Dr W's Tails from the Trenches

2011-11-13T22:03:00.000-08:00

October 31, 2011

You find yourself descending a steep unstable slope helping the owner carry his dearly departed dog to his grave. Lucas, (not his real name) the Shepard mix who, with your merciful help, had succumb to metastatic adrenal carcinoma,. The perfect Halloween scenario finds you carrying the deceased with his hearing-impared muscle man owner who is misdirected down the slope to the palm tree 20 metres below. You recommend an existing pathway below and carry the slinged dog in that direction under the unforgiving fall afternoon sun and down near the palm tree when you realize that the site was another location back up the hill that leads to scaling said dusty slope upward to the final resting place. Five pounds of dirt in your shoes later the pet is not adequately covered by earth shoveled by the man and you find yourself directing him with difficulty (since you only know pig-sign language) to rebury the dog and that erosion will soon unearth his dear Lucas and this is basically why it is not recommended to bury your pet except in a pet cemetery or have cremation and return of cremains but in the interest of cost-saving combined with the need for a traditional pet burial on one’s property the practice will continue much to the delight of roving wildlife and the chagrin of concerned citizens.

Eleven Eleven Eleven

Finds you busy all day back and forth through traffic cross town back again where you were last night up the treacherous hills of Franklin Heights to help a poor little dog with cancer and alleviate some pain. Today is the day to end the suffering and it is hard to let go of a friend who loved you unconditionally without argument or pretense with loving eyes always even when you scold her and yet you want a few more days or hours to hold your beloved in your arms never to let go but let go you must for the sake of your woeful friend and your own anguish. That is what you have come to understand all these years helping pets live as long as possible comfortably and to help them out of this world as comfortably as possible. You’ve experienced human suffering of a family member and the inhumanity of sustained “life”. People should have access to the humanity you provide for pets. But all this is in the back of your head as you drive through city traffic trying not to aggravate your neck and shoulder spasm by gripping the wheel too hard and trying to navigate the GPS as you yack with dispatch. You speak to the little dog in the back telling her she is the lucky one. She lived the life of luxury up on the hill overlooking the city with your beloved mom and human brother.

The day continues with the theme of re-visitation as you revisit the ivy-covered home of the novelist a nice lady with a propensity for daytime imbibing and multiple feline friends. She was told by her previous vet that her cool Orange cat Henry (pseudonym) is old and must be put down. You beg to differ that Henry simply has a snotty-nosed cold and is a bit under weight. The novelist is so thrilled that she found you and that you can actually provide medical care for her cats and not simply want to put them away when they are old and you explain the saying you once learned that “Age is not a disease” you can’t cure aging only disease and this reverberates with you personally since lately some of your contemporaries have fallen making you cherish each day and stay up as late as you can and live as many hours as possible. Henry is tested and treated and apparently unfazed as he looks at you sitting in his bedroom as if to say “what the hell are you doing?” You tell him telepathically that you will be back to take him to have his teeth done since two are rotten and a possible cause for his sinus infection but Henry pays this no mind and strolls away.

You head back from Toluca as the rain falls from an anemic storm whose bark seems much worse than its bite and has threatened the Southland like the ever-present threat of terror. And the GPS goes out in the Highlander with perfect timing as you kinda sorta know your way around Silverlake hills and need to take the non-freeway route back to the clinic to see the shaky Chihuahua cross but aren’t really sure if left or right on Sunset in the correct choice and traffic is crawling up your butt and you must make a decision or be scorned and ridiculed by the public and it’s not good PR to screw up in a branded vehicle; a decidedly counter-marketing move. You make the correct choice and eventually return to the clinic.

Shaky Suzie Shiver (not her real name) has been shaking with jerks and tremors for 36 hours now and it’s either the longest “seizure” on record or she got into a toxin or has a liver shunt or is hypoglycemic or…she jumps at noises like a Strychnine poisoning but has not fever and no history of exposure. You rack your brain and temporarily calm the tremors with some valium and run some tests only to find dehydration but could she have gotten into your chocolate, flea spray, household product, your marijuana, anything on the street but the owners come back uniformly: not that they know of. You place your bet on epilepsy and wait it out and look for a pattern. After the valium wears off you expect a phone call about now.

Nothing yet.

Or yet.

The hope for dinner with the family is quickly squashed by a call from the Service that a dog got her collar stuck on her leg (WTF?) and there’s blood everywhere and can you hurry at 6PM on a Friday night back to Fairfax and Beverly? No problem you think as you ask for an hour and you suggest the throw a heavy blanket on the dog to prevent further self-trauma. What a strange circumstance you think how does a dog get its collar stuck on her leg? You marvel on recent things that entrap a dog like the marrow bone around the lower jaw or the dog that got his leg stuck in a table. No this was a totally new entrapment. You arrive after an arduous traffic-filled drive to find a bloody scene and a dog on the ground contorted with her rear leg pulled forward and the neck downward. Somehow the choke collar was stuck but you could not tell since Betty (not her real name) the mini-Aussie was in pain when she moved cause when she was calm and still she was oK so nobody makes any quick moves. The owner and her two friends assisting stood idly by trying to help by petting Betty unsuccessful attempts to muzzle her were aborted in favor of slipping her an injectable anesthetic. The poor owner in her attempts to free her pet from bondage had sustained several nasty bites from her frightened little girl that are sure to hurt for several weeks as with you are too well acquainted and as it turns out the blood was all human blood. You could not find a cut on little Betty but what you did find was the clasp of the leash clasped over Betty’s Achilles tendon and still attached to her collar. The choke chain was so tight you could not release it off of her neck but forced to cut the chain with the handy dandy pruning shear you used to cut the marrow bone off the Shepherd’s mandible which works like a charm once again now allowing you to unclasp the dog’s Achilles

Yes you are a hero to these owners and that they had no other alternative than you to save Betty tonight Friday and you bid them adieu. You pull off with a growling stomach to cross the city this time by freeway less crowded to find your cooled tin-foiled dinner on the table and the family all done for the night. But you had to write it down before you forget and the stories blend together in a blurry continuum of never-ending rescue missions.

ATTACK WEEK

2011-09-26T19:19:00.000-07:00

You build a summary of a strange week of animal on animal attacks:

1. Akita on Doxie
2. Raccoon on Cat
3. Akita on Sharpei mix
4. Cat on Cat
5. Coyote on Terrier

Sausage Baron’s Dog Takes Bite of Wiener Dog

You respond to a call on Venice Boardwalk: a small dog has been attacked by his roommate dog. The poor woman moved in to a vacant room and has been also forced to share the apartment with a young male Akita. She had even mistakenly thought her doxie could be the new little Mascot for The Sausage Baron on the Beach. But no no no. The Baron’s dog would not have it and you are assigned repair duty. The shaken ex-new roommate tells you this is not the first time that Jordan (not his real name) the chewed up Dachshund has been tasted by the Akita who lives above the Sausage Empire with jewels intact simply protecting his territory from any would-be new cute little “Mascot” with any designs on being favorite to the Baron.

You stabilize and transport the victim to the clinic for surgical repairs and hospitalization and this where the trend begins and a new character also emerges

Rocky Raccoon

A beautiful early morning drive to the Far Continent as you call it owing to the fact that every destination in Palos Verdes is 8 miles from the freeway a painful tragedy of civil engineering flaws in the system and you end up on the bluff overlooking grand ocean cliffs and Donald Trump’s golf course with ridiculous vacant estates down below. It is here you find the lovely caretaker of animals indoor and out and she asks you in and she leads you past picture window sweeping views and into a room to a cowering little Torti under the bed.

Rocky (real name because of her nickname) plays a game of chase me here and there down the stairs up again and into the bathroom. She is snuffling snorting through her nose. You find Rocky has been bitten in the face mostly likely by a raccoon judging by the story of our caretaker, the puncture wounds into her sinus. You picture a curious cat nosing up to a cowering raccoon outside since the raccoon enjoy cat food as much as the next wild animal and the pickens are getting slim much like the look of the coyotes.

Rocky heads 8 miles out from the Far Continent back to Metropolis and the clinic to be radiographed, surgically repaired, and hospitalized. She is a lovely little cat as it turns out and a staff favourite.

You grow quite fond of her during her stay in her own private suite and your office. She is even more of a joy on her SECOND round of hospitalization…but that’s a later episode as ATTACK WEEK continues…Standby Rocky.

You erroneously assumed that a couple fun hours with the family at the bowling alley could go by without the service summoning you again. You ask the caller to hold while you gutter two balls not distracted at all by this, the third attack, this time dog on dog.

The Sticky Goo of A Power Grab While Owners on Vacation

It’s a typical struggle of young vs. old, strong vs. weak, Akita vs. Sharpei Cross, owners-on-vacation variety of attack. The caller is your neighbor who was roped in as dog sitter while the previous dog sitter has a medical emergency of his own. Now you come to understand the Sharpei is under the house and was attacked LAST NIGHT. You envision wounds starting to fester and the dog going septic aka bacterial blood infection when you hear the dog is not eating. You inform your family of a shortening of the evening of bowling ending on just one single game once again they all painfully acquiesce and head back to your SUV.

You arrive at the dark residence to find a frightened bloodied Sharpei/Shepherd mix Agatha (not her real name) being consoled by your neighbor Patty the defacto dog sitter. You calmly examine Agatha and sedate her and soon she is calm and carefully whisked off by you and Alex the Tech to the clinic for some surgical repair and hospitalization.

