Molly is a Labrador x Airedale Terrier and turns 8 next month. As you can see, Molly is an adorable pooch and has a gorgeous friendly temperament to match. She makes friends with absolutely everyone she meets. She even makes friends with people in her neighbourhood who often like to spoil her with extra treats, human food and left-over lunches.
Recently, this got Molly into a bit of trouble as she developed a condition called “Pancreatitis” from all extra treats and human food she was having. Molly presented to Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital after she had been unwell for a couple of days. Molly's owners noticed she had been more lethargic than usual and not wanting to eat, which was very uncharacteristic of her!
The vet examined Molly and found that she was not her normal happy self. She also had a fever, some nausea and was painful around her abdomen. A blood test was performed on Molly and found that she had very high cholesterol and an elevation in her pancreatic enzymes. Given her clinical signs and history, this was very suggestive of “Pancreatitis”.
Pancreatitis is a disease commonly seen in dogs (and occasionally in cats). The pancreas is an organ located near the stomach and connects to the small intestine via a small duct. One of the jobs of the pancreas is to produce digestive enzymes to help in the digestion of food
In Molly's case, all the fatty human food and table scraps she was getting caused these digestive enzymes to be released too quickly. These enzymes then started to digest the pancreas itself, instead of the food they would normally digest. This caused the pancreas to get very inflamed and Pancreatitis developed (“-itis” means “inflamed”). Any dog of any age can be affected by Pancreatitis but overweight dogs and dogs fed fatty foods are at a much greater risk.
Fortunately for Molly, she was diagnosed early and treatment was started immediately. She was admitted to hospital and placed on intravenous fluids (an “IV drip”) to rehydrate her and make sure her pancreas was getting adequate perfusion (blood supply). She was also started on pain relief, anti-inflammatories to settle down the inflammation in the pancreas and antibiotics to prevent infection. Molly was then slowly reintroduced to oral food and water. She was started on a special intestinal diet that is low in fat and easier for her pancreas to digest.
After 3 days of hospitalisation and care, Molly was feeling much better and was ready to go home. She's been happily eating her new low fat diet and we are pleased to announce that she has already started to lose weight. Molly's owners are continuing with her weight loss program and we look forward to seeing her progress.
Molly is a Labrador x Airedale Terrier and turns 8 next month. As you can see, Molly is an adorable pooch and has a gorgeous friendly temperament to match. She makes friends with absolutely everyone she meets. She even makes friends with people in her neighbourhood who often like to spoil her with extra treats, human food and left-over lunches.
Recently, this got Molly into a bit of trouble as she developed a condition called “Pancreatitis” from all extra treats and human food she was having. Molly presented to Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital after she had been unwell for a couple of days. Molly's owners noticed she had been more lethargic than usual and not wanting to eat, which was very uncharacteristic of her!
The vet examined Molly and found that she was not her normal happy self. She also had a fever, some nausea and was painful around her abdomen. A blood test was performed on Molly and found that she had very high cholesterol and an elevation in her pancreatic enzymes. Given her clinical signs and history, this was very suggestive of “Pancreatitis”.
Pancreatitis is a disease commonly seen in dogs (and occasionally in cats). The pancreas is an organ located near the stomach and connects to the small intestine via a small duct. One of the jobs of the pancreas is to produce digestive enzymes to help in the digestion of food
In Molly's case, all the fatty human food and table scraps she was getting caused these digestive enzymes to be released too quickly. These enzymes then started to digest the pancreas itself, instead of the food they would normally digest. This caused the pancreas to get very inflamed and Pancreatitis developed (“-itis” means “inflamed”). Any dog of any age can be affected by Pancreatitis but overweight dogs and dogs fed fatty foods are at a much greater risk.
Fortunately for Molly, she was diagnosed early and treatment was started immediately. She was admitted to hospital and placed on intravenous fluids (an “IV drip”) to rehydrate her and make sure her pancreas was getting adequate perfusion (blood supply). She was also started on pain relief, anti-inflammatories to settle down the inflammation in the pancreas and antibiotics to prevent infection. Molly was then slowly reintroduced to oral food and water. She was started on a special intestinal diet that is low in fat and easier for her pancreas to digest.
After 3 days of hospitalisation and care, Molly was feeling much better and was ready to go home. She's been happily eating her new low fat diet and we are pleased to announce that she has already started to lose weight. Molly's owners are continuing with her weight loss program and we look forward to seeing her progress.
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MAY 2014 "PENELOPE”
Penelope is a gorgeous (and sometimes mischievous) little kitten. Her owners adopted Penelope when she was 2 months old and at home she's a little bundle of energy. One night when Penelope was just 5 months old, her owners came home and found she was limping badly on her right back leg. They brought her into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital to be examined. When the vet examined Penelope, she wasn't putting any weight on her right back leg at all and appeared to be very painful around her right hip joint. Penelope was admitted into hospital for x-rays to be taken under a general anaesthetic. X-rays revealed that Penelope had sustained a nasty fracture to her hip, most likely the result of a trauma, such as a fall. The hip joint is comprised of a “ball and socket”. The “ball” part of the joint is known as the femoral head, which attaches to the femur by the femoral neck. The “socket” part of the joint is known as the acetabulum of the pelvis and this is where femoral head sits to form the joint. As pictured in the first x-ray below, Penelope's femoral head had been completely severed from the femoral neck. Penelope was more susceptible to sustaining a fracture like this because she was still a growing kitten. This means her bones were softer and therefore more prone to breaking. Penelope had a surgery known as a “Femoral Head and Neck Osteotomy” performed. As pictured in the second x-ray below, this involves removing the fractured femoral head as well as the neck of the femur. With time, the joint heals and develops its own fibrous tissue to stabilise the joint. A few days after surgery, Penelope was able to go home again. Her family were very pleased to have her home where she could continue her recovery. |
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APRIL 2014 "MAC"
Mac is an adorable and usually very energetic 6 month old German Shepherd puppy. Mac recently came into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital in a very bad way because he had eaten half a box of snail pellets. Poor Mac was in a very critical state. He was seizuring, struggling to breath and was very quickly going into hyperthermia and shock.
