Vet Tech

2008-08-10T12:30:00.001-07:00

What if....

2007-11-21T11:48:00.001-08:00

Scenerio 1: What if your pet was very sick and when you took them to the vet they said that they didn't know what was wrong with him, just take him home and make him comfortable. No offer of any diagnostics whatsoever. Then your pet died.

Scenerio 2: What if your vet did offer you diagnostics? But you elected to not have them done, it doesn't matter the reason. Then your pet died.

Which scenerio is the fault of the veterinarian?

Scenerio 3: What if your vet was given permission to do the diagnostics, got an idea what could possibly be wrong but wasn't sure without further testing, but didn't offer it to you because the testing was quite expensive and your pet died?

Scenerio 4: What if the vet did offer to do further testing you declined and your pet died?

Which scenerio is the fault of the veterinarian.

Scenerio 5: Okay, you opted for all the possible testing, the vet made a definitive diagnosis, knew of a fantastic treatment protocol that could (nothing in life is a guarantee) save your dog BUT it's very expensive and maybe your pet would die anyway. So the vet elects to not even mention it, after all, why would anyone want to spend that kind of money on a pet? Your pet dies a week later after treatments that were much more affordable and could possibly save your pet...but doesn't.

Scenerio 6: Same as #5 but this time the vet DOES offer you the expensive treatment that you decline due to cost. Sadly the outcome is the same as #5.

Scenerio 7: Same as #5, but this time you opt to go for the more expensive treatment and though things look pretty good at first, your pet dies anyway. :-(

Which scenerio is the fault of the veterinarian?
___________________________________

If you said; #1, #3 and #5 you would be correct. Does that make you at fault for the others? Absolutely not!!! Sometimes, our beloved pets die, no matter how much money we throw at their problem, no matter how much we love them. It sucks, but it's not ALL about blame.

The problem that I'm trying to outline (I never claimed to be a writer folks, LOL) is that a veterinarian is under a moral & legal obligation to offer to you every thing that he or she knows is available that may help your pet when it is ill. It's not a financial obligation. It's what's right. It would be downright mean and irresponsible to not inform you of ALL of your options to help your friend and companion. Your obligation is to do what you're capable of doing. Don't feel guilty because you can't afford a treatment out of your financial capacity, it's okay. I can't afford a lot of treatments for my own pets either. It hurts like hell, but it's the truth. We hear stories of people taking out a 2nd mortgage for cancer treatments and the like for the pets, but they're not common. One client I know sold her car! That was what THEY chose to do, but it's not expected, by any stretch of the imagination, for every pet owner to do so.

Don't be shy, say no if you need to do so. Above all...don't feel guilty. It really is OK that you can't afford an MRI, expensive cancer treatments or thousands of dollars worth of testing.

on other blogs:
Dolittler "How to say no to your vet"
Pet Connection "Veterinary Medicine: How much do you want to know"

Vodka & Tonic

2007-11-09T17:06:00.000-08:00

Bet you did a double take on the title! :-)

No, I don't need a vodka & tonic. Some days I do, but not today.

Today was interesting because we wandered off the path of the usual treatment plans meandering between the ethylene glycol cat and the liver failing ferret.

Mowzer was brought in yesterday afternoon by his people for lethargy and simply ADR (ain't doin' right). During the exam the cat let his bladder go and it was tinged with blood. While we drew the blood and urine for diagnostic the owner & vet chatted. In passing, he mentioned that Mowzer may have gotten himself into some anti-freeze and the vet delivered the tidbit to us. With a nearly audible "screeeeeeeeech!" things came to a halt, changed directions and the two vets on staff conferred. One of the techs got out the test for anti-freeze, spun the blood in the centrifuge and tested the resulting serum. Bingo! We've got ethylene glycol in the blood so we have hope, it's not a sure thing, but we might be able to save this kitty. The possible cure is a bit of a surprise and someone made a run to the liquor store for Vodka. Yup, Vodka....intravenously. Not full strength mind you, but it's in the bag with the rest of the fluids to keep him hydrated.

So now we have an intoxicated kitty in the hospital and all joking aside, the guy is a MEAN DRUNK. The first 12 hours he had to have his temp and respiration recorded, which was done by the overnight tech. Any drop below 98F or increase over 103F and the vet would need to called in ASAP. He stayed stable through the night but he could go from sweet to surly in .02 seconds flat. When his flow rate was increased in the morning it got worse. This cat, who was typically cranky even with the owners, was now a whirling ball of razor sharp claws and teeth. At noon today when it was time to recheck his blood work and urine values it took 3 technicians and 2 assistants, with the vet cheering us on to obtain the blood & urine. This cat literally threw itself off the treatment table and took several inches of human skin with it.

The good news is so far Mowzer is stable and doing well. Tomorrow he comes off the Vodka drip and we go from there. I just know he has a claw with each of our names on it.

The ferret came in Wednesday evening. A general health exam that quickly became a hospitalized patient. She was very lethargic and not eating, which is never good for a tiny four year old 1 pound ferret. She was also extremely dehydrated. We got an IV catheter into her and started on fluids. Yesterday she started perking up a bit but we hadn't been able to collect blood the night before. Sludgy blood is a real challenge to get into the syringe and we needed to get her hydrated first. Finally she was able to grace us with the red gold and got the goods to the lab. She'd eat if hand fed and was starting to chew on her catheter. Even with an exotic animal Elizabethan collar she managed to shred a second catheter. Yup, she was feeling better. The bloodwork came back showing liver problems so she'll likely need a lifetime of treatments to keep her healthy. Since her blood sugar was also in the toilet it'll be even more important that the owner make sure she eats and always has food available to her. She'll be on SAM-e and the liver tonic, Milk Thistle, at home.

Milk Thistle from Holistic Pet

Liversupport.com

Shawn Messonier DVM on Milk Thistle:
"Milk thistle is a well-known liver tonic. Milk thistle extract provides liver protection by stabilizing the cell membranes of the liver cells, aids in detoxification of toxins (especially those absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract,) stimulates protein synthesis and regeneration of damaged liver cells (actually helping the diseased cells to heal,) and also acts as an antioxidant."

We'll see how she does in the next few weeks. *fingers crossed*

Breeding For A Buck Pt. 2

2007-10-03T21:54:00.000-07:00

I had the late shift today and imagine my surprised happiness when I spied in our intensive care unit a little female chihuahua. Yes, indeed, the very same that was destined for the needle.

They were set for the euthanasia. The solution was drawn up and in the hands of the vet, the papers were signed. Suddenly, one of the receptionist burst through the door and said to stop everything, they were going to go for the caesarian!!!!

I didn't ask if they spayed her as well, I forgot. But I plan to check.

She went home tonight to her singlet puppy.

I'm so relieved! :-)

Breeding For A Buck

2007-10-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

Her tiny body, swollen with the last 63 days of gestation, laid before me on the table wrapped in a blanket. Her tired, yet pleading eyes, met mine as I delivered the estimate for an emergency cesarean of over $600. IV catheter, fluids, medications, anesthesia, hospitalization and the surgery itself.

