2012 - Page 2 of 3

Wiggles’ World August 21, 2012

Cat Napping – An Introductory Lesson

Courtesy of: Wiggles

I am sure most of you can guess my favourite activity? If you can’t then you obviously haven’t been into the clinic enough to see me doing it, so book an appointment and come in for a visit! Any guesses yet? Well if you said napping, you are right! Cats all over the world have perfected the art of cat napping, and yes it really truly is an art – ask any cat you know! After all, people don’t take “dog naps” do they? No, cat napping is named after cats, because we know how to do it purrfectly (sorry I had to).

It might seem easy, but there are a few rules to cat napping. If you want to perfect the art form, listen up. The first rule is that ANYWHERE can be an adequate cat napping location. Don’t get picky about where you decide to nap, any spot will do. Some will get too focused on a soft and comfortable place, but if you want to be more then apprentice in cat napping you need to remember that although soft spots are a bonus, they aren’t necessary. You can lay on (or in) just about anything. I particularly like boxes or baskets, but will also settle for chairs, window ledges, computer keyboards…you get the picture. Although there may be some places that your humans may think is their territory, you must not let them think such crazy things and continue to nap in your chosen spots.

Now once you have your spot you need to make sure that you take up as much area as possible. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I like to curl up in a cute little ball. Generally, though, it is important to fill in any extra space with your body in your designated napping spot.

Above all, you mustn’t forget to purr…that is very important! It helps get the humans’ attention and you might get a nice ear or chin rub as you cat nap. If anyone out there would like to learn more about the art of cat napping I perform it daily at the Truro Veterinary Hospital from 8am-8pm during the week and 9am-3pm on Saturday. Sunday is a private cat napping day.

Heartwarming Stories August 13, 2012

The Purpose Of A Dog

Courtesy of: Amanda

Canines serve many purposes in the lives of humans. They can be faithful companions or partners in crime. They are heroic family members or seizure alert dogs. They can be used as working dogs – to pull heavy sleds, guide the blind, or bring us objects that we drop. They can warm our laps and our hearts. Dogs help humans in so many ways that we may never be able to count them all. What purpose does your dog have in your life?

Personally I have working dogs. Don’t get me wrong- they are all pets, but if you ask them, they would tell you they are working dogs first and pets as a hobby. They just let me call them pets to make me happy.

My oldest is a sled dog named Lyle. He’s 17 and a half years old. He is a retired lead dog, but please don’t use the word ‘retired’ in front of him. Lyle has work ethic like no other- as long as he can still walk, he wants to pull a sled. He is the instinctively intelligent dog in the front of the team that listens for the musher to tell him which way to turn, when to start pulling, and when to take a break. Many qualities of a stellar lead dog cannot be taught, so he is invaluable in his ability to lead. He is even required to make judgment calls about keeping all the dogs behind him safe. In short, I think he’s a genius.

Badly abused in his younger years, he doesn’t trust easily. He has quirky little habits that make people chuckle, and a few battle scars from a tussle with cancer. When we hike he won’t walk on the left hand side of the trail because he was taught to stay right. He won’t walk in heel position because as the leader he was taught to stay out in front. He howls his happy song to me when my car pulls in the driveway. He didn’t know the pleasure in being petted until his later years. He knows voice commands for everything from “go faster”, to “pass the next trail”. He smiles when it snows, I swear. He has a one track mind when in harness- to pull, and pull hard.

There are many people who wouldn’t want a dog like Lyle. He doesn’t know how to ‘sit’. He won’t take treats from people. Ear rubs are only allowed in the first 5 minutes after waking up. He won’t eat if you are watching him. He is a sloppy drinker. He has been known to steal meat off the counter. He rarely wags his tail at people. He is just now learning to sleep on a dog bed. He sheds more in one day than most dogs do in a year. He doesn’t like to be indoors. He’s foolish. I can’t imagine life without him.

He believes his purpose in life is to lead. It’s all he is, all he stands for, and all he does. He exudes confidence and our other dogs instinctively respect him. He can make a whole team of 10 dogs do things I can only dream of, and he can’t even talk!