Agatha look-a-like

You are rudely reminded while suturing and debriding a Sharpei that the cut edges of this breed’s skin is like a sort of “goo”, or sticky gel. Most unusual. In fact, certain of the small lacerations and punctures have automatically glued back together by the goo. You piece the dog together and place drains and keep Agatha at the clinic in her own suite. Yes lodging in the same suite as Rocky Raccoon the previous attack victim.

The previously aggressive dog has becoming quite loving here in her safe environment where she stays to heal her housing situation up in the air. Can she return to the hostile home with the young Akita or should she find a new place to live? Was the balance simply upset by the extended leave of the owners on vacation as you have found to be a verified phenomenon. The owners may have created a power struggle and their absence triggered a power grab by the Akita since they certainly must have punished his outbursts against his elder aunt Agatha the shear disrespect has raised the owners ire leading to reprimand after reprimand of the juvenile mush dog creating further imbalance. The stage was set by PREVENTING a natural pecking order to occur. If the Akita is meant to be dominant then it should be so.

You discharge the damaged, yet recovering Agatha who jumps for joy to see the returned vacationing owners of the dogs. They admit scolding the Akita for attempting to dominate the previous Alpha Agatha. But the change would have happened and peace restored quickly and naturally if it weren’t for owners’ (although well-meaning) interference of the process and the damage may have been avoided or at least postponed for awhile. Can’t we all just get along?

Marauder Cat Disrespects Territory of Beverly Hills Cat

After the third ATTACK you fully accept the arrival of the FOURTH in the series when a frantic previous client calls and is in need of assistance getting the cat into a carrier and to the vet. Instead you offer a home visit to assess and treat on site or transport with sedation as needed.

Upon arrival to suburban Beverly Hills, you exit the vehicle in the driveway to meet the worried owner and both look down on the ground between the adjacent neighbor driveways to find multiple tufts of fluffy white hair and both surmise that we are standing on the battlefield where BOOTS (not his real name) stood his ground and made a stand on the border. The woman proclaims that the marauder cat should know better and not have entered her cat’s territory. It’s a rule of catdom, she espouses. You beg to differ. Cats who spend anytime outdoors are at risk of getting into a fight, hit by car, catch a virus, some deadly and so on.

You extract the poor, shredded kitty from (where else?) under the bed with kindness and sedation. The owner continues to maintain that the marauder should respect poor Boots’ land.

Due the severity of the injuries and multiple locations you decide it be best to bring the cat in for repairs under gas anesthesia at the clinic. Boots hangs out with you for the day and is released in the afternoon without an E-collar that you had advised. You’ve come to accept people’s personal dissent with certain veterinary standards like neutering before puberty or rejection of antibiotics or corticosteroids as well as the rejection of post-op recommendations. But fortunately Boots leaves your sutures alone. And returns to his chaperoned visits within the high-walled-in backyard with his mom and only looks longingly now and then through living room picture window overlooking the front lawn formally known as his territory.

Coyote Loses Silky Meal in Shocking Fashion

Sunday comes around and a full day of family fun and treatment of the attack victim in-patient, Rocky Raccoon who has survived a Raccoon chomp to the face and has now revisited your clinic due to an adverse reaction to a certain anti-inflammatory and must repair his kidneys with IV fluids etc but now the day has ended or has it you think as you lay your head down tentatively upon a cold pillow just as the Service buzzes the iPhone. You snap to coherence for the consult with the frantic owner. His little dog, Ty (not his real name) was attacked by a Coyote and they need you to come finish off the poor dog. The owner describes the lack of breathing or shallow breathing and the condition improves with his every word and now the dog is sitting up and how weird it was that he looked half dead and you explain he was actually in shock and has snapped out of it and the owner sees blood and implores you to come.

Webster (not his real name), the urban coyote

You arrive bleary-eyed at the Los Feliz estate the housekeeper motions you inside the property gate that swings closed behind. You are greeted by an energetic Aussie and bulldog that lead you up the steps into the house as if they know you are there to help their wounded friend. The mom and dad of the house greet you and lead you to the fallen Ty cowering in a dog bed in the hallway. You give the pup a painkiller after determining his stability and surmise that several deep puncture wounds in the neck are in need of surgical attention. You wrap Ty’s neck with bandage materials and padding as the dad explains that the coyote had grabbed the dog by the neck with his collar in his mouth as the horrified housekeeper was screaming all the while and thereupon reaching the gate the coyote must have received a nice jolting shock and dropped Ty. You come to understand the victim dog, as well as the other pets, are equipped with a shock collar associated with Invisible Fence surrounding the property. Thus, Ty is saved by the electronic collar which the coyote broke off and dropped in the yard.

You transport Ty back to the clinic for repairs where he mends over the next few days finally going to the confines behind the Invisible Fence and its previously unforeseen additional level of protection. And so ends ATTACK WEEK… till we meet again

Allergy, the Miracle and Maneuvers

2011-08-31T00:50:00.000-07:00

August 15 2011

You head out to another Sunday night emergency they come like clockwork especially during the full moon when the crazies are out and the police copter searchlights the area and now you’re stuck at La Brea near Olympic where the cops have walled off the block and you are trying to get to a whimpering pup in pain. You eventually pass the drama as the popo scans for perps and slither your way to the Larchmont hood. Two lovely English ladies and their ailing cocker Cammy (not her real name) with back pain. Except the dog is up and running around. The medication that was given for pain and inflammation had kicked in. Low and behold. It works! It is here where you picture a lovely Sunday evening tea with these fine ladies. Instead the emergency aspect turns into an allergy consult and blood screening and connecting with a nice pet owner seeing the value in the service. You feel good about that. You try to remember all the pets you’ve seen and you realize you can form a finite amount of close bonds with people and see the brilliant and the amazing stories of survival through love and care. These people out shine the horrors you have found along the way, ignorant neglect, or the holding on too long.

You come upon the strange case of Leo (not his real name) the cat at the home of a race car driver. Leo is a miracle of science. He is living with a Creatinine of 18 and that is unheard of. This cat should be a case study for the ages. You come to realize the race car driver, a man’s man, is really a pussy cat love magician. His undying faith and removal of doubt keeps the cat on an even keel with him. The unbelievable bond has defying all laws of medicine. OK, so the man is force feeding the cat and giving him a laundry list of medications designed to strengthen kidney function. There are jars of things you never have heard of that he is religiously giving to his precious Leo. It is then you realize that the owner’s unfailing drive to save his beloved cat is so powerful that it defies all reason and logic. You have never seen a cat continue to live with those numbers. But the number is not a life. It is a magical thing of beauty and mystery.

You maneuver through traffic jamming heading east at the wrong time 545PM. No westbound street is spared and you catch up on email, Facebook and your calendar. You make a game of shortcutting your way across town from Brentwood a measly 4 miles back to the clinic, but other shrewd drivers are on to your game. They swerve and accelerate up the side streets right along with you. They follow your interference boldly crossing 6 lanes of Olympic Blvd to get to the other side. Your deftly avoid collisions snake-laning inept drivers to bypass them on your quest to shave 10 minutes from the 4 mile commute. Side street, alleys and corner-cutting gas stations fill the repertoire until you finally slither only slightly against traffic when needed, pull though the private alley to the garage you call Central Service.

That’s the day before ATTACK WEEK...

Armadoggon

2011-07-12T00:43:00.000-07:00

You enter a yard a barking leaping Boxer named after a famous one greets you behind a sideways removed room door leaned to block him and his housemates. The Boxer just returned from neutering at the shelter and still had his testosterone enough to rip a hole in the shepherd mix now nipping at your pants, ripping the invoice from your hand. The caretaker apologizes while attempting to herd the 4 dogs on the deck into the house. You avoid loss of appendage and anesthetize the victim of the Boxer's Tyson-like bite enough to repair said injury.

You are presented another dog as the caretaker tells the sad story of her family's wrongdoings and the lawyers and police and animal control's wrongdoings. The neighbors are certainly doing her wrong with complaints of barking and public nuisance of whom she claims called the POLICE from their vacation home in another State. You examine the subordinate Pitbull that did receive a superficial gash. You treat this as well while enduring additional fantastical stories of lost chances, wealth and real estate.

On your way out the Boxer leaps up to you paws on your shoulders and you take his arms and dance with him clownishly to snap the woman from her funk knowing full well this dog is exhibiting pure dominant behavior. You advise the caretaker of your concerns that the injuries will continue and yet she assures you the dogs are undergoing training and she simply loves them while attempting to corral them barking command after command. You had put a rebel dog T-shirt on the victim and she looks very cute while now awake from the anesthesia enough to nip at your pants and herd you out past the heavy door and broken gate. Give the antibiotics and pain meds you say with a smile.

You head up the 405 through that lovely Sepulveda pass becoming ever wider accelerating erosion on a grand scale simply to allow many more lanes of cars crammed along side you after this coming CARMAGEDDON... Lord save the poor animals in need of emergency attention in their homes. Except that 911 VETS will have PROVIDERS on both sides of the BLOCKADE TO the two civilizations: Valley Tribes and Westside Tribes. Fear not you think. You hope. As you reach your destination your thoughts turn to a helicopter service that airlifts pets from the home to the ASEC or AEEC or AEC ASG or many other 24-hour emergency clinics. Not yet, you think.

There's a feral cat on the driveway with impossible dreadlocks.

You rush around with the kids on Sunday and mix in a few housecalls until late afternoon when the family is begging you to hang out and start the barbeque when a call from the Service transfers you to the same caretaker with four dogs… who suddenly has none. You discover the Boxer attacked the others again and turned on the woman trying to pry them apart ripping gashes in her arm sending her to the ER for repairs. The Boxer now awaits trial in the County Shelter from whence he came. A nice dog who simply needs to live as the only dog but now has a scarlet letter of red tainting him for future adoptability due to liability. The rebel dog and the cohorts now reside in doggy sleepover camp for a piece. Hopefully together away from the others.