She had struggled for many hours to delivery the puppy that was now trapped and deceased, with another waiting, or dead, to also be born. The odor of death was in the room and the elderly owner stood with her shoulders slumped while her grown daughter pelted her with insults regarding her lack of funds and breeding. Although I knew the daughter was right, she really shouldn't be backyard breeding if she can't afford veterinary care for the bitch or the puppies, I also knew that it was a moot point. They'd made the rounds to all the vet clinics in the area, looking for a bargain, there was none to be had.

The owner elected to euthanize the bitch. Her daughter went ballistic and repeated words she'd heard her mother say, "you said yourself that you have one puppy that you can sell for more than $300 to help pay bill. Just help your dog!"

It was clear to me then, that her daughter was trying to make her see that breeding the dog was a poor choice to begin with and that the owner only saw her $300+ slipping away if she were to save her dog. There wasn't a tear shed by the owner, the bitch on the table was nothing more than a money breeder or was the owner simply a stoic individual. I don't know, but there were no soothing words for the bitch, no caresses, scritches or I love you's. Nothing. Had she already distanced herself...or was the fact that she couldn't use this dog anymore to make $300+ a puppy all that it was?

I don't know the answers to these questions. But the eyes on this chihuahua haunt me. The little day old puppy the owner pulled out of her sweater pocket while saying she needed milk and a bottle for the puppy haunts me. I wanted to grab the little black creature and run out the door.

I have nothing against responsible breeding and breeders. But it really bugs me when someone brings in a dog that has nothing to offer its owner other than it's womb as if it were a piggy bank. There was nothing special about this chihuahua, there's rarely anything special about many of the dogs that are brought in with dystocia or pyometra. They're just money machines. It breaks my heart, they're special to me and they should have been wrapped up in the security of a loving home as someone's companion...not a 4 legged ATM.

And then...the daughter had the audacity to look at me while saying this to her mother,
"They don't care about dogs, they'd rather kill her, they only care about the bottom line. It's all about the money for them, otherwise they'd help her. They kill dogs all day when people can't pay."

I was thunderstruck.
Who exactly cares only about the money? We're ready to help the dog, are we the ones withholding care? Who is breeding their poor examples of a breed to make a buck? When did we become responsible for someone else's poor judgment?

Last I heard, since my shift was over and someone else took over for me, the little chi was waiting for the needle in room 1.

Before a "Routine" Surgery

2007-09-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

It's only called "routine" because it's something that is done several times a day, day in and day out. Each vet has their own "routine" that they go through, for every ovariohysterectomy and orchiectomy, from the time they don their sterile gloves to the last stitch. But that's the only reason. They're not easy surgeries, they're not painless or predictable and death is always a possibility.

They're also one of the most deeply discounted surgeries you can get from a vet. For example: replace the incision in the abdomen to remove a uterus (about a 30 minute surgery) with a laceration repair of about 15 minutes. The guy with the dog that has a laceration repair will have a bill that is 2 to 3 times the cost of the spay. It's also why there are spay/neuter clinics, which make me shudder when I think of what goes on at one.

That all being said, the one thing that pet owners seem to balk at is the IV catheter and pre-anesthetic blood work before the so-called "routine" surgeries for their pet. The word routine seems to have instilled a false sense of security in some veterinarians and pet owners, causing them to forgo the importance of knowing their patient and being prepared for disaster. A better term and one that I see used more and more in the veterinary field is "elective surgery".

For the owner the extras mean additional cost, for the veterinarian it means more prep time and having to charge more to the client possibly lessening the chance that the client will alter their pet. Which, is why altering is discounted in the first place. It's all a part of the master plan of having every pet altered...which is a completely different post so let's just skip over that at this time.

I've had several opportunities to see these elective surgeries go awry as well as the opportunity to circumvent tragedy. A case this week is an example of that. I came in later in the day so I wasn't there when it happened, but I've seen it before.

A small dog under the age of a year, owners who declined the IV catheter and the blood work due to cost. It's rare that an owner will elect either and if their dog is over 9 years of age it's all required rather than optional. The little dog went through the usual pre surgical routine as any other dog. While on the table he crashed. He stopped breathing and his heart rate dropped drastically. I can see the mayhem that took place, everyone moving like lightening, the doctor barking orders for the IV catheter, the epinephrine, someone to start breathing for the dog (bagging) and call the owner STAT all while quickly trying to get the surgery finished and closed up. That's what a trained staff does. Even though the vet is hollering, people are already in motion and have drugs, catheter and bag in hand before the words are completely out of his mouth.

The little dog went home that night, wagging his tail and licking his owner's face none the worse for his earlier trauma. But what happened? Would we have known that there could be an issue if we'd had blood work to consult? Would it not have happened if there was already an IV catheter in place and fluids running during the surgery? We'll never know. Could we have known?

Yesterday we had an owner bring in their pet for a neuter and wanted pre surgical blood work. I was impressed, but they were late dropping off. Very late. So there were some frowns and stress lines in the room. Too bad, I was more than happy to do the blood work and juggle the schedule. I like knowing that the liver and kidneys are healthy and that they're not anemic or worse. I said a silent thank you to the owners. In my world, the blood work and IV catheter is required, but we're expected to keep the costs down.

One of the relief vets that works with us once in a while told us of a clinic (no she didn't name it, she has more class than that) that she was expected to do her spays and neuters in a back room surgical suite with absolutely no one else in the room with her. No technician to monitor the pet and no one in ear shot if things went bad. They also did not administer pain control and used the cheapest anesthetic protocol out there. She said their nursing care was non-existent (no monitoring of the pet before, during or after surgery), they just tossed the pet into a cage and let it wake up alone, never looking at it again until they pulled it out to go home. They have rock bottom prices so they d0 a lot of alters in the area. She never went back to that clinic.

Think about that the next time you "comparison shop", ask them about their staff training and their surgical protocols. Ask about where your pet is going to be altered and how it will be monitored, including the monitoring equipment, trained staff in attendance and post surgical nursing. Will your pet receive pre & post pain medication, if not, request it. Pay the extra for an IV catheter and pre-anesthetic blood work. Forget the word routine and replace it with elective. Elective surgeries are not the fast food of surgeries so let's stop treating them like they are, they're serious surgeries that deserve the same amount of care and preparation of an orthopedic surgery.

We all want to save money, I know I do, but exactly how much are we willing to sacrifice for our pets life?

Rabies Confusion

2007-09-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

I belong to several online pet groups and over the past week I've noticed an alarming trend of misunderstanding regarding the recent announcement that canine rabies has been eradicated in the United States. Check any news feed and the is quote is pretty much in every one of them.

" The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last week that canine rabies has been officially eradicated in the United States, warning however that owners should continue to vaccinate their pets."

The misunderstanding is that some people believe that there pet can no longer contract rabies. This is a deadly misconception. They most certainly can still contract rabies, just not the canine strain.

Massachusetts Bureau of Animal Health

"There are currently 11 different strains of the rabies affecting the
United States. A "strain" of rabies is a form of the virus which is
primarily carried by a specific animal, known as the dominant reservoir
species. Of the 11 strains of rabies in the U. S., 6 are carried by
bats, which are found in all parts of the U. S. The remaining 5 strains
are carried by land animals. These strains include 2 fox strains, 2
skunk strains, and the raccoon strain."

The most common strains of rabies are bat and raccoon and a lot depends on your location. In my state of Washington 10% of bats tested proved to be rabid. 10 percent doesn't seem like a lot unless you know that they tested 10,000 bats, a mere fraction of how many bats we do have. I have a few myself that I can watch every night feed while sitting on my back porch.