Lyle was sent to us, after a life of hardship, to show us that dogs who love to work do it for the sheer joy of it, not because we ask them to. He has trained many younger dogs, and his love of working (even now) is an inspiration to me daily. He is proof that the canine spirit is a forgiving one, and that they will always have faith in human-kind.

Lyle is getting older, and just now starting to slow down. I know we won’t have him with us much longer. He is almost blind, and starting to lose his hearing. Though his heart on radiograph looks like that of an 8 year old, he is showing his 17 years. The thought of not cleaning piles of white dog hair off my floor pains me greatly. He has taught me so much about patience, understanding, and what truly makes a dog happy.

He has shown me that a life with dogs is about the journey, not the destination.

I can never thank him enough.

Disease August 8, 2012

A Story You Can Sink Your Teeth Into…If Only It Didn’t Hurt So Much!

Courtesy of: Bethany

As a recent Veterinary Technician student (I just graduated in May, yay me!), I had a lot of interaction with the animals from the local animal shelter. During my first year in the program I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely little feline named ‘Cinder’. She was just one of many cats without a person to call their own. Who would have predicted the journey before us?

Cinder had been a resident of the local SPCA for almost two years. The little I know about Cinder’s history is that she had arrived at the shelter with kittens and had been to foster home after foster home, never finding a permanent home and loving family she could call her own.

Cinder was having quite a difficult time in her everyday life; she constantly had a hard time eating, often not eating more than a few bites in a day. It was obvious that she was having some severe issues with her mouth. She was already missing quite a few teeth and had stage 4 periodontal disease. I knew that because of these issues, it would be hard to find anyone who would be willing to take on a case like this and provide her the care she needed.

So, being in the veterinary field I decided that I was qualified enough to take care of this little girl and save her from a life at the shelter. After paying my adoption fee I took home my new little bundle of joy to introduce her to my other two cats, who I hoped would take to her easily. Surprisingly, it wasn’t my cats who were the issue.

After I brought her home, Cinder was nowhere to be found! At first I thought her hiding was due to the stress of moving into a new home. I soon discovered she wasn’t hiding due to fear but because she was in constant pain. Eating was almost impossible, even with canned food. Even trying to yawn would cause her to shriek in pain and go running for the nearest hiding place. In her mind, pain was all around her and no place was safe.

Soon after, she stopped eating entirely for a whole day. I immediately called up Truro Vet and booked an appointment to have her examined and hopefully come up with a solution to the problem. During this first appointment, Dr. Michelle informed me that Cinder had a serious auto-immune condition and that her quality of life was very poor and that she would quickly decline if something was not done. Knowing I was a student and money was an issue, euthanasia was presented as a viable option since treatment would be so expensive and potentially hard for Cinder to get through. I couldn’t decide right then and there so I was sent home with some pain medication and antibiotics to help reduce some of the inflammation in Cinder’s mouth and help treat any bacteria that may have been passing through her body due to her dental disease.

For two months I was in denial about the seriousness of Cinder’s condition and kept going with the antibiotics in a futile attempt to avoid the needed treatment. What was the treatment you ask? Treatment involved taking out every single tooth left in Cinder’s mouth followed by a lifetime diet of canned food. I felt like I would be an awful person if I did that to my cat! What kind of life is it without teeth for a cat?

I booked another appointment at Truro Vet and was booked with Dr. Gwen. I simply asked, “Can you explain to me again what the problem is, what the treatment is and what will happen to her if she has the procedure done?”

Cinder had a condition called Feline Oral Resorptive Lesions. Essentially, her body was rejecting her teeth and because of this, her teeth were slowly being reabsorbed into the gums. As a result, this was very painful! Her gums should have been a nice shade of light pink and instead they looked like this:

Ouch! Her gums were swollen, red and painful and even though she didn’t have an overly large amount of tarter or plaque, that didn’t matter in this case. With this condition, often it is so painful that even under surgical anesthesia, when the animal is supposed to be completely asleep, touching their gums can elicit a pain response. It’s not really understood exactly why this disease happens, only that it is an auto-immune condition.

On x-ray, it became quite obvious how serious the condition was:

Normal x-ray

Cinder’s x-ray

In these x-rays, you can see just how much of her teeth were being eaten away.

