Weird Things That Worked



(Courtesy of moxie.mislitter.com)

Two of the the best aspects of practicing veterinary medicine are the interesting variety of cases and creative options for treatment one has. Unlike human medics who, whether for fear of liability or lack of opportunity and creativity, seem rarely to deviate from well-tested and prescribed standards of care, veterinarians frequently venture off the beaten path. This isn't to say we don't have standard treatments and well-documented outcomes, but many of us have them in addition to a bag of tricks and a toy box full of improvised tools.

I've already written about Bea the Standardbred trotting filly and re-purposing concrete rebar as a splint. On the other end of the weight spectrum, I've reshaped a wire clothes hanger to stabilize a tibial fracture on a chihuahua puppy. And many a syringe casing sliced in half length-wise and custom-padded has been applied to an avian leg fracture. Animals have a remarkable ability to heal with a little help and enforced rest of the injury.

Some of my most curious cases have involved what are politely termed dietary indiscretions. Other descriptions include "garbageitis" or the shocked, "She ate WHAT ?




(Courtesy of Mydogatewhat?)

In particular, there was the cocker spaniel known for eating rugs. Things usually passed uneventfully but unfortunately one of her taste tests involved a floor covering with very sturdy jute backing. Apparently undeterred by the toughness of her snack, she doggedly persisted and managed to ingest a significant amount of  rug before discovery. However, the jute proved superior in the end because she required surgery.

And that's where it got interesting.

Foreign body removal is a somewhat routine endeavor in canine medicine. Usually, the offending material is located, a minimal incision is made to retrieve the object(s) which can usually be 'milked' along to the opening, and some portion of the gastrointestinal tract is sutured back together. Occasionally the non-food item will cause enough injury that removing a portion of bowel is necessary. This is a more involved procedure with additional risks for infection and poor healing but still frequently encountered. 

(Spay hook, courtesy of studydroid.com)

This little cocker was another case altogether. She'd eaten so much rug that over a foot of her small intestine was so tightly packed with a mesh work of fiber that it wasn't moving in the least. Despite being somewhat distended, the bowel looked healthy and I really didn't want to do a resection. I also didn't want to make multiple incisions along that much bowel. Then I spied the spay hook in my surgical pack. Long and narrow with a smooth hook on the end, it was the perfect instrument to snake up and down the small intestine from one central incision without risk of damaging the intestinal lining.

The moral of the story: High fiber diets aren't always ideal.

Brenna the Golden Retriever had an interesting resolution too. This was one of those attempts to prevent significant additional expense and also due to a dietary "oops." Brenna liked to eat rocks.

(Have I mentioned my doubts about the intellectual capacity of some canines yet?)

She'd been a bit off of late and given her history an abdominal x-ray seemed in order. We saw what looked like pebbles in various stages of transit, none of them seemed large enough to cause a problem. The medium-sized fish hook in her stomach was a different story.

We discussed referring Brenna for endoscopy to remove the fish hook, less invasive than abdominal surgery but still pricey. Watching and waiting was a nail-biting option and has been known to lead to a good outcome but if the hook left the stomach the chance of it perforating the intestines was a concern. That left abdominal surgery or inducing vomiting, both of which had drawbacks. Anesthetic risk, healing time, the possibility of infection and expense of surgery versus the hook lodging in and possibly perforating the esophagus, which would be much more complicated to manage. As we discussed our options Brenna sat wagging her tail, happy to be off the x-ray table and sniffing around for a treat.

There was the answer to the dilemma. She really would eat anything.

After a little more discussion, I mixed up a slurry of canned food and water, soaked several pieces of roll cotton in the resulting slop and offered them to Brenna who gleefully gulped them down. She completely obliged my plan to feed her enough cotton to engage the fish hook. Brenna was perhaps a little less delighted a few minutes later when she vomited into a large and strategically placed basin, but finding the fish hook in the resulting mess was cause for the human participants to rejoice. I used this same technique a few years later with another dog who'd eaten a disposable razor, blade and all. Curiously, the second dog was also a Golden Retriever.