You, your dog, cat, ferret, horse, etc., can still get rabies and should still be protected.

Reuters Feed

"While dogs may still become infected from raccoons, skunks or bats, they will not catch dog-specific rabies from another dog, the Atlanta-based U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

"We don't want to misconstrue that rabies has been eliminated -- dog rabies virus has been," CDC rabies expert Dr. Charles Rupprecht told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Rabies evolves to match the animals it infects, and the strain most specific to dogs has not been seen anywhere in the United States since 2004, Rupprecht said.

While the incubation period for rabies is as long as six years in humans, it is only six months in a dog.

"Even though we still live in a sea of rabies and even though we have rabies viruses circulating among raccoons and foxes and bats, the dog rabies virus, which is the most responsible for dog-to-dog transmission and which is still the greatest burden to humans ... it is that virus that has been eliminated."

Your pet can become infected with any one of the other strains of rabies. I hope that clears things up for anyone not quite understanding.

Changes in the Air

2007-09-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

Would anyone be particularly upset if I started posting about my days at work? I hope not, if it's boring or just too .... I don't, maybe self serving? Let me know, I want to try this simply because things *are* getting interesting at work and sometimes I wish I would just post about them. Honestly, sometimes I am too scared to post. I worry that my bosses will look down on something I wrote or see it as a compromising position...and face it sometimes I'm not very nice about my co-workers. ;-)

We're going to 24/7 emergency & urgent care. Oddly enough, since the day we started this a mere 2 weeks ago our business has increased 20%. The cases have gotten increasingly complicated and requiring an increased level of patient care. This is all good, although my feet and sometimes my addled brain long for the good ol' days.

I started this job 2 years ago because I wanted experience with exotics and wildlife. I'm definitely getting it, as well as getting up close and personal with animals most people can only hope to catch a glimpse.

We all manage to get attached to our patients and everyone is different. Some of us prefer the cats; fawning, cooing and coddling them. Others only lose their minds over the puppies and kittens. There's a few of us that lavish our affections on the birds and one individual that makes the weirdest noises when it comes to the reptiles.

This week we had a two pets that demanded my attentions, a Hyacinth macaw and the most adorable little day old Yorkshire terrier pup.

The Hyacinth
Hyacinths are quite large and their beaks are about as big as a woman's fist and strong enough to crack a brazil nut as if it were an egg. Their size alone is quite intimidating to a lot of people, they're the largest species of macaw. This young man is about 16 years old and very, very sick. He came to us wrapped in a towel held close to its owner. He wasn't eating and you can tell he had been anorexic for quite some time. His "keel" protruded from his chest like a scalpel blade.

The first thing we needed to do was obtain blood for an avian panel, I was afraid his blood would be like pudding since he was obviously dehydrated. I was relieved to find that we were able to do so without too much trauma. We certainly didn't want to stress him needlessly, but we desperately needed to know the results. Which weren't good. His liver and kidneys were failing. We also had to get fluids and food into his body. Nourishment was a priority. This poor guy could hardly grip my arm and he was deathly underweight at a mere 1075 grams, about third of what he should be!! He should be able to grip my arm with such strength to leave toenail impressions in my arm and my arm should tire from carrying him. We've spent the last three days getting him hydrated, medicated and fed.

After the 1st 24 hours of taking his little raisin of a body and plumping it up with some fluids he put on an addition 122 grams. He leveled out a bit the second day but by the end of the evening he was refusing nourishment. I had to bite the bullet and crop feed him. A three person job. One to hold, one to support and me to get a tube down to his crop and fill it with food. I hated doing this to an adult bird, but he had to eat.

I was off the next day and when I went in today I was greeted by a bird standing fully upright on his perch instead of his hocks hanging low. He was also eating. He let me give him sunflower seeds, not the best for a bird, but he was eating. He picked out some dehydrated carrots and I rustled some grapes from someone's stash in the employee fridge, which he enjoyed. Later though, he started regurgitating his food. My co-worker and I think he may be so hungry that he's gorging himself and then drinking too much water. So we started feeding him fresh foods, which entailed me using my lunch break to fetch some fresh organic fruits & veggies. We also pulled his water. Problem solved, there's lots of moisture in the fruits & vegetables and we'll allow sips of water, but at least he stopped regurgitating.

The Baby Yorkie

Sometimes mother nature is a bitch, literally and figuratively *grin*. This little guy was the runt and couldn't catch a break. When it came to nursing his litter mates pushed him out of the way. So they brought him in to us. He was too weak to nurse so we had to tube feed him also. Breeding & neonatal is not my forte', I can assure you. I can't even seem to remember gestation time much less any thing else. 63 days right? Hmm...can't recall. Anyway, we've been trying to get him to nurse and sometimes he will, sometimes we pull out the red rubber catheter. *sigh* But he's growing and he's thriving. He's just *tiny* 83 grams at last weigh-in. He fit in my scrub pocket and he makes the sweetest little noises. His feedings were a highlight in my day. He should be home tonight, fighting for a nipple I hope. He needs his momma...if not...he can come live with me. *grin*

There was plenty of sadness this week. An elderly dog that owners kept waffling every two hours when they'd bring her in to be euthanized. They finally allowed xrays and a GDV was discovered. A puppy with the symptoms of parvo but a negative snap test was euthanized due to lack of funds. A happy go-lucky bulldog with bladder stones, at least he was happy. But one of the saddest of them all was a cruelty/neglect case brought in to us by the local humane society. She was a poodle cross of some sort and one big mat, worse yet she had a urolith about the size of a baseball in her bladder. There was nothing we were allowed to do for her other than assess her condition and do a urinalysis (apparently she was neglected and abused due to her habit of urinating in the house). We weren't even supposed to do x-rays but when your co-worker sticks a needle into the bladder and it hits something extremely hard almost immediately, you throw caution to the wind! She was absolutely the most loving, forgiving, sweet natured creature you could hope to meet coming out of a bad situation as she did. I hope she's getting the help and love she deserves.

I sad one of the saddest of them all, didn't I? Well...I discovered a limitation I have. One that reduces to me a puddle of tears and I know now that I absolutely cannot be in the building if performed. DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH or overly emotional (like me).

A 2 year old dog who had been through obedience training and other "special" training to try to help curb "sudden outbursts of rage". The owner was bitten and bitten badly. The dog had to be euthanized and even though it was UTD on it's rabies vaccine it was still the health departments call whether or not we had to "submit the head" for testing. I lost it. I can't do it. Don't even talk to me about severing a dog's head. I understand the necessity and I know it has to be done, but there's something in my spirit that screams NO! You are desecrating the body and it is disrespectful! I can't seem to get my spirit and my medical training to jive together on this so I have to respectfully decline being in the building. If not, be prepared to pay for my counseling. I can list all the reasons why it's the right thing to do, but my spirit won't listen.

Well, I hope this wasn't too boring and maybe with a little practice I'll get better at it. I've been meaning to do this since I'd run out of things that were within my scope of knowledge. I'll still share things as I learn about them. I have wet lab on blood transfusions next week, maybe I'll write about it. *smile*

Novartis & Online Pet Medicine Pharmacies

2007-08-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

This is neither pro or con online pet medicine pharmacies, this is simply something I learned today from Novartis and thought it important enough to pass on to pet owners.

