I knew we were in for a long morning when I saw Elvis's name on the schedule. A fearsome and mighty miniature pinscher who thought he was a Great White, Elvis held the reigning title of 'most challenging dog to vaccinate' I had ever seen. He had the unique ability to turn himself into a Tasmanian Devil on demand, a whirling, 360 degree tornado of teeth, claws, and anal gland secretions. And today he was coming in for a cough- one of the first signs of heart disease in dogs. The ECG is one of ... Read more »
science is cool
Scientific progress goes boink: viruses, renal failure, and you
A thin, dehydrated cat presents to the clinic with the complaint of malaise, inappetence, and weight loss. I tent his skin and watch as I let go, the gummy flap at the nape of his neck sitting still instead of snapping smartly back in place. His breath has the sour smell a vet might describe as "uremic", common in cats with renal failure as the kidneys are overwhelmed with their job of filtering waste from the blood. Bloodwork confirms what we suspect: this older cat is in kidney failure, and ... Read more »