Snail pellets are extremely toxic to animals and because the majority of commercial brands are cereal based, they are often highly palatable to dogs and cats. Even a small amount when ingested can be fatal. Toxicity of snail pellet ingestion can occur between 30 minutes and 8 hours following consumption. Clinical signs include muscle tremors, seizures, panting, salivation and difficulty breathing. Due to the muscle tremors and seizures, the body temperature gets very high, sending animals into heat stroke. This can cause irreversible damage to internal organs as well as permanent brain damage.
Mac was immediately admitted to hospital for emergency stabilisation. He was anaesthetised, put on intravenuous fluid therapy and given medication to help stop the seizures. He was cooled down by wetting his fur to help bring his body temperature back down to normal. A tube was passed down his throat and into his stomach to flush out any remaining snail pellets in his stomach contents. This is referred to as “gastric lavage”. A tube was also passed into his rectum to flush out any remaining traces of toxin from the colon (“enema”). Mac was then given activated charcoal into his stomach. This helps to bind any remaining toxin and stop it from being absorbed into the body.
By later that night Mac was still a bit wobbly on his feet with some mild tremors, but the seizures had stopped. After a couple of days in hospital with plenty of rest and TLC, Mac was back to being a crazy energetic puppy once again. His owners are pleased to have him home again safe and sound.
Mac is an adorable and usually very energetic 6 month old German Shepherd puppy. Mac recently came into Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital in a very bad way because he had eaten half a box of snail pellets. Poor Mac was in a very critical state. He was seizuring, struggling to breath and was very quickly going into hyperthermia and shock.
Snail pellets are extremely toxic to animals and because the majority of commercial brands are cereal based, they are often highly palatable to dogs and cats. Even a small amount when ingested can be fatal. Toxicity of snail pellet ingestion can occur between 30 minutes and 8 hours following consumption. Clinical signs include muscle tremors, seizures, panting, salivation and difficulty breathing. Due to the muscle tremors and seizures, the body temperature gets very high, sending animals into heat stroke. This can cause irreversible damage to internal organs as well as permanent brain damage.
Mac was immediately admitted to hospital for emergency stabilisation. He was anaesthetised, put on intravenuous fluid therapy and given medication to help stop the seizures. He was cooled down by wetting his fur to help bring his body temperature back down to normal. A tube was passed down his throat and into his stomach to flush out any remaining snail pellets in his stomach contents. This is referred to as “gastric lavage”. A tube was also passed into his rectum to flush out any remaining traces of toxin from the colon (“enema”). Mac was then given activated charcoal into his stomach. This helps to bind any remaining toxin and stop it from being absorbed into the body.
By later that night Mac was still a bit wobbly on his feet with some mild tremors, but the seizures had stopped. After a couple of days in hospital with plenty of rest and TLC, Mac was back to being a crazy energetic puppy once again. His owners are pleased to have him home again safe and sound.
MARCH 2014 "PUPPY"
Puppy is an adorable one and a half year old Japanese Spitz. Puppy has been a patient at Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital since she was 12 weeks old
Recently, Puppy came in to the clinic because she had chewed up and ingested a bottle of disinfectant concentrate. Poor Puppy was not in a good way and had been coughing, vomiting, was very lethargic and not wanting to eat or drink at all. When the vet examined Puppy in consult, she had a fever and a very harsh-sounding cough. She was also very sore around her mouth and was reluctant to have her mouth examined at all by the vet.
Puppy was immediately admitted to hospital for blood work, chest x-rays and was anesthetised in order for her mouth to be more closely examined. The disinfectant had unfortunately caused extensive tissue damage in Puppy's mouth. Her tongue, oral cavity and throat were badly ulcerated. The vet passed a scope down Puppy's throat and found that her oesophagus (“food pipe”) also showed evidence of damage from the disinfectant. Damage to the oesophagus is a particular concern as this can cause permanent scarring or “strictures” to develop. The x-rays showed damage to one of her lung lobes and was filled with fluid. This was most likely secondary to Puppy inhaling a bit of vomit into her airways.
Puppy was kept in hospital for five days on intravenous fluid therapy, antibiotics and pain relief. She was also put on medication to line the surface of the oesophagus and stomach to help minimise the risk of permanent scarring. Chest exercises were performed to help her clear the fluid in her lungs.
After five days of intensive treatment Puppy was looking much brighter and was happily eating again. We are pleased to say Puppy has continued her recovery at home and has been going well; back to her normal self and full of energy!
