Post Pet Hospital - Pet of the Month - 2011

Ginger Price

     Meet "Ginger" Price, she is an 11 yr old female/spayed Welsh Corgi. Ginger was dropped off to stay with us at Ft. Ben Boarding & Grooming on August 8th, 2011. Upon drop off her owner requested an exam to check her ears and stated that "Ginger" was slowing down a lot.

    When Dr. Grosser did his physical exam he noted that Ginger had pale gums. Her ears were infected but otherwise her exam was within normal limits. We ran an in house packed cell volume (PCV) to measure her percentage of red blood cells and it was 10% (normal being 36%-60%). We sent a full blood panel to the lab and in the meantime started Ginger on oral Prednisone for Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia. This is a condition where the body's immune system destroys it's own red blood cells. Prednisone blocks that destructive reaction by suppressing the immune system and it's response.

    Ginger's owner was undergoing eye surgery herself and was not able to be reached. We rechecked Ginger the next day. She had not eaten and her pcv had dropped to 9%. We took abdominal x-rays to rule out an abdominal mass, because Ginger seemed to be having abdominal pain. No masses were found on x-rays. At that point Dr. Grosser decided we needed to intervene with a blood transfusion.

    Rocco was our donor dog. He is a 1 1/2 yr old Shepherd mix that belongs to a staff member here at Post Pet Hospital. We started the transfusion that evening and finished the next day. Ginger responded well to the transfusion. She started eating and drinking and her pcv jumped to 27%.

    Her owner picked her up on August 12th and was thrilled that we had taken such good care of Ginger and that she had responded so well to the treatment. We rechecked Ginger a week later and her pcv was up to 31%. We decreased her dose of Prednisone because she was starting to urinate on her bed. She still continued to do well at that dose and at her next recheck her pcv was 33%. We decreased the Prednisone dose again and still saw the same good response. Ginger is now eating well and enjoys her walks with her owner. We recheck Ginger on a regular basis to make sure she continues to respond well to treatment!
 

Shovel Head

       This is Shovel Head, a 6 yr old female Boxer that was presented to Post Pet Hospital for the first time on July 26, 2011.  Shovel Head was brought in because she was having a prolonged heat cycle. Upon physical examination Dr. Grosser noted longstanding swelling of the vulva as well as some vaginal discharge, otherwise Shovel Head’s physical exam was normal. Dr. Grosser recommended an ovariohysterectomy (spay), with the initial diagnosis of vaginal prolapse or vaginal hyperplasia due to prolonged heat cycle or increased estrogen levels.

      Shovel Head’s owner consented to surgery.  We ran preanesthetic bloodwork that was normal and placed and intravenous catheter and started her on IV fluids.  The actual spay was uneventful with a normal appearance to the uterus and ovaries.  However the perivulvular swelling was discovered to be a large tumor, approximately 7 centimeters in diameter, attached to the outside of the vaginal tract.  This mass was large enough to cause interference with urination and some vaginal discharge.  The tumor was removed and Shovel Head recovered well from anesthesia and surgery.  The most common type of tumor that presents like this is a benign tumor from the muscle of the vaginal tract called a leiomyoma.  We do not expect any reoccurrence of this mass.  Shovel Head is enjoying a happy carefree life now.

                                                Spanky


      Meet Spanky, a now 14 week old Chihuahua puppy. Spanky wins Pet of the Month based on personality and cuteness! Spanky spent a couple weeks with us during business hours for "puppy daycare." He was vaccinated and microchipped while he stayed with us and socialized as well. Spanky lives with a Shetland sheepdog, a Yorkie/Chihuahua mix, a few cats as well as his beautiful two legged family. Now that he gets to stay home during the day there is a lot more work getting accomplished at Post Pet Hospital!!

