Saturday 5 19, 2012

Intestinal Surprises at Surgery

Mya, a young and active Standard Poodle, recently swallowed a cloth toy while at the dog park. During surgery to remove it, we found an extra surprise.  Read more..

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Food Allergies-Fact and Fiction

Fiction:  Normal dogs and cats need to be on "sensitive skin" or single protein diets to prevent allergies. Fact:  Normal pets with no skin or itching problems can tolerate a wide variety of diets and do not need to be limited to special foods.  

Fact: Some cats and dogs DO suffer from allergies to specific dietary allergens and will demonstrate itching, ear infections, scooting of the rear end and other assorted skin problems. These pets may or may not also have allergies to absorbed antigens from the environment, complicating the diagnosis. 

Many people want to feed only the best possible food to their pet. They carefully read ingredient lists and assess the quality of pet food as well as they can.The good news is that there are many, many good diets on the market and it won't be hard to find one that agrees with their pet. The bad news is that if the pet has a food allergy, a hit and miss approach with commercial diets will delay proper diagnosis and treatment for quite awhile.  Read more..

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Featured Website link: Hospital Tour

Take our virtual tour to see behind the scenes at Edinburgh Pet Heatlh Center.

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Welcome to Ami, our new Vet Assistant

We would like to introduce one of our newest team members. Ami Passenheim joined us in the fall of 2010 when our previous veterinary assistants went off to college.

Ami attends Anoka Ramsey Community College and is considering a career as a veterinarian. She enjoys working with different animals and seeing all the different problems they can have. She has two cats, Bella and Blue, and a Springer Spaniel named Kota. She also has a Quarter horse named Nola who she barrel races and rides with regularity. In addition to her horse hobby, Ami enjoys cooking, fishing, camping, snowmobiling and swimming.

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Welcome to Jenny, another new Vet Assistant

Jenny Recinos is a new veterinary assistant here as well. Jenny is also interested in being a veterinarian and currently attends Robbinsdale Cooper High School. She enjoys learning new things about animals and likes assisting the technicians and doctors to make pets feel better.

She has several pets, including a Miniature Poodle named Blackie and a Labrador named Angelo. She also has an orange tabby cat named Pancho. They all have very unique personalities and are definitely her best friends. She enjoys soccer and time with her friends.

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More Hospital News

Our Certified Veterinary Technician, Jessica Jeurrissen, gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Mara Rose, on January 20th. Both mom and baby are doing well. Congratulations to the new parents!

Dr. Lisa Carpenter attended the CVC veterinary convention in sunny San Diego, California in November. She attended a wide variety of lectures. Some of the topics included care of senior cats, chronic ear disease, skin disorders, recurrent bladder infections, pet obesity, and kidney disease. Many of these problems are seen on an almost daily basis at our hospital, so it is good to have the latest treatment information.

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Feline Urethral Obstruction-Emergency!

Many cat owners are aware that urinary problems are common in their feline friends. However, they may not recognize the signs of impending urethral obstruction, which can cause death if not treated promptly. Urethral obstructions occur when mucus plugs and/or crystalline debris in the urine combine to block the outflow of urine from the bladder through the urethra. Blocked cats (usually males due to the narrower urethra) will strain to urinate in the litterbox and may only produce a drop or two. Owners often mistake this straining for constipation. 

As the obstruction continues, the bladder fills with urine and becomes painfully distended. Cats may stop eating and vomit. Most are lethargic but make frequent trips to the litterbox.

Treatment is needed immediately to relieve the bladder distention and remove the obstruction. After an exam, we often perform bloodwork and x-rays to assess the extent of the problem. Sedation or anesthesia is needed in order to catheterize the urethra, break up the obstruction and flush the bladder. Most cats require a high level of intravenous fluids in order to restore proper hydration and urine flow to avoid another obstruction.  A urinary catheter is left in place to aid in urination. Most cats are hospitalized for 24-48 hours before going home.  

The outcome is much more favorable if treatment is done early in the course of the problem. Time really is of the essence.  We do NOT recommend just leaving food out for cats and letting them fend for themselves while owners are out of town for the weekend.  A caretaker who can verify a cat is eating and using the litterbox at least once daily can be life saving.

Risk factors for urinary disease and urethral obstruction include obesity, inactivity, and dry diets.  Feeding moist cat food and keeping your pet lean can help you avoid this serious problem.

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