Puppy is an adorable one and a half year old Japanese Spitz. Puppy has been a patient at Karrinyup Small Animal Hospital since she was 12 weeks old
Recently, Puppy came in to the clinic because she had chewed up and ingested a bottle of disinfectant concentrate. Poor Puppy was not in a good way and had been coughing, vomiting, was very lethargic and not wanting to eat or drink at all. When the vet examined Puppy in consult, she had a fever and a very harsh-sounding cough. She was also very sore around her mouth and was reluctant to have her mouth examined at all by the vet.
Puppy was immediately admitted to hospital for blood work, chest x-rays and was anesthetised in order for her mouth to be more closely examined. The disinfectant had unfortunately caused extensive tissue damage in Puppy's mouth. Her tongue, oral cavity and throat were badly ulcerated. The vet passed a scope down Puppy's throat and found that her oesophagus (“food pipe”) also showed evidence of damage from the disinfectant. Damage to the oesophagus is a particular concern as this can cause permanent scarring or “strictures” to develop. The x-rays showed damage to one of her lung lobes and was filled with fluid. This was most likely secondary to Puppy inhaling a bit of vomit into her airways.
Puppy was kept in hospital for five days on intravenous fluid therapy, antibiotics and pain relief. She was also put on medication to line the surface of the oesophagus and stomach to help minimise the risk of permanent scarring. Chest exercises were performed to help her clear the fluid in her lungs.
After five days of intensive treatment Puppy was looking much brighter and was happily eating again. We are pleased to say Puppy has continued her recovery at home and has been going well; back to her normal self and full of energy!
FEBRUARY 2014 "OTIS"
Otis is a gorgeous 7 year old male Pugalier. Otis came into the clinic this month for a consultation as his owners had noticed he was straining to urinate and there was also some blood visible in the urine.
The vet examined him and found that he was a lot quieter than his usual energetic self and also had a high fever. On examination the vet also discovered that his prostate was enlarged. His urine was checked and it showed a large number of bacteria, blood and inflammatory cells.
Based on these findings, the vet suspected that poor Otis had an infection in his prostate gland, otherwise known as “bacterial prostatitis”. The most common cause of a prostate infection is through an ascending infection from the urethra. The disease occurs more commonly in male dogs that have not been neutered. It can occur in two different forms; acute (sudden onset) and chronic (long standing) form. In acute prostatitis, animals are usually quite sick and debilitated, needing emergency care. This was the case with little Otis.
Otis was immediately admitted to hospital and started on intravenous fluid therapy, pain relief and antibiotics to clear up the infection. He stayed in hospital for 3 nights until he was back to his normal happy self and he was able to urinate more comfortably again.
As unsterilised male dogs are more vulnerable to prostate infections, Otis was booked in for desexing the following week. This helps to significantly reduced the size of prostate. Otis has been going great since his surgery and is back to being a little bundle of energy at home!
Otis is a gorgeous 7 year old male Pugalier. Otis came into the clinic this month for a consultation as his owners had noticed he was straining to urinate and there was also some blood visible in the urine.
The vet examined him and found that he was a lot quieter than his usual energetic self and also had a high fever. On examination the vet also discovered that his prostate was enlarged. His urine was checked and it showed a large number of bacteria, blood and inflammatory cells.
Based on these findings, the vet suspected that poor Otis had an infection in his prostate gland, otherwise known as “bacterial prostatitis”. The most common cause of a prostate infection is through an ascending infection from the urethra. The disease occurs more commonly in male dogs that have not been neutered. It can occur in two different forms; acute (sudden onset) and chronic (long standing) form. In acute prostatitis, animals are usually quite sick and debilitated, needing emergency care. This was the case with little Otis.
Otis was immediately admitted to hospital and started on intravenous fluid therapy, pain relief and antibiotics to clear up the infection. He stayed in hospital for 3 nights until he was back to his normal happy self and he was able to urinate more comfortably again.
As unsterilised male dogs are more vulnerable to prostate infections, Otis was booked in for desexing the following week. This helps to significantly reduced the size of prostate. Otis has been going great since his surgery and is back to being a little bundle of energy at home!
JANUARY 2014 "AGGIE"
Aggie is a beautiful two year old Australian Bulldog. From the age of approximately 6 months, poor Aggie had been having issues with her anal glands getting repeatedly blocked and very irritated.
The anal glands are two small scent glands, located under the skin on either side of the rectum. These glands secrete an oily substance which is released when the animal toilets as a means of territorial marking or communication. Most people never think about their dogs anal glands until there's a problem with them. Anal glands may become impacted or infected if they're not emptying properly. This results in discomfort, scooting (dragging their bottom along the ground), licking and sometimes a bad “fishy” odour. Left untreated, the infection can produce an abscess which may eventually rupture through the skin and cause further complications.
A vet can try to manually express the anal glands to relieve the blockage. Depending on the severity and recurrence of the problem, this may need to be done every 1-3 months. Sometimes adding psyllium husk to their food can increase their dietary fibre and help the anal glands express a little easier on their own.
In Aggie's case, she was having the anal glands expressed at least once a month and in the later stages even every week! This was becoming very irritating for poor Aggie. After discussing the issue with our vets, it was decided that the best course of action in Aggie's case was to remove the anal glands surgically.
Dogs can live perfectly happily without their anal glands. However, it is a very delicate and specialised surgery. Some dogs will experience loose stools or a lack of bowel control for a couple of weeks following surgery. This occurs because the nerves controlling the anal sphincters run very closely to the anal glands. In the majority of cases, this damage will resolve and the animal will be able to toilet normally again. In rare cases, the nerve damage can be permanent and can result in faecal incontinence (inability to control bowel movements). These potential risks need to be weighed up by both the vet and the owner in relation to the potential benefits of the surgery to the animals overall quality of life.