 

    We first met "Boo" on May 9th for a groom requiring sedation. Boo is a Maine Coon cat weighing in at 21 lbs.  He loves his owner but is not very fond of our veterinary staff, no matter how he’s feeling.  We had to put Boo under anesthesia to groom him but once he dried from his bath and woke up we were unable to brush him out.  Due to the stress of Boo’s grooming his owner was willing to brush him out at home. 
       Shortly after Boo's groom he moved to a new home with his owner and started having difficulty urinating. We saw Book again on May 16th and had to put him under anesthesia to take radiographs of his bladder and place urinary and intravenous catheters. Boo spent the night at the hospital but did not eat and became more difficult to handle.  We thought it would be in Boo’s best interest to send him home where he was more comfortable.  The next day he was back in the hospital.  He was straining in his litterbox and moaning.  His bladder was empty upon examination and we sent him home on anti-inflammatories and pain medication. 
      The very next day Boo was back.  He was still only urinating small amounts and crying out when in the litterbox.  His owner was very concerned.  We kept Boo overnight to monitor his urine production.  He only urinated a small amount overnight so he was placed on anesthesia again and another urinary catheter was passed and his bladder flushed.  He was then started on medication for urethral spasms.  He seemed to improve after this.  His owner stated he was using his litterbox with fewer accidents outside the box.  However this was short lived and two days later Boo was back at Post Pet Hospital.  At this point Dr. Grosser recommended a surgery called a perineal urethrostomy. Perineal urethrostomy is the procedure that is done to make a new opening in the urethra in the perineal area (the area between the scrotum and the anus). The procedure is most commonly done in male cats that suffer from Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) and to bypass an obstruction of the urethra in the penis. It is also indicated if there is trauma to the penis or lower urethra.
            Boo’s surgery was successful and he is back at home after a weekend stay with us.  He is urinating without pain but still has accidents outside of the litterbox.  His antibiotics were adjusted post-operatively and we will be seeing him back the second week of June for his suture removal.  Boo’s owner has been compliant with medications, prescription foods and recommended treatments and we hope that Boo will make a full recovery given the right amount of time and patience!

This is “Chewy” Coles, she is a 15yr old mixed breed.  Her owners presented her to Post Pet Hospital in April for decreased mobility , lethargy and shortness of breath.  Dr. Grosser recommended a geriatric work up which includes bloodwork and radiographs.  We checked an in house packed cell volume due to the color of Chewy’s mucous membranes and it was 28% (normal range is 36-60).  Radiographs showed a large abdominal mass (10cm diameter) and lumbar spine spondylosis.  Dr. Grosser was concerned that her anemia was due to a bleedout caused by the tumor.  A splenectomy was recommended.

            We did Chewy’s surgery the next day after receiving her bloodwork.  We placed an IV catheter and gave IV fluids prior to surgery as well as pain medication and antibiotics.  Chewy’s spleen as well as a mass in her spleen and a draining lymph node were removed and sent to the laboratory for histopathology.  Chewy did well throughout  the surgery and recovered slowly post operatively.  We were pleased that Chewy improved each day and even more pleased when we received her histopath results. Results confirmed a splenic myelolipoma, which is a benign neoplasm usually seen in the spleen or liver.  Splenectomies are most often curative and there was no evidence of malignancy for Chewy. The lymph node that was sent to the lab exhibited moderate congestion secondary to drainage of hemorrhage from the benign splenic mass.  Chewy’s prognosis is GOOD!!

Toby Hawker

“Toby” Hawker is a new patient with us at Post Pet Hospital.  He is a 9yr old Male Chihuahua just adopted by his new owners.  We first saw him in February of 2011 for his initial visit and vaccinations.  We updated Toby’s vaccinations and did a current heartworm test and stool check.  He was negative for heartworms and intestinal parasites.  We also did a geriatric work-up, recommended for any pet 8 yrs and older.  A geriatric work up consists of radiographs and bloodwork.   Radiographs on Toby revealed bladder stones.  The owners knew Toby needed his teeth cleaned and had a hernia that needed repaired so they decided to schedule his surgery in March. 

Dr. Grosser did a cystotomy and hernia repair and then we cleaned Toby’s  five remaining teeth after extracting 15. He was already missing 20 teeth prior to his dental cleaning at Post Pet Hospital.  Toby’s recovery post-op was slow; he is only 3.6lbs and we were having difficulty regulating his body temperature due to his pain response.  After an additional dose of pain medications and an added heat source Toby recovered very well. 

Toby’s urinary stones were sent in for analysis and came back as calcium oxalates.  Toby was prescribed a special diet and his owner was advised to increase his water intake.  At Toby’s urine recheck the owners stated that he was doing well and had his spunk back.  Urinalysis was good and the owners were advised to keep up the good work!

