You are what you eat.

Hi All,

Libby here.

As some of you may know, this coming Wednesday is the second of the really big Jewish holidays- Yom Kippur. It's a day of fasting and reflection.

In honor of this holiday, today's post will be about the opposite of fasting- specifically, eating. Even more specifically, things that animals tend to eat that shouldn't be eaten.

A couple of weeks ago, a dog came in to the PPAC with cerebellar hypoplasia. For those of you who don't remember (or who are silly enough to not stay completely up-to-date on my fabulous posts,) cerebellar hypoplasia is a condition where animals have an under-developed balance center- like Oskie, the Silverman's cat. But I digress. Cerebellar hypoplasia has nothing to do with this case.

Anyway this two year old, sixty pound dog came into the office vomiting and having not eaten for around three days. Dr Quim took a look at the dog and decided that the dog should have some X-rays taken to learn more. The X-ray findings proved to be non-specific-that means they didn't really help to identify a specific condition that was causing the problem. The dog went home with medication to treat the vomiting and loss of appetite but returned the next day displaying the same symptoms.

Another physical examination was conducted and this time, Dr. Quim felt a lump in the middle of the dog's belly. He took another X-ray to try to find out what was the cause of the lump and found out that there was an obstructing object in the dog's intestines.

Surgery was performed and a champagne cork was removed from the belly of this poor, silly, dog's small intestines.

He went home the next day and has been feeling better ever since (other than the fact that he has an unfortunate tendency to knock into things because of his cerebellar hypoplasia).

And the moral of the story? Be careful what you leave around the house. Dogs, (being slightly less intelligent than their feline friends), have a tendency to put almost anything they find lying around into their bodies. So next time you pop the bubbly, make sure to dispose of the cork in a safe place where your dog can't access it.

And on that note, have an easy fast to those who are fasting. And to all the dogs (and select cats who also have insatiable appetites), be careful what you eat.

Til' next time,

Libby

Happy New Year

Hi All,

Libby here!

For those of you who don't know, the month of September is a very important one for Jewish people.

This is because they celebrate two pretty important days this month; The Jewish New Year (otherwise known as Rosh Hashanah), and, Yom Kippur.

I won't go into the specifics of either of them but, if you happen to wonder why there are no Jewish people in the office for the next two days, it's because the New Year starts this evening at sundown, and continues through until Tuesday evening.

And so, although I am not personally Jewish (Judaism is passed down through the mother) and my momma was most definitely a non Jew, as an adoptee of Dr. S, I am sort of Jewish by association.

And therefore, tomorrow will be a day of rest for me and I will not be posting.

Until my next post, here is an amazing, completely un-animal related video: Gangnam Style, to tide you over.

For my fellow Jews,  have a happy and a healthy New Year.

Til next time,

Libby

Gas is no laughing matter!

Hi All,

Libby here.

Summer may have ended last week but it sure doesn't feel like it!

But enough about the weather. This week, I want to talk about something called 'bloat'.

Now for the ladies out there, this may sound like a familiar condition. 

But, the bloat I am going to talk about today has nothing to do with that sort of bloat.

NOO. This bloat, is something far more serious.

Bloat is when the stomach spontaneously fills up with a lot of gas.

Farting jokes aside, bloat sometimes makes the stomach twist creating a situation where the gas can't escape from either end (imagine eating a Chipotle burrito and not being able to use the facilities afterward).Times 1000. Needless to say, this results in an incredibly painful and potentially life threatening situation. Gas is no joke!

Well, this unfortunately occurred to Dr. Quim's beloved pet, Sierra, who was boarding at the PPAC this past weekend. She was just hanging out, minding her own business when suddenly, out of nowhere, she started panting heavily.

Bloat is especially common in dogs who are deep chested, such as Dobermans and Great Danes. It usually occurs after they have a large meal or drink a lot and exercise afterwards (remember when your mom told you to not swim on a full stomach!)

But sometimes, it can happen spontaneously to other breeds as well, as was the case with Dr. Quim's dog.

Fortunately, the techs at the PPAC were on top of their game and called the bloat to Dr. Holloway's attention ASAP. Dr. Holloway immediately sedated Sierra, put a stomach tube into her, and relieved the gas and semi-digested food, saving the day. After the procedure, Sierra felt much better.

So ladies and gents, if you ever observe your dog looking very bloated or with a distended stomach, bring your animal in to the vet immediately. Time is of the essence so this sort of condition needs to be addressed ASAP.

Always be on the lookout for excess gas!

Til' next time,

Libby

A Widdle Kitty

Hi All,

Libby here.

I hope you're all enjoying your Labor Day weekends!

Out of respect for my beloved readers, I decided to not take a complete day off and post today in spite of the fact that everyone else is relaxing and BBQing their summers away. But don't worry about me or anything. I'm just taking one for the team.

As summer winds to a close (tear, sob) I've become reflective on life.

What's it all for? Why are we doing this? What's my higher purpose. ( I know- pretty profound for a cat, right?)

I recently had a situation which reminded me to be thankful for what I have, that of course occurred at my favorite hang out, the PPAC.

We recently had the good fortune to be graced by the presence of one 'Blackie', a tiny widdle kitty who was found abandoned in the great outdoors with two broken legs. He was rescued by two good samaritans and is currently recouping at the PPAC. This little guy reminds me how fragile life can be!

Now you know that I abhor any 'baby' talk when it comes to me and my furry friends but there's kind of no other way to describe this little guy other than 'widdle'. He's just so friggin cute and helpless and I want to pick him up and squeeze his cheeks, OOH! Here he is:

Tell me that's not just the sweetest little thing you've ever seen! 

Anyway, he was abandoned and to be quite blunt, probably wouldn't have made it if not for these generous souls who took pity on his pathetic little self. And that's the sort of thing that makes me appreciate life that much more.

Sorry for the somewhat somber tone of this posting but it's just what's on my mind!

Til next time,

Libby