When I dropped her off for her surgery that day, I felt so horrible about it I almost wanted to cry. I couldn’t believe that all her teeth were about to be removed and her life would completely change. I got the call later that day that she had sailed through surgery with no complications and was resting comfortably. She stayed the night and I arrived the next day to pick up my kitty, feeling guilty as ever.

Joye, one of Truro Vet’s Vet Techs, came into the room to instruct me on how to care for Cinder at home and the first thing she told me was that after Cinder woke up, Joye had offered her some canned food to see if she would be interested and she ate the WHOLE THING! She ate all of the food she was offered without any indication she was in pain, only the indication that she was starving. I almost immediately stopped feeling guilty because even though her gums had been cut open, her teeth removed and her gums sewn back up, she was doing so much better that she was actually able to eat for the first time in days.

We continued the antibiotics for a few more weeks and I watched as Cinder changed into a completely different cat: she no longer hid for hours during the day, in fact she’s quite the cuddle bug (who knew?!) and now she can yawn comfortably without any pain whatsoever.

Who would have known that when I agreed to give this little girl her forever home that we would go through so much in such a short time? I was faced with the harsh reality of having to choose to spend a lot of money on her or decide to end her suffering permanently and say goodbye.

I know some people would probably say, ‘It’s just a cat, what’s the big deal?’ but I couldn’t imagine having made the choice to say goodbye to Cinder that day. She has become a permanent fixture in my household and has the most amazing personality that I have ever seen in a pet. She is on a diet of reduced calorie canned food to prevent her from gaining too much weight, although she still enjoys stealing hard food kibbles out of her housemates’ dishes. Despite having no teeth, she eats more hard food now than she did when she had them!

With the support of my veterinary team (who I now have the pleasure of working with as well) I was able to make this decision and trust their capable hands to care for my little girl and help her become the lovely cat she is today. And every time someone asks me why I put my cat through that, all I can say is that it turned her into the cat she was supposed to be from the very beginning.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding dental care for your pet, please call the Truro Veterinary Hospital at (902) 893–2341.

Disease July 30, 2012

Sometimes A Good Purr Can Save Your Life!

Courtesy of: Dr. Gwen

My cat, Uri, wasn’t supposed to have a long life. Thankfully, he subscribed to the notion that cats have at least nine lives. He lived a happy 16 years but only because he managed to win the heart of a brand new veterinarian. Uri was going to be one of my first euthanasias but his charming purr turned him into a life-long feline friend and one of my first patients.

I had just been a vet for a few months in an emergency practice in Ottawa. It was late one Saturday night when Uri was brought into the emergency clinic by a young couple. He was about two years old, a pumpkin orange tabby with a large tomcat head and a purr that vibrated the table. He lay there purring to invite pats and attention. “What seems to be the trouble?” I asked the owners.

“Brandy (as he was called then) doesn’t want to eat,” the owners replied. I smiled at Brandy and said hello as I patted his head. His purr volume increased to rival a jack hammer. As the pats went from his head to the tail, I knew immediately what was wrong. Brandy was still a lean young cat with a muscular neck and chest that tapered into a narrow trim waist until my hand reached the large lump inside his belly.

I had learned early in vet school that cats with testicles can’t be pregnant so that left the most obvious diagnosis … a urinary obstruction. Male cats can develop crystals in their urine that clump together to block off their ability to urinate. A blockage was bad news. “Has he been vomiting?” I asked, hoping the answer was no. It turns out he had vomited a few times. This was a bad sign that suggested that the kidneys were feeling the intense pressure of the blockage. Death was knocking, calling Brandy’s name.

Sadly back in those days, cat foods were not what they are today. I knew that I could unblock Brandy’s bladder but frequently cats with this condition block again and the long term answer was to perform a surgery that involved amputating the kitty’s penis! Because of this, convincing pet owners to treat their blocked kitties was a difficult thing to do.

As I was a newly minted vet, I wasn’t yet skilled in communicating to people about their pet’s health. I wondered, “How do I tell them that penis amputation may be in their cat’s future?” Thank goodness that our knowledge of food has enabled us to manage urinary disease much better … I haven’t done a penis amputation in 20 years.

