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Soph the vet

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Posts posted by Soph the vet

  1. Hi Astrid,

    Sorry, just saw this and I don't get on here much anymore.

    I actually had a friend with a coonhound in Connecticut, she was a tech with me way back (20 yrs. ago) in Stamford.

    Ok, not a lot this family can do if the dog truly has polyradiculoneuritis. Supportive care, physical therapy, no specific treatment. I'm guessing things have gone one way or another by now with this dog. Other rule-outs would have included disc disease, fibrocartilaginous emboli, discospondylitis, tick paralysis, etc.

    Soph

  2. It would be more helpful to know the actual BUN and creatinine values separately...they are both indicators of kidney function but both can also be affected by hydration status and BUN can be influenced by other organs like the liver. Obviously, the ratio you reported is increased but I have no idea if it is increased because both values are increased or just one dramatically.

    The low bicarb can go along with kidney issues or diarrhea....in a horse :). Aren't there any human docs out there willing to stick their necks out on this one? :D

  3. I'm guessing the rat snake is more scared of you than you are of him. I'm not a snake expert (my son has a corn snake, similar to a rat snake) but I don't think rat snakes are supposed to be too aggressive. Why not just coax him out with some kind of long-handled tool. Yelling at him won't help because they are deaf.:D

  4. Hi Kate,

    I would have a urinalysis performed to see if she has a urinary tract infection or has a crystalluria (often controlled with diet) or has become a diabetic and has a larger volume of urine and harder to control. It can be behavioral, but I would rule out a medical reason first.

  5. Because there are no scientific studies that I know of I cannot recommend dividing the doses. Common sense would say that it is OK to do that with some drugs, including Frontline, and I do have clients who have done that. Other drugs it would not work and even prove dangerous. Heartguard, for example, cannot be divided because the medicine is not uniform throughout the chewable tablet. Just FYI.

  6. Benadryl is fine to give to dogs at the dose your friend recommended however it rarely does much for allergies. Some dogs respond to antihistamines but most need other management or meds. I agree with Chris that most allergies are manifested as skin and ear problems, not goopy eyes, but I have had that happen in a few patients. Runny eyes can be an indication of other things like an upper respiratory infection, some kind of systemic illness, plugged nasolacrimal ducts, or something like keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS or dry eye). If your pug does not improve over the next day or so I would recommend seeing your regular vet.

    Soph

    (a vet :D)

  7. Advice from a vet here:D.

    My best friend and I at the age of 5 knew we wanted to be vets...and he is now practicing exotic medicine in NC and I am here in MN still in practice. I was not a stellar science student in middle school. In fact all I remember about 7th grade is the fruit fly experiment. I did not even take high school chemistry...gasp!! I did get good grades in all my science classes in college...hated...abhorred Organic chemistry and had to take it twice because I partied too much at UCONN in the 80's (we were the #6 party school in the nation at the time). Finally buckled down and got great grades in the classes I really loved: anatomy, biology, anything to do with animals. Got into vet school at the U of MN and never got below a B. Sure it is very hard work, but middle school is not the place to stress over it. Keep encouraging her love of animals. Do not burn her out on middle and high school science courses that may be too much of a drag for her. There is plenty of time in college to shine in her biology and animal science classes in order to get into vet school. And just an FYI, if she wants to do food animal she will be a for sure candidate. There is a shortage of those!

  8. There are various subspecies of Strep, none of which that I can think of would be related to tick bites. Strep is usually spread via respiratory secretions whether by direct contact or aerosolized droplets. Ticks can give you things like Lyme disease, Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Rocky Mounted Spotted Fever, etc.

  9. Sorry, Ann, just saw this and I'm guessing your finger is either fine or you are dead....just kidding. I've gotten bit by our hamsters too and they are not as bad as cat bites which will land people in the hospital.

  10. Sorry, Lacie, just saw this and not sure if the calf is even still around. Clear nasal discharge can be a virus. If the calf has been sickly since birth I would be concerned about its immune system being normal or not. So many things could be wrong with this calf and hard for me to know without seeing it. Unfortunately, further investigation on the vet's part is more costly for the owner so it may be an economic issue, not that the vet "can't" do anything for the calf.

    As for benadryl, etc. Many oral meds do not get absorbed well by ruminants. I do not think antihistamines will do much for a calf like this. Wish I could tell you more but really need to see the calf.

    Soph

  11. I think your schedule looks fine. I have a 7th grader and have been wrestling with Saxon 87 vs. Algebra 1/2 for pre-algebra. She is comfortable with the format of 87 but 1/2 is a little more in-depth (after exhaustive comparison side by side by my engineer math geek dh). So here is our line-up:

     

    Who Is God? Apologia worldview/Bible

    Saxon Algebra 1/2 and Life of Fred Pre-algebra w/economics just to read for fun

    Rod and Staff English 7

    Spelling Workout H

    Vocabulary from Classical Roots A and B

    Introductory Logic

    Biblioplan Middle Ages, Renaissance, Reformation

    General Science Apologia (lab with local co-op)

    Writing Foundations junior high level one (outsourced, IEW-like)

    Acting 1 (co-op)

    Spanish 1 (co-op)

    Piano

    Softball

    Swimming

    Ice Skating (co-op)

    Art: Clay (co-op)

    Choir

  12. Unfortunately, all the bad stuff gets posted on the internet! We have tons of dogs on Proin, including a few males, without incident. Your dog is 12 so you need to be careful with any med you add to his life, but Proin is not something that makes me go...ahhhh! Run!! If urinary incontinence is going to mean damaged floors and a dog possibly euthanized, then I would definitely try the Proin, no question.

  13. I agree with Perry and Jan. Get thee to an orthopedic specialist who deals in feet! Not all hairline fractures or stress fractures will show up on a plain radiograph. An orthopedic doc will also be familiar with all possible ligaments and tendons that can be torn and which actually can be more painful and definitely take longer to heal than a fracture.

    Rule of thumb: longer the word, longer the healing takes:

    Bone = 2 months

    Tendon = 3 months

    Ligament = 6 months

     

    But I am just a veterinarian, what do I know:lol:.

    I have a 9yr. old ds as well and I will be praying yours can still have a good time at family camp!

    Soph

  14. Yes, it certainly could be related to senility, especially if the stool is normal.

    Anipryl is one drug that has been used for Canine Cognitive Dysfunction or senility but it is expensive and not without side effects. Some dogs respond well and some do not respond at all. Trying a diet with antioxidants may be of benefit as well as Omega fatty acids for brain health.

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