abigail414's diaryland diary
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That's why they call it 'practicing' medicine
Dita
Dita is an adorable 1� year old Miniature Schnauzer who is a new mother. Her owners bought her and her partner Malta over a year ago so they could have a litter together. I first saw them for their puppy shots, and have watched them mature into sexually active adults. When they thought Dita was pregnant, I did an ultrasound and saw babies. Right before birth, I x-rayed her to count the six puppies and be sure they would fit through the birth canal. The birth was uneventful, and when they brought the puppies in for tail docking and dew claw removal we chatted about how well Dita was doing.
Last Saturday, Dita wasn�t feeling well. I wasn�t working that day, and another vet at our clinic diagnosed a pyometra (or infected, pus-filled uterus). She was transferred for emergency surgery, and I saw her post-surgery last week for bloodwork. She still had a raging infection, even with her uterus removed, and now her kidneys were affected.
She was checked in for hospitalization, fluids, and IV antibiotics. She had a good attitude, in spite of her bloodwork. Ironically, Malta, her partner in crime was being castrated at the same time. They went home together for the night and she was brought back for more treatment the next day. Her owners are both devastated and terrified. I�m a little nervous myself that something may have gone wrong with the surgery. Luckily, the puppies have been partially weaned onto puppy food and milk replacement so they are doing fine.
I have to wonder if there was any way we could have anticpated this, perhaps provided better information on the birth process to the owner, or administered a post-partum injection to help clear her out. Hindsight is 20:20, but this is what I wake up with in the middle of the night. We do the best we can, but always wonder if there was more.
Ivan
Ivan is a 6 month old Beagle, who has been beagley in every way until last week when he stopped eating and started lying under the bed. (Lest you wonder what �beagley� is, it means very enthusiastic, eats everything, very enthusiastic). I�ve seen him for puppy shots, and he came in last Saturday, (again, when I wasn�t working), was diagnosed with a possible foreign body (something in the stomach/intestines that was eaten and stuck) and was transferred to a different emergency hospital for possible exploratory surgery. The emergency hospital did a barium study and it moved right through so they didn�t cut him open to see what was going on.
He came back on Tuesday, and we tried treating him medically. He came in on Wednesday still not doing well, so we did bloodwork, repeated his x-rays, and planned for exploratory surgery in the morning. He had surgery today, and nothing was stuck anywhere. He didn�t look quite right inside, and biopsies were taken to see what the problem is. I�ll probably be following up on the case tomorrow.
Mental Illness and Beagles
A recent article in the Oprah magazine compared the insatiability of Beagles with Borderline Personality Disorder, and the need to avoid these kinds of people for mental well-being. My immediate reaction was that I was some king of pariah. Then I realized, I was raised by a Beagle, and I like Beagles - they are gung-ho dogs who are committed to what they do, which is mostly sniff out things to eat. Granted, they are a bit obsessive about it, but entertaining in the process. If I am a Beagle, so be it. Besides, a Beagle won the Westminster Dog Show this year. (I almost feel like writing a letter to the editor of 'O' magazine.)
Mental Illness and Cats
A recent veterinary magazine has linked a common disease of cats with schizophrenia. They tested schizophrenics and �normal� people for this disease - where they got the idea I have no clue. But 25% more schizophrenics tested positive than the control. They are heralding this as a major breakthrough in understanding the cause and treatment of schizophrenia. As a former quasi-statistician, and someone currently on a schizophrenia drug (no, I'm not, but the drug helps anyway - plus I have 3 cats), I think the study is flawed in that a) it does not rule out the possibility that schizophrenics may have more cats, b) the more cats you have the crazier you may become, or c) the simple act of owning a cat may put you at risk for shizophrenia.
On that cheerful note, we all bid you adieu.
10:30 p.m. - 2008-03-12
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