You recommend the woman receive adequate care except that her Insurance company is guilty of wrongdoing as is the Emergency Room. You hold fast to your non-culpability in the incident as a wrongdoer and remain the champion of animals you think you are. You envision a bark-free night on her block as the poor woman heals from a tough lesson in dog pack management.

The Service wakes you again at 3:45AM. Monday starts early this week.

The Goddess and the Puppet

2011-05-25T19:10:00.001-07:00

May 25, 2011

The world did not end. You continue to try and save lives…

You hold Boots the Puppet Cat and pet him as never felt before. He doesn’t care; he can’t react. You determine Boots to be suffering from a neurological disorder where he cannot recognize where his feet can go. He feels his feet and withdraws, but can’t get up and move. Puppet Cat purrs and likes to lie in the sun. He eats heartily as long as the food is in his face. You give him a whole can of A/D and his medications. You determine he has heart disease the ultrasound your performed out of curiosity.

You found Boots lying in the dirt. He is the stray cat that the neighbors are feeding. The primary feeder, the woman who summoned you is willing to help Boots with a limited budget. Now he is your project. His charm is unbelievable. His will to survive astounding. He stays in the clinic for weeks. Because he is improving…

The Goddess and the Seizing Shih Tzu

The Service connects you to a very distraught woman on the line describing her dog has been foaming at the mouth and is concerned about Rabies and how she’s taking care of her husband thirty years her senior who’s sick and her life is caving in right now and you hear a humble kindness in her voice feeling her pain and assure her the dog has not Rabies but a possible seizure-like episode and you will be right over.

You arrive at the abode and answereth the door a terrycloth-robed goddess ten years past her prime yet quite lovely with long Godiva-like hair and a sad, exhausted look on her face. She has this glow about her you can’t figure out as her Chihuahua mix squeak-barks incessantly while you perch on your toolbox trying to get a history. The TV is blaring organ soundtrack to some old, bizarre Swedish black and white film. The husband, 85, is propped in a wheelchair spouting non-sequiturs about the dog and some random facts that the goddess whispers corrections to you as her he speaks like a UN interpreter. Bonnie the portly Shih Tzu in question wobbles toward you and is described as the love of her life what could be wrong with her doctor is she going to die am I going to lose her should we put her down.

You attempt to give some hope that the condition may be treatable and not to jump to conclusions when suddenly starts another foaming episode where the dog spins pivoting on her back legs round and around and around foaming drool with a tic and still you calmly reassure the woman that this is a seizure and you are going to stop it with some Valium you quickly whip out of the box and give to the dog. The spinning subsides and the exhausted terrier wanders under the table to lie down.

The goddess pours out her heart to you confiding or confessing trusting you to her past and how she was once a singing star on foreign television and how rabid fans begged her to sign their bodies and about her abusive former husband(s) and your eye catches a painting of the goddess on the wall in a shrine flanked by gold statuettes on pedestals, the youthful goddess scantily depicted in a eerie loveliness makes you a tad uncomfortable never mind the cranky man in the wheelchair with a urine catheter draining flanked by two paintings of Marilyn Monroe on the wall beside a painting of the goddess and this current husband in better days. You take blood and urine samples from the sedated pup and recommend a 24-hour hospital to watch her which she declines and will call you if it gets worse and make note of any more episodes.

You return the next day the goddess has a son living in the garage converted he looks 25 is 33 and he feigns concern for the seizing dog smiling at you. The goddess had told you about the son living at the house using her credit card(s) and how he got in her face and threatened her and you want to deck the guy but remain as professional as you should. This time Bonnie is spinning and foaming the wanders the room twitching with a 104.5 fever and you explain she must be taken to the emergency 24-hour hospital all the while the husband is yelling out for his goddess to bring him something and you just feel so bad she must play nursemaid to the demented guy as well as dealing with a seizing best friend who might have meningitis or poisoning or just epilepsy is possible. The Chihuahua mix barks shushed by the poor woman who finally agrees. Fending off your own headache you sedate to transport the plump little girl. The son follows you in his step-dad’s Sedan to the ER … where they find she has very high blood pressure! Is that all?? No.

The Puppet Cat lounges in the sun on the clinic patio with Alex. He purrs up a storm and stretches his legs pretending to be normal as a defense mechanism. He still can’t get up. Where you put him, there he’ll be. You test his proprioception and his feeling is slightly better. It’s been a week and you feel he may recover so you continue your project cat and treat his heart disease and feed, water and clean him and hug him and feel him getting thinner…

You wonder why cases with the same problem come in threes. It has always been that way as far as you recall for over 25 years of practice. Also why do people seem to have the same disease as the animal on a regular basis? What is that about? Do we pick an animal the not only fits our personality and looks, but our medical predispositions? In the same night you get a call that one cat is in heat (but is spayed (?)) and attracted to the man of the house and a call where an intact Rottweiler is incessantly trying to hump the female owner who upon careful history admits she’s in season.

You visit Bonnie in the critical care unit since you have a continuing education session there that evening and she looks disoriented and probably blind and how the criticalist found a mass in the chest as well. You speak on the phone with the goddess about the poor outcome and she is so distraught and you want to help and refer a grief counselor for everything and she gets strong over the phone like the tough Chicagoan she is and realizes she can get through and it will be tough be she knew this was coming and is prepared and then you realize the lucky man’s Marilyn Monroe will help soothe him on to the next phase of his journey.

So are the Lakers out. Life goes on…somehow.

Dropped calls and Droppings

2011-04-03T01:08:00.000-07:00

You maneuver up the Sepulveda pass returning from the Valley for the second time today all the while wishing there were a way to connect your iTunes from the iPhone into the trusty 2004 Highlander as well as connecting to the vibrating seatcover with speakers near the headrest. You try to field a call from the Service. You fear the reception will fail as usual since ATT&SUCK lives up to their name. Dispatch tells you the caller has some questions about a home euthanasia. You gladly accept and connect to a caller who seems to have bypassed the operator with trickery and deception. She probes your attitude about THIS reason to put her dog down. The beagle mix they rescued is biting her family. You give the speech about how the dog needs to be quarantined for two weeks BUT you hear the beeping in your headset. Call Fail. THANK YOU AT&SUCK but then you call back the service to connect to the operator and have them reconnect and you are on hold reaching the top of the Pass when the operator comes on and states the woman just had questions and as you explain to the operator about the quarantine and other measures the DAMN BEEP ending the call once again-Thank you for using AT&SUCK, how may I DROP your call? And you revel over how primitive communications have become. Did you get the point across, you wonder?

Earlier in the day in surgery you remove a lead shot bullet from a cat’s skull. The cat is missing an eye from an “accident” years ago. In your mind you try to assemble the trajectory through the eye socket to where the shot now rests lodged in the tympanic bulla. No one ever bothered to Xray the cat when the good Samaritan first brought her in after being left for dead. At the other hospital they removed the damaged eye and assumed the cat a hit by car victim. Now in your care you have battled the chronic ear infection for over a year until finally after numerous suggestions you convince the owner to xray. Unbelievable, there the shot lay on the digital rad. White metal foreign body stuck in the bulla. You realize you can reach it fairly easily and surgically remove the problem. Which you do. The cat's ear is clearing so far.

If only all cases were this cut and dried…

[DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU SICKEN EASILY]

You head back through the Pass toward Sunset sitting still the late evening logjam. Your mind wanders. You study the 405 widening project the civil engineers have going with enormous reinforced cement walls holding the mountain open for the new stream of car lanes soon to come. You are still wiped from the early morning call. Monday morning, 3AM. The witching hour…

Bleary-eyed, you drive the 10 east toward Downtown LA straight shot smooth sail not that gridlock 12 hours ago no you are cruising in on the Downtown loft community: people with lots of pets without a vet. No one seems to want to set up shop. Not yet. But you have been Downtown many times and it’s always the same scenario. Downtown parking during the day is a HUMONGOUS hassle for the housecall vet. No garage is nearby best find a meter. You discover parking garages take no credit cards. And you never carry enough cash. However, the meter DOES take credit cards. The meter is always a long trek with a cart two plus blocks around the corner. But at night, Downtown is awesome for parking and live entertainment on the stage of life. You never know what human drama is about to unfold. You are never concerned for your safety. You count on the “911” part of your brand to command some respect which it does in other hoods. And this time a loading zone is ready and waiting for you, doctor. You buzz the intercom. The owner has to come down. She’s disabled film student and her A.D.D. service dog Sporty (not his real name) You recall opening up squirrelly Sporty’s stomach a two short months ago to remove a bunch of bones and plastic. Doggy-rooter being successful kept Sporty alive just so he could get in trouble repeat offender. The lovely young woman in a wheelchair greets you with that happy-as-hell-to-see-you-again-doc look. She is cough-retching, she explains, from the awful stench going on up in her loft. Great, you think.