Sometimes what goes down must come up.

Cat...Got Your Tongue?

For a  rural veterinarian emergency calls are often part of the job. It's not unusual for my phone to ring late at night or on a Sunday afternoon. However, after 23 years in practice even the emergency calls fall into a few categories and I usually know before I see them what to expect and what I'll need to do to ensure a good outcome.

(Courtesy of collegehumor.com)

There are the various traumatic injuries of  hit-by-car cases, the vomiting and diarrhea for a week that becomes an emergency after midnight, seizure disorders, urinary blockages, and c-sections.

The other consistent feature of emergency calls is that if they aren't horses, they're dogs. For horses, it's typically colic or fence wounds. I attribute this to the well-known fact that domestic horses are accidents looking for a place to happen, and they're very diligent in their search. Horses can get hurt in a padded room, which is why they recover from anesthesia whenever possible wearing a helmet, under close supervision and in a padded room.
(If you think I'm exaggerating or the picture above is an anomaly, check out the stories on this Horse Forum site, which has an entire heading entitled "Stuck in the fence.")

Dogs are just prone to doing dumb things like chasing large vehicles, eating all manner of things they shouldn't, and fighting fang and claw for a scrap of food or patch of turf. 

In most cases, the cause of the injury or illness is obvious.

So Daphne's emergency call was especially unusual. Daphne is a young adult barn cat. She's one of the lucky ones, carefully supervised and well-cared for despite her outdoor habitation. It was that careful supervision that occasioned an emergency call one spring weekend. Her owner, Joanne Robb, was on the way through the barn for a horseback ride and, as was her habit, checked on her Barn Lions. She noticed Daphne's tongue, "hanging out." From the sound of her voice I knew it was serious and we agreed to meet at the clinic as soon as possible. A quick exam revealed that Daphne's tongue had multiple lacerations, the most serious of which irregularly transected 1/4 to 1/3 of the tip, leaving it attached on the left side by a few millimeters. Her owner was still shaky from concern and adrenalin, the carrier was a bloody mess, and although certain it wasn't life-threatening, I was completely puzzled as to the cause of the injury. Daphne, inscrutably Sphinxish, purred.

Ya gotta love barn cats!

In addition to the most serious full-thickness laceration, there was another sharp, v-shaped wound further back on her tongue. It looked as if it had been pulled into a piece of machinery, something no self-respecting cat would ever allow.

(Courtesy of Icanhascheezburger)

What was clear was that Daphne needed some reconstructive surgery. The challenge was to debride the wound while preserving blood supply and giving her something she could eat and groom with. I sutured the smaller laceration first, carefully trimmed the damaged right tip and then angled the left edge around front. When I finished, tiny knots studded the top and underside of her tongue but the margins aligned nicely and I was hopeful.

She recovered well from anesthesia despite seeming a bit puzzled to awaken wearing a soft Elizabethan collar to prevent her from licking something rough or pawing at her tongue. The next morning she happily ate her breakfast and seemed so unfazed by the zig-zag of her tongue that I feared she'd work the knots out of the sutures before they were due to dissolve in 10-14 days. Fortunately they held long enough and on recheck she seemed as good as new. Despite a congenial purr she remained mum on the source of her tongue-slashing.

For an interesting look at what a tongue actually does when a cat drinks, see this MIT news story. It may not be what you think.

Adopt a Shelter Cat Month may be past but there are still plenty of cats and kittens at your local adoption center, please consider taking one, (Or three!), home today.

Eau de Force

I've written about some of the joys of rural living, peaceful morning walks on less traveled roads and abundant wildlife among them.There is, however, a downside to the country lifestyle . And that would be the abundant wildlife that decides to take up residence.

The barn swallows swooping around at dusk are aeronautic wonders. Nonetheless they can be a bit messy and the little ones sometimes fledge a day or two early and need rescuing from the ostensibly prescription-food-only resident barn cats. And the spring peepers and crickets are often so loud it's difficult to sleep with the windows open.