We're pleased to report Aggie has been going great after her surgery. She stayed in hospital for a few days after the operation so that we could monitor her toileting. After a couple of weeks post-surgery she was back to toileting normally. She's now happy at home and enjoying her new anal gland-free life.
See Aggie and our other patients in our Photo Gallery.
Aggie is a beautiful two year old Australian Bulldog. From the age of approximately 6 months, poor Aggie had been having issues with her anal glands getting repeatedly blocked and very irritated.
The anal glands are two small scent glands, located under the skin on either side of the rectum. These glands secrete an oily substance which is released when the animal toilets as a means of territorial marking or communication. Most people never think about their dogs anal glands until there's a problem with them. Anal glands may become impacted or infected if they're not emptying properly. This results in discomfort, scooting (dragging their bottom along the ground), licking and sometimes a bad “fishy” odour. Left untreated, the infection can produce an abscess which may eventually rupture through the skin and cause further complications.
A vet can try to manually express the anal glands to relieve the blockage. Depending on the severity and recurrence of the problem, this may need to be done every 1-3 months. Sometimes adding psyllium husk to their food can increase their dietary fibre and help the anal glands express a little easier on their own.
In Aggie's case, she was having the anal glands expressed at least once a month and in the later stages even every week! This was becoming very irritating for poor Aggie. After discussing the issue with our vets, it was decided that the best course of action in Aggie's case was to remove the anal glands surgically.
Dogs can live perfectly happily without their anal glands. However, it is a very delicate and specialised surgery. Some dogs will experience loose stools or a lack of bowel control for a couple of weeks following surgery. This occurs because the nerves controlling the anal sphincters run very closely to the anal glands. In the majority of cases, this damage will resolve and the animal will be able to toilet normally again. In rare cases, the nerve damage can be permanent and can result in faecal incontinence (inability to control bowel movements). These potential risks need to be weighed up by both the vet and the owner in relation to the potential benefits of the surgery to the animals overall quality of life.
We're pleased to report Aggie has been going great after her surgery. She stayed in hospital for a few days after the operation so that we could monitor her toileting. After a couple of weeks post-surgery she was back to toileting normally. She's now happy at home and enjoying her new anal gland-free life.
See Aggie and our other patients in our Photo Gallery.
DECEMBER 2013 "SAGE"
Sage is a sweet 9 month old Boxer puppy, who was presented to the clinic in a bit of a predicament. She had a large fish hook stuck through her lip! Sage had decided to be a bit nosy and investigate her owners fishing equipment when it was being cleaned out at the back of the house. This is not particularly unusual as dogs are attracted to the fishy smells.
As fish hooks have an extra backwards facing barb, they get well and truly stuck and are very difficult to remove. Sage was given a general anaesthetic and the vet had to make a small incision to be able to remove the hook. Sage was then given antibiotic and anti-inflammatory injections and woken up from the anaesthetic. She was able to home the same day and didn't need any ongoing medications.
At the vet clinic we never know what's going to walk through the door. Dogs are curious creatures and can get up to all sorts of mischief!
See another picture of Sage in our Photo Gallery.
Sage is a sweet 9 month old Boxer puppy, who was presented to the clinic in a bit of a predicament. She had a large fish hook stuck through her lip! Sage had decided to be a bit nosy and investigate her owners fishing equipment when it was being cleaned out at the back of the house. This is not particularly unusual as dogs are attracted to the fishy smells.
As fish hooks have an extra backwards facing barb, they get well and truly stuck and are very difficult to remove. Sage was given a general anaesthetic and the vet had to make a small incision to be able to remove the hook. Sage was then given antibiotic and anti-inflammatory injections and woken up from the anaesthetic. She was able to home the same day and didn't need any ongoing medications.
At the vet clinic we never know what's going to walk through the door. Dogs are curious creatures and can get up to all sorts of mischief!
See another picture of Sage in our Photo Gallery.
NOVEMBER 2013 "HAZRED"
Hazred is a playful 2yr old Mastiff X who was presented to the clinic in quite a bit of discomfort. On physical examination the veterinarian palpated the abdomen and found that it was distended, very firm and painful. Based on the clinical signs and Hazreds’ breed, the Veterinarian suspected he was suffering from a gastric-dilation volvulus (GDV). As this condition is an emergency situation, Hazred was admitted straight away for blood tests and x-rays of his abdomen to confirm the diagnosis.
GDV is a condition in which the stomach twists around on itself and distends with gas. It predominantly occurs in deep chested dogs such as Great Danes and Mastiffs. It is a life threatening condition that, even with prompt veterinary attention, can be potentially fatal due to numerous complications that can occur such as heart arrhythmias. GDV treatment consists of a combination of surgical and intensive care strategies. Animals with GDV are often in shock on presentation and require resuscitative IV fluids.
Surgery involves opening the abdomen, rotating the stomach back to its normal place and decompression of the stomach. During surgery it is important to assess the health of the stomach and nearby structures, such as the spleen, as the blood supply can be cut off to these organs causing them to start to die off. The surgeon will then perform a gastropexy which involves the surgical attachment of the stomach to the abdominal wall to prevent the condition occurring again. Post-operative care in these cases are extremely important and they have to be monitored very carefully. We are unsure exactly why GDV occurs in dogs but it often occurs shortly after feeding, especially if dogs exercise straight after.