Novartis *does not* sell any of their products directly to online pharmacies. Veterinarians, considered unscrupulous but I don't really know that to be true, purchase the products from Novartis & resells them to the online pharmacy. They also receive large kickbacks for doing so. Which may seem to not involve you, the pet owner, but it does.

Just an example: when you purchase your Sentinel from a veterinarian Novartis has a guarantee that if you give your dog the monthly chewable tablet as directed they guarantee your pet will not contract heartworms and if they do, Novartis is responsible for the financial burden that is associated with treatment & diagnosis associated with your pet having heartworm disease. However, if you purchase Sentinel from an online pharmacy that guarantee is automatically voided. They cover nothing.

Think about that. The above is a just an example. Think about what would happen if you wanted to hold Novartis responsible if your dog became ill from the Deramaxx that your vet prescribed, but you purchased from an online pharmacy.

Something to consider.

Calling the Vet

2007-08-11T09:10:00.001-07:00

I have a dilemma. I'm not sure exactly how to approach this subject as it is usually at the risk of sounding uncaring. I'm not, I assure you. What I want to know is how to fix the problem in a reasonable manner that satisfies both the veterinarian AND the client.

The other day we had a client, we'll call her Ms. Jones, called to speak to the vet about her dog and the results of some tests. She called on the vets day off. She was informed that he was not in that day and wouldn't be in until the following day. Of course, we told her we would have the vet call her the next day. The receptionist put her pets file in his "ASAP" box which is the first thing he looks at *after* he does rounds for inhouse patients and examines his surgical patients....unless the routine is broken.

The morning he came in he had a full house. Patients that had stayed the night and needed immediate evaluation so that we, the technicians and assistants, could proceed with any additional treatments that he may add to their already existing treatments. He also had a very big orthopedic surgery first thing after he was finished with rounds.

Then someone ran in with an emergency. This always seems to be the case, the more surgeries we have scheduled the more likely we are to be faced with one or more emergencies. When an emergency comes through the door, that is what it is, AN EMERGENCY. We drop everything and come to their aid, IMMEDIATELY. This is a fact of life in an animal hospital and we have no problem dealing with it. If we have enough staff at the time, some of can take care of the critical patient while others prep surgeries. But the vet is now in high demand. Even when there are two vets, the demand remains high.

That day was extremely busy. We had multiple emergencies all through the day, surgeries were juggled, appointments were rearranged or clients that chose to wait...waited. The ortho surgery was 4 hours long start to finish and the vet was behind. Lunches weren't taken, breaks were potty breaks. You get the idea. It was mayhem all day.

Finally at about 9pm, the vet was able to sit down and take care of phone calls. The first one he called was Ms. Jones. Line was busy. He made a few other calls and came back to that one 30 minutes later. The line was still busy. He tried a few more times until 10pm and still could not get through. So he called the work number and left a message that he had been trying to call her but her line was busy and apologized for the lateness. He then went home around 10:30pm only to return again at 8:30am the next morning.

That morning he was the only vet on staff. He had post-op procedures to go through with his ortho surgery from the day before and, you guessed it, there were other inhouse patients that required his care. Luckily there were no surgeries. He had two appointments starting at 9pm, both needed diagnostics which tied up his staff, making it difficult for him to get to his ortho. We did as much as we could while he was in his appointments to prep the ortho for it's specialized splint but we couldn't do it all without him.

About 10am we had the staff available to help him with his ortho, while a few others were able to continue with diagnostics on his appointments. 10:10am it hit the fan.

The receptionist was in a flutter because Ms. Jones was on the phone and was screaming at her. She was calling to talk to the vet who was taking care of two appointments and his ortho case, which had to be done before his next appointment showed. Since he was applying a specialized splint he couldn't stop where he was and pick up the phone.

"What is wrong with you people, why is it so hard to get someone to talk to me? What are you going to do if my dog dies! Huh! It will be all your fault!"
"Ms. Jones, he'll be giving you a call after his appointments and during his lunch break, which number should he call you at?"
"Why didn't he call me yesterday? HUH? I was told he would call me!"
"I'm sorry Ms. Jones, the doctor was tied up all through the day and tried to get a hold of you last night but your line was busy."
"That's BULLSHIT, my phone wasn't ever busy last night, you're just a bunch of liars!"
"Is your phone number 555-987-1212?"
"Yes, it is. But it wasn't ever busy!"
"Ms. Jones, did you get the message the doctor left you at your work."
"Yes, I did, but I was at home!"
"Ms. Jones, he tried several times for an hour calling that number and it was busy the entire time, so he left you a message at the only other number he had."
"Screw you!" *click*

Now of course, after the vet hears of this dialogue is also in a flutter. He's frustrated, "I *tried* calling her! I don't even know what she wants to talk about since we went over the bloodwork on Tuesday. Maybe if she stayed off the computer we wouldn't have this problem. Has she ever tried to call her own doctor, I bet she can't get him on the line anytime she wants."

My eyes are rolling in my head now. I don't know what to say or do. Neither are being reasonable now.

We're all now also talking about how they never get to talk to our own doctors, that we always have to talk to a nurse. We see our own doctor for maybe 10 minutes during an appointment and the results to any tests we may have, including xrays, takes as long as 3 weeks to get the results for!

Clients get to spend 30 minutes or longer with our vets.
Clients get results to xrays while they're still there and if they're referred out, it takes 2 days.
Clients get most blood test results within 24 hours, and if it's done in house, it takes 30 minutes.
Our vets spend countless hours on the phone with clients. We don't mail them results the vet CALLS them whether the results are good or bad.

It wasn't until about 1pm in the afternoon that he was able to call Ms. Jones back. He didn't make any excuses, just apologized for his tardiness and when she asked for the results to the blood tests he reminded her that they had gone over them on Tuesday. She says, "oh yea! I forgot." This isn't an exact dialogue, but this it in a nutshell.

"How's Bowser doing, Ms. Jones."
"Oh he's doing wonderfully doctor, he's running and playing and acting like his old self."
"Any problems getting his medication to him."
"No, none at all, he's eating great and I just give it in some of his food. Thank you so much, he really seems to be on the mend. I so appreciate all you've done for him!"
"Do you have any other questions for me Ms. Jones?"
"No, that's it, I forgot that his blood tests were fine, thank you for calling."

Huh?

This is something that happens a lot. The client screams, curses and becomes very dramatic with the receptionists, technicians, assistants or anyone else who isn't the vet. I've been on the receiving end of it a few times myself. Then when they talk to the vet they're all sweetness and light. What is up with that? Does our jobs mean so little to clients that they have no respect for us as human beings?

I do understand client frustrations, do I ever! I have pets, too and when they're sick nobodies pets are more important than mine. Trying to get an answer when you're scared or worried just adds to the stress. It's difficult to remain in control when you're pet is in danger, real or perceived, it doesn't matter to us when we're worried about our pets!

What I'd like to know is how to help.

How can we make this easier without sacrificing other people's pets health and well being? Or do you think this is just par for the course and we need to deal with it the best way we can. You know, buck up and get on with it. I think I could accept that...as long as I know there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

I want clients to be happy, I want them to feel like we've done all we could for their pet and that we care very much. I think I just get my knickers in a knot when I feel that people don't understand that we DO CARE. Am I expecting too much?

