wp_trurovetwe, Author at Truro Vet

Canine Health December 20, 2016

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A ……VETERINARIAN

Written By: Dr Melissa

6:30 am – Time to start my day! I’m scheduled to work a surgery shift today which means I need to be at work for 8am . That gives me an hour and a half to get myself and our three kids ready and out the door. I get my own dog and cat fed and cared for before heading in to the clinic.

8am – I’ve arrived to see what’s in store for the day. We usually have several elective surgeries booked (this means they have been planned for – ie. spay, neuter, dentistry etc.) I will however, be the only veterinarian in the office until noon, so if there are any animals that need to be seen more urgently I will take care of them as well. My routine surgery days are Wednesdays and my team on that day has started calling them ‘Wacky Wednesdays’ as we seem to attract a great variety of ailments!

My first patient to assess is Tucker. He is a young dog with a history of eating facecloths and socks, was hospitalized overnight and needs repeat radiographs to assess for a possible foreign body. He is not really interested in his breakfast and seems nauseated.

Next is Gooch, an Australian Shepherd that had routine surgery last week and wasn’t feeling well yesterday. He has been vomiting and passing bloody diarrhea. Radiographs showed a gas pattern in his intestines that was concerning for a foreign body. This is not always clear cut as many foreign bodies are not easy to see on a radiograph. We treated his symptoms with medication overnight and he is back this morning to repeat the pictures. Luckily he is feeling much better and the radiographs have shown a big improvement. He goes on his way with his relieved Mom.

Hank, a large German Shepherd that was neutered last week arrives to recheck his incision. He has significant swelling at the surgery site. He is very active and therefore very hard to keep quiet at home. He is really uncomfortable and doesn’t even really want me to look at it! With his Mom’s reassurance I’m able to assess things well enough that I decide to start him on antibiotics and extra pain medication. I talk with the owner about the possibility of him needing more surgery to investigate the problem a bit further.

Meanwhile, Tucker’s radiographs have been done and they look very suspicious for a foreign body. This along with his history of eating things he shouldn’t makes me recommend exploratory surgery. I’m worried that his bowel is obstructed. His owner gives us the go-ahead so we get him sedated and prepped for surgery. After his sedative he vomits a couple of liters of foul fluid…nothing glamourous about this job! Although I don’t mind cleaning up body fluids, I work with an amazing team that jumps right in and gets it done :0). We all have our thing that we really don’t like (mine is phlegm), and usually someone will offer to take over!

Next we see Lilli, a young shih tzu who is here for bloodwork to check her liver function. She had routine pre-surgical bloodwork last week prior to her spay and we found some abnormalities. Her surgery was postponed until we can look into the cause for those a bit further. She’s been fasted overnight. She is really wiggly, but with some head pats and excited chatter to distract her, we collect blood and feed her some breakfast. She’ll need a second blood collection in 2 hours.

By 10am, Tucker is ready for surgery. Although we have a few other pets that were booked for procedures today, Tucker gets pushed to first in line since he is sick. I find a sock obstructing his small intestine. Some of the bowel tissue has poor blood supply and is starting to die. I have to remove ~30cm of bowel and attach the two ends. (we call this a resection and anastomosis) This makes the surgery higher risk. There is more chance of infection and incision breakdown. Thankfully Tucker is young and otherwise healthy so this improves his chances of recovering well. These cases are the ones I think about before I go to sleep and first thing when I wake up.

As Tucker recovers from anesthesia, Valor, a young German Shepherd, is ready to be neutered. He’s a beautiful boy and very well mannered. Everything goes routinely.

Over lunch I take some time to call Tucker’s owner to update them on his surgery. I update Valor’s Mom as well. Lilli gets to go home. After checking through my phone messages and returning a few calls to clients I grab a quick bite to eat.

It’s now early afternoon and Boomer, a 7 year old hound that was adopted by his current owner this year is getting prepped for his neuter and dental surgery. On his pre-surgical exam I noticed he had quite a lot of dental tartar and several teeth that looked diseased. Our plan today after he is neutered is to scale and polish his teeth, and take dental radiographs to assess the roots of his teeth for disease that we can’t see above the gumline. His teeth clean up very nicely, and on radiographs I see 5 teeth that need to be extracted. There is bone loss around the roots and they are losing their attachment to the gums. This make it easier for bacteria to invade and infect the roots. I extract the teeth and place sutures that will dissolve over the next two weeks.

Tucker is recovering well… he even eats some gastro canned food for me! (this is a special diet that is bland and used for pets with an upset belly). His parents come for a visit – he definitely perks up when he sees them. We are cautiously optimistic that his recovery continues to go well.

