Providing medical care for pets is challenging and very
rewarding. It’s called the practice of veterinary medicine. And
practice is a good description. Everything I do has some little
nuance that makes it unique, and in its own way, demanding. No two
cases are identical. Even a
”
simple
”
flea allergy can have a surprise associated with it. And here’s
an example to prove the point.
Providing medical care for pets is challenging and very rewarding. It’s called the practice of veterinary medicine. And practice is a good description. Everything I do has some little nuance that makes it unique, and in its own way, demanding. No two cases are identical. Even a “simple” flea allergy can have a surprise associated with it. And here’s an example to prove the point.
I remember a dog that came in covered with fleas. This poor pooch was so itchy he couldn’t sleep at night (neither could his owner because of all the noise he made scratching himself). But when I asked a few standard questions, I became suspicious there were more than just a few fleas behind this dog’s misery.
You see, his owner told me that she also had a very itchy rash on her ankles and wrists. We wondered if this pooch had transmitted his condition to her. Thinking this might be a possibility I did a skin scrape, a procedure where the surface of the skin is scratched lightly to collect skin cells and debris. I studied the cells under a microscope and found a heavy infestation of sarcoptic mange mites. This dog had scabies, a skin disease easily passed between animals and humans! Had I treated this dog only for fleas, I wouldn’t have solved his or his owner’s problems at all. I was glad I asked the owner a few questions. Asking questions and listening to the owner had made this diagnosis much easier.
The practice of veterinary medicine requires good communication between doctor and client. Questions and answers tell us a lot about a pet’s disease, giving us a detailed history of the problem. How long has it been present? Is it worse now than when it first occurred? Does it affect other animals or other members of the family? Answers to these and other queries help us focus on the problem, making for a quicker and more accurate diagnosis. Good medicine always requires input between the client and veterinarian.
Peg and I went to a special celebration a few weeks ago for a friend who had moved away. It was a surprise 80th birthday party for Maxine, who had been a client for 27 years.
In our business, we share many life experiences with clients and their pets. Together, we live through both happy and sad times. We experience the cycle of life.
Maxine is a special person, almost the perfect client for a veterinarian like me. She always loved English bulldogs. But more importantly, she and I shared a wonderful relationship for a very long time. She always listened to my suggestions, and I learned from her by listening to her ideas and experience. Pet owners, especially breeders, have taught me so much over the years. Their background provides a unique perspective to many health problems faced by their animals.
Maxine and I had discovered a common thread the first time we met. Her first English bulldog was a brother to the first “bully” I had as a child. We bonded from that moment of discovery. Bulldog owners have a lot of mutual respect.
Over the years, I learned a great deal from this woman and her many bulldogger friends. This is a breed that demands special attention and has some unique needs. Practicing veterinary medicine means building on the knowledge learned from experience, both personal and that of others. All breeds have their special needs. And vets can learn a lot from people with years of experience with their dogs and cats.
Lots of Maxine’s friends were there to enjoy some wonderful stories. We talked about our past companions, William P and Moi, Reggie and Pebbles. And we talked about our dogs that we love so much now, Marianne and Lottie. We agreed we had been blessed with wonderful pets and even better friends.
Eighty years have gone by quickly for someone so in love with her wonderful dogs and friends. Maxine told me she looks forward to many more. So do we.
Q: Hans, our 15-month-old German Shepherd, has been limping for about a month. His veterinarian told us he has elbow dysplasia. I thought dysplasia was a disease of the hips. The vet says he needs surgery to remove a separated or “un-united” piece of bone. What does this mean? What happens if we don’t have the surgery?
A: Sorry to hear about Hans’ malady. Dysplasia is a term that means abnormal development, and it can occur to any growing part of a puppy’s body. Dysplasia can show its ugly head in the hips, shoulders, or in the case of your pup, the elbow.
One of the more common forms of elbow dysplasia occurs during puppy growth when a small piece of bone called the anconeal process, fails to attach to a larger bone, the ulna. Normally, these two bones fuse together by the time a puppy reaches 5 months of age. But if this union fails to occur, the anconeal process remains loose. This loose bone moves freely and does damage to the cartilage in the elbow joint as the puppy walks, runs and plays. Abnormal wear and tear occurs quickly. The first signs of lameness indicate pain and damage is already starting to occur.
The only effective treatment for this condition is surgical removal of the loose fragment. The good news is that this surgery is usually successful in stabilizing the elbow joint and preventing any further development of arthritis. But if the condition goes untreated for too long, irreversible damage to the cartilage is almost certain to occur. It’s safe to say that if you choose not to have this joint surgically treated, Hans will become lame and arthritic in his elbow at a very young age.
In some dogs, this condition can occur in both elbows, so ask your veterinarian to evaluate Hans’s other leg as well.
So what should you do? When pet-owners are faced with a big decision such as this, I suggest that they get a second opinion. You might want to ask your vet for a referral to an orthopedist or surgeon. Together, you can map out a strategy that will be best for Hans. Some veterinarians are now using arthroscopic surgery and this may be the best for your dog. Be persistent and find out what you want to do. Good luck.
Pete Keesling is a veterinarian at San Martin Veterinary Hospital and co-hosts Petpourri, a weekly show about pet health on KTEH in San Jose and a bi-weekly column for South Valley Newspapers. If you have any questions about pet care, please mail them to Vets, 30 E. Third St., Morgan Hill, Calif. 95037.