As Brandy lay on that table listening and purring, the conversation turned to tears for the pet owners. Being a young couple, pregnant with their first child, they couldn’t commit to the costs associated with saving Brandy’s life. Euthanasia seemed like the only humane answer.

“Euthanize!” I heard myself scream in my head, “but he is so sweet and purry, how can I do that to him?” In a split second I made up my mind. Brandy was not going to die that day or the next day or for at least ten years. I was going to make sure of that. I explained to the couple that this was my first time being faced with this decision and I found it hard to go through with it.

“Will you give him to me? I will look after him and give him a good home as long as I can,” I promised. Brandy’s watchful eyes looked at me with the purr humming in the background like he was a backup to my song. The couple happily agreed.

Brandy was pretty sick. Not only was he vomiting but his heart was slowing down, another bad sign. His electrolyte imbalances were affecting his heart and could possibly stop it. I had to act fast. Thankfully, the blockage was typically simple to dislodge. It doesn’t seem fair that such a small problem can cause death so quickly.

I nursed him back to health over the next few days and decided that the only body part I was going to take from him was his testicles. He didn’t seem to mind, his purr seemed more important to him then his gonads and it was alive and well.

Brandy didn’t seem like the right name for him. He seemed to me to be a lot more than a ‘Brandy’. Being still very keen on my new profession, I thought an anatomical name would suit him the best, something that would remind me of how our lives crossed paths. ‘Uri’ (short for urinary) seemed like the obvious choice to my recently-graduated-vet-mind.

After a 30 minute ride in my backpack on my bike I introduced Uri to my home. It took about two seconds for him to check the place out (it was pretty small) and say hello to my other cat, Mouth (another vet student bad name choice) and reboot his purr. That was when my boyfriend (now husband) looked at me like I had two heads. “Uri? What kind of name is that?” He was completely unimpressed with my choice. “He is not a Uri …. he is a Purry.”

From that day on, Uri-Purry enriched our lives and hearts for 14 more years.

There are a few more chapters to Uri’s life … stay tuned.

Wiggles’ World July 23, 2012

I Don’t Know Why I Swallowed A Fly

Courtesy of: Wiggles

Warning: The following contains graphic details which may not be suitable for insect conservationists/lovers.

I have to tell you all about my great day! There I was sleeping peacefully in my basket (everyone says that it is Victor’s basket but they are just saying that to be nice to the old guy – everyone really knows that it is MINE). Anyway, where were we? Oh yes, sleeping peacefully until I heard a buzzing noise, my ears twitched and I looked around to try and find the source. There it was! I spotted that little black housefly buzzing around the front desk, taunting me! I tilted my head to the side and watched it buzz around for a few moments hoping that it might come closer, but it was playing hard to get.

I jumped down from my perch and landed right in front of the bright screen the humans insist on staring at most of the day. I was apparently in the way of Kaila (one of my many slaves) who was trying to make the black rectangular thing in front of her click as she pressed the keys. She picked me up and set me off to the side. This was perfect, as the fly had come to rest on the edge of the desk. I crouched down, ready to go in for the kill. I pounced and missed, knocking some papers to the floor.

Then that silly fly was off again, buzzing around. I leapt gracefully into the air reaching my paws out to try and grasp it, but this wasn’t just any ordinary housefly, this one was skilled in escaping my clutches. I chased it around the room, diving and pouncing but the fly kept getting away from me. It finally landed on the floor, so we played the waiting game, the fly and I. I pretended that I had lost interest and groomed my paws while the fly sat there quiet and still, until it broke under the strain and took off again.

This time it was desperate and flew up to the window and crashed into it time and time again. I leapt to the window ledge (ignoring the crashing of insignificant objects as I scattered them to the floor). I had the fly now, he had no way out!

I chased him back and forth across the glass for a few moments until finally I knocked him on the head skillfully with one of my paws, stunning him. He fell to the window ledge buzzing slightly. I poked him with my paw, taunting him to try and get away from me again. He just lay there pathetically… he had given up.