As the shift comes to an end, I write up all the medical files from today, finish updating the owners of surgery patients and return more phone calls that have come up. I update the evening veterinarian on my patients that will stay in-hospital overnight.

I head out to pick up my kids and get them home for the evening.

At midnight I head back in to the clinic to check on Tucker. Thankfully he is feeling very well, getting more energetic and has a great appetite!

My days can be busy and varied, and I consider myself lucky to be working in a field where I learn something new every day. There are many days that we deal with very difficult, emotional situations, but seeing patients head home feeling well is so rewarding it makes up for it.

Tucker’s radiographs – notice the gas in the stomach, this is a common sign when there are obstructions.

Dr Melissa performing surgery on Tucker and Ashley assisting by holding a section of the GI tract.

Dr. Melissa holding a section of the GI tract.

Gooch feeling better after some medication.

Valor waiting for his turn with Dr. Melissa.

One of the many teeth in Boomer’s mouth that needed extracted. To the right side of the image is the jaw, notice the black void around the tooth root – there is supposed to be bone there but instead the root is fully exposed.

Tucker feeling MUCH better at his two week recheck!

Canine Health September 12, 2016

Travel First Aid

Travel-Pet-First-Aid-Kit-FAID19 By: Dr Jessica Rock.

Here in the Maritimes we are heading into the fall, which is arguably the most enjoyable season in Atlantic Canada. Temperatures are comfortable, mosquitos and blackflies are on the decline, and water temperatures are at their annual highest. This is prime hiking, swimming, cottage, and camping season!

More and more, people are taking their pets along on outdoor and seasonal adventures and vacations. All of this time outside, stretching the limbs, strengthening the body, and settling the mind is great for the humans and pets alike, but are you prepared if your pet has an unexpected accident or emergency during your adventure?

How about assembling this easy to make travelling pet first-aide and care kit for your trip? None of these tools should delay you in calling your veterinarian for help if an injury or emergency occurs.

General Supplies

Water – carry enough for you and your pet, or bring supplies to clarify water
Collapsible bowl
CURRENT ID tags – if you are travelling a long way or for a long while, attach a spare tag with your temporary contact information
Extra Collar and Leash
More pet food than you think you’ll need
Thermometer and lubricating jelly
Travel packs of honey – nab a spare for your kit the next time you have breakfast out
A small dixie cup and some bandaging tape (you probably shouldn’t ask, but if you ever need it you (and your vet) will be SO glad you have it…)
Veterinarian Phone Number and Address – plan ahead – look up the veterinary offices that will be closest to you while you’re enjoying your travel/vacation

Bandaging Materials

These materials are available at your local pharmacy.

Betadine – for cleaning wounds
Non-stick sterile gauze
Gauze Pads
Gauze Cling rolls
Vet Wrap (self clinging bandage wrap)
Scissors (to cut bandage material to size)
Bandage tape
Muzzle – it’s a good idea to have a muzzle in case of a painful injury, your pet might be the sweetest ever in the whole world, but if they are badly injured and frightened they may snap or bite when you are trying to clean and bandage their wound – no one wants two injured road warriors so be safe and take a muzzle

Travel Pharmacy

Make a point of talking to your veterinarian about these over the counter medications – your vet can help you make a travel pharmacy that’s customized to your pet

Artificial Tears
Diphenhydramine (e.g. Benadryl)
Dimenhydrinate (e.g. Gravol)
Bismuth Subsalicylate (e.g. Original Formula, name brand Pepto-Bismol IN CANADA)
Hydrogen peroxide

Remember, in an emergency you should try to get to your nearest veterinarian as quickly as possible, but having these materials on hand can be life-saving in the interim between injury/illness and getting to the nearest veterinary office, especially when the unexpected happens while you’re away from home.

So brush up on your pet first aide and make an appointment to create a customized travel pharmacy for your pet.

Oh. And enjoy your adventure!

Canine Health June 20, 2016

Get Enlightened about LASER Therapy

Veterinarians have learned a lot about how animals experience pain over the last thirty years.

When I graduated from vet school in 1985, we were instructed that animals feel less pain and handle pain much better than their human counterparts. We were told that a little pain is OK because it discourages activity and that the resulting rest helps healing.

That made a little sense but it still didn’t feel right to me.

Veterinarians are taught comparative anatomy in the early years of vet school. We look at the body systems of many species and compare their development and function. There is very little difference in the function and nervous systems of all mammalian species – this includes us and our furry friends.