You enter the Downtown Deco building that reminds of Gotham City. Retro elevator doors slide open and summon you in. On the way up the owner states that Sporty had diarrhea everywhere and there is blood. You enter the loft with its spacious floorplan and picture windows with their big-ass view of the city. You gaze across the room and notice the large plastic airline kennel. From what you can tell, looks like the kennel got caught in a shitstorm. It’s completely smeared inside with feces. She directs you to the bathroom where Sporty is. You anticipate the worst. A morose creature laying in his own waste. You open the bathroom door and are perplexed by a Sporty who greets you by leaping to get out. The bathroom is a horrific bloody shit swamp. You tie the dog and find him… dehydrated. You wonder what foreign objects he dined upon this time. Last time bones and the plastic from the crate are what you removed. You search the room checking for clues not breathing through your nose: a technique perfected over the years. You explain to the woman Sporty has to go back to the hospital for X-rays. But first you must tackle the lovely task of cleaning the airline kennel. You glove up. Scoop after scoop of poop. Spraying. Wiping. Gagging. Flushing. Sopping. Wiping. Washing. Etc. You fathom bathroom cleanup after a Dodger game is easier… Finally, Sporty rides in the kennel upon your rolling cart back to the loading zone. The woman waves good bye…

But you never find any foreign material, never find the cause. Probably was somebody’s sandwich. A piece of garbage resembling food that the Sporty dog loves to get. He is lucky this time. No surgery. You tell the film director to keep an eye on him. Keep him on the halter. We must control what goes into that mouth. Don’t we all?

And now you have the Puppet cat to deal with…

There's No Place Like a Home

2011-03-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

You enter the backyard of two dogs that have been fighting. It's just their house now. Then you hear about the manchild who lived there in Florence on his mother's good graces and has left his dogs at the boarded up house. But he did leave a dog house for the dogs. And a garage. The mother comes to feed the dogs every day for the son. The son bought another house in another neighborhood but he didn't want those dogs. They have been fighting and he doesn't wanna DEAL with it. The dogs fought over chicken his mom brought them. You and Tech creep further into the backyard to find one of the dogs cowering inside his house. You catch the characteristic whiff of infected bite wounds. Kona the Akita (not her real name) is real bitten up. Terrible thing. You and Tech have to rope and pry her from her wood house in order to help her. Tech finds the other dog, a Mastiff, wagging her tail inside the garage. She's got cuts on her head, but she's gotten the least of it. The mother tells you how the son is not very responsible. He told her that it was her fault that they fought. Now you have to take the dog to hospital and Kona's not feeling so hot but will after the pain shot you gave kicks in.

On the drive back to the Westside and a stop at Critical Care to hospitalize Kona you reminisce about all the homes you have been to and all the diverse living situations for pets in their owner's environment. From the girl who lived in a closet with her cat, to the toy dog running down the long corridor that is the bathroom/dressing room - powder room in some Starlet's mansion. Pets seem to adapt and adopt to their owner's and their surroundings. They make do with the space that they have. They don't pine for more space and find their place in a huge space. Pet's don't seem to mind the clutter you often discover upon entering their domain. They simply make their home in the junk around the junk through the junk. You tell Tech the story about the guy with two Great Danes (since passed away) and about his business, sport or pastime rescuing cats and their offspring. They live and breed within the junk pile. The wall of stuff dividing the room: chairs entwined with boxes and a BIKE and garden tools and a kitten comes out of there running through your legs out the door.

You sleep very little that night and the kids act up and the dogs bark at the squirrels and the mowers and blowers go off you go back at it and in no time you are back déjà vu at ANOTHER DOGFIGHT where the poor victim lives 40 crooked concrete steps above the street and you know how this is going to end with a large body coming down and your tech is out of cell range and dispatch did not acquire this information and now you need to make a new Rule. After passing two cabled bark-lunging pit mixes outside the rescue woman leads you into her abode where you enter the cozy cluttered room and the strong odor of kennel bum rushes into your lungs but somehow you instantly adapt. The poor, hairy Wookie on the floor is a mess of pink water and wounds. You labor dripping sweat shaving the anesthetized beast and finding extensive bruising with internal issues as well as a lot of swiss cheese skin who’s holes you debride and reduce with proper drainage but no matter what you do this puppy’s going to heaven. The new rescue bumped off the old Chow King and took his place. You console the owner as she curses the new dog.

Before you know it is night again and this night’s dog horror show is going to be the topper. Cause it’s Saturday Night! Time to party down dogs. Who’s it going to be? Nevermind you just finished up your “last call” at 9PM in time for dinner under the tin foil to be heated in the micro. It’s time for the Main Event. You are waiting and drifting and leaning elbow on the laptop making ghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh till you jolt awake to the buzzing of the iPhone it’s the Service and there’s a dog fight. Unfarkingbelievable. How did you know? Everything comes in threes you know. Groggily you attempt to determine the situation. There are two labs. The original dog and the new dog. New D has been quite a sore thumb lately. He’s aggressive. Finally tonight, Original D took offense to New D fronting like that and gave him a beat down. You hear more of the story and you gather additional pertinent facts that New D has been aggressive towards the family and they are quite afraid of him. They are trying to find him a home good luck without extensive behavioral evaluation medication and the risk of bodily harm where’s Cesar Milan when you think you need him? You ponder the possibilities: a usually very loyal loving breed like the Labrador turns on owners and the odds of a sociopathic brain disorder become exceedingly good in this case. And as dispatch is unable to approve the owner’s payment the owner tells you that she’s calling you from OUTSIDE THE HOUSE. She can’t go back in. The New D is in such severe pain he won’t let her back in the house. She wants YOU to go in there the late Steve Irwin style and sedate New D and get him out of there but it dawns on you that Animal Control would be perfect in this instance and she takes your advice. Can’t we all just get along?

Regular Mobile Vet Day in LA

2011-02-01T00:55:00.000-08:00

You wake up to the sound of barking Standard Poodles since your daughter let them out to go pee at 7 AM nevermind you were up until 2 AM "working the business" and the squirrels were too much to keep silent about and you are still sore form two days of hockey in a row when you know your 50-oid body is on its downward arc but you still have to get up check the facebook page to make sure you are still relevant.

After the hot shower massage to reinvigorate you dress and grab the aluminum water bottle to fill with hot coffee since you left your Starbux mug at the office again and despite burning hand you check your mobile calendar and see it has morphed yet again to include more appointments criss-crossing the Greater LA area more than you'd like in a single day and you wonder when you will be able to get some more help.

Judy tells you that someone wants you to go earlier and that another pet owner wants you to come a little later but the in-house appointment wants you to be on time since she has an appointment she can't miss so you manage to freeway think in your head with the help of the mobile traffic map that you could easily hit Studio City and then slide down the 101 to downtown and help a dog you are 95% sure will need to be dragged down the 10 to your office where the in-house clients are waiting.

After a tearful goodbye in Studio City you proceed past the Capital Records Building and you notice the large red "W" suspended among the old Hollywood hotel logos like the Knickerbocker and you imagine that letter stood for your name and is taking its rightful place among the stars but you shake that off and join the red tail lights and slip off at Broadway only to remember how lovely it is to park downtown for a housecall.

You recall many a downtown home visit trudging the cart with the too-hard wheels across the uneven sidewalks since you had to park blocks away at a meter forcing you to set your iPhone timer giving you exactly 50 minutes to conduct your exam, diagnostics and treatment and be back to avoid the ticket so this time you have to park at the meter again since Joe's Garage does NOT take credit cards but the meter does (?).

After a bumpy stroll past puzzled business people, street people dog walkers and shop owners you arrive at the latest Office Loft residence and check in with the guard who knows exactly the unit for whom you are about to visit and taking the lift to meet a nice young woman in a wheelchair who has a dog barking in the bathroom.

The loft is very spacious with a nice view of other nice lofts and the woman tells you that the building is loaded with dogs for whom there is no local vet and as you ponder that issue you discover that the dog who is a service lab has chewed his crate and bones to shards and that's exactly what you know you will find when you open his stomach.

The woman reports "Dude" (not his real name) the lab has not eaten for 36 hours and has had nothing but vomit and diarrhea all over the place and you think that's no bulletin judging by the smell when you rolled your crap in and over his and then upon exam the chance that you were 5% wrong did not come to pass and soon you and the nice lady in a wheelchair are rolling Dude and your crap back to the meter in time to load him up avoid a ticket and head back down the 10 but not before some guy honks and says: "Dude" and you are wondering why he knows the dog and wow what a close knit downtown neighborhood where everyone knows each others dog's name but you realize he just was trying to get your attention to get your business card.

You finish the spay for the lady whose Uncle took his last pleasure drive through your old rail fence and roses and shrubbery then the little Asian designer dog is resistant to pain meds howls while you are trying to examine two nice schnauzers but can't hear the owner let alone the soft heart murmur in one of her dogs and of course the digital xray machine is acting up slowing you down as Dude sits in the cage awaiting bone and plastic removal by gastrotomy since his digital rads confirm the bones and the schnauzer owner eschews Animal Planet to watch Lifetime on the front room TV and you pine for the old developer and fixer tanks the used to have for radiographs and you realize you have become your dad.