Racoons in the barn are a feng shui disaster. Anything loose will be strewn about. Anything  not loose will be similarly strewn about but only after a thorough pawing and gnawing.

(Courtesy of sterlingwildlife.com)

Oppossums are singularly unattractive in an abundantly-fanged, prehistoric sort of way. I've managed to avoid close contact with a live specimen but the fact that barn cats back away, even from days-old wiggly youngsters, suggests a significant personal hygiene issue even if they haven't been flat on the road for three days.



However, the critter least appreciated in the immediate vicinity is the skunk. This has been a breaking news event at my house for about three weeks, which is how long we've been gingerly approaching our mailbox across the street. They were kinda cute the first time we saw them, mom with three black and white bundles of fluff toddling after her. That was when we thought they were just passing through. Our assessment of cute changed as it became apparent they intended to be permanent residents. Our lack of enthusiasm for the odiferous occupants dwindled even further when they began regular visits into the yard. Now they're circumnavigating the entire house and we are seriously not pleased.

So, 'What to do? What to do?' we wondered.
Repelling them with scent came to mind but given the odor of magnitude with which they live that seemed unlikely to succeed and potentially disasterous for other resident mammals, like us. Did I really want to endure the odor of something so bad that skunks fled?

A client offered the information that skunks don't like moth balls. This would have been a viable option but for the illegality and moral dilemma of spreading toxic chemicals around the yard.

We are a dedicated gun-free zone so that left trapping and relocation or direct intimidation as options. In the interests of barn peace and horse health, we've trapped and "re-homed" an assortment of critters to the other side of the river. However, the logistics of trapping and transporting four skunks seemed daunting, and there may be a small but significant DNR-type legal issue there too.

Direct intimidation it was to be.

Here I should note that my dismay at resident skunks and somewhat academic interest in encouraging their departure is vastly superceded by my husband's distress and dedication to establishing an extensive skunk free zone.

The not-so-little-anymore skunks had taken to investigating the lawn for grub snacks at all hours of the day and night. Somewhat fortified by the belief that immature skunks are not fully armed in the scent department he approached and shouted something in English, his native language I should note, while waving his arms in a firmly suggestive shooing motion. This resulted in the skunk lifting his nose and tail from the ground and peering up at him. Neither of them apparently perceived a significant threat because the skunk went back to nosing the ground and my husband, obviously emboldened by the immediate lack of spraying, closed in a bit.

Raising his hands over his head like a Hollywood zombie and frantically hopping from side to side he began a high-volume, decidedly non-English, somewhat crazed growl no doubt meant to scare the skunk but simultaneously sending my daughter and me into paroxyms of laughter. (Ever equipped with her trusty smart phone and needing virtually no encouragement from me to hurry before he stopped, she has the scene on video for posterity and future bargaining power. I may see a car in her future...) We were further amused from the safety of the house when, in true contrary adolescent fashion, the juvenile skunk once again looked up at the peculiarly berzerk human, near-sightedly squinted, and ambled closer for a better look.

Skunk two, human zero.

We did offer unofficial points for entertainment value but clearly the minimal degree of difficulty was costing the home team.


Feeling a bit sorry for his lack of success and apparent dejection and really relieved that he hadn't returned to the house smelling of skunk I offered the thought that I'd considered spraying them with the garden hose. He was a man rejuvenated, which is why he spent several days and nights this week armed with about 150 feet of hose chasing the skunk family around the yard and back across the street. I'm not sure our version of homeland security is any match for a skunk's version of biological warfare but fortunately they don't seem inclined to spray at intermittant but doggedly horizontal "rain."

His efforts so far, while mildly reminiscent of Caddyshack, haven't yet reached single-minded-anihilation intensity. I'm hoping they decide to relocate on their own, particularly in view of the fact that a recent check revealed baby skunk scent glands mature at about four weeks of age and they have an approximate range of 15 feet, which is more than the distance from driveway to front door...

