November 2011

Cooper’s Dilemma

Hey all!  My name is Cooper and I am a beautiful gray kitty who lives a good life indoors.  My owners love me very much and life is generally pretty good, but a few weeks ago I started vomiting on a fairly regular basis – at least once a day.  I didn’t feel sick; I was still active and had a good appetite, but my owners were concerned and had also noticed that I wasn’t having as many bowel movements as normal.  After a few days of this, my owners brought me to another vet where they gave me fluids and said if my vomiting continued to bring me back.  Well I did continue to vomit and so my owners brought me here to the Dunkirk Animal Clinic for a second opinion.

As the veterinarian was feeling my stomach, she noticed a hard mass in my abdomen – definitely NOT normal.  It was immediately decided that I should stay in the hospital and that an x-ray be taken.  The x-ray revealed a large, indistinguishable mass in my stomach with two suspicious strands of what appeared to be wire.  While all of my vitals were normal, I was kept overnight to recheck the x-ray in the morning and see if whatever was in my stomach had moved.  The next day, both the mass and wire strands had not budged.  At this point, realizing the mass was not ever likely to pass through or resolve on its own, the doctor recommended an exploratory surgery to remove it.  My owners gave the ok to go to surgery first thing Monday morning.  In the meantime, I was kept on IV fluids for hydration and given antibiotics.

The “indistinguishable” mass was removed from my stomach and it was made up of all sorts of fun string-like objects: dried sticks from a wreath, grass, ribbon, easter grass, and wire! The next day after one more night in the hospital for monitoring, I was released to my very happy owners. My owners were told to hide and remove anything “string-like” being that I have such an affinity for strings! Ten days later I came in for my stitch removal – everything had healed well and I was no longer vomiting. I was a new cat!  Hopefully in the future however, I’ll be a little more careful about my dietary indiscretions.

Frank

October 2011

Frank and The Diarrhea Diaries

Hi, I’m Frank the West Highland Terrier and I have a condition called Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency or EPI. My pancreas is unable to make enough of the enzymes necessary to digest my food.  Because of this, I have diarrhea, gas, strange colored or greasy bowel movements, weight loss and occasional vomiting and I am hungry ALL the time.  Without these enzymes my body is not able to break down and utilize all the nutrients in my food and my body begins to waste away.  If I’m not treated, EPI can affect my entire body, including my nervous and immune systems.  This is NOT a fun condition and it is often difficult to diagnose because these symptoms can be indicative of SO many other diseases.  Fortunately for me though, I was diagnosed, am receiving treatment, and am now leading a very normal, healthy life.  Here is my journey.

Love me!

In January of this year, I started passing bowel movements (BM) with a lot of blood and mucus.  I was also beginning to lose weight, which was odd because I was a young, active, very happy and curious dog.  My owners brought me into the vet’s office where they tested a fecal sample to look for internal parasites (a very common cause of diarrhea).  Nothing showed under the microscope (also common), but the vet sent me home with a good de-wormer and medicine for a possible bowel infection.  Over the next few weeks, I did much better – my BM was normal with no blood.

All seemed to be going well until mid-April when I again presented with very loose, bloody stools.  The vet’s office ran another fecal sample and again, no parasites were seen.  At this time, I was diagnosed with Stress Colitis and given a different anti-diarrhea medicine.  My BM improved a little bit and I was also given more of an antibiotic for any infection of the bowels.

In mid July, my owners were going out of town so I was boarded at my Vet’s clinic.  Over this time, my BM was extremely loose again with blood and mucus.  I was treated and put on a special diet for a possible food allergy.

Whatta your got - something to eat?

In mid-August, my condition was such that I was hospitalized overnight and kept on fluids.  In the morning Dr Frost took some blood and sent it out to a laboratory for a test called Tripsin-Like Immunoreactivity (TLI), to check out my pancreas levels.  This test showed my pancreatic enzymes were VERY low and that I appeared to be losing protein through my GI tract.  Neither of these were good findings, however a diagnosis was made – Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency!  That same day I was put on Pancreazyme, a supplement for the pancreas and started on a different special diet for GI health.  The results were nearly immediate!  My bowel movements became normal, I gained weight and I felt like a million dog bones!  To this day, I am a healthy, happy dog.  I’ll always be on pancreas support and need a special diet, but there is no reason I won’t live many, many more fine doggie years.

Ashes

September 2011

Introducing “Ashes”

Hi, my name is Ashes and I am one very lucky cat! About a month ago I was in a mobile home fire where several of my feline and canine friends were not so lucky.  I don’t remember a whole lot – everything was very hot and very smoky and very loud. I struggled for several days under the rubble of the burned home until at last I squirmed my way out from the ashes and a kind passerby found me. My beautiful whiskers were singed near to nothing and the tips of my ears and tail were burned off. I had huge scabs from the hot fire all over my body, and three of my little paws were nearly unrecognizable they were so badly burned.

MeOuch!

I was also extremely thin and blood tests showed that I was severely anemic – so much so, that Mystery, the clinic cat, was kind enough to donate blood for a transfusion.  After the fire, I was in a great deal of pain but somehow still had a voracious appetite and a great attitude. By chance and a little luck, I ended up at the Dunkirk Animal Clinic where for the last several weeks they have been taking great care of me.

Better!

Every day, they have cleaned my paws, changed my bandages, fed me ‘gourmet’ meals and given me medicine to stop infection. Though it will be awhile before I am fully healed, I am doing MUCH better and absolutely LOVE all the attention I am getting. I could not be any happier a cat.

Hi! I'm Doc!

August 2011

“Doc” Schroeter

Hi, my name is Doc, and I am very fortunate to have been found in a ditch by two very loving strangers.  When they found me I was only two pounds and I was very sick. I was severely congested, dehydrated and I had a runny nose and eyes. Worst of all I couldn’t use my left hind leg at all and my face badly injured. I don’t remember how this happened but I am pretty sure that I had a bad run-in with a car.

My face hurts!

My new owners took me to see Dr. Frost, and after her exam she recommended that I have multiple tests and diagnostics to determine everything that was wrong with me. Thankfully my owners agreed.

I was negative for Feline Leukemia, FIV and Feline Heartworms, but I did have ear mites, intestinal parasites, an infected broken leg and several lacerations on my face. Dr. Frost started me on ear mite treatment, an eye ointment, fluid therapy and antibiotics so I could start the healing process. The biggest decision my owners had to make involved my broken leg. My leg was badly broken and infected. Dr. Frost recommended that my leg be amputated. My owners agreed that this  would be the best thing for me for a long and healthy life.

The surgery will help me have a full life, but boy! - I'm tired!

It took me four days on medications, good nourishment and lots of tender care before I was ready for my amputation surgery. Dr. Carlson amputated my leg and sutured the lacerations on my face. I recovered nicely from my surgery and I spent one more night to sleep off my anesthesia before going to my new home.  Two weeks after my surgery I had my stitches taken out, was vaccinated and gained a whole pound. Once I was home I was so happy! I just wanted to eat as much as I could and you would never know that I had only three legs. I was running around and playing with my fellow cat-mates!

I am so thankful for everyone’s hard work and efforts. I am especially so thankful to my new owners who pulled me out of the ditch and gave me an enormous amount of love and care!