If we feel pain … then your pet feels pain to the same degree. They just can’t communicate their pain and THAT is the problem.

Vets and animal technicians are getting better at identifying pain and more importantly treating pain appropriately. Thankfully, information and aids to treat pain have exploded over the last 15 years. Vets have many ways to treat pain.

At Truro Vet, we have a new cutting edge, scientifically proven way to treat pain … LASER therapy.

You might ask – how, on earth doe light waves treat pain?

Answer is PHOTO-BIO-MODULATION.

There has been a lot of interesting research in this field called photo- bio- modulation lately.

In a nutshell, laser therapy accelerates the body’s natural healing process through photo-bio-modulation. Laser therapy provides tangible health benefits to your pet. Laser therapy is effective in treating chronic conditions, acute conditions, and post- surgical pain and inflammation.

How does it work?

Decades of research, clinical trials, and laboratory testing indicate the following beneficial effects of laser therapy. Some of this is ‘tech talk’ so I translated in the italics at the end of each paragraph:

Anti-Inflammation
Laser therapy reduces inflammation with vasodilation, activation of the lymphatic drainage system, and reduction of pro-inflammatory mediators. As a result, inflammation, erythema, bruising, and edema are reduced. Reduce the swelling – reduces the pain.

Analgesic Effect
Laser therapy of diseased and damaged tissue produces a suppression of nociceptors, an increase of stimulation threshold, and an increased release of tissue endorphins. The result is a decreased patient perception of pain. Numbs the nerves so they send less messages to the brain that feels like pain.

Accelerated Tissue Repair and Cell Growth
Photons of light from lasers penetrate deeply into tissue and accelerate cellular reproduction and growth. Laser light increases the energy available to the cells so that they can take on nutrients and get rid of waste products more quickly. Promotes cell growth and speeds healing.

Improved Vascular Activity
Laser light significantly increases the formation of new capillaries in damaged tissue. This speeds the healing process, resulting in more rapid wound closure. More blood supply allows the building blocks of repair travel to the diseased treated area faster.

Increased Metabolic Activity
The energy from photons of laser light is captured by chemical complexes within cells resulting in activation of enzyme systems and increased energy delivered into cellular metabolic processes. If healing cells have more energy – they can speed up the healing process.

Trigger Points and Acupuncture Points
Laser therapy stimulates muscle trigger and acupuncture points without mechanical invasion to provide musculoskeletal pain relief. Needleless acupuncture.

Reduced Fibrous Tissue Formation
Laser therapy reduces the formation of scar tissue. More healing and less scars – on the skin and inside the body.

Improved Nerve Function
Slow recovery of nerve functions in damaged tissue results in numbness and impaired limbs. Laser therapy accelerates nerve cell regeneration. Speeds up the growth and repair of damaged nerves.

Immunoregulation
Therapy laser photons have an effect on immune systems status through stimulation of immunoglobins and lymphocytes. Laser therapy energy is absorbed by chromophores (molecular enzymes) that react to laser light. The enzyme flavomono-nucleotide is activated and starts the production of ATP, which is the major carrier of cellular energy and the energy source for all chemical reactions in the cells. Increases energy of cells that support the immune system.

Faster Wound Healing
Laser light stimulates fibroblast development. Fibroblasts produce collagen, which is predominant in wound healing in damaged tissue. Collagen is the essential protein required to replace old tissue or to repair tissue injuries. As a result, laser therapy is effective on open wounds and burns. Faster healing – this is especially obvious on patients with skin wounds or skin disease.

Canine Health March 21, 2016

What Does Pain Look like in your Dog?

You are in the best position to look for subtle changes of behaviours that indicate your pet is in pain. If your pet is showing one or more of these behaviours he/she maybe hurting. By completing this assessment, you are helping us to identify possible painful conditions.

Please check all that apply:

Vocalizing:

Whining ○
Howling ○
Whimpering ○
Yelping ○
Groaning ○
Grunting ○

Daily Habits:

Decreased Appetite ○
Withdraws from social interaction ○
Changes in sleeping (more or less) ○
Changes in drinking ○
Lapses in house training or struggles to get into the position ○
Seeks more affection then usual ○

Self Mutilation:

Licking one or more areas obsessively of his/her body ○
Biting at one or more areas of his/her body ○
Scratching a particular part of his/her body ○

Activity Level:

Restless, pacing ○
Repeatedly gets up and lies down; can’t seem to get comfortable ○
Difficulty lying down or getting up ○
Trembling, circling or lying very still ○
Moves stiffly or slowly after exercise or sleeping/resting ○
Less energy or activity ○
Reluctant to move ○
Less playful or willing to exercise ○
Less eager to jump on furniture or into the car ○
Difficulty in walking or running; particularly on wood or tile floor or stairs ○

Facial Expressions:

Grimaces or vacant stare ○
Glazed, wide eyed or sleepy ○
Enlarged pupils ○
Flattened ears ○
Pants excessively at rest ○

Self Protection:

Protects a body part ○
Doesn’t put weight on a leg ○
Limps ○
Doesn’t want or avoids being held or picked up ○

Posture:

Hunched with hind quarters raised and front end down on the ground ○
Lays on his/her side ○
Walks with an arched back ○
Nails worn unevenly or extremely long ○

Please list any other changes that are note listed above:

Behaviour/Training March 15, 2016

What does Anxiety look like in your CAT?

Fear is a normal response that enables a living creature to survive danger. Anxiety is an abnormal display of fear that, if allowed to build, can cause aggression. Most fearful pets do not show aggression but if the source of fear is not addressed or removed, aggression is a natural outcome.

FEAR –> Freeze or Flight –> Fight or Aggression

Think about yourself and your fears, worries and anxiety. You might have fears of being alone, fear of thunder and lightening or maybe fear of crazy driver ahead of you in the road. These are natural to have but if you experience too much fear, anxiety and possibly aggression might arise. How many of us have sworn at that dangerous driver?

Identifying fear at the beginning and removing the source of fear can help prevent anxiety in the future.

Long term fear leads to anxiety and that has many health effects on our bodies. It doesn’t matter what animal you are, if you have a brain you can experience anxiety.

Not all fearful animals behave the same way and many times if the initial signs of fear were not identified then one might only see aggression. Remember aggressive animals were almost always scared before the aggression surfaced.

Subtle signs of a fearful cat are:

* Ears high and out to the side

* Tries to hide

* Hypervigilant – Watching every move and sensitive to fast motions

* Hiss, growl

* Panting (not too hot)

* Stops taking food

* Moves slowly

Here are some examples:

Behaviour/Training March 15, 2016

What does Anxiety look like in your DOG?

FEAR –> Freeze or Flight –> Fight or Aggression

Identifying fear at the beginning and removing the source of fear can help prevent anxiety in the future.

Long term fear leads to anxiety and that has many health effects on our bodies. It doesn’t matter what animal you are, if you have a brain you can experience anxiety.

Subtle signs of a fearful dog are:

* Ears high and out to the side

* Tries to hide

* Hypervigilant – Watching every move and sensitive to fast motions

* Lip licking

* Panting (not too hot)

* Stops taking food

* Yawn and looks tired

* Moves slowly

Here are some examples:

Behaviour/Training December 29, 2015

What Does Pain Look like in your Cat?

You are in the best position to look for subtle changes of behaviours that indicate your cat is in pain. If your kitty is showing one or more of these behaviours he/she maybe hurting. By completing this assessment, you are helping us to identify possible painful conditions

Please check all that apply:

Vocalizing:

_____ Meowing more then usual
_____ Purring that seems to be associated with pain
_____ Hissing
_____ Growling
_____ Vocalizes differently, makes noises that are not normal for him/her

Daily Habits:

_____ Decreased Appetite
_____ Withdraws from social interaction with family members or other animals
_____ Changes in sleeping (more or less); sleeps in unusual positions, not curled up; sleeps in abnormal locations (that may be easier to get to, avoiding jumping)
_____ Changes in drinking habits
_____ Urinates or defecates outside the litter box, has difficulty getting into and out of the box, unable to squat
_____ Constipated
_____ Won’t groom or grooms less, fur looks unkempt
_____ Licking, biting or over grooming a particular body part

Activity Level:

_____ Restless
_____ Reluctant to move or moves slowly or stiffly
_____ Trembles or shakes
_____ Limps
_____ Less active; play or hunts less
_____ Avoids jumping; can’t jump as high as previously
_____ Avoids or has difficulty on stairs
_____ Seeks more affection
_____ Hides

Posture:

_____ Generally lays with feet underneath
_____ Crouches for long periods and doesn’t move
_____ Reluctant to sharpen claws or stretch
_____ Walks stiffly with back arched
_____ Overgrown nails, doesn’t sharpen them

Facial Expressions:

_____ Glazed, wide eyed or sleepy
_____ Enlarged pupils
_____ Squints eyes

Self Protection:

_____ Protects a body part
_____ Doesn’t put weight on a leg
_____ Doesn’t want or avoids being held or picked up or patted

Aggression:

Especially in a previous friendly cat

_____ Acts out of character
_____ Growls, hisses or bites
_____ Pins ears back
_____ Is aggressive to humans or other cats

Please list any other changes that are note listed above:

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For a Printable Copy: Pain in cats

Canine Health June 12, 2015

Pets and Parasites: The Pet Owner Resource

Courtesy of Dr. Michelle

We know that choosing the right parasite prevention product for your pet can be overwhelming. These days, there are so many products to choose from.. pills and topicals.. products that get fleas, ticks, intestinal parasites, and any combination of those! We are always happy to help you make an informed decision on which product is best for your furry family based on your lifestyle, risk, and desired method of administration. Here is a very simplified chart of the major products we carry and their main features. There are a few other products left off of this chart for simplicity sake, but may be mentioned to you in our office if we feel like it is the best product for your pet. Please give us a call (902)893-2341 if you have any questions about these products or would like one of our knowledgeable staff members to help make a recommendation for you.

Canine Health May 29, 2015

Seasonal Allergies – Our Pets Can Suffer With Them Too!

Courtesy of: Dr. Melissa

As much as we all love to feel the warmer weather every Spring, those of us with seasonal allergies can dread pollen season. Did you know our pets can be affected as well? Dogs and cats exposed to airborne allergens from grasses/weeds/trees can get inflammation affecting their skin. This inflamed skin gets itchy and is prone to bacterial and yeast infections. If your pet is especially chewing at its feet, shaking its head, or scratching its belly, allergies are a possibility. The skin can look red, raw and moist when it is inflamed and/or infected. There can be a dark discharge in the ears or pustules/scabs on the skin. Pets can also be allergic to parasites like fleas, which are very common in the summer months. Effective flea control is very important in these animals.

The technical term for sensitivity to airborne allergies is Atopy. For the most part atopy is managed, not cured. There are many therapies used to control allergies, including antihistamines, topical shampoos and ointments, anti-inflammatories, supplements to enhance the skin barrier and diet trials. Medications like antibiotics and anti-fungals may be needed to control secondary infections. In chronic cases we can do allergy testing to find out what is making your pet react and use medication to de-sensitize them to those allergens.

If your pet is itchy, make an appointment with your veterinarian. If the problem is recurrent, keep a log of flare-ups. Sometimes these patterns can help us narrow down the causes. We will get a full history and complete a thorough physical exam to help identify what the problem is and make a plan to get your pet more comfortable. Follow up is also very important to keep flare ups under control. Please call us with your questions/concerns at (902)893-2341!

Here are some great resources on Seasonal Allergies:

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=597

http://www.petfoodnutrition.com/seasonalallergies/

Canine Health May 11, 2015

Vaccinations – Why Are They So Important?

Courtesy of: Dr. Melissa

A very important part of preventive care for your pet is keeping them up to date on their vaccines. Many people ask us whey their pets need yearly vaccines when people get boosters much less frequently. At our hospital we follow the American Veterinary Association Vaccination Guidelines. These are based on studies to determine how long vaccinations are protective to our pets. Puppies and kittens generally get three vaccines between 8-16 weeks of age, with a booster on all of these one year later. Core vaccinations are then given to all pets separately on a rotating 3-year schedule. These vaccines protect against Rabies, Distemper, Parvo, Panleukopenia, Herpes and Calicivirus. Some of our vaccines are given only to those pets whose lifestyle puts them at risk for specific disease, like cats that go outside, or dogs that live in rural areas. These are given yearly and include Feline Leukemia, Leptospirosis, Bordetella (kennel cough) and Lyme.

The diseases we vaccinate for can be very serious, even life threatening. Some of these diseases can infect humans as well. For each pet at each visit, we do a complete exam. Along with their medical history, we determine the best vaccination protocol for them. For animals with serious vaccine reactions, or those that have other medical problems, we may adjust the protocol or even consider checking their antibody levels (titers) to help determine if vaccination is necessary. Although titer testing has historically only been available at specialized laboratories, we can now check some of these antibody levels in-clinic after a simple blood draw.

Serious side effects to getting vaccinated are extremely rare. Most commonly we see mild lethargy, low-grade fever and soreness at the injection site. If your pet is due for an exam and vaccinations, or if you have any questions regarding vaccination or titer testing, please call us at (902) 893-2341!

Here are some great resources for you to check out:

https://www.aaha.org/public_documents/professional/guidelines/caninevaccineguidelines.pdf

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=524