Jackie Be Nimble--A Jack Russell Terrier Story

An old adage talks about cats having nine lives, and many of them do indeed survive and heal from amazing wounds and mishaps. And then there's Jackie.

Jackie was actually a Jack Russell Terrorist of some renown. Though small of stature, like most members of the breed she fancied herself considerably larger and fiercer than her 14 pounds would seem to  prudently indicate. As a group, JRTs are high energy, perpetual motion and almost too smart. If veterinary medicine had an attention deficit/hyperactivity diagnosis the Jack Russell would be the poster dog.

Many a dog-savvy owner has been slow to realize until too late that the adorable 12 week old bundle of terrier scruff is now a dictator of Stalinist proportions entirely in charge and running the household routine.

Unfortunately, Jackie's owners were all that and also a poor match for her Houdini tactics. Additionally, she had a nose for trouble which often led her far afield.


One of her initial visits to see me occurred when she returned home after a two day absence. She'd been found in her yard with assorted minor lacerations and muzzle swelling and completely caked with dirt. Her eyes were so full of gritty sand that initially the eye itself wasn't even visible. Her ears and nostrils were similarly packed and she was dehydrated.

(Courtesy of cafepress.com)

A correct diagnosis almost always depends on a good history and veterinary patients are notoriously non-verbal so as I started to clean and treat her I asked questions about where she'd been found, the house, and the neighborhood. I was well into double digit flushings of her eyes with saline when I asked about remodeling and said she looked like she'd been buried alive.

Her owners suddenly remembered a delivery of construction sand and gravel to a building site across the street...two days ago. It seemed Jackie had embarked on another excursion and been caught under a dump truck load of sand and it had likely taken the poor thing the entire two days to dig her way out!


But wait, there's more!

Jackie came in again a couple of years later, (we tended to only see her for 'real' problems), with multiple bite wounds on her face. And again a few weeks later for the same thing. And again a couple of months after that when she returned home after a 7 day absence with multiple rear limb injuries and pelvic weakness. It was that last set of injuries, perhaps due to another go 'round with a much bigger dog or possibly a several ton vehicle that finally slowed her down. With careful nursing and patience, she did regain use of her rear legs but remained a little impaired and presumably was slow enough for her owners to catch as she attempted to dart out the door. Her remaining visits were few, she was spayed a bit late at the age of 8 and after that we saw her for an occasional vaccine.

Despite her intermittant visits and true to form for most JRTs, Jackie made an impression. (Even if it was sand art...)

Barn Lions

There are many benefits to living in rural areas. Green spaces aren't just 1 or 2 acre parks encircled by concrete and traffic but entire fields of cultivated crops edged by wildflowers, or deer and bunny trails through miles of woods to the river. A rolling field of sheep on my road is thoroughly guarded by a stern looking llama who seems to take their oversight very seriously. The sheep graze, seemingly oblivious, (a not uncommon state of mind for sheep), and undisturbed by passers-by. Not so their pasture mate who carefully inspects each person or vehicle for possible ill-intent. Grazing cattle and horses dot the hills near their barns. Which brings me to...barn cats.

(Courtesy of mybarncats.com)

Barn cats, or as Joy DeLisle calls them, Barn Lions, are a special if not entirely separate breed of feline. They are those who inhabit barns and outbuildings the world over, perhaps feral and fending entirely for themselves or as tame and pampered as any lap-occupying Persian and counting on a person for their daily ration. What they have in common of course are their barns and outdoor lifestyle.

Please note I'm an advocate of all cats being housed indoors. I think it's safer all around and a better way for cats to be had but it's simply not the reality of rural life. Barns acquire cats the way toddlers acquire sticky and middle schoolers acquire drama, which is to say it's inevitable.