Dude is spinning and Alex the tech is untangling the IV tubing after you had removed a large handful of sharp junk and sewed him up six layers from the inside and the young lady is happy and now you just need to find out what is making Dude so bored to ingest everything and it must be he needs more exercise when on the phone she tells you that you must've dropped your credit card you needed for the parking meter up in her loft and you tell her you will retrieve it later tonight since you have yet another tearful goodbye in Studio City and can swing back through downtown after you grab some legendary Italian food to go on the way there to end your starvation cause you forgot to eat

You enjoy meatballs and ravioli from heaven as you take the nighttime glance at your glowing red "W" once again and you wonder why it is so utterly common to go past the same route twice in a day and how odd ESPN radio is discussing how the Clippers are better that the Lakers right now and you say to yourself this all must be a dream and you drive down the 101 back to Broadway but this time it easy to park in the loading zone and get back your credit card in front of the nice lady lady who was so kind to roll out to the street and give it to you and you tell her Dude is doing well and you are heading back down the 10 to check on him

Your surgery patient a cup of bones and plastic lighter has spun an IV tubing web around himself since the sedatives and pain meds must be given again and you clean the doo off the Dude including the mystery piece of is it doo or is it barf sticking to the e-collar and as you write up his orders for tomorrow and his return trip back to Broadway you ponder when you will get some more help to really make this thing go wide since there seems to be so many nice people with a hard time bringing in their pets for healthcare you wonder how many suffer unnecessarily and how many you pass by on your way to Studio City or La Crescenta or Canyon Country or Lakewood and you come HOME finally after 1AM to two dogs of your own who need a walk only to bark at that one guy riding his bike past your house with the yard with half a new rail fence and shrubbery that woefully mismatches the old established side grown in with lots of experience in your dirt.

this will cheer you up today

2011-01-18T01:23:00.000-08:00

First some written humor:

Yesterday I was at my local COSTCO buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for my loyal pet, Biscuit, the Wonder Dog, and was in the checkout line when the woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

What did she think I had, an elephant? So since I'm retired and have little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again. I added that I probably shouldn't, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way that it works is to load your pants pockets with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story.)

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog food poisoned me. I told her no, I stepped off a curb to sniff an Irish Setter's ass and a car hit us both.

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard.

Costco won't let me shop there anymore.

Better watch what you ask retired people! They have all the time in the world to think of crazy things to say.

Now some video humor shared by my classmate, Dr. John Huebner:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3iFhLdWjqc. You will die laughing

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The Animal Will Set You Free

2010-12-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

You head out in pouring rain over the hill to the valley to release a cat from suffering. You were watching the climatic ending of a tense psycho horror film with your wife on date night until the service called. After-hours emergency. No one else in their right mind goes out Saturday at midnight to expedite the wishes of a pet owner who can finally no longer take the suffering of a beloved pet. The couple were at odds over the decision. The man tells you he grew up on a farm and suffering was not allowed for any of the critters. But this beloved cat was his wife's precious child. She was in chemotherapy herself. A survivor. Her beloved cat, Honey, you see, took the cancer from the woman. The cat was held to the woman's breast where Honey kissed her guardian. Honey took the cancer to her own mouth. And as the woman recovered the cat became worse. Honey's cancer spread to her eye. The woman's sister also became nurse to Honey and fed her by hand. Cleaned her face. Now Honey's eye is deformed or ruptured, you can't seem to tell which. It is clearly time. The man has suffered watching the progression of poor Honey. He was advocating euthanasia and would have done it himself if he could but, no, it was up to his wife. You surmise that maybe the sister is keeping the cat alive and advocating for the "natural" way of death so that the transfer of the cancer can become complete and free the other sister. Is this possible? You recall the stories of the Lhasa Apsos who allegedly took the disease from the lamas by being simply brought close to them. Delivered upon a plush pillow. But there lies the cat. And the man tells you about how his wife had to be calmed down from severe hyperventilation and brought to her sister's house. He tells you he has to be the strong one in the face of salary reduction at work. His new wife and new house of one year have become the stage for a tragedy. You ease Honey peacefully into her next life and the man is relieved. His journey to renewal has begun and his new year looks a bit brighter.

The companion animal bond has hit a new dimension tonight

You head back over the hill in the pouring rain and you think how lucky you are. Your wife your kids your health, reasonably.

Times are tough, Doc

2010-12-01T00:34:00.000-08:00

I paid $200 for this story. I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt. I think people usually at least mean well. Especially with respect to the care of their beloved pets. We as veterinarians aspire to live up to the ultimate pet advocate and humanitarian attributes as is expected of us and we truly must be. Unfortunately, we are a business and cannot be for no profit unless run by a board of directors with disposable funds. We must maintain our overhead that is relentlessly increasing. But times are tough. I did not know how low a human being can go and still function.

I was called to the North San Fernando Valley area midday this week for a cat in need of a pain shot. Or so the owner says. I have to prepare for a housecall by envisioning the coming scenario based on information obtained and experience with certain regions in the Greater Los Angeles Area that we serve. Let's just say this area was hit by the recession... the one prior to the current recession and never recovered from that. The house was in decay. The stucco had separated from the withered door frame. There was a large yard with multiple random oldish vehicles. I peered across the street. That house was boarded up. I knocked and heard rustling. I had called the owner a few minutes prior to alert her I had arrived. She said she was brushing her teeth and would be right out. A hefty Hispanic man in boxers showed me in. The house was well-lived in by a family of 5-6 as far as I could tell. The owner emerged with a toothbrush in her mouth from a "back room" that appeared to be a service porch or closet (?). A kitten scampered out. Not the patient. She apologized for the delay and declared she broke a nail... and a tooth! just then. "Oh my, are you OK?" I asked. She assured me she was. The owner was an attractive woman but somehow looked a bit older and permanently exhausted. She led me into her closet-home in the back of the house. The back door that separates the closet from the yard was worn and unsecured. The closet had a bed, a TV, a dresser, a rack of clothes and a pile of clothes. In the closet of the closet was the patient. Supposedly 18 years old, the skinny gray shorthair had rapid breathing and was squeaky-laboured. One eye seemed more open than the other. His temp was low. His mouth...was rotten. So bad that his upper jaw was severely infected and eaten away. His tongue was severely ulcerated from the direct contact on that side. He was emaciated and dehydrated 10 percent. His cry was a cross between a baby wailing in the distance and a creaky rocking chair.

She wanted a pain shot for him.

I explained that her cat was is an inhumane condition and needs either to be hospitalized, stabilized and, if possible, operated on in order to save him or he must be put down. I told her what I could do there was limited. She could not afford treating the cat as explained. She also thought killing him was wrong. She denied any religious reason. Just thought it was wrong.

The smell of closet-room was noticeably more foul since I opened the cat's mouth and got a nice whiff. I wanted to tell her she was living in an inhumane state as well. It was then she said she couldn't really pay us. Her boyfriend was going to give a credit card over the phone for any treatment. I gave her a long heart-to heart about how she needs to let the cat go and stop his suffering, but she wouldn't have it. She said that all the other vets said that, bu that's not what she wanted to hear. Her cat was her beloved. She wanted him to be out of pain. I told her anything I give is temporary, he really needs hospitalization, but his longevity and advanced shocky state is against him. She told me about her mom dying with little or no care in some home somewhere with cancer and no pain meds. She just wanted some for her kitty. In her attempt to show how much life was still in him, she opened a couple cans of food. The cat circled and seemed very interested but, alas, could not partake. He went on whine-creaking and stinking up the air. She went on to tell me the sad story of her life. She lost her 4 bedroom home and was held hostage for 5 days in her own house by crooks. "What?!" This is getting ridiculous I was thinking, when I kid you not, two gunshots go off in the backyard over the fence or VERY nearby. What was that?! It sounded like a .45... She corrected me and stated more like a .38 and then a 9mm. (I'm thinking: why do you know that?!) Her boyfriend was finally reached at work and she handed her disgustingly soiled cell phone to me to get his payment info which I texted to dispatch. I'm thinking. This is going to decline... Decline (dispatch texts me). Great I had been there an hour already and had another appointment back on the Westside. Oops, I discover. The boyfriend repeated the number and I was one digit off. Gave dispatch the correct number...Phew...DECLINED...!?!...At that point I just wanted to put the cat to sleep for free and get the hell outta there...She persists and wants me to treat him. Just get him out of his pain, Doc. Even for a little while. I AM HAVING TEXT WARS WITH DISPATCH over not pre-authorizing payment and for sending me to this forsaken land. All the while the owner is primping herself in the wall mirror(?!?) telling me how she lost everything, her car, she had to move into her boyfriend's house and then they eventually had to cram into the closet-room while he rented out the rest of the house to the family of six. Oh and then I notice there's also crippled dog out in the back. Her boyfriend told me over the phone (mine now, since hers had died or the minutes ran out, not sure which) that he could meet me in a few hours and pay cash. But that was not feasible. He could not come up with another credit card. Then he hung up or lost signal or was busted at work for talking on company time. I was so frustrated and felt so bad for the cat I finally agreed to give the cat a big shot of pain killer. Even as I was leaving, was she scrambling through her overflowing (with junk) dresser drawers in search of a valid, non-expired credit card. I had told her if her boyfriend wants to bring the cat to our clinic and some of the payment I would try and save the cat. But for how long? He was 18. She was a lost soul. Said she couldn't work cause she couldn't ever show up on time.(What?!?) Or do anything for that matter. I felt sorry for her and her cat and the whole neighborhood. I dodged some bullets and headed back over the hill to Civilization.

My Westside appointment had two cats in need of workups and dental work. These folks were able to handle it and invest in the care of their pets. I hope the gray cat doesn't suffer much longer.

More on the H1N1 Swine Flu in Pets

2009-12-25T23:35:00.000-08:00

There have been several confirmed cases of H1N1swine flu infection in domestic dogs and cats. The latest case was found in Los Angeles by a local veterinarian just 4 days ago. All of these animals have appeared to have acquired the disease from an infected human being. The symptoms are much the same as seen in the human involving the respiratory tract. Sneezing, nasal dischage, coughing, weakness and fever are usually present. Nationwide, there have been several reported cases in animals, including cats, ferrets, turkeys, swine, a cheetah, and most recently a dog in New York. Elsewhere in the world, the virus has been detected in swine, turkeys and dogs (2 in China). While transmission of this virus to animals appears to be rare, it is still important for individuals with influenza-like illness to take precautions which will minimize spread of the virus to both humans and animals.