After Hazred's diagnosis was confirmed he went straight into surgery, his stomach was de-rotated and a gastropexy was performed. In Hazred's case his stomach also contained a lot of undigested food material and therefore a gastrotomy was also performed (incision into the stomach to remove the built up food). Surgery went well and Hazred recovered in hospital for the next few days. Hazred did very well and was soon back to his normal playful self. Hazred was a perfect patient whilst in hospital and very well behaved, although sometimes didn't realise his own size when trying to play.
Hazred is a playful 2yr old Mastiff X who was presented to the clinic in quite a bit of discomfort. On physical examination the veterinarian palpated the abdomen and found that it was distended, very firm and painful. Based on the clinical signs and Hazreds’ breed, the Veterinarian suspected he was suffering from a gastric-dilation volvulus (GDV). As this condition is an emergency situation, Hazred was admitted straight away for blood tests and x-rays of his abdomen to confirm the diagnosis.
GDV is a condition in which the stomach twists around on itself and distends with gas. It predominantly occurs in deep chested dogs such as Great Danes and Mastiffs. It is a life threatening condition that, even with prompt veterinary attention, can be potentially fatal due to numerous complications that can occur such as heart arrhythmias. GDV treatment consists of a combination of surgical and intensive care strategies. Animals with GDV are often in shock on presentation and require resuscitative IV fluids.
Surgery involves opening the abdomen, rotating the stomach back to its normal place and decompression of the stomach. During surgery it is important to assess the health of the stomach and nearby structures, such as the spleen, as the blood supply can be cut off to these organs causing them to start to die off. The surgeon will then perform a gastropexy which involves the surgical attachment of the stomach to the abdominal wall to prevent the condition occurring again. Post-operative care in these cases are extremely important and they have to be monitored very carefully. We are unsure exactly why GDV occurs in dogs but it often occurs shortly after feeding, especially if dogs exercise straight after.
After Hazred's diagnosis was confirmed he went straight into surgery, his stomach was de-rotated and a gastropexy was performed. In Hazred's case his stomach also contained a lot of undigested food material and therefore a gastrotomy was also performed (incision into the stomach to remove the built up food). Surgery went well and Hazred recovered in hospital for the next few days. Hazred did very well and was soon back to his normal playful self. Hazred was a perfect patient whilst in hospital and very well behaved, although sometimes didn't realise his own size when trying to play.
OCTOBER 2013
"POPPIE"Poppie is a lovely natured, energetic 1 yr old Cavalier cross Maltese female dog. While playing at home one day with her older sister, Millie, she got her leg caught in between the wooden slats of a bench. Poppie was quite sore after her experience and was brought in for a checkup. The veterinarian noticed a lot of bruising and swelling over her hips and lower back, but xrays ruled out any bone fractures.
Despite getting sent home on anti-inflammatories and pain relief, the bruising persisted. When rechecked a week later, she was very sore and uncomfortable and had inflamed and weepy skin over multiple patches on her back as well as a very deep abscess over her hip. Surgery was needed for the abscess where we cleaned and removed as much of the dead and infected tissue as we could. Over the following weeks, Poppie stayed in hospital so her sores could be cleaned and treated and she could get multiple antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and pain relief. All of the tissue in the area became very necrotic and died off, but nice new, healthy skin grew up under the scab that had formed.
Poppie was a very unusual case and it's cases like these that keep us veterinarians on our toes! Usually after traumatic cases like this, bruising will occur but it is very unusual to progress to the stage where multiple skin infections come up. Repeat blood work luckily ruled out an underlying immune deficiency, but this was a huge concern with her based on how extensive her wounds were. The extent of her wounds would have been because of when she caught in the in the chair, she wriggled around so much that blood vessels were damaged. This lead to ischemia and tissue necrosis – in other words, the blood flow stopped going to some of the tissue and therefore died off. This left the damaged tissue vulnerable to getting a secondary deep infection.
Poppie was the perfect patient while in hospital and loved to keep the nurses company out back with her talkative nature. Despite having such extensive wounds, she was always very happy and loved getting cuddles from all of the staff. She is now happy at home and will hopefully avoid getting her leg stuck anywhere again!
"POPPIE"Poppie is a lovely natured, energetic 1 yr old Cavalier cross Maltese female dog. While playing at home one day with her older sister, Millie, she got her leg caught in between the wooden slats of a bench. Poppie was quite sore after her experience and was brought in for a checkup. The veterinarian noticed a lot of bruising and swelling over her hips and lower back, but xrays ruled out any bone fractures.
Despite getting sent home on anti-inflammatories and pain relief, the bruising persisted. When rechecked a week later, she was very sore and uncomfortable and had inflamed and weepy skin over multiple patches on her back as well as a very deep abscess over her hip. Surgery was needed for the abscess where we cleaned and removed as much of the dead and infected tissue as we could. Over the following weeks, Poppie stayed in hospital so her sores could be cleaned and treated and she could get multiple antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and pain relief. All of the tissue in the area became very necrotic and died off, but nice new, healthy skin grew up under the scab that had formed.