I pretended I was disinterested again, just to see if he would try and escape. He buzzed a little bit more and tried to escape. I pounced on him again, both paws this time and held him there for a long moment. I slowly pulled one paw away to see that I had won the game, the fly had given up. He sat there buzzing, possibly with a broken wing, I decided it would only be fair of me to put him out of his misery so reached down and ate him. He was crunchy, and certainly didn’t taste as good as my normal treats – but I knew it was the right thing to do. Maybe next time a fly will think twice about buzzing around in my front office!

Behaviour/Training July 18, 2012

It’s Not A Muzzle, It’s A Gentle Leader

Courtesy of: Kaila

A question we hear quite often is: “Why is that dog wearing a muzzle?” Sometimes when we show people the Gentle Leader their first response is: “My dog doesn’t need a muzzle he doesn’t bite.” There are some very common misconceptions about Gentle Leaders and their purpose. My task today is to help educate you on the differences between a Gentle Leader and a muzzle and why a Gentle Leader might be one of the best investments you make for you and your dog!

Why is the Gentle Leader so great? It offers a painless and highly effective way to stop your dog from pulling, lunging and jumping. Walking your dog can finally be enjoyable! It is a very successful training aid as it is effective (controls pulling), humane (non-choking), easily fitted, and user friendly.

What makes Gentle Leaders different from muzzles? Gentle Leaders still allow dogs to open their mouths to eat, drink, pant, bark, fetch, breathe normally and even bite. Muzzles are most commonly used with dogs who are aggressive (towards people or other animals) to prevent them from biting. Some muzzles are designed so that your dog can still open his/her mouth, pant and breathe normally but if fitted properly will prevent a dog from biting and injuring someone or something. These muzzles are still very different from Gentle Leaders.

How do Gentle Leaders work? A Gentle Leader puts light pressure on your dog’s muzzle and at the back of the neck so when your dog tries to pull you down the road after that squirrel it will instead turn his head – much like a halter on a horse. The Gentle Leader also works with the dog’s instincts. Dogs tend to pull against pressure. If your dog is wearing a regular collar or leash, or even a choke style-training collar (which we certainly do not recommend) he will pull forward as you pull back, leading him to gag and choke.

How will my dog react to the Gentle Leader? An obedient dog won’t mind the Gentle Leader and will continue to be obedient. A dog who is used to manipulating the owner and being in control will resist. The more the dog experiences this new type of control, the more he may resist. The best way to make any new training aid or tool a positive experience for your dog is using lots of rewards (food rewards if food motivated, praise, a game of fetch or tug).

Hopefully now you can see the difference between a Gentle Leader and a muzzle. If you have a dog that loves to pull please give us at Truro Vet a call (893-2341) and we can set up a FREE appointment to fit your dog with a new Gentle Leader.

Canine Health July 12, 2012

Anna Belle’s Yucky Breakfast

Courtesy of: Valerie

It is 5 am on a wet and foggy morning and I am walking around our yard with our new rescue puppy Anna Belle. Anna Belle is a black 5 month old Chinese Shar Pei who came to us not knowing a few things and housetraining is unfortunately one of them. This is why I am standing in my yard in my PJ’s wearing my green rubber boots and a big warm coat with a pocket full of treats.

After Anna Belle “does her business” she gets rewarded with a kibble. This time our coordination is off and she loses it in the grass. I have two other dogs in the house with allergies (you will meet them in another post) so I bend down right away to retrieve it. To my horror and disgust, what I thought was an innocent piece of kibble in the grass is actually a slug! Yuck!! The more that I look around the yard, the more slugs I see. The worst part is realizing that when my dogs are out munching on the grass as they often do, they are likely getting some extra protein from the slimy slugs! Ugh…it gives me the shivers just to write that down!

Not only are slugs gross, but in Atlantic Canada slugs and snails can carry Fox Lungworm (Crenosoma vulpis). Foxes carry the lungworm and shed larvae in their feces, which the slugs eat. When dogs then eat the slugs, they can become infected as well. The main sign of lungworm in dogs is a persistent cough. Thankfully the cough can be treated easily with several veterinary products. If you are concerned about lungworm in your dog, contact Truro Vet at 893-2341 for more information.