People can keep their pets healthy by washing their hands, covering their coughs and sneezes, and minimizing their contact with their pets when they are ill. If a pet becomes ill, they should consult their veterinarian.

Pet Hoarding on the Rise

2009-12-16T12:50:00.000-08:00

A rash of hoarding discoveries has hit the news this month that has left authorities pondering the cause. Whether it be a dog breeder out of control or simply a kind soul with good intentions feeding the ever-growing population of wild domestic pets. Is it a sign of the times? Should a pet "hoarder" in Oregon face charges for feeding wild dogs who come to eat their cattle? 100 dogs were found by Oregon authorities last week and the farm owners were charged with animal cruelty.

Another hoarder/breeder was found to have 100 chihuahuas living and 150 dead in his home. It appears he is fit for trial. Since he methodically selected for the best in breed by euthanizing the ones he didn't want and in some cases feeding them to the fittest dogs.

I do believe there is a mental illness involved in hoarding. I have witnessed my own late cousin, who did not have nor could afford a pet, severely disabled by the need to save every single piece of paper, magazine, receipt, file, book, record, notebook, old equipment, clothing, photos, thousands of VHS tapes, piles and piles of boxes. This is all in a 10 x 20 foot room.

As for pet collectors I have witnessed a few. Usually these people are very intelligent. They are more than willing to sacrifice cleanliness and sanitary conditions to house a multitude of pets. They are of the rescuer archetype, as am I. They believe strongly in caring for these animals and will do anything for them. It is difficult to turn away a creature that needs help. The person has an inner loss. The person was not rescued. The person was abandoned. The person is needed for this higher purpose. Death of an animal in their care is devastating. But death is a part of life. And a good life, shelter and food was given to this pet.

I do have very many clients with multiple pets who may be pushing the legal limit but manage to maintain sanitary humane conditions for all. These folks seem to have a grounded sense of practicality and are releastic in their ability to maintain the herd.

Yes I have anonymously reported a client for what I felt was inhumane and dangerous conditions. Well I guess not too anonymous now.

I always like to use a rule of thumb that seems to work in the field. 1 pet per 400 square feet.

Inhumane Pet and Owner Living Situation

2009-10-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

Every so often I come to a home to help a pet and end up wanting to help the human. Last week I visited an elderly woman in her 80's living in a small, albeit hip, Hollywood apartment. She was very hard of hearing and had poor vision, but was able to get around. I walk through the door and nearly had projectile vomit from the smell. The cat Tootles, was walled off behind a flimsy sliding door to the kitchen. There was literally feces everywhere. There was evidence that the cat had chronic diarrhea and was defecating under a counter, behind furniture and every other corner. I stepped around it and took a history. The woman was self-educated in holistic medicine and had self-prescribed a multitude of supplements that she takes along with a battery of pet products. Her diet consisted of different "natural" pet foods including Wellness. I have seen diarrhea in cats on Wellness alone, but there were so many things going into the poor skinny cat's body it was hard to determine the cause.

I had to repeatedly exit the apartment to breathe and collect my wits. Part of me wanted to run and not come back. The other tenants seemed to know all about the crazy old cat lady but just accepted her. They must've remodeled the place around her. She claimed there was new carpet, but it still should be ripped out and replaced. The most confounding thing was the difficulty communicating with her. I had to shout into her ear. She was not stupid or even very senile. She was adamant about givng the cat supplements and assumed the problem was behavioral. She had a bevy of litterpans, some of which appeared to be aluminum pans (usually distateful to cats) and very little litter. She had stretched handle grocery plastic bags as litter liners. Not too comfortable. I finally got her to agree to run some tests on the cat who had rotten teeth, a poor coat and was underweight. Below is the actual letter I had to snail mail her (no email of course)

Dear Ms. Edwards (name changed):
The lab tests for Tootles (name changed) are in. The only abnormalities are an increase in muscle enzyme. The source is either the heart, the skeletal muscles or the stomach. It is possible there is heart disease. Further tests would be needed to determine this. She was negative for cat viruses and parasites. As far as her constant diarrhea and inappropriate defecation: I am very concerned that the multiple supplements you are giving are causing diarrhea. The food or any treats may also be causing chronic diarrhea. In any case my assessment of the cat is there is a chronic wasting disease or malnutrition. Here rear teeth are rotten and need extraction. This makes it difficult to eat. In addition, the manner in which you keep the cat box with plastic bags tightly lining the pan makes them unattractive and uncomfortable to cats. Small wonder she is pooping everywhere else.

I hope you can read, or have this read to you and understand up to this point. My recommendations to you are as follows:

I am very concerned about your living conditions. They are currently unhealthy and dangerous to your health and to your cat. In the interest of both of your health and safety, I recommend:
Board Tootles at the hospital and have her teeth extracted and given a controlled meal. If further diagnostics are warranted, it can be discussed. You yourself should temporarily stay at a hotel for a few days while your home is cleaned, disinfected with the possibility of installing a hard floor. Pergo is sturdy and relatively inexpensive.

Stop all supplements given to the cat. They are not helping and may be hurting, especially the high dose of vitamin C you’ve been giving. Digestive enzymes are not needed for unless there is a diagnosis determined by a veterinarian of pancreatic insufficiency.

The cat should be on a single type of food that is easily digested. Once the place is clean and the cat has recovered from the dental work and has shown normal stools, she can return to the home. First, she should have a large litter box filled with clumping litter. The liners are unnecessary and may hinder the cat’s desire to use the box. Get a plastic litter box. The aluminum pans are not well tolerated by cats. In fact we use aluminum foil as a deterrent for cat. Place the one litterbox in a quiet area (not the bathroom) perhaps in her “safe” area in which she has been defecating.

I am very sorry for the sad situation that you and Tootles find yourselves. I hope we can help. Please let us know.

Sincerely,
Dr. Steve Weinberg
911 VETS Home Pet Medical
1-866-491-1838

PS. I was able to speak to her about the letter and found her to be in complete denial and that the cat is improving. She wants to keep giving supplements and doesn't think the pans are a problem. My next step is to contact Social Services. Extremely frustrating situation that demonstrates again that the clinic veterinarian is handicapped by the inability to witness the living situation of the pet and owner and is probably fooled by the information given. But the housecall vet must get personally involved to help the pet and owner.

The Situation of the Guard Dog

2009-07-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

Here is an actual letter sent to the owner of a home guard dog that was visited and treated. Note the extreme advantage of a house call for such a pet where the whole situation can be evaluated.
The names were changed to protect all

"Belmont" 10yr Staffordshire Terrier Male

Diagnosis: severe, deforming pinnal fly-strike dermatoses

I visit many homes with the situation of the outdoor guard dog. He is usually penned in on the property and has little interaction with the human family. Some family members are afraid of him because he is strong and intimidating. But he is actually starving for attention. He only wants to be part of the pack. That's how dogs view their family. When they are isolated away from the humans in the pack they become destructive to property or to themselves. Since these guard dogs live outside one can lose track of their living quarters. Feces and rotten stuff can accumulate and attract flies. For some reason, flies also like to bite the top of the dog's ears. They land and open him up for other flies to dine. Flies will also attack pressure points that have opened and bled. These happen when dogs lie primarily on hard concrete. Unfortunately, when they are supplied with a doggie bed, they usually destroy it out of anxiety. So time goes on and the dog gets little exercise and persists in isolation barking at whomever or whatever comes near; like a good dog. The flies continue to attack into the thick of the hot summer and slowly cause the cartilage of the ears to scar and deform. A secondary bacterial infection occurs and thick crusts that include fly feces build up on the ears and the pressure points.

So we've addressed a few things for Belmont
1. The wounds were cleaned
2. Fly repellant antiseptic ointment is applied, but better, we
3. Moved Belmont to the side gated area away from the flies and more shade. White dogs need more cover from the sun since they are prone to squamous cell carcinoma skin cancer of the ears, nose, etc. The muddy dog house area is not so great.
4. Treating with antibiotics for the secondary infection
5. Showed owner's girlfriend not to be afraid and how to walk Belmont in the neighborhood. Use a good pinch collar. It won't damage him, just get his attention

Things to consider:

1. More socialization with the family. Is he allowed inside? He would love it.
2. Consider (I know, gasp) having him neutered. Why? The typically problematic male traits should be reduced: pissing on everything, aggression toward other male dogs and possibly small children, and of course, prostate cancer later in life.
3. Get more fly ointment and treat for fleas. I recommend Comfortis. We can order it for you, it's prescription only.
4. Walk him daily and you'll gain great upper body and leg strength.

Sincerely,
Dr. Steve Weinberg
911 VETS Home Pet Medical

Fleas Finally Gone Packing

2009-07-25T00:11:00.000-07:00

After weeks of misery, the fleas has finally left the building. Itchy bleeding scabs on the body of me and my children have finally healed leaving barely a scar. The dogs are now only scratching at their Standard Poodle ears: a constant source of yeasty aggravation requiring weekly flushing, plucking and medicating. Our Hero? An oral medication called Comfortis. Every few years a new killer anti-flea product comes on the scene and becomes the latest annihilator of the dreaded insect. It all is extremely effective until the medication seems to "lose power". This is followed by the discovery of live, biting fleas roaming the poor pet. Classic re-infestation. The new med is not working anymore. I have seen resistance to Frontline, Advantage and Program. This new oral med has promise and has worked so far with Garbo and Rupie (pictured).

