Ear Infections in Dogs: When External Ear Canals are Removed
Cocker spaniel Fred, an active dog who loves to chase deer and squirrels in the field behind his home, was about five years old when his owner, Dick Moreau, noticed that his pet had been shaking his head and scratching his ears. This went on for a couple of weeks until Mr. Moreau took a close look at Freds ears and found what looked like a growth inside the left one. He took Fred…
Breed Trend Facts and Figures
Mutts, or mixed breeds, remain the most popular canine pet, with all pure breeds following behind. In the 1890s, after mutts, it was Saint Bernards that were among those breeds topping the charts. They really were used to locate and rescue freezing and helpless travelers in the Swiss Alps, not just then but for centuries. …
Do Not Resuscitate Orders for Dogs
At many veterinary hospitals, particularly at referral hospitals that have intensive care units such as the Foster Hospital at the Cummings School, any one of three color codes may be in order: Code Red, Code Yellow, or Code Green. And its up to you, the owner, to decide which its going to be. It comes down to how aggressive you want the veterinary teams efforts to become in working to save your dog should she stop breathing.
The Nuts and Bolts of CPR
Dog owners should be aware that in no way is CPR a guarantee that a dog will start breathing again. Papers have shown that the actual success rate of CPR is not great, which is the same as for people, says Armelle de Laforcade, DVM, an emergency and critical care veterinarian at Tufts. We can in many cases get the heart beating again, but the dog will have a high chance of arresting again or…
Which Goes First, the Heart Or the Lungs?
When people die on the surgery table, its usually a result of cardiac arrest. The heart stops after beating erratically (fibrillation), and that is followed by a cessation of breathing. Dogs tend to have cardiac arrest, on the other hand, because they stop breathing to begin with. Either way, its cardiopulmonary arrest, cardio standing for the heart and pulmonary signifying the lungs. Thats why theres both a C and a P in the CPR that…
Does Your Dog Need a Sedative or Painkiller?
A number of older dogs are brought to our Foster Hospital for Small Animals because they have started engaging in outbursts of bizarre behavior. Before they get here, it has often been assumed that they have developed canine cognitive decline - the dog version of Alzheimers - and have been administered sedatives to keep them calm in the throes of their dementia. But what we have found in more than a few cases is…
Minimally Invasive Surgery Reaches the Veterinary Operating Room
Minimally invasive surgeries like laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery, have been performed on people for at least three decades, but now they are coming into more and more common use in veterinary operating rooms. Its a trend in human medicine that veterinarians are happy to be following.
Whats Involved in a Spay? Youll Get a Different Answer in Europe
Whether performed laparoscopically or traditionally, a spay in the United States generally means removing both the ovaries and the uterus. Not so in Europe, where for quite a long time spays have involved removing the ovaries only. The reason we remove the uterus here is concern over a uterine infection after the operation called stump pyometra. …
Your Dog’s Eye Goo: When to Worry
If the gook in your dogs eye is white to clear and in the eyes inner corner, thats normal, says veterinary ophthalmologist Nancy Bromberg, VMD, MS, DACVO, chair of the public relations committee for the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmology. Almost all dogs have that. I recommend just using good old warm water on a cotton ball to get out the gook, comments the doctor, who treats pets eyes at her practice in Fairfax, Virginia.
What Is Meant by Trauma to the Eye
The worst thing Ive ever had to deal with is a dog getting shot in the eye, says Fairfax, Virginia-based veterinary ophthalmologist Nancy Bromberg, VMD, MS, DACVO. Usually trauma takes the form of foreign bodies - splinters in the conjunctiva [which lines the inside of the eyelids and also covers the white of the eye] or under the dogs third eyelid or stuck right into the cornea. Ive seen that a fair amount in hunting…
Whats the Deal with Tea Tree Oil?
Google the words tea tree oil, and the results could make your head spin. Some sites sing its praises as a healing elixir with the power to effectively treat bacterial and fungal infections that render your dogs skin or ears itchy, while others warn that tea tree oil is a highly toxic substance, even applied topically, and can leave your pet paralyzed or even dead. Which view is right? …