Poppie was a very unusual case and it's cases like these that keep us veterinarians on our toes! Usually after traumatic cases like this, bruising will occur but it is very unusual to progress to the stage where multiple skin infections come up. Repeat blood work luckily ruled out an underlying immune deficiency, but this was a huge concern with her based on how extensive her wounds were. The extent of her wounds would have been because of when she caught in the in the chair, she wriggled around so much that blood vessels were damaged. This lead to ischemia and tissue necrosis – in other words, the blood flow stopped going to some of the tissue and therefore died off. This left the damaged tissue vulnerable to getting a secondary deep infection.
Poppie was the perfect patient while in hospital and loved to keep the nurses company out back with her talkative nature. Despite having such extensive wounds, she was always very happy and loved getting cuddles from all of the staff. She is now happy at home and will hopefully avoid getting her leg stuck anywhere again!
SEPTEMBER 2013 "MOLLEY"
Molley is a 10 year old female King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. Molley was presented at the clinic because she had a very smelly discharge coming from her vulva which had developed a few weeks after being on heat. Based on the history and clinical signs a diagnosis of pyometra was made and Molley was admitted straight away for surgery.
Pyometra is a serious bacterial infection of the uterus; it most commonly occurs in middle aged and older unspeyed females within a couple of months of being on heat. It develops because the hormonal changes that occur during a dog’s season (heat) make infection more likely the older the dog is.
Pyometra can be classified according to whether the cervix is open (vulval discharge) or closed (no discharge). Dogs with a closed pyometra tend to be more critically and systemically unwell as the pus in the uterus cannot drain out and they can often develop toxaemia (blood poisoning). Pyometra can sometimes be diagnosed based on clinical signs and history but often additional tests are needed such as bloods tests and x-rays.
Pyometra is a medical emergency and is treated with surgery (careful ovariohysterectomy) along with intravenous fluids and antibiotics providing supportive care. The surgical procedure is the same as is performed routinely to spey a female dog but carries a lot more risk and the patient requires a lot more supportive care. Without surgery most animals would die. Pyometras can be prevented by desexing animals early in life.
In Molley's case she had an open pyometra and it was caught quite early so luckily she wasn't very systemically unwell. Surgery was successful and Molley recovered uneventfully in hospital over a couple of days. Molley was a very well behaved little dog whilst she was in hospital.
Molley is a 10 year old female King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. Molley was presented at the clinic because she had a very smelly discharge coming from her vulva which had developed a few weeks after being on heat. Based on the history and clinical signs a diagnosis of pyometra was made and Molley was admitted straight away for surgery.
Pyometra is a serious bacterial infection of the uterus; it most commonly occurs in middle aged and older unspeyed females within a couple of months of being on heat. It develops because the hormonal changes that occur during a dog’s season (heat) make infection more likely the older the dog is.
Pyometra can be classified according to whether the cervix is open (vulval discharge) or closed (no discharge). Dogs with a closed pyometra tend to be more critically and systemically unwell as the pus in the uterus cannot drain out and they can often develop toxaemia (blood poisoning). Pyometra can sometimes be diagnosed based on clinical signs and history but often additional tests are needed such as bloods tests and x-rays.
Pyometra is a medical emergency and is treated with surgery (careful ovariohysterectomy) along with intravenous fluids and antibiotics providing supportive care. The surgical procedure is the same as is performed routinely to spey a female dog but carries a lot more risk and the patient requires a lot more supportive care. Without surgery most animals would die. Pyometras can be prevented by desexing animals early in life.
In Molley's case she had an open pyometra and it was caught quite early so luckily she wasn't very systemically unwell. Surgery was successful and Molley recovered uneventfully in hospital over a couple of days. Molley was a very well behaved little dog whilst she was in hospital.
AUGUST 2013 "MAX"
Max is an 11 ½ yr old DLH cat. His owners brought him into the clinic as they had noticed he had lost a lot of weight, was hungry all the time and urinating in the house. The first step we took was to run some blood tests which would rule in or out several possible causes of his clinical signs. The initial blood tests revealed a very high blood glucose reading which was highly suspicious of diabetes. An additional blood test was run which confirmed this diagnosis.
Max was then admitted into hospital for diabetic stabilisation, he was put on IV fluids to rehydrate him and correct the electrolyte disturbances the diabetes had caused and also started him on insulin. The veterinarian had to take regular blood glucose readings to ascertain how he was responding to the insulin and if he was on the right dose. Due to the frequent blood tests Max had to be very tolerant of us and indeed he was, a perfect patient who would let us do anything as long as he got a chin scratch.
After three days in hospital Max was allowed to go home. Max's owner was shown how to administer the insulin to Max, which is by a subcutaneous (under the skin) injection twice a day every day. He was also started on a new diet. Max is still in the initial stages of management and we are still adjusting his insulin dose but so far he has been doing very well at home. He has put lots of weight back on and is not so hungry all the time.
Diabetes in an endocrine disorder associated with absolute or relative insulin deficiency. This can lead to a number on clinical problems including excessive drinking and urination, increased appetite, weight loss and progressing to severe depression, weakness, vomiting, and dehydration.
Diabetes in cats is a bit different to diabetes in dogs and is similar to Type 2 Diabetes in humans. It does however usually require insulin treatment initially to control hyperglycaemia but with early diagnosis and insulin treatment together with dietary change it can be potentially cured. Only time will tell if this is the case with Max.
It takes a dedicated owner to manage an ongoing disease like diabetes and give the insulin injections and luckily for Max's owner he is very well behaved and seems to realise they injections are helping him so doesn't put up much of a fuss.