The place was sprayed madly with the only product I found to work: Vet-Kem Siphotrol plus Premise spray (we can get you a good deal). I had to spray my vehicle since my ankles were attacked while I WAS DRIVING?! It makes for a difficult drive when you are constantly picking at small brown objects on your legs. The Vet-Kem did the trick after several applications. I used 4 cans between the home and the cars. You have to spray the carpets, the corners of the room, the couches including under the cushions. Move the bed and spray beneath. Strip the mattress and stand it on end. Spray both sides of the mattress. Spray and wash all pet beds. Spray the dog house (with dog removed). Consider using Vet-Kem yard spray. I found if you skrimp on the spraying, the fleas that have not been eradicated will return with a vengeance. Hateful little creatures.

Well anyway, they seem to be gone for the time being. That is, until the Comfortis is no longer effective and we have to use the next generation of cold-hearted flea killaz!

Fleas Still on Attack

2009-06-14T00:34:00.000-07:00

Day 10: it's madness here in this house. They are biting us all over. The children are scratching themselves to bleed. I keep fighting the little buggers. We spray and double apply Advantage and they keep coming. I keep finding them on myself when in the car (which I bombed), when in my bedroom (which was bombed...twice). Okay. So in the interim we acquired another canine host: Garbo. A 9 year old Standard Poodle, white. She is very sweet, and susceptible to skin allergy and infection (secondary to flea bites). Oh and she also has an E. Coli urinary tract infection. That's under control with Baytril. Anyway we now all have to get out and torch this house to end the insanity. Every twitch an imagined flea is biting into my leg, my back, belly. Is that a FLEA on me, or a mole???? Oh crap, I ripped off a mole, no... it IS a flea!
Am I going insane? Why can't a vet control a simple flea infestation??? Why? Because these are the aforementioned NUCLEAR fleas. They have spent many generations living at the grooming parlor perfecting their invincibility through constant bombardment with a myriad of insecticides, shampoos, harsh chemicals and emerged a NEW SUBSPECIES capable of exponentially multiplying, infesting the house while dining on the human and canine inhabitants therein. These mutant bloodsuckers brush off harmless chemicals, like Advantage and Siphotrol, laughing and munching as they go. These little bastards who are biting the living hell out of my family originally smuggled themselves here upon my unsuspecting male Standard, Ruprecht. He must have brushed against an infested dog there, or from the cracks of the dark, damp holding kennels and cages of the grooming parlor. I must descend on them with mighty fury a camera crew and fix them...In any case we need to vacate. I'm going to use Borate powder to desiccate the fleas in the carpets, yet the couches and beds are infested. I might call a company like Terminix [visited site] Ah yes this is what we are dealing with: I captured one and it appears it is the cat flea (More viscous to pets and people). It is darker and smaller than the less hearty dog flea.

Time for the big guns. Moral again: Check pet for fleas with careful inspection using a flea comb before leaving any grooming, boarding facility, veterinary hospital. Use a verifiably effective flea product for all pets. Check for fleas regularly.

Home Infested with Fleas due to Groomer

2009-06-02T00:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have become a victim of flea infestation. You see, our white Standard Poodle, Ruprecht, gets groomed every five weeks. I usually use Advantage on him to control fleas. The directions say to apply once a month. So the Advantage was running out of power and the dog had to be groomed. Now this groomer has been hit or miss with his haircuts. It was always kind of a mystery as to what he would look like. This time he received a very close cut. And it was uneven. We immediately noticed that Rupie was restless. We chalked it up to a bad, close haircut. I noticed his skin was redder than usual. He was running back and forth through the house. He is normally a nervous, active guy so we didn't think much of it. Now a veterinarian's pet is supposed to be exempt from problems, right? Wrong. Upon closer examination, spread his tight curly coat, he was TEAMING WITH FLEAS. Now these fleas are of the nuclear survivor variety. Fleas acquired from a grooming parlor are those who have survived the harshest flea shampoo. They have survived Advantage, Frontline and Revolution. These are angry fleas looking to set up shop in some poor, unsuspecting veterinarian's house will have a field day. This is because that vet will be in such a state of denial that his pet could have any problems he can't fix, or prevent. How dare fleas attack my dog?? I'm a vet.

By the time we noticed this infestation, it was too late. The house was overcome with these nasty little bugs. They were chewing up my kids in their own beds. See we have hardwood floors, but there are several throw rugs that are happy homes for these nuclear fleas. I immediately applied Advantage to Rupie and watched them succumb. They were dying and moving to his head and tail like passengers of the Titanic leaping off both ends of the ship. The nuclear survivors were mad and looking for their next meal. Unfortunately we were the main course. Although the dog was now safe, we had to act fast(actually too late). My wife bought a "natural" spray to "kill" the fleas. We sprayed everywhere and although there was a nice scent, the fleas simply laughed and continued on their merry way. I have ordered Vet Kem Siphotrol, a product I know (and hope it still) works. It's actually good for ants, as I recall. I hope our counter-barrage is successful.

The moral of the story: ALWAYS check your pet for fleas before you leave the grooming parlor. If there are fleas, demand another bath, or apply a topical flea med from your vet (not Hartz, or other over-the-counter cheap solution - it is usually toxic to the pet). It's gonna be a long, hot summer. Use flea preventatives now. You can order directly from our vetstore. Don't allow the nuclear grooming parlor fleas set up their camp in your home. I was in denial.

Update: We stripped every bed and couch and sprayed the Siphotrol everywhere. We then aired it out. Tonight, my son had a flea jump on him and jump away. Another survivor...

Michael Vick Released to Repent

2009-05-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

Weighing in on a popular, or trendy topic is not my usual angle, but this one is noteworthy to me on a personal level. Having witnessed animal atrocities inflicted by humans in foreign countries it seems appalling that animal cruelty still thrives in the underground in this country. I remember a stunning film that had dog-fighting as backdrop in Amorres Perros to illustrate the commonplace cruelty in third world nations.

The Vick case only brings to forefront a cruel, baseless "sport" of dog-fighting as a means of gambling on the damage done by one beast to another. It does seem a bit of a double standard when well-intention humans exhibit gladiator-style cagefighting on cable TV, but animals should not be subject to purposeful engagement of their natural tendencies to fight. Pit Bulls, in particular are not apt to stop at submission. The best thing that Michael Vick can do is become an advocate for the cause to stop dog-fighting as a sport. He should publically speak out against his atrocities and turn the tide against this cruelty. As a sports figure he would stand out as a role model for enlightenment and help bring an end to the practice...at least in this country. Please see the Human Society for further information

Don't Feed Foods Containing Enterococcus

2009-03-04T17:28:00.000-08:00

FROM 911 VETS NEWS:

Don't Feed Foods Containing Enterococcus

March 04, 2009

Over the past several years, and most recently with increasing frequency, I have found urinary tract infections in cats and dogs with a particular strain of Enterococcus bacteria. Independently, I have come to scrutinize the ingredients of a myriad of boutique pet foods and have found a connection. Pets with Enterococcal urinary tract infection are eating these boutique foods that contain the bacteria.

Enterococcus faecium - from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Important clinical infections caused by Enterococcus include urinary tract infections, bacteremia, bacterial endocarditis, diverticulitis, and meningitis. What are the pet food manufacturers thinking? The bacteria is resistant to most antibiotics and does not serve any useful purpose in a pet's diet. Why would these pet food producers add such ingredients as this to our pet's diets? There is a belief that added bacteria can help a pet's digestion. These additives are called "probiotics" are are believed to help repopulate the intestine with the normal flora. Here is the position held by the manufacturer of Wellness Pet Food:

"Live Micro-organisms
Natural micro-flora (friendly bacteria) that may help the digestion process, thus providing more efficient utilization of food and produce bacteriocins which act as natural antibiotics that kill undesirable micro-organisms."

Here are the ingredients:

First 2 ingredients: Human Grade Salmon, Human Grade Deboned Turkey. Wellness Salmon cat food is formulated with low dietary magnesium, whole blueberries and cranberries to promote proper urinary tract function. Linoleic and Linolenic acids are at the optimal ratio of 3:1 for healthy skin and coat. Additionally, Wellness cat foods feature 100% whole fruits and vegetables, containing essential vitamins and antioxidants to ensure cat’s overall well-health.

Product Ingredients:

Salmon, Deboned Turkey, Herring Meal, Salmon Meal, Menhaden Fishmeal, Ground Whole Oats, Brown Rice, Dried Whole Eggs, Dried Peas, Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Herring Oil, Chicken Liver, Flaxseed, Cranberries, Blueberries, Taurine, Garlic, Alfalfa Leaf, Dried Kelp, Whole Ground Apples, Whole Ground Sweet Potatoes, Steamed Zucchini, Yucca Schidigera, Chicory Extract, Beta Carotene, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Choline Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Proteinate (a chelated source of Zinc), Vitamin E supplement, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate (a chelated source of Iron), Manganese Proteinate (a chelated source of Manganese), Calcium Proteinate (a chelated source of Calcium), Niacin Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Cobalt Proteinate (a chelated source of Cobalt), Copper Sulfate, Cobalt Carbonate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2), Copper Proteinate (a chelated source of Copper), Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K activity).

It all sounds great. The problem is: it can all be spoiled, potentially, by the overgrowth of Enterococcus.

Other scientists have a differing opinion of these "probiotics". They argue that any bacteria ingested will be neutralized by the harsh pH of stomach acid (thankfully) and never make it to the intestine where it would normally reside at a much higher pH.

