Bark, Bake & Beyond

It’s Friday, and that means I have another case for you today. Today is a tough one. Tough in the sense that it was completely preventable. But, it is a good reminder that our actions and decisions not only affect us, but also other people, and in this case, the pets around us as well. Meet Lizzy (name changed for privacy). Lizzy was a patient of mine for years. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are wonderful little dogs. They have great personalities and make fantastic family pets. She was a sweet little firecracker and I always enjoyed seeing her. Lizzy came to see me due to a cough that she had developed. She was still eating and drinking, but was more quiet and had a new cough. Knowing what we Veterinarians know about Cavaliers, my first thought was that she may be developing heart disease. One unfortunate fact about this breed is that they are genetically predisposed to developing heart disease. Their mitral valve (valve between the ventricle and atrium on the left side of...

So, you are thinking about starting a new baking adventure! Exciting! And overwhelming! I thought about it for years before actually making the jump. My deciding moment was one night while my husband and I were watching the movie Bridesmaids, and the scene came on where Kristen Wiig’s character was in the kitchen making that one beautiful cupcake. I turned to him and said “I’ve wanted to do this for years.” He looked at me and asked what I was waiting for? I started my research the next day and the rest is history! I found it very overwhelming in the beginning. What do I need, where do I start, where do I even find a good recipe to follow? I really had no formal baking or decorating training; almost everything I learned was by watching YouTube videos. I still watch them today if I am struggling with a certain technique or want to learn new ways of doing things. I did take one cake decorating class at my local Michael’s store, but to be honest, by the time I took the course, my sk...

Your dog has just come home from the BEST DAY EVER, and a few hours later you notice that he can’t wag his tail. Maybe you’ve also seen him whimper when trying to sit down, or just can’t seem to posture correctly to go potty. All of these things are symptoms of “Happy Tail.” What is Happy Tail? I diagnose this all the time in dogs, and it is a common reason for dog owners to schedule an appointment. First, I always ask the important questions regarding if there was a possible bite wound to the tail, could the tail have gotten stuck under a chair or in a door, etc. If the answer is no to the “trauma-type” questions, then I ask if the dog was out having “too much fun.” The answer to that question is often “yes.” Let’s step back and discuss anatomy for a minute. After the dog’s tail leaves the pelvic area, all that is there are some tiny vertebrae going down the tail, a lot of surrounding musculature, and the skin. While I have seen broken vertebrae in the tail, that is often due t...

Hello! It’s time for another cool case because it’s Friday! Today’s case involves a local police officer responding to a call that a dog had been hit by a car. As you read about in another one of my Friday posts, this happens all too often. This case was unique for many reasons. Daphne (name changed for privacy) was rushed to me after hours one cold winter night. She was brought in to me by a police officer in the town I was currently living in. He heard a call over the police radio that a dog had been hit by a car, and he was closest to the location given. To his great surprise, when he arrived at the location, he discovered that it was HIS OWN DOG. When he arrived at the Animal Hospital he was very distraught as you can imagine. Daphne was about 8 years old, and unable to walk with her hind legs due to this accident. During her physical exam I found that she was bright and alert thankfully. Her heart and lungs sounded good, with no crackles or wheezes heard while listening ...