Retractable Leashes

2007-08-07T17:44:00.000-07:00

Christie wrote a terrific article in the SFGate on dogs and using retractable (Flexi) leashes. It's well worth the lessons and reminds me of something I've wanted to say: Please, when you come into the vets office, use a REGULAR leash and leave the retractable at home or in your car. There's been dog vs. dog altercations in the front office because someone doesn't know how to use the Flexi leash and I can't tell you how many times a dog has been allowed to wander all over, including into our treatment room while the owner is sitting in the waiting room. Huh? Yea. One would think that's a no brainer.

Veterinary Technicians Speak Out About Their Pet.....Peeves.

2007-07-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

Recently I asked an online community of veterinary technicians to tell me what their pet peeves were relating to their career. I wasn't surprised by their responses when it came to pet owners, their co-workers and the vets they work with:

Co-workers & Vets:

"Can you please clean up after yourself? You are not the only technician working here."

"Doctors who leave unclear instructions on their treatment sheets...such as forgetting to put things they want done on the sheet, putting things they want done on the sheet TWO HOURS AFTER the time they write it down for and then getting mad when it hasn't been done 10 minutes later.

"Doctors who don't say how OFTEN they want a procedure done and then get mad when you don't do it right."

"Being the ONLY night tech who remembers to check the laundry and make sure it gets done, C'mon folks! It's ALL of our responsibility!"

"Picking up other tech/doctors' messes."

"doctors who scream and throw fits or act rude in general."

"newbie grads"

"coworkers who get butthurt for no reason"

"training new people in general"

"new techs that think they know everything and don't want you to teach them anything because after all, all schools and hospitals use the EXACT same equipment and protocol...."

"People who refuse to answer the phone when it rings in to the back because "they're not receptionists"

"Kennel employees who take smoke breaks on the hour."

"Doctors who wipe out the snack drawer on a daily basis, and then deny it! They even wipe out their own food that they bring in, and then ask why it's gone already. oh oh, and then said doctor steals other people's food, even already bitten into jelly donuts!!!"

"Doctors that try to do EVERYTHING when there are plenty of paid technicians, assistants, and receptionists that can handle the tasks more efficiently"

"When appointments get double-booked for pets that only need vaccines and no room is left in case of emergency, or when appointments get booked way too heavy for a 1 doctor afternoon"

"Doctors that snack on garlic flavored crackers throughout the day" ( note: This one made me giggle, I used to work with a doc that loved garlic...and always smelled like it.)

Clients and Money:

"Why do you stare at me, with that blank expression after you tell me you have no money?" This isn't a shelter or a welfare office. We do have an actual business to run."

"Why do you have a pet, if you have no money? It's a privilege, not a right."

"One of my personal "favorites" is the owner who drives up in their Hummer, drips with gold jewelry and nice clothes, and then walks out with little Poopsie because we require that she spend $45 for her little crumb-cruncher's annual vaccines if he's going to stay for boarding. Or even just nitpicks the bill or disputes the grooming charges. UGH! Sell the car, lady."

"owners with no money who act as if this is my fault, because if we cared about the animal we would do it for free"

"crappy rescue groups who don't pay their bills, adopt out sick animals and tell the owners that they will "cover" treatment and then don't, then throw a hissy and scream "slander" when I mention to an owner that we see a lot of parvo cases from this group"

"People who say "your only in it for the money" ....yeah well I could work at a restaurant and make more money."

"People that don't understand that the government does not fund us or offer help in the event that you have no money for your pet the way the government does for human hospitals."

"We don't make that much money, if we were stealing your money we wouldn't complain so much"

"Owners that insist they don't have any possible way to pay AFTER services have been rendered"

General Peeves:

"Why after two weeks is it an emergency tonight, at closing time?"

"Why do you think we can just lay our hands on your pet and tell you what is wrong? We run tests and take samples, because, we are not psychic."

"Owners who repeatedly ask you the SAME questions."

"Owners who have no concept of visiting hours and insist on staying all night long.....during which time they grab any tech in reach to tell them that Fluffy blinked twice or that Spot in the cage next to Fluffy looks like he needs a walk (even when they can see that we are all dealing with several critical emergencies.....argh!)."

"owners with no money who act as if this is my fault, because if we cared about the animal we would do it for free"

"backyard breeders"

"owners who get mutts with "papers"

"owners that tell me and the doctor two completely different stories"

"owners that lie about what i told them"

"people who don't put their dogs on heartworm preventative in a state with a ton of mosquitoes"

"people who refuse all treatment and then blame us for their pets death"

"people who complain about grooms when not warranted"

"the last appointment of the night being the most friggen complicated"

"People who think they're unschooled breeder knows more than the uber schooled vet"

"People who get mad that they can't be see right now for their vax that they need by tomorrow to fly to wherever."

"petstores"

"Petmeds"

"Pets that have been vomiting/anorexic/lethargic/etc. for 5+ days and the owners insist they be seen NOW"

"Clients that walk in the back door, call on the inside line, or stand outside the front door stalking our shadows when the lights are off and we're obviously CLOSED and have been for some time"

"Clients who laugh and take no action when their pet soils the reception area and wait for magic fairies to swoop in and clean up the mess"

"The Crazies...The clients who are sadly off of their medication and waste our time asking the same questions for an hour or spend an equal amount of time reciting their manifesto which scares the sane clients"

"People who knock on the door repeatedly to get in and buy a bag of food when we've been closed an hour trying to do books and the closed sign is up and the door is locked then when we do finally go tell them we are closed they go ape shit that we won't redo our books so he can get a bag of food."

"friends and family members who treat me as their personal veterinarian, and get shitty when I tell them to come to my clinic, and no I won't bring them in myself to get my employee discount, dammit."
__________________________________________

I thank everyone that contributed, I'm sure it helps a bit to let off some steam and for everyone to see that we're not alone. :-)

Readers, please remember that behind every technician is a human being with thoughts, feelings and emotions. We work long hours, we often miss out on family events, seeing our children grow up, have strained relationships with our significant others because of the wonky hours and amount of hours we put in, we see a lot in any given day and we have our frustrations. But you know what? We have things that tie us together and that is our deep and wide passion for veterinary medicine, compassion for the animals and no matter how bad the day was we know that we have touched lives, lives that have no voice. There's a reason we became veterinary technicians and I can assure you it has nothing to do with money (there's hardly a technician that can support themselves and assuredly not a family with our income alone.) it had everything to do with your furry and feathered companions. We love them!!

Peace everyone.

Forget the torbugesic

2007-07-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest frustrations is the vast number of people who are sent home with nothing more for their pet's post-surgical pain than butorphanol, also called torbutrol or torbugesic. This is a drug that really has no place in the management of pain in dogs and cats, and I devoutly wish vets would stop prescribing it.

The entire four-part series on managing surgical pain in dogs and cats on the website of the Veterinary Anesthesia Support Group is actually entitled, "Looking Beyond Butorphanol." This drug is seriously, seriously useless for pain:

Often the sedation outlasts the analgesia. Canine studies have failed to demonstrate analgesia past 45 minutes[i]^,[ii]. Feline studies have failed to show analgesia past 90 minutes[iii]^,[iv]. In fact some studies have failed to show analgesia of any significance in dogs and cats[v]^,[vi].