                                          Rudy Dye

                We chose “Rudy” Dye as our February pet of the month because of his sweet disposition and strong will to live.  Rudy was presented to Post Pet Hospital January 17, 2011, because the owner reported that Rudy wasn’t eating and was having trouble getting around. They had also noticed blood in the water bowl. Rudy had a 36 lb weight loss since we had last seen him in March 2005.

            Physical exam findings were pale mucous membranes with a decreased refill time, dehydration, bleeding from the nose and ataxia.  Radiographs were taken to rule out a foreign body, a blood sample was submitted to the lab and supportive care was initiated.  An IV catheter was placed and fluid therapy started, medications were administered for shock & bleeding.  In house urinalysis showed blood in the urine as well as glucose and ketones. Insulin treatment was started at that time. Initial bloodwork showed elevated pancreatic enzymes, liver enzymes and blood glucose.

            Our diagnosis and treatment for Rudy was multilayered and complicated. We gave the owner a guarded prognosis as it seemed Rudy was not responding.  Rudy was hospitalized for 4 days before being released to his owners.  The owners continued struggling to get Rudy to eat but did a great job accomplishing that goal after a few days of different food trials!  The owners were administering twice daily insulin and reported constipation at home and Rudy seemed a little wobbly.

            At our one week recheck Rudy’s blood glucose was still significantly elevated.  Dr. Grosser did a gradual increase of the insulin amount over a period of time and recommended a blood glucose curve.  Approximately one month after Rudy’s initial presentation we kept him for the day to perform a blood glucose curve.  Rudy’s curve could not be completed due to his response to insulin, his blood glucose continued to increase despite treatment.   We rechecked a urine at that time and he still had glucose and ketones testing positive in the urine. 

Despite the test results Rudy seemed to be improving.  He was eating well and had an increase in his activity level and was putting on some weight.  His only symptom at this point was an increase in water intake and urination.

            Rudy continues to have an elevated blood glucose to this day even on two types of insulin twice daily.  His spirits are good and we continue to monitor him on a regular basis.  We would like to take this time to thank the owners for their patience and persistence in treating Rudy.  He is one of the most good-natured patients here at Post Pet Hospital.

                                        Lily Abrams

                      Lily Abrams is a 1 ½ yr old exuberant & rambunctious Labrador mix.  She was adopted from Animal Control as a puppy and has been a patient of Post Pet Hospital since her adoption.  She was presented in December with lameness on her left hind leg.  Dr. Grosser diagnosed a medial luxating patella.  She was sent home on anti-inflammatories and pain medication with instructions to leash walk only and rest.  Dr. Grosser discussed surgical repair, but wanted to rule out confirmation or over exertion.  At a 7 day recheck we did radiographs.  Lily had good pelvic confirmation and minimal curvature to the tibias and at that time he graded her bilateral luxating patellas at a 1.  Surgical repair was put on hold.  One week later Lily was limping on both hind legs and we went ahead with surgical repair of both stifles.

            Pre-operative bloodwork was done and an IV catheter placed.  Pain medication was administerd pre-operatively and a Fentanyl patch was applied for post-operative pain.  Lily was started on intravenous fluids for surgery while Dr. Grosser did a derotational suture and lateral imbrication on Lily’s right hind leg and a lateral imbrication on her left hind leg for repair.  Lily was discharged on antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and an additional pain medication.

            We spoke to the owner 24 hours post-operatively and Lily was weight bearing on both legs but pacing and would not lie down.  Dr. Grosser increased her Tramadol (pain med) dose and recommended cold compresses.  We rechecked Lily at one week and she was painful but weight bearing on both hind legs with good range of motion.  Another week later Lily was non-weight bearing on her right hind leg.  We radiographed her right hind leg and discovered that with Lily’s activity level she had broken down her surgical repair.

            A second surgery was performed two weeks after the original surgery to repair the right hind leg again. We kept Lily hospitalized for 3 days post-operatively and she was discharged on a mild sedative.  She had a minor set back with the weather when she slipped and fell on the ice but at this point she is like a new dog per the owner.