How lucky are we?

It is practically raining awesome Shepards here at Veterinary Associates of Cape Cod. There is no better example than Greta, a simply perfect Shepard puppy. She has the best mix of attitude and good looks; what a puppy! And we saw three from her litter in one day. We even had an impromptu wrestling match with her sister in the lobby. Lucky us!
Nothing is better than seeing great clients move on in life with a perfect dog. Greta is in a long line of special Shepards that her owners have had, and they have loved and lost dearly. She is lucky to have such a good home.
The Shepards end another great week at Veterinary Associates. I am off on vacation next week so look for new posts in February. In the meantime enjoy the sweet Shepard barrage!

Apollo and Dental Care

Apollo is an unbelievably sweet and beautiful Shepard from our Forestdale Veterinary Clinic. He came in today for an annual exam, and I could have spent all day playing with him. He is one great dog. And he is perfect in every way - except for his mouth.

Apollo, like many pets, suffers from dental problems. Last year we were forced to remove his lower canine due to internal infection and decay. Now he has healed and looks great.

Apollo has caring and loving owners, so this will likely never happen again! Just as in people, dental disease is common and painful condition. Just because a pet keeps eating does not mean they are not in pain. And if dental disease is not addressed, it can adversely affect the whole body. Luckily, Apollo has owners who understand that good dental heath leads to overall good health. They are doing everything possible to care for his mouth, from dental treats, dental diets, brushing to even a dental vaccine. And all this care is great news for Apollo, who will live a longer and happier life because of it. What a great dog!!

Bubba and chemo!

Bubba is another great example of chemotherapy in veterinary medicine. Bubba was diagnosed with cancer at a very young age. He also has loving and dedicated owners, and they elected to try chemotherapy.

Bubba has done great. He is in remission and only has a few treatments to go. He has had no reactions to the chemotherapy and is doing great! At first he was a little scared of us but now he sits quietly while receiving his treatments. He is a gentle giant; almost one hundred and twenty pounds but he would not hurt a fly. He is an exceptional puppy dog!!

Chemo and Crosby

Crosby is a beautiful Maine Coon cat that is undergoing chemotherapy here at Veterinary Associates of Cape Cod. When most people think of chemotherapy, they usually think of the many negatives associated in human medicine. But chemotherapy in veterinary medicine is different, and many animals live much longer because of it and with great quality of life.
Crosby is one such example. His owner takes excellent care of his kitties, and brought Crosby in because he didn't seem right. On physical exam, we felt a possible abdominal mass. An ultrasound confirmed our concerns, and Crosby was scheduled for surgery. We removed an intestinal mass during a complicated surgery, but unfortunately the biopsy indicated an aggressive lymphoma cancer.
After consultation with an oncologist, we started a chemo protocol specifically tailored to Crosby's cancer. His owner also requested Chinese Herbal and Standard Process supplements; he is doing everything he can for his beloved cat.
Crosby is doing great. Like many veterinary chemo patients, he has never been sick from a treatment, or had any of his hair fall out. In fact most patients experience few if any negative side effects.

And without this care, he would not still be here with us. His quality of life is great; albeit today we recommended a little more human food!

Kitty Power!

There are many great things to being a vet. And like most other professions, there are also a few bad things. But as a vet, when you are having a bad day, it is just a matter of time before some great cat, dog, or owner puts you back in a great mood.

What won't a Golden eat?

Quin, a beautiful year old Golden Retriever, has a bad habit. He, like many of his canine colleagues, likes to eat things you might not expect. Yesterday, we removed a sponge from his stomach, using a videoendoscope, sparing him surgery.

Sponges can be quite dangerous since they fail to show up on traditional x-rays. Sponges also easily obstruct the intestines. Dogs have died from ingesting sponges, rupturing their intestines, quickly succumbing the rapid shock and infection.

But not Quin! He has great owners who watch him closely, and seek medical care when he needs it. We removed the sponge without a single incision, piecing together while in surgery with a "normal" to make sure we got it all. No doubt that several of the large pieces would have caused a big problem.

Quin left VACC today looking and feeling great!

Honey Is Back!

Honey came in today to for her annual physical exam and she looks great! Honey came to VACC after being thrown out of a moving car last December. She had a badly fractured forelimb, in addition to several other injuries. We repaired her leg after two long surgical procedures, and she was in our hospital for almost six weeks. The VACC Pet Fund covered her medical costs. Now Honey has a great new owner, and runs and plays without even a limp. She even has her own website!