As I make my way back to bed, I relax knowing that my dogs are on a preventative deworming schedule that works on lungworm, but I need to seriously reconsider those sluggy doggy kisses!

General TVH Info July 9, 2012

New Logo, New Look!

Truro Vet is excited to unveil our new logo! Although our previous logo has served us well for many years, we wanted something more representative of our strong belief in the bond between people and their pets. Big thanks to Jesica Morin, our designer, and the folks at logotournament.com. We love the new logo and can’t wait to see it everywhere!

If you have been to see us recently, we are sure that you have noticed our exciting new décor! Fresh paint throughout the clinic was just step one of our plan to update and improve our look. Everyone at Truro Vet participated in a professional photo shoot to provide new artwork for the walls. These portraits are entertaining and informative and include all of our own pets for you to see. We extend a huge thank you to Rob MacLellan and Heather Kirk for their amazing work. To see some of our photos and more of Rob’s amazing photography please visit his website at robertmaclellan.viewbook.com.

Please leave us a comment below to let us know what you think of our new look!

General TVH Info July 5, 2012

Need a Refill? Here’s Why We Need Some Notice

I’m not sure how your pharmacy works, but I know at mine I can drop in pretty much any time of the day and have my prescription filled within 15-30 minutes. I love the convenience, since I have a terrible tendency to forget to call ahead. Why, then, will our receptionists tell you that you need to give us here at Truro Vet 24 hours notice? Why can’t we offer you the same convenience?

The answer to those questions involves the big difference between a dedicated human pharmacy and our small veterinary pharmacy in our hospital. By definition a pharmacist is a person licensed to prepare and dispense drugs and medicines. Human pharmacists are highly trained professionals whose job it is to safely prepare and dispense your medications, being alert for possible side effects and counseling you as needed.

In our hospital, veterinary prescriptions are prepared and dispensed by Veterinary Technicians and Assistants. They are also highly trained and can provide you with valuable information regarding your pet’s prescription. However, they have very broad job descriptions relating to all aspects of the hospital, not just the pharmacy.

For example, if you call (or drop by) on a Thursday morning to have your prescription refilled, we will have one technician and one assistant working. Since we do surgical procedures on Thursdays, they will have at least one, possibly two patients under anesthetic. Those patients need care and monitoring to ensure they have a safe surgery and recovery. The technician may also have bloodwork waiting for them to examine under the microscope. If we have sick patients in hospital, the assistant may be administering medications and providing them comfort. As you can see, filling your prescription within a short time frame may take our attention away from patients who need care.

The other consideration is that our pharmacy is a very small area of our whole hospital. Some medications we may only be able to stock in small quantities, while others may be only available by ordering ahead. Please ask us if your pet’s medication falls into one of these categories.

We hope that this will help you understand why we must ask for your patience when it comes to getting your pet’s prescriptions refilled. The more notice you can provide, the better able we are to meet your needs without compromising someone else’s. If you have any questions about medications or refills, please give us a call at 893-2341.

Feline Health July 2, 2012

There’s More Than One Way To…Pill A Cat!

Courtesy of: Ashley

Picture this, it’s deworming time and I have two flavored tablets to get into my boys. Both of them have already come running into the kitchen because they think it is treat time. Jasper, my boy who is a picky eater and doesn’t like much besides his food, seems like he should be a big challenge, right? He looks up at me and I toss the pill onto the floor. Within seconds it is gone! Now for Mango, my cat who will eat anything and everything…except deworming pills. He knows what I am up to and has boarded the first jet out of the kitchen. I catch him just before he sneaks by security. I kneel on the floor and place him between my knees. I open his tightly clenched jaw just enough to slip the pill in past his tongue and wait until he swallows.

It might not sound easy, but in the past, Mango was much more difficult. With some time and patience he improved. I know from experience that pilling cats can be a challenge and you may need some suggestions. Here at Truro Vet we have lots of experience pilling cats and have learned many tips that may help you be successful. This will also reduce stress for your pet. If my story doesn’t give you the right ideas for your cat give us a call at 893-2341 as we have more tricks up our sleeves.