Category Archives: Internal Medicine

Systemic Fungus Infections

What is wrong with this kitten? How did she get this classic "Roman Nose" profile?  She wasn't born with it.  She has an infection called Histoplasmosis, a systemic fungus. Most folks have heard of "toe-nail fungus" or "athlete's foot" or ringworm. These are fungus infections  of the skin, and they don't go deep into the […]

Over-the-Counter Pain Medicines for Dogs? Not so much, no.

 Dogs tend to be good-natured and stoic, and often conceal their pain.  Many times we find older patients who have really painful arthritis, and the owner describes the problem, as:  “Well, he’s slowing down some.  Just getting old.” A short round of anti-inflammatory pain medicine sometimes reveals that he wasn’t “just getting old” – he […]

First Aid for the Poisoned Pet

Today a lady arrived at our door with a drooling, twitching puppy, and around a half-gallon of insecticide.  It had been a full gallon when she left the house. When she returned home from her errand, she found the puppy in considerable distress.  He had chewed on the spray-tube apparatus, and managed to drain half […]

Sometimes the very best care is not enough.

We can do so many wonderful things with medicine and surgery that we begin to think we can fix anything.  If we just do the right thing, make the right choices, do the right tests, perform the right treatments, we can make the patient well again. Well, doing the right thing is certainly better than […]

Diagnostic Workup Success – that almost wasn’t.

This is Molly.  A few days ago she was presented for an examination.  She had been limping a little the night before and just didn't feel well. There was no lameness when she came in, but she didn't have much mojo.  She didn't seem in any distress really, just no energy.  She also had not […]

Mega-Esophagus and “The Third Opinion”

This is Bear.  He's nibbling at the grass here.  For over one year he has had frequent episodes of vomiting.  Sometimes it's just a little fluid, sometimes undigested food, sometimes a little grass, or a combination of the above. He came to see us after having numerous unsatisfactory attempts at treatment.  "I'm here for a […]

Spay your dog while she’s young and healthy – new episode.

I have posted before on this very subject before.  Today's case is just too much for words (unless, like myself, you've got a way with words).  Little miss Backtrack here is in a pretty precarious situation today due to several serious medical problems.  I didn't get to ride my motorcycle on this beautiful day, as […]