Max is an 11 ½ yr old DLH cat. His owners brought him into the clinic as they had noticed he had lost a lot of weight, was hungry all the time and urinating in the house. The first step we took was to run some blood tests which would rule in or out several possible causes of his clinical signs. The initial blood tests revealed a very high blood glucose reading which was highly suspicious of diabetes. An additional blood test was run which confirmed this diagnosis.
Max was then admitted into hospital for diabetic stabilisation, he was put on IV fluids to rehydrate him and correct the electrolyte disturbances the diabetes had caused and also started him on insulin. The veterinarian had to take regular blood glucose readings to ascertain how he was responding to the insulin and if he was on the right dose. Due to the frequent blood tests Max had to be very tolerant of us and indeed he was, a perfect patient who would let us do anything as long as he got a chin scratch.
After three days in hospital Max was allowed to go home. Max's owner was shown how to administer the insulin to Max, which is by a subcutaneous (under the skin) injection twice a day every day. He was also started on a new diet. Max is still in the initial stages of management and we are still adjusting his insulin dose but so far he has been doing very well at home. He has put lots of weight back on and is not so hungry all the time.
Diabetes in an endocrine disorder associated with absolute or relative insulin deficiency. This can lead to a number on clinical problems including excessive drinking and urination, increased appetite, weight loss and progressing to severe depression, weakness, vomiting, and dehydration.
Diabetes in cats is a bit different to diabetes in dogs and is similar to Type 2 Diabetes in humans. It does however usually require insulin treatment initially to control hyperglycaemia but with early diagnosis and insulin treatment together with dietary change it can be potentially cured. Only time will tell if this is the case with Max.
It takes a dedicated owner to manage an ongoing disease like diabetes and give the insulin injections and luckily for Max's owner he is very well behaved and seems to realise they injections are helping him so doesn't put up much of a fuss.
JULY 2013
“LUCIE” Lucie is an adorable Maltese X; her owners adopted her as a mature dog so we don't know exactly how old she is. Lucie had developed a lot of tartar on her teeth and so was brought in for a tooth scale and polish. As part of the procedure the veterinarian performed a pre-anaesthetic blood test. This test revealed an increase in both of the kidney enzymes so a urine sample was also taken and showed that her kidneys weren't concentrating her urine like they should. These abnormal results concerned us so Lucie was booked in for an abdominal ultrasound.
The ultrasound revealed Lucie's kidneys were shrunken fibrotic and degenerative and a diagnosis of chronic renal disease was made. As to what initially caused the damage it's a bit of a mystery as it is in most cases of chronic renal disease. Luckily Lucie was still very healthy despite her renal insufficiency, she was started on a special diet formulated for dogs with renal disease and also a medication that should hopefully slow the progression of the disease.
Lucie was just recently in the clinic for a recheck and is going great, you would have no idea she has a kidney problem by looking at her. A repeat blood test was performed and her renal disease has not worsened which is great news. Lucie will need to be maintained on her special diet and medication for life and be regularly monitored.
We would not have picked up Lucie's kidney disease until it had progressed even further and was making her unwell if we hadn't performed pre-anaesthetic (PreGA) blood tests. PreGA bloods are recommended when anaesthetising any animal, it helps to pick up any problems that may interfere with the anaesthetic drugs and is also very helpful on picking up several problems (such as kidney disease) a lot earlier and before the animal starts to actually show clinical signs.
Renal failure occurs when ~75% of the kidneys are damaged and can no longer function. The kidneys have a large reserve which means they can cope with a significant amount of kidney damage before it will actually affect their overall function which is why it is difficult to detect until most of the kidneys are damaged. Renal failure can either be acute or chronic, in chronic cases the damage is usually irreversible regardless of what the underlying cause was. The goal of treating CKD is to monitor and slow the disease progression and to alleviate any patient clinical signs. The earlier it's caught the more effective our management can be.
JUNE 2013
“SKITTLES”Skittles, a 4yr old Spoodle was adopted by his owners from the RSPCA two years ago and since then has had ongoing problems with his ears. Recently Skittles was brought in with an ear infection which had developed quite quickly and was already very bad. The veterinarian took a swab from the ear and examined it under a microscope which showed a nasty type of bacteria, so a culture and sensitivity test was started on the ear discharge. Skittles was given some anti-inflammatories tablets to start and was booked in a couple of days later to have the ear cleaned under general anaesthetic (GA). Skittles right ear was not infected and only needed a quick clean but his left ear was very inflamed and had lots of discharge, once the ear canal was cleaned the ear drum was visible and the veterinarian could see that the ear drum had been ruptured due to the infection. A catheter was placed and his middle ear flushed out. Skittles recovered from the GA and was able to go home the same day to continue his treatment which included ear drops into his ear twice daily as well as administering oral antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. We will see Skittles back for a recheck to ensure the ear infection completely clears up before stopping the medication.
Ear infections are very common in dogs, the usual clinical signs are an itchy ear, head shaking, malodour and a mucky looking ear. An ear infection can be limited to just the external ear (otitis externa) or it may also affect the middle ear (otitis media) if it has spread through the ear drum. There are a number of factors that can contribute to an ear infection including primary causes (eg: allergy, grass seeds, mites etc) as well as predisposing factors (narrow ear canals, excessive hair or pendulous ears). Some dogs are predisposed to ear infections and will often suffer from recurring ear problems throughout their life. An ear infection is usually due to yeast or bacteria (many types). The veterinarian will examine an ear swab to determine what organisms are involved so they are able to prescribe the right medications. If the dog has suffered a lot of ear infections or the bacteria seen look like the 'more nasty' types of bacteria the veterinarian may then perform a culture and sensitivity (this helps us see if the bacteria have become resistant to any of our antibiotics so we know what antibiotic will then be effective in treating the infection).