Are vets prescribing it because it's cheaper than the alternatives? No:

In general, butorphanol does NOT give you much bang for the buck. Butorphanol costs about ten times more than morphine, per dose, while providing much more limited analgesia of much shorter duration.

Please, vets: Why are you using this drug for pain? It doesn't work. There are dozens of better choices, including what I consider the gold standard, customized combinations of different pain relievers that attack pain in different ways.

If your vet is still prescribing torbugesic, torbutrol, or butorphanol (different names for the same drug) for your dog or cat's pain, please ask him or her to read this series of articles:

Perioperative Pain Management: Looking beyond butorphanol
By Robert Stein, DVM, AAPM
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

And in case you, or your vet, want to know: Dr. Stein is a Veterinary Information Network consultant on pain management, is board certified by the American Academy of Pain Management, is on the Executive Board Advisory Committee of the International Academy of Pain Management, and also belongs to the American Pain Society, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Analgesia, and the International Association for the Study of Pain.

From RVT to LVT

2007-07-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

As of yesterday I am no longer an RVT.
That's right.
I received a notice in the mail yesterday that my status as an RVT has been....changed.

As of House Bill 1331, adopted by the 2007 Legislature, will change the licensure and relicensure requirements of veterinary technicians in Washington state.

"Changes the status of veterinary technicians from registration to licensure. Beginning July 21, 2007, Veterinary Technicians may begin to refer to themselves as licensed practitioners.

The changes are rather interesting really. I have to wonder why the change, I'm sure there's a good reason for it, I just don't know what it is.

One change that piques my interest, not that I am qualified, but it's something I may consider in the future:

"Adds a licensed veterinary technician to the Veterinary Board of Governors."

We've only had veterinarians and a lay person (or two?) on the board, this will be the first time that a technician will be a part of the board of governors.

You can read the passed bill in it's entirety here.

Two Patients Walk Into A Clinic....

2007-06-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

Someone posted this on the bulletin board at work:

Two patients limp into two different medical clinics with the same complaint. Both have trouble walking and appear to require a hip replacement. The first patient is examined within the hour, is x-rayed the same day and has a time booked for surgery the following week.

The second sees his family doctor after waiting a week for an appointment, then waits eighteen weeks to see a specialist, then gets an x-ray, which isn't reviewed for another month and finally has his surgery scheduled for a year from then.

Why the different treatment for the two patients?

The first is a golden retriever.
The second is a senior citizen with an HMO.
_________________________________

It would be funnier, if it wasn't true.

Heart Drug for Dogs

2007-05-31T11:02:00.000-07:00

Over on PetConnection.com Kim Campbell Thornton posted about the new heart drug recently approved by the FDA for use in dogs. It deserves some attention. I know that I'm excited and will forward the info to my own vets.

Techs, if your vet hasn't heard let them in on this so that they can evaluate Pimobendan, also known as Vetmedin, for their atrioventricular valvular insufficiency or dilated cardiomyopathy patients.

Gorilla Glue and Dogs

2007-05-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

I found articles as old as 4 years, so it's been a problem for a while. Gorilla Glue may not be toxic, but it is still deadly.

We had a cute little Shiba Inu that was recovering from abdominal surgery after consuming the offending sticky stuff. This stuff expands up to 10 TIMES when it hits water then hardens into a substance that can be hit with a hammer and not break! Saturday when the little dog came in the xray showed a large mass in its stomach that had to be surgically removed.

The owner had been working on a craft project and forgot to put it away afterwards. From what I can find on the net the glue tastes like peanuts and maple syrup (yuck!) and pets (especially cats!) find it quite palatable.

The stomach fluids act as water causing the glue to expand 3 to 4 and up to 10 times the amount consumed during the first hour after consumption. Then it hardens, completely blocking normal intestinal movement. Resulting in a very sick pet, vomiting being the most obvious along with irritation of the mouth, skin and stomach lining.

Two things puzzle me:
1. Why doesn't the company change the flavor of the glue? It wouldn't eliminate the problem 100% but it may decrease the chances of animal interest.

2. Why does it say on their website that it may cause intestinal blockage but the MSDS (updated 1/07) only states that it may cause severe GI irritation? Our clients didn't know it would cause a blockage and the vet said that the only thing on the bottle is that it may cause irritation. I think the difference between a GI blockage and irritation is pretty danged significant and should be on the bottle.

Here's a 2004 article with pictures of an article put up by a veterinary medical center regarding one of their own patients that had the same misfortune after eating gorilla glue. Check it out.

The Shiba Inu went home on Tuesday and is recovering beautifully, btw. :-)

Idexx Laboratories

2007-05-12T14:19:00.000-07:00

Around the end of this month the practice I work for is switching from our local laboratory to Idexx. Part of this change is due to the fact that we are ditching our xray machine & processor for a totally new system that will be computerized and is Cornerstone (Idexx's practice program) friendly. Our local lab in Seattle (Phoenix Labs) does not have the capability to upload directly into our system and since it'll be Idexx, they can and our practice owner wants to streamline as much as possible.

I'm wondering if any practices out that read this blog deal with Idexx labs for all their blood work, culture & sensitivities, biopsies, etc. If so, what has your experience been? Good? Bad? Indifferent. I'm sure many are with Antech, which I've about 6 years experience using so comparing Idexx to them would be fine as well.

I'm excited and apprehensive at the same time. You know how it is, you get familiar with your couriers, the people that answer the phones, the pathologists...now I get to start all over with unfamiliar territory.

Thanks!

Panel on the Pet Food Recall - Tues May 8 10 PM ET

2007-05-05T09:04:00.001-07:00

PetHobbyist.com invites you to attend a special panel discussion of the pet recall crisis, on Tuesday, May 8 at 10 PM Eastern Time.

When Menu Foods, back on March 16, announced its first recall of pet foods due to melamine contamination, the mainstream media was only briefly interested.

To a small group of bloggers, it was apparent from the first days that this story was much larger than most people thought. They began compiling data, comparing information, collecting personal stories, and digging for facts. Since then, there have been dozens of additional recalls, threats to the human health supply, a re-evaluation of international food safety standards, and a rising wave of frightened and angry pet owners.

PetHobbyist.com, on behalf of founder Jeff Barringer and its DogHobbyist.com, CatHobbyist.com, and PetSupport.net communities, invites you to attend an online panel discussion with the bloggers who have been following the pet food crisis from the beginning, to discuss the story behind the recall, what's likely to happen next, and what pet owners can do to protect their pets now and in the future.

Joining us will be:

Gina Spadafori and Christie Keith of PetConnection.com

Ben Huh of Itchmo.com

Therese Kopiwoda of PetSitUSA.com and ThePetFoodList.com

Kim Duke of PetFoodTracker

The chat will be held on Tuesday, May 8 at 10 PM Eastern Time in the Auditorium. To receive a free email reminder of the special chat, sign up here.

More information, and complete information on how to attend the chat, is here, or, if your email program does not read HTML:

http://www.pethobbyist.com/sitenews/index.php?/archives/50-Online-Panel-about-Pet-Food-Recall-May-8.html

We definitely give permission to cross post - in fact, ask you to share this announcement with anyone you think might be interested. The chat is free, you don't need to register for the site to attend, and there is nothing to download or install.

We hope to see you there.

