Case of the Month Archive
November 2005 | December 2005 | January 2006
January 2006
Our special case this month is a Golden Retriever we will call "Sadie." Sadie was your typical happy energetic dog who always greeted us with a smile and a wag of her tail. We were especially concerned this particular day because she was just not herself. She came in with her head hung low and her tail drooping. Sadie's owner said that she had vomited the night before and had some diarrhea but now seemed to strain without producing any stool. We checked Sadie in for observation, tests and treatment.
Sadie's stool check was normal and her blood tests showed no particular abnormalities. We took X-Rays which were essentially normal as well. Because of the vomiting and diarrhea, Sadie was given fluids and antibiotics. Throughout the day she went on frequent walks, but never even attempted to have a bowel movement. As the evening drew to a close, we could only guess that she had bacterial infection but we were at a loss as to why she became ill. On her last visit outside, she strained for a BM, and on inspection of her movement we discovered a large volume of corn cob in her stool. Sadie's owners said they had no idea that she had ever eaten any corn-on-the-cob. Sadie's condition improved dramatically with tender loving care at home, and after 3 days of close supervision, she was allowed outside on her own. Sadie immediately made a bee-line for the neighbors yard. She made her way to their vegetable garden and tried to help herself to the ripening corn crop!! Her owners intervened, preventing another trip to the vet.
Sadie's saga shows how challenging it can be to diagnose even the simplest disease processes when your patients can't talk. A little detective work is often needed do solve the riddles we are presented with on a daily basis. Thankfully Sadie is doing well and the owners decided to fence in the yard to prevent future mishaps
December 2005
This is the story of "Chipper" the squirrel. At the Burke Veterinary Clinic we see many injured squirrels. We have a very close relationship with Phyllis Zupsic, our local licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Mrs. Zupsic brought Chipper in because it had been attacked by an outdoor cat. The rear leg had an open fracture that was severely contaminated with dirt and dead tissue. These types of injuries are best treated as open wounds to allow the infected material to drain. To repair fractures of such small bones, we had to improvise the materials. First we anesthetized Chipper by using a modified syringe case as a face mask.
Then we cleaned the fracture site and removed any contaminated tissue. The fracture was stabilized by passing small hypodermic needles through the bone and securing them with acrylic.
A mold of Play-Dough was placed around these cross pins, and nail acrylic from the local beauty supply store was poured into the molds.
The acrylic hardened in about 10 minutes. The procedure was then repeated on the other side.
Chipper wisely left the acrylic side bars alone and after a few weeks of Phyllis' tender loving care, the infected wound had healed and the fracture was on the mend.
After about 3 months, the fracture had healed completely and Chipper recovered fully. He was returned to the wild where he was seen climbing trees and thriving. The staff at the Burke Veterinary Clinic appreciates the great work done by Phyllis Zupsic and all the licensed rehabilitators here in Northern Virginia. Our services and materials are provided pro bono as we know that the need is great and the emotional rewards are tremendous. You can get involved by contacting www.wildliferescueleague.org for more information. Become a licensed rehabilitator!
November 2005
For this month we actually have 2 patients that belong in the same household with similar disease processes. "Minnie" and "Moke" are 1 1/2 year old littermates that became ill within 1 month of each other.
Moke, the male orange tabby vomited once in the early morning, but was otherwise acting normally. The owner gave hairball remedy hoping to alleviate his symptoms without a visit to the clinic. The husband left for work, but by 10 a.m. received a call from his wife that Moke had continued to vomit several times. The Mrs. Brought Moke in for and evaluation an observation.
X-rays and blood tests were normal, but Moke continued to vomit. By 2 p.m. it was obvious that Moke needed an exploratory surgery. The Mrs. had noticed the cats playing with (and chewing on) foam rubber puzzle pieces that had belonged to their children. She had put the puzzle pieces on a dresser thinking that they were sufficiently out of reach.
The exploratory surgery revealed a 1" X 1" chunk of bright purple rubber lodged in Moke's small intestine. This was removed, and Moke recovered uneventfully.
One month later, Miss Minnie didn't come down for breakfast. This was astounding, as she lived to eat. The owner reported that Minnie wouldn't even budge from her resting spot when the food was placed in front of her. The husband reported his experience to his wife who then mentioned that Minnie had been chewing on the elastic band of their daughters bathing suit the day before.
Minnie was presented to our clinic that morning for observation, and as with her brother Moke, all tests and X-rays were normal. Since she wasn't vomiting, we gave her a big wallop of hairball remedy and kept her confined for observation. Later that afternoon Minnie defecated a large strand of very colorful cloth with elastic. She immediately perked up and began asking for food. Her recovery was uneventful.
By the way the owners of Minnie and Moke are none other than Dr. and Mrs. Rocky Deutsch. Boy am I glad I'm a veterinarian...