Scratchings-and-Sniffings

Feline Diabetes and Early Detection: A Personal Story

a guest post by my friend Dave Miller, Founder of Kajour - the online extension to the classroom™

My fur kids turned 10 back in April, and right around the same time, my big boy – a near 20-pounder, Angus, started drinking a lot more water than I had previously noticed. One morning while I was sitting at the dining table, I heard the sound of ceramic being dragged across the tile floor in the kitchen - you know that distinct "scraaatttcchhhhing" sound?

I got up to see what was going on and Angus had his paw in the bowl – the empty bowl - dragging it across the floor.

Olive - our ever present "Mom" Wishes All a Happy Day!

When we adopted our little Boston Terrier, Olive, little did we know we were bringing a true Mom into the picture. Olive has birthed dozens of puppies - her life at the puppy mill was obviously not a good one (as evidenced by the loss of  an eye and...more explanation to come), but this little gal is spunky, happy-go-lucky and very protective of her 'big dogs', Emily and Chester, the hound dogs.

Olive makes sure Emily waits for Chester, on our morning walks. She is intent on keeping up with Emily herself, but Chester likes to mosey along...so, he gets left behind very quickly. In short order, Olive pulls up short and takes a stance, looking back at us, silently telling Emily to 'wait up!'. It's heartwarming to see her so protective of Chester. I think Chester appreciates it, too. He waits for Olive when she's busy snuffling some important smell, too.

Another Specialty for Veterinary Technicians

If you've ever spent much time in a Veterinary clinic you've undoubtedly spent time with a Veterinary Technician. Like their nurse counterparts in human medicine, they do the majority of the actual patient care and they provide a good deal of education in the process. 

I wrote a post about an eye opening discussion I had with the executive director of NAVTA (National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America) just last winter. I didn't know that they had so many specialty certifications like Internal Medicine and Behavior for instance. Well now they have a new specialty and it's right up my alley. They just unveiled the Academy of Veterinary Nutrition Technicians (AVNT).

A Visit to the Chiropractor

Who knew...that chiropractors could also benefit our pets? Almost seems like common-sense but we do know that the differences between humans and pets are nothing to sneeze at. For instance, we must be more responsible with pet food and treats. Our pets are NOT garbage cans...allowing them the table scraps or a bite of our chocolate chip cookie could cause major health issues. (great interview at this link, with Michael Gleason from 1998 - on this topic)

But, what about their aches and pains? Dogs and cats don't come to us whining with that, "I hurt," look on their face for the most part. They endure. Yet, observant pet parents know when Fluffy and Fido are not themselves, and when that limp is more than just a minor twist of the paw.

Allografts are Useful in Veterinary Dentistry, Too

Last post I discussed the benefits of bone tissue banking for fracture repairs and other orthopedic procedures in dogs and cats. Turns out the same company provides bone allograft material for dental procedures. This material is especially useful in dealing with the ravages of periodontal disease.

Severe periodontal disease weakens the bony structure of the jaw leading to tooth loss and even fractures of the mandible. Veterinary Transplant Services (VTS), makes a product called Osteoallograft™ Periomix™ for use in treatment of periodontal disease resulting in bone loss. With this product, tooth loss is not a forgone conclusion, in some cases.

Bone Grafts for Fracture Repair

As I well know, sometimes broken bones don't heal properly. I spent most of 2008 dealing with a broken wrist from my mountain biking habit. After and unsuccessful cast I had surgery where a plate was applied to the fracture. Along with the plate I had what is called a bone allograft. That means that I had bone supplied by a tissue bank from some other human donor. This bone was packed into the fracture site along with the plate to help bridge the gap created by the non union.

Using bone from a tissue bank is common practice in human orthopedic surgery. The other option is to harvest bone from the surgical patient at the same time you are doing the fracture repair. Called an autograft as opposed to an allograft, bone is usually taken from the patient's hip for use at the fracture site. 

The Grumpy Old Lady: Goes to the vet

They got that "thing" out again, yesterday. That thing I had to sleep in on the trip here, from NY to CO. (see the truck and me and Mom in this picture; the sleepy-inside thing is in the truck next to us) I wasn't sure why - I haven't seen it since we moved in. But, once we got in the car, I figured it out. They were taking me to the vet!

Ok, I'm not like some cats. I don't hate the vet's office. It's something different - and once in awhile I like to see something different. That's why Mom is holding me up to look out the window, in this picture.

My old vet, back in NY, was a cat vet - she didn't see dogs at her office. I don't know about this new vet. He was nice, and the tech girl was nice, but I didn't see or hear dogs or cats. Hmm... maybe CO vet offices are different than NY vet offices.

Care Cats - Just Misunderstood?

I did a post over in the Shine petblog about "care" cats - that's what we called the hard to handle cats that came into the Cat Dr's office, back when I was a veterinary techician. Since I owned a care cat, I had sympathy for these misunderstood pets, but...I was also wary of dealing with them.

When cats are angry or aggressive, they don't just lunge with their face, like dogs. Cats use all their teeth, and all four feet - and an unwary person can be seriously injured if she isn't aware of what's happening. The best bet, for us, back then, was to wrap the care cat in a big, heavy towel. That made it hard to examine the cat, but we managed.

Because our cat, Big Guy, a randy, sleek, tiger cat, was a care cat for the rest of the world (and did sometimes hiss and spit at ME, too), I tried to understand the care cats that came in. With Big Guy, I knew he just didn't like other people. He liked my daughter, Chloe - he was her cat and she babied the heck out of him, and he tolerated me because I demanded respect from him. But, he really didn't want to deal with anyone else...including the dog (who was deathly afraid of him) and he tried to kill Wabby, when we first got her. No, seriously...he did. We saved her and he eventually came to like her.

We Finally get to meet the Grand Puppy

We're up in Albuquerque catching a flight back east to visit some friends. The best part of the trip so far is that we finally got to meet Miles, the Labrador Retriever puppy my daughter recently adopted. It's so great to have a new puppy in the family. We've not really gotten over the loss of Darcie yet and having a new puppy to play with and worry about will help us on that front. 

My wife Chris and I were talking about how pets, especially puppies, can be a healthy addition to any family or individual. Like we discussed a couple of weeks ago on the PurinaCare blog, pets force us to live in the present. For a law student and single young woman like Claire, the present can be an imposing place at times. A world of all work and little play, plus the growing realization that most college boys are too immature to merit serious effort and attention, is not always a pleasant place to be.

 

But Miles has brought sweetness and light to Claire's world. 

Choosing a Veterinarian

This topic has come up twice in the last week. My daughter Claire brought the topic up as she prepares for the arrival of her new puppy and a reader asked a very similar question recently, too.

It's a really good question and one that deserves attention. The relationship you have with your veterinarian can easily last several decades if you have multiple pets and a relatively young veterinarian!

Another really important point is that you are establishing a relationship with the entire veterinary hospital, which includes not only the veterinarian but the staff. too. In fact, you may spend more time with the front office staff, veterinary assistants or certified Veterinary Technicians than the vet herself. In many of today's busy Animal Hospitals, Veterinary Technicians will do some of the data and medical history gathering as well as assist the veterinarian with diagnostic and surgical procedures. Their role is very similar to that of a nurse or medical assistant that you encounter in your physician's office.