All of us at PetHobbyist.com --

Expert advice for confused pet owners about pet food

2007-05-03T16:55:00.000-07:00

From a press release issued today by the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center. All emphasis is the ASPCA’s:

“Given the fact that there is new evidence of cross-contamination in ingredients that may have been considered safe prior to this news, we need to be much more aware of where the ingredients in our pets’ food are coming from,” said Dr. Steven Hansen, a board-certified toxicologist and senior vice president with the ASPCA, who manages the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), located in its Midwest Office in Urbana, Ill.

“We are strongly recommending that pet parents immediately investigate, via their pet food manufacturer’s Web site or by calling them directly, where the ingredients—specifically protein supplements—are sourced from.”

Given the current situation and until this crisis is resolved, the ASPCA is recommending pets be fed products containing U. S.-sourced protein supplements only.

“The continued expansion of the recall is extremely worrying,” said Dr. Louise Murray, director of medicine at the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital (BMAH) in New York City, and a board-certified internist. “The magnitude of this crisis leaves us frustrated as to how to best protect pets and prevent any more illnesses or deaths.”

Included is advice on the treatment of affected pets; again, all emphasis is theirs:

“Patience is the key,” said Dr. Murray, who has successfully treated several animals thus-affected with aggressive fluid therapy at BMAH. “We now understand that we have to bathe these crystals in fluid for as long as possible. With other causes of kidney failure, if there is no improvement in the animal’s condition after a day or two, the prognosis is usually not encouraging.

“In this case, however, when treating animals who have been sickened by eating the contaminated foods, longer-term intravenous fluids may be required —so we would strongly recommend that all veterinarians treating such cases be patient and continue administering fluids longer than they might otherwise, because they can really be life-saving.”

They conclude, “The ASPCA continues to warn pet parents to stay extremely alert to the situation.” Good advice. The complete release is here.

Poison in the Food.

2007-04-28T17:08:00.000-07:00

Christie Keith and Gina Spadafori have been working tirelessly to get the news out to everyone regarding the pet food recall since the news broke. They have lost sleep and time. While those in power attempt to shift our attention to possibilities of human food contamination and whatever else they think they can wave in front of us like a hotdog in front of a golden retriever they have kept us on track.

There are VOLUMES of information over there and they deserve your time and voice. Go give them some love. :-)

There's little difference between e.coli in the spinach and someone PURPOSELY and without any regard to our pets safely putting POISON in our pets food. POISON. Actual, unadulterated POISON.

As Christie quotes daily from the FDA's own website :
The Food Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938 (U.S.C. Title 21, Chapter 9): "The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation."

Clearly the FDA is NOT doing their job.

Someone ALWAYS knows when their product is questionable. The spinach producers KNEW what they were doing. The meat processing plant KNEW what they were doing when they killed people with their tainted ground beef in the '90s. Someone KNEW that the apple juice was NOT safe. SOMEONE ALWAYS KNEW. Someone KNEW. But they put it out there for us AND OUR PETS to consume ANYWAY.

From the Dolittler's Blog
"Who sold this “surplus” food to pigs meant for human consumption? Was it appropriately labeled, “pet food recall last call”? Who bought it? Does anyone even know the withdrawal time for melamine in pigs? Its effect on pig physiology? Or did they swallow the “16-death” pet food company party-line and consider any potential porcine casualties acceptable losses?"

From ConsumerAffairs.com
"Elder said pigs that ate this contaminated feed will not be allowed to enter the human food supply.

He emphasized, however, that "based on information currently available, the FDA and the USDA believe the likelihood of illness after eating such pork is extremely low. However, the agencies also believe it is prudent to take this measure."

The pork from these animals will also be destroyed, officials said. And the USDA will compensate hog farmers affected by the tainted pet food. Owners of pets killed by the tainted pet food, on the other hand, get nothing."

Do we believe them when they say it won't enter the food supply? I DON'T. How is it that their way of getting rid of the tainted food garnered the seller and hog farmer income? Did it at least recoup their losses? I'm sure it does.

also from ConsumerAffairs.com
"“What this appears to be is a case of deliberate contamination of wheat gluten in order to pass off substandard product,” Henderson told a U.S. House committee. “For a seller who knows how industry testing methods work, this would allow them to cheat the buyers.”"

As if they're the only ones who have ever done something underhanded and evil. They just happened to get caught.

Fighting canine cancer

2007-04-25T23:07:00.000-07:00

My dog Raven died of bone cancer, making her one of the 25 percent of all dogs over the age of two who lose their lives to some kind of cancer.

Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) has announced the launch of an unprecedented $30 million effort to cure canine cancer within a dog’s lifetime–the next 10 to 20 years. World-renowned scientists and cancer specialists agree that this MAF-led effort will not only save countless dogs from suffering and premature death, but should also help produce breakthroughs in the prevention, treatment and cures of human cancers–in particularchildhood cancers.

MAF has taken the lead to secure financial contributions and manage/administer research grants to many of the world’s most prestigious colleges of veterinary medicine, universities, organizations and scientists. As an example, 14 leading veterinary/academic institutions–each members of the National Cancer Institute’s Comparative Oncology Trials Consortium (COTC)– will receive funding for canine cancer research. Endorsement of this MAF canine cancer initiative has been received from: Children’s Oncology Group, Animal Cancer Foundation, and the MIT/Harvard (Broad Institute).

This global cancer cure initiative is attracting major corporate support, including a $1.1 million donation from Pfizer Inc.–Pfizer Animal Health.

In addition to corporate sponsorships, MAF’s goal is to get 1 percent of the 44 million dog-owning households in the United States to make a donation of at least $50 in the name of their present dog(s), pet dogs of the past, and/or on behalf a puppy of the future–for a total of $22 million.

“Each of our own pet dogs is at risk of suffering the devastating effects of cancer,” states Dr. Patricia N. Olson, CEO and president of MAF. “One in four dogs will die of cancer, and cancer is the number–one cause of disease-related death in dogs over the age of two. Sadly, many of the most popular dog breeds are especially susceptible to developing cancer. Your donation of $50 or more may very well save your own beloved pet dog from suffering cancer’s effects. Here’s a chance to directly help the dogs we love.”

Dr. Olson also explains that while MAF’s mission focuses on animal health, the dog has proven to be a crucial player in solving the human-cancer cure puzzle. “This is the ultimate win-win situation,” says Dr. Olson. “As we treat and cure cancer in our pet dogs, we may help alleviate the ravages of cancer among humans. This animal-human bond is simply inspirational.”

Donations can be made by calling toll-free 1-877-DOG CURE (364-2873), or by donating
on the web at:

www.CureCanineCancer.org

www.MorrisAnimalFoundation.org

More Background/Details on MAF’s Canine Cancer Cure Effort:

MAF hopes to raise the $30 million from April 2007 through April 2012. This will include funding for:

- Clinical trials to test new innovative therapies to help save dogs and alleviate dog suffering now.
- Prevention studies related to genetics and canine genome, incorporating lifetime risk assessment studies.
- Funding of a tumor tissue bank.
- Establishment of an endowment to guarantee continued research efforts.

A clinical trial is already under way involving the evaluation of a new treatment for bone cancer in dogs. This clinical trial includes five of the 14 members of the COTC: Colorado State University, Animal Medical Center (New York City), University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Illinois and The Ohio State University.

