Bark, Bake & Beyond

As you’ve read about in some of my other cool cases, Emergency Veterinary work is never boring. Today let’s tackle a case that was a real doozy. I met Buddy (name changed for privacy) and his multiple humans after hours on a hot summer day……. I was finally home after finishing another crazy day at the Animal Hospital. Most days were crazy busy, but the summer months are especially busy. My days are a minimum of 11 hours from the time I step into the clinic to the time I walk out the door. That doesn’t take into account the work done after hours at home (ordering, accounting, research, etc). That day was about to become a VERY long and interesting day. Buddy’s owner called me on the emergency line not long after I arrived at home. She stated that he had been outside a few hours ago running around the many acres on their property. When she went outside she found a blood trail and couldn’t figure out where it was coming from until she followed it to him. He was lying in a pool of b...

Today’s Cool Case is one that I will never forget. Emergency work is never boring. And when you pair emergency work at the clinic with the stresses of everyday life as a human, things get interesting. Let’s set the stage for this particular Saturday in February in the northern Midwest. As a solo practitioner, I was on call every evening, and also every weekend, and most holidays for my clients. I knew how important my availability was to animals in need. However, this February day was honestly one where I hoped the phone didn’t ring….. Saturday morning dawned bright and early and COLD. This day in February was supposed to be 10 below zero - 20 below zero if you factored in the wind chill. My young daughter had been sick for days, but that day she had spiked a 104 degree fever. And, my husband, the practice manager, who helped me in an assistant role for many emergencies, was not going to be around that evening. He was volunteering in town for a cross country ski/snowshoe event on o...

So many disease processes are shared in animals and humans. Many of my clients are surprised to find this out! Today, let’s talk about another one of these diseases……Hypothyroidism. We’ll briefly talk about the anatomy and job of the Thyroid gland, what Hypothyroidism is, what symptoms to watch for, and what can be done to help your pet if they are diagnosed with this condition. Your Thyroid gland is one of the most important organs in your body. Its jobs consist of aiding in metabolism, heart rate, growth rate, and helps maintain your muscles and bones. It can also affect your digestion, skin and hair! These same functions are true for the dog and cat Thyroid gland. This gland lives in the front of your neck, near your trachea and esophagus. In dogs, when the Thyroid gland is not working properly, it is usually UNDER producing Thyroid hormone. That’s what we’ll cover in today’s post. In cats, the opposite is true. When the Thyroid glad is not working correctly, it is usually OVE...