Either way, there is more risk of infections from these organisms added to the food than any true derived benefit. I personally would avoid any food containing one of the following modifiers: "Natural", "Organic" or "Holistic". In most cases these food contain Enterococcus and other bacteria. Food left out containing live bacteria will promote rapid growth. The pet eats the food with high populations of these bacteria, then afterward clean themselves and probably inoculate the urinary tract. I have diagnosed several cases of Enterococcal urinary tract infection and at least one confirmed case of kidney failure in a young cat who ate these foods.

If any of your pets are eating foods containing this bacteria, please have a urinalysis and culture performed as a part of a regular checkup. Many UTIs go undetected and can slowly scar the kidney until failure occurs and by then it's too late.

Steve Weinberg, DVM
911 VETS Home Pet Medical

Emergency Euthanasia - An Oxymoron

2009-02-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

If there was one service that 911 VETS offers that I would love to remove it would have to be the Emergency Euthanasia. 911 VETS is one of the only house call/mobile veterinary services that even offers this service. The only reason we offer it is due to the fact that we are frequently asked to provide the emergency euthanasia.

Deciding the best timing for pet euthanasia is admittedly very difficult. Many pet owners who have decided to not continue treatment of a terminal disease, or are financially unable to do so are left with this dilemma. There are few situations with a pet's disease process that will give a clear indication that the her or she is now "ready". Readiness depends upon the pet guardian's attitudes and beliefs as well as the outward appearance and symptoms displayed by the pet.

Here are the dispatch notes from a typical emergency call that demonstrates the agony of waiting for the last possible moment and a very clear sign that the pet is ready to go:

HIS CAT WEIGHS 10 POUNDS, AND IT HAS A LARGE TUMOR. THE CAT NOW HAS RAPID BREATHING AND IT IS IN AGONY.OWNER CAN NOT AFFORD EMERGENCY SERVICE.

The breakdown in communication between veterinarian and pet owner may have been due to either the veterinarian's lack of informing the owner of the severity or inevitability of the condition and/or the disbelief/mistrust or denial of the pet owner.

We offer free euthanasia consult to help avoid this situation. We are on a crusade to reduce the need for emergency euthanasia. Although a complete evaluation/exam of the pet has not been performed by the consulting veterinarian, we can help assess the situation by a description of the disease and the current symptoms. If the pet guardian has stopped treatment or opted out of further diagnostics or treatments, AND the pet's quality of life has deteriorated to the point of rapid breathing (one per second or greater), cessation of eating, severe weight loss, inability to stand or bleeding, to name a few common observations, it is our duty as pet guardians to end the suffering.

Think about what medical care a human being would be offered. If the pet is unable to stand, for example: continual nursing care, sanitation, turning, physical therapy, PAIN MANAGEMENT should be provided.

Every situation is unique and deserves a discussion of the disease progression with your veterinarian. One of our recent members had a lovely terrier with a frightening bone tumor of the face. The tumor had broken through into the mouth and bleeding had become evident. A discussion with the owner revealed that the dog was still happy to eat, wagging his tail, was little tired and had some weight loss. The bleeding was most bothersome and based on the location it was feared that an artery of the face would soon be breached creating a massive hemorrhage. The decision was made to PREVENT this catastrophe, since no treatment was to cure the cancer, and an appointment was made for euthanasia in the comfort of his home with friends gathered to honor his life. The realistic attitude of the owner was greatly appreciated by all and the dog was spared an inevitable emergency situation.

Obsessing with Symptoms

2009-01-27T23:04:00.000-08:00

Many of my dear clients work from home and enjoy the special benefit of hanging out with the pets all day and into the night. Some are very observant and detect aberrations of behavior due to the fact that they are apparently eagerly distracted by the beauty and wonder of their babies.

Unfortunately, certain negative behaviors and occasional symptoms of disease occur and the owner feels they must react to "right a wrong". Experience in the medical arts universally demonstrates that 90 percent of what ails us goes away on its own. I emphasize the word "occasional" to get the point accross to one of my dear clients., the guardian of Martha and Monte (not their real names). She was concerned about Martha's weight and Monte's occasional blood in the stool.

excerpt:

The whole thing with cat diets is you have to look at the individual body type: ectomrph: thin, mesomorph: medium, endomorph: large.

Let's say for the endomorph Martha. I gave her a body score of 6 out of 9. 1 being emaciated, 9 being grossly obese. She needs to watch her caloric intake. True. But she will never be thin or even a medium sized cat unless you starve her or some disease takes over. R/d is low calorie designed for weight loss but is not a "forever "diet. W/d is good as any high-fiber, low calorie food. This can be given forever.

For Monte, I gave him a body score of 5/9. But he is an active male with a history of gastrointestinal disorder. I want to tell you that occasional blood in the stool DOES NOT worry me. Don't we all? Persistent blood in the stool accompanied with weight loss, lethargy DOES concern me. It is reasonable to be strict with diet and use easily digested foods. I/d is a good choice to try. If the blood re-occurs, well there you have it. He has occasional blood in his stool and there's no reason to try and fix it. He's maintains weight, has a happy existence. We could always do a $2000 procedure and look up his colon!

Please do not compare other people's pets with your pet's situation. They can never be the same.

Please do not read information on the internet and try to make it fit your pet's situation.

BE vigilant in a change in behavior or attitude that persists for more than 3 days.

Much love,
Dr Steve

Moral of the story:

Don't Micromanage... Macromanage

Big Dog on 2nd Floor...

2009-01-20T16:42:00.000-08:00

...will eventually become a difficult situation. Mel (not his real name), the 110lb labrador mix still sporting his cahones, was slowing down on his walks in Sherman Oaks. His human dad was getting old himself and having back trouble of his own. The local veterinarian had found arthritic changes in his lower back and gave him a general pain killer (Tramadol, synthetic opiod). This was the day he couldn't make it up a long flight of slickly tiled steps. Today was the day Mel's back was to give out. Inauguration day for Barack Obama. The day the country was finally cool enough to have a black president. Mel was going down. His human dad hoisted Mel up those steps once more. Spine strain for spine faulter. On the housecall his lymph nodes were enlarged to accompany his testicular tumor, the main medical consequence of not neutering the dog. Use it or lose it. Either Mel's back went out structurally or a tumor of the prostate has invaded the spine. His dad and mom and other family members said goodbye and Mel was peacefully euthanized at home. And as I labored to give Mel his sleigh ride down the tiled steps I thought about how the sweet lab must have touched their lives. I was also very grateful I had pre-treated myself with Ibuprofen.

SOAPBOX:
Please neuter your pets. Please research why this is important. Please live on the first floor with a large pet if there is no elevator.

Thanks,
Dr. Steve Weinberg

Toyota Hybrid Highlander not worth it

2009-01-12T15:14:00.000-08:00

I am deeply saddened by the turn of events that lead my into returning the Toyota Hybrid Highlander LTD 2008 model. I was enamored with the gadgets: My GPS is gorgeous, a pleasure in navigation. Best to update your DVD map. I was stuck in Hollywood Hills or Echo park near Dodger Stadium at a beautiful, dark dead end. I still was unable to get clear stereo sound from the Apple iPhone (old hardware-Latest Software). I found the jack (1/8 inch stereo plug) must be connected as well as the cigarette lighter power adapter to the iPhone. Without the power adapter I was getting a strange, low-output echoey version of the music. (The Porcupine Tree channel all day here) Does anyone else have this problem?

Anyway the Highlander was billed by the EPA to rate 28hwy 22city [I believe at the time]. I was barely able to get 19. Now I drive conservativaely and fast sometimes down hill. I am by no means a pedal to the metal aspirant. I even had the conservaton button pressed. No matter how hard I tried, couldn't get the thing over 20mpg.

Here's the problem: If you return a vehicle early, you are liable for the loss in value. Toyota let us out of the Hybrid in exchange for the purchase of a Toyota Prius. Which is now cost $37,000 if you tack on the loss of almost $8,000 on the Hybrid.

Too bad. That Highlander fit my house call veterinarian gear much better. Oh well back to the 2004 Ungreen gas-powered Highlander LTD. I fixed the broken sunroof which was allowing rain and leaves in. But the DVD map needs to be changed. On the way to mountain top client in the Sepulveda Pass, I found myself too far into the valley side to access. The map said to head up what turned out to be a fire road; dead-end to civilization. I had to go around and burn MORE gas to get up there and help the dog.

Feline Urinary Syndrome

2008-10-17T00:42:00.000-07:00

Pet owners be on the lookout for symptoms of FLUTD or Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. It seems to be more prevalent in the Fall and Winter months. Cat owners will notice strange elimination habits of their feline children. They begin to frequent the litterbox. Spend a great bit of time therein. Sometimes spots of bloody pee are found outside the box.

What is the cause of this problem? Why in the fall?

The cause is thought to be multi-fold. The urine of these patients is usually found to contain fine crystals or "sand". Some cats have urine that when placed in a tube and held to the light appears like a snowglobe with the crystals floating like snow. Diet change is probably the most common cause of the syndrome. The delicate balance of urine pH and chemical composition is changed causing the precipitation of of the crystals which irritate the bladder and can reduce urinary outflow. Many cats avoid water drinking causing the urine to become quite concentrated. This also contributes to crystal formation. Many cats who eliminate outdoors will avoid doing so in bad weather which is typically starts in the fall with rain. This may be one factor for urine retention and crystal formation. Sometimes no crystals are formed and the bladder is simply inflammed resulting in the same symptoms. These cats frequent the litter box with little or no success urinating. If your cat is exhibiting these signs, veterinary attention should be sought immediately to avoid a life-threatening emergency, usually in male cats, where complete urinary blockage can occur. The cat will become very lethargic and may vomit from toxin build up. You may have only hours to save a life.