The Pfizer Animal Health donation has been specifically restricted to the Canine Comparative Oncology and Genetics Consortium (CCOGC), a group of veterinary and medical researchers who have determined that a repository of canine tumor tissues is an essential resource to progress new cancer therapies. This new resource to fight cancer has been named the Pfizer – CCOGC Biospecimen Repository. MAF and the AKC Canine Health Foundation provided the initial funding ($500,000) to launch this national biospecimen bank.

ABOUT MAF:

Morris Animal Foundation, established in 1948, is dedicated to funding research that protects, treats and cures companion animals and wildlife. MAF has been at the forefront of funding breakthrough research studies benefiting animals in some 100 countries, spanning all seven continents on earth. MAF has its headquarters in Denver, Colorado. The Foundation has funded more than 1,300 humane animal health studies with funds approaching $50 million.
One hundred percent of all annual, unrestricted contributions support animal health studies, not administration or the cost of fundraising. For more information, call (800) 243-2345, or visit www.MorrisAnimalFoundation.org.

Pet Food Recall

2007-03-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

It's been spread all over the internet via pet blogs and email groups.
If you've missed the latest go to Menu Foods for the long list of wet foods that have been affected. Click on the appropriate species and each food is clickable so that you can compare the UPC on the can you have to the ones recalled.

If you don't have the product packaging anymore and your pet is not feeling well...even if they're not exhibiting specific symptoms to kidney failure, don't procrastinate get to a vet. Just don't assume they'll be better tomorrow.

If your pet seems fine but has consumed any of the listed foods ask your vet to run some blood work, just in case.

Happy Endings

2007-03-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

I love happy endings. We all love happy endings. This is a story about a little 6 year old dachsund and his happy ending.

The little guy arrived in the morning for his surgery. He was a cute little black dachsy that had lots of love and affection to give, his tail zipped back and forth like a whip. But his breath was deplorable. His teeth looked okay, nothing too alarming, but what was the source of that horrid smell? I knew he was in for a biopsy so the source was likely a mass in the mouth. I looked over the record and determined that there was a lump on his jaw. Feeling around I found it toward the back of his jaw right around where the top and bottom jaws hinge. A chill ran through me. It's not often that you feel a hard bony lump on an animals mouth that doesn't portend imminent death. When the vet came in she explained what she wanted to do, she was not hopeful either.

We anesthetized the happy dog and while one of the techs was hooking him up to the monitors, taking his temp and other things, I examined his mouth. I was trying to determine whether the vet was going to need to obtain her biopsy from the inside of his mouth or if I was going to need to shave and prep the outside. I flipped the corner of his lips back pushing forward and could see the lump, it looked odd to me and got in a little closer and pressed the lump from the outside with my index finger, pushing it out toward me. It looked...cracked. Cracked? The inside of the cheek had a round lesion where the lump had been pressing against it and was lightly bleeding. I pushed a little more and the "lump" fell on the table! EEK! What had I done?? I picked up the lump with a gloved hand. It was bone. BONE! ACK!

The vet walked into the room and I showed her the piece of bone. Her eyes got wide and she her mouth hung open. I explained what I did as she examined it. "This must be a piece of his jaw!", she said. Now I'm beside myself more than ever. There was no blood from the jaw, just from the inside of his cheek...and the bone looks REALLY WEIRD!

She examined the dogs mouth and looked up from the dog, "the mouth looks fine aside from the lesions." Then it dawned on her and after she took a small biopsy of the cheek tissue as a precaution she called the owner.

The relief was palpable. The owner gave the dog cooked bones regularly. Apparently, the bone had gotten lodged between the cheek and jaw...waaaaay back there. The foreign object had caused the lesions, producing the blood and the inflamed tissue was giving the dog that rotting flesh odor.

The thought of cancer flew out of our minds. Just to be sure there the biopsy went to the lab, but we're confident it'll come back clear. The owner will continue the antibiotics given at the initial exam and feed soft food for the next few days. The cute little black dachsy boy would continue to whack people with his zippy happy tail.

It was truly a happy and joyful ending.

Emergencies happen

2007-03-06T15:55:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those days that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, it's not about whether or not I like being a technician, it never is.

Today we had a situation where a 7 year old dog, 30 pounds over weight was on the table for an ovariohysterectomy (a spay). She had obviously bore many puppies in her 7 years and her uterus was friable (delicate, easily torn) and had a heavy blood supply.

A 7 year old dog should have an IV catheter and fluids running before, during and after surgery. The owner declined this.

All owners are informed at the time they admit their pet that we will not do anything not authorized without first contacting them. There is an exception to that and it is spelled out on the admission form. Very clearly it says that if their pet is in need of emergency life saving measures we will not be spending time contacting them for their permission. These measures will include an IV catheter, fluids and sometimes lifesaving drugs. It may also include immediate blood tests such as an "activated clotting time" and/or a "packed cell volume". We also make it clear that you will be responsible for the charges incurred for these services.

We make it very clear on our admission form and our intake receptionist reads it to the client and asks them to initial every detail and verbally acknowledge their understanding that they must leave a phone number that we can contact them at and if we cannot contact them we will not do anything extra, except if it is emergency life saving measures. You'd be surprised how many times owners will leave 1-4 different numbers and we still cannot get in touch with them.

If your dog is on the table with her abdomen open for a spay and suddenly starts to bleed out, requiring instantaneous emergency measures, what would you like the vet to do? When every ticking second means life or death, do you want us to get you on the phone and wait for you to decide whether or not you want to pay for life saving measures, possibly resulting in her death? Or should we proceed to try to save your dogs life? Can you imagine the vet saying, "stop everything, we have an emergency here, this dog is going to die if we don't do whatever we can. But wait..first we must call the owner and make sure it's okay."

So now we have a client that declined the recommended IV catheter & fluids, understands that if we have a situation that requires emergency measures (knock wood) they will be responsible for those charges.

You guessed it. The dog started bleeding out. Instantly all technicians and assistants are in motion. We need a activated clotting time, IV catheter, fluids and a tech to scrub in to assist and get the crash cart out "just in case" STAT! The vet is up to his elbows in the dogs abdomen and has to concentrate on the task at hand. Ever try to draw blood upside down? How about put in an IV cath in upside down? (remember the dog is on it's back) Another light source is brought in for additional lighting into the deep abdominal cavity of the dog. About a half hour later the dog is stable, the bleeder has been found and stopped and everyone's heart rate is slowing down to a normal pace. The vet is now able to see around him and communicate something other than barking orders. Call the owner, let him know that we had to do a, b & c. Make sure he understands his dog is doing well right now.

Sadly, it turned out to be one of those clients that absolutely thought it was ridiculous that we did what we did. He flat out refused to pay for anything extra over the spay charge and said, "it's just a dog." I guess he thought it was best if we just let his dog die or took the time to call him before we did anything, which likely would have killed the dog.

Just a dog.

Cost is often an issue, we all know it is and this latest event is going to lead to us having clients sign a DNR (do not resuscitate). But why nod your head in agreement, sign your name, initial key points and say, "yes I understand" and then turn around to dig your heals in when an emergency does occur? I don't get it. If you don't want us to save your dogs life SAY SO!

Then there are the owners on the other end of the spectrum that pull out all the stops to save their pet at all costs. Read Christie's recent article in SF Gate "Your Whole Pet/The Cost of Miracles".