In Skittles case, the bacteria were resistant to our more commonly used ear drops so he had to be placed on special ear drops. Often the best way to get on top of an ear infection is to have the ear thoroughly cleaned under GA before starting medications, this is especially true if the middle ear is involved as the medication often finds it difficult to penetrate the middle ear and any discharge build up is unlikely to drain without flushing (a process which needs to be done under GA).
“SKITTLES”Skittles, a 4yr old Spoodle was adopted by his owners from the RSPCA two years ago and since then has had ongoing problems with his ears. Recently Skittles was brought in with an ear infection which had developed quite quickly and was already very bad. The veterinarian took a swab from the ear and examined it under a microscope which showed a nasty type of bacteria, so a culture and sensitivity test was started on the ear discharge. Skittles was given some anti-inflammatories tablets to start and was booked in a couple of days later to have the ear cleaned under general anaesthetic (GA). Skittles right ear was not infected and only needed a quick clean but his left ear was very inflamed and had lots of discharge, once the ear canal was cleaned the ear drum was visible and the veterinarian could see that the ear drum had been ruptured due to the infection. A catheter was placed and his middle ear flushed out. Skittles recovered from the GA and was able to go home the same day to continue his treatment which included ear drops into his ear twice daily as well as administering oral antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. We will see Skittles back for a recheck to ensure the ear infection completely clears up before stopping the medication.
Ear infections are very common in dogs, the usual clinical signs are an itchy ear, head shaking, malodour and a mucky looking ear. An ear infection can be limited to just the external ear (otitis externa) or it may also affect the middle ear (otitis media) if it has spread through the ear drum. There are a number of factors that can contribute to an ear infection including primary causes (eg: allergy, grass seeds, mites etc) as well as predisposing factors (narrow ear canals, excessive hair or pendulous ears). Some dogs are predisposed to ear infections and will often suffer from recurring ear problems throughout their life. An ear infection is usually due to yeast or bacteria (many types). The veterinarian will examine an ear swab to determine what organisms are involved so they are able to prescribe the right medications. If the dog has suffered a lot of ear infections or the bacteria seen look like the 'more nasty' types of bacteria the veterinarian may then perform a culture and sensitivity (this helps us see if the bacteria have become resistant to any of our antibiotics so we know what antibiotic will then be effective in treating the infection).
In Skittles case, the bacteria were resistant to our more commonly used ear drops so he had to be placed on special ear drops. Often the best way to get on top of an ear infection is to have the ear thoroughly cleaned under GA before starting medications, this is especially true if the middle ear is involved as the medication often finds it difficult to penetrate the middle ear and any discharge build up is unlikely to drain without flushing (a process which needs to be done under GA).
MAY 2013
“DASH”Dash is a cheeky 7 month old Dachshund x. His owners brought him into the clinic as he had been very lethargic compared to his normal boisterous self and had vomited a few times overnight. During examination we knew something was wrong as he was very quiet and dehydrated.
Dash was admitted into hospital for blood tests and x-rays. Blood results were normal but the x-rays showed a round foreign object stuck in his intestines. Dash was taken straight into surgery and an exploratory laparotomy was performed which revealed that the object seen on x-rays was a marble. An incision was made into his intestine (enterotomy) and the marble was removed. He had also eaten a bit of fabric and some plastic which was removed from the same incision.
Dash had to remain in hospital for 5 days during his recovery but was already a lot brighter the day after the surgery and was soon eating well, passing normal stools and able to go home. Dash will have no long term affects from his misadventure but his owners will have to be extra careful that nothing gets left around that Dash could get to, given his tendency to eat silly things.
Gastrointestinal obstructions are fairly common in dogs. We see all kinds of things getting stuck, depending on what the dog has been silly enough to eat. Luckily Dash's owner's brought him in very soon after he became unwell, as the longer foreign objects are stuck in the GI system the more problems and damage they cause.
“DASH”Dash is a cheeky 7 month old Dachshund x. His owners brought him into the clinic as he had been very lethargic compared to his normal boisterous self and had vomited a few times overnight. During examination we knew something was wrong as he was very quiet and dehydrated.
Dash was admitted into hospital for blood tests and x-rays. Blood results were normal but the x-rays showed a round foreign object stuck in his intestines. Dash was taken straight into surgery and an exploratory laparotomy was performed which revealed that the object seen on x-rays was a marble. An incision was made into his intestine (enterotomy) and the marble was removed. He had also eaten a bit of fabric and some plastic which was removed from the same incision.
Dash had to remain in hospital for 5 days during his recovery but was already a lot brighter the day after the surgery and was soon eating well, passing normal stools and able to go home. Dash will have no long term affects from his misadventure but his owners will have to be extra careful that nothing gets left around that Dash could get to, given his tendency to eat silly things.
Gastrointestinal obstructions are fairly common in dogs. We see all kinds of things getting stuck, depending on what the dog has been silly enough to eat. Luckily Dash's owner's brought him in very soon after he became unwell, as the longer foreign objects are stuck in the GI system the more problems and damage they cause.