What does remain in doubt is the level of care barn cats receive, and that's where Joy DeLisle and similar advocates of cat health step in to fill a barn-sized need. Joy owns horses and thus had a barn which had its share of cats. Over time, she won their trust and began photographing them in various poses and seasons. Eventually, she was able to handle them and have them neutered to help control the burgeoning population.

But she didn't stop there. Combining her creativity, photography skills and compassion for her furry barn mates she started offering note cards and prints for sale. Proceeds as well as donations go into a special Barn Lions account which is used to neuter and place feral cats and kittens in the community.

Working with other local groups and volunteers, (Kat Snips and Cascades' Forgotten Feline Program), Joy was able to gather, neuter, and place 26 assorted cats and kittens in the last year.


"Do What You Can, With What You Have, Where You Are. "– Teddy Roosevelt


For additional examples of Barn Lions note cards, please visit
 http://www.etsy.com/shop/joysbarnlions or to sign up for her newsletter or any inquiries please contact Joy DeLisle at  barnlions@hughes.net or 517-937-8208.

Help prevent littering, send a Barn Lion instead of a Hallmark.

Take Your Dog To Work Day 2012

 The 14th annual Pet Sitters International Take Your Dog To Work Day is Friday, June 22nd.

(Courtesy of pawmetto.com)

Started in 1999 as a fun way to promote the bond between dogs and their humans and encourage dog adoption from shelters and rescue groups, the event website, http://www.takeyourdog.com/index.php,  had over 100,000 visitors during last year's promotion.

The annual event, scheduled for the first Friday after Father's Day, is designed to encourage employers to open their doors to the joys of pets in the work place.

 (Courtesy of celiasue.com)

Actually, there's a handy downloadable action pack to make planning a successful day at work with your dog a walk in the park. It's important that your dog have office manners and an indoor voice before going to work.

Don't confuse dogs at work with working dogs...
(Courtesy of telegraph.co.uk)

Additionally, the hope is that employees without pets will notice their co-workers' bond with their dogs and decide to adopt an orphaned pet of their own.

Local Pet Adoption Resources

http://www.sheltertohome.com/
266 Oak St. Wyandotte, MI
734-556-3135

http://www.adoptapet.com/adoption_rescue/74407.html
Southgate Animal Shelter 14719 Schafer Ct. Southgate, MI
 734-246-1328

http://www.waganimalrescue.com/
P.O. Box 222 Wyandotte, MI

http://www.oakgov.com/petadoption/about/
Oakland Pet Adoption Center
1700 Brown Road Auburn Hills, MI

http://www.petfinder.com/index.html

Please Don't Cook Your Dog

Summer brings plenty of opportunities for fun but a dog, (or child!), in a car on a hot day is a recipe for disaster. 

(Courtesy of metafilter)

Consider the chart below which illustrates how quickly the interior of a car can heat up.

Even on a relatively mild 70 degree day, the temperature inside a car reaches 89 degrees in just ten minutes.

Tissue and organ injury begin at an internal body temperature of only 104 degrees. In the 85 degree temperatures we've had this month, that's the temperature inside the car 10 minutes after you've locked it and run into the store for a quick errand. Why take a chance you choose the "wrong" check out lane with the new cashier and a customer in front of you with unpriced items and 28 coupons?

And if you think cracking the windows makes a difference, think again. Related tests with single and multiple windows left open to varying degrees revealed little difference in the speed of the temperature rise or the ultimate temperature reached.

If you love them, leave them home or take them in with you.



Estimated Vehicle Interior Air Temperature v. Elapsed Time

Elapsed time	Outside Air Temperature (F)
	70	75	80	85	90	95
0 minutes	70	75	80	85	90	95
10 minutes	89	94	99	104	109	114
20 minutes	99	104	109	114	119	124
30 minutes	104	109	114	119	124	129
40 minutes	108	113	118	123	128	133
50 minutes	111	116	121	126	131	136
60 minutes	113	118	123	128	133	138
> 1 hour	115	120	125	130	135	140

Courtesy Jan Null, CCM; Department of Geosciences, San Francisco State University