Patient highlight- Jade!!!

 This is Jade. Jade is a sweet girl who unfortunately had a tumor in her left tibia. The type of tumor she had is known as osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma is a primary tumor of bone meaning, that the tumor arises from the cells that make up bone. Bone cancer is not that common in cats however,  of the tumors of bone found in cats, osteosarcoma is the most common type.

Poor Ms. Jade had a tumor that affected the leg so much that the bone broke.  The treatment was, amputation of the leg. The prognosis often depends upon species (dogs often have a different prognosis than cats) and how aggressive the tumor is.

Jade had an amputation with one of the board certified surgeons at VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital, Dr. Briana Danielson.

Jade did very well with her surgery and while it did take a little while for her to figure out how to get around on three legs, she's doing great now and feels good!

We are hopeful that she will continue to do well and live a very long life. We are so happy for Jade and her family.

It's she so cute rolling on her back to show us her belly. What a beautiful girl she is!

Patient of the Month- Max!!!!

The first days of our pets lives are full of joy. Then comes the potty training and the behavior training and then the long life (we all hope) of mutual love and general spoilage. This month’s Patient of the Month started out life with a little more struggle as he fought off the Parvo virus at just 8 weeks old. This is where the VCAHAH came in. 

Under the medical supervision of Dr. Sessa, Max was watched 24/7 in our isolation ward. After a week of care he, was on the mend and heading home. However, this little mastiff puppy stole our hearts and for the next 8 years has trusted us with his care.

Then about a month ago Max was brought into the hospital in acute distress. Before anyone could even take the time to snuggle with our old friend, Dr. Herrington and our staff worked quickly to evaluate and relieve his distress.

Max’s blood pressure was low, his heart sounds were muffled, his pulses were weak and he was showing signs of shock. An ECG as immediately performed and a quick X-ray revealed fluid around Max’s heart that was filling up the space needed to allow his heart to beat. Dr. Fishkin, our Board Certified Criticalist & Boarded Internist worked quickly to perform a pericardiocentesis. This procedure took only moments but immediately changed Max’s state by removing the fluid that filled the sack around his heart via a catheter. Immediately Max's heart was allowed the space to beat, unobstructed.

Now stable, the reason for the fluid could be evaluated. Max was hospitalized. He was monitored intensity throughout the night for fluid build up around his heart and underwent pericardiocentesis as needed. An appointment was made for a ‘5-point’ inspection by our Board Certified Cardiology, Dr. Carpenter.

The following day Dr. Carpenter met with Max and his mother. Through a cardiac ultrasound , an in-depth look at Max’s heart, valves, chambers, pressures and walls was performed to see exactly what the heart was up against. The prognosis was clear, Max had pericardial effusion caused by a mass on his heart. Pericardial effusion is when an abnormal amount of fluid accumulates in the pericardial sac- the pericardium. This normally paper-thin, translucent membrane attaches at the  based of the heart and provides a sac-like protective compartment filled with a relatively small amount of fluid which acts as a lubricant for the heart. If the sac fills with too much liquid the internal pressure impedes the hearts ability to expand thus obstructing the flow of blood throughout the body.

Our Board Certified Surgeon, Dr. Danielson was called in to preform a pericardiectomy. A pericardiectomy is the surgical removal of part or most of the pericardium to relieve the pressure built up by the increase fluid. The ultimate goal was to remove the cause of the fluid- the mass- but evaluation of that would have to wait until it could be was fully visualized in surgery.
During surgery, Max was monitored critically by our team of technicians under the supervision of both our Surgeon and Criticalist to ensure any variable in his vital signs would be addressed immediately. Anesthesia went smoothly and while removing the mass was not an option, based on it’s location, the pericardiectomy successfully performed.  

Max is now home. The fluid from the mass will continue to be produced but the sack around his heart will no longer be strained. His heart will be able to beat feeling as his body will work to absorb the excess fluid.

We at the HAH hold Max and his family in a very special place in our hearts. Now home, he gets to enjoy life again and all of the cuddles that come with it. To us and to his family, we certainly see this as a success story. One that shows times and again that Max is a fighter and given that chance he will not be kept down.

A very special thank you to Max’s family for letting us share this story and for trusting us with his care!

January Patient of the Month- Harley!!!

This month’s patient of the month highlights a story about the caring spirit of our animal-loving community, basic preventative medicine and most of all the core loving and resilient spirit of most animals.     

Harley, a 50lb, 5 year old, black & white mutt was a yard dog.  He spent his free time “enjoying” the sights and sounds of our S. Florida wildlife but lacked the personal interaction that we know nourishes. Harley’s neighbor watched over him dog as best she could but she had a distinctly different vision of quality of life for him. 

When Harley’s owner abandoned him in the yard, this Good Samaritan made the decision to bring Harley in to the VCA HAH for a checkup.  Following a conversation with her good friend Kevin, who offered to pay for Harley’s care, the plan was made to have Harley neutered and vaccinated. Then they would find him a fur-ever home-with a comfy couch!!  

As anyone could image, Harley was wary of humans. His primary doctor, Dr. Brown took his physical exam very slowly to ensure he was as comfortable as possible and administered his first set of vaccinations. During routine bloodwork, it was discovered that Harley had heartworms. With no evidence or expectation of a history of any preventatives, this was no surprise. Radiographs confirmed the diagnosis and showed moderate change in his lungs from the heartworm infection. Treatment was the best next step.

Treatment for heartworm disease takes about 9 months. Throughout which, several courses of steroids and antibiotics are administered to fight the worms and any inflammation or immune responses associated with them. Treatment can also include the administration of three injections of medication to kill the parasites. This portion of the treatment requires strict monitoring as the medication actually attacks the parasites within the heart. With heartworm disease, any running, jumping, rough play, or overexcitement may exacerbate the condition which could then lead to further complications and potentially death. Therefore, Harley was boarded while he began treatment.

Within the first 2 days of his stay with us, his attitude toward humans changed dramatically. He began to linger a little when our staff would feed him. He would wander a little longer during his walks. He would rest his head in our laps of as we performed his daily treatments.

Every day, our Boarding Coordinator communicated with his owner as well as Kevin, the man funding Harley’s care. With each story of his recovery, Kevin grew more attached to Harley and decided to adopt him himself. The only caveat, that he got along with his dog at home. 

After Harley’s first treatment he was ready to go home for some R&R. What could be a better place then Kevin’s home in Key West to get it? Harley made his first introduction to Samson, Kevin’s other dog, and they instantly hit it off. Things were looking up. Kevin then took Harley to see a Veterinary Cardiologist to oversee the remaining treatments.

Now, weeks later, Harley is living once again with a great big yard to play in. However, this time it is optional when he comes and goes. Samson, Harley and Kevin are all really our January Patients of the Month as it was their group efforts that make this a true success story.

November Patient of the Month- Inky!!!

This month’s Patient of the Month came to us under a bit of mystery.  Found as a kitten at Miami Country Day School in 2004, Inky settled in to his forever home quickly. While his health was mostly problem free, as he developed out of his kitten years and began to settle into his adult personality at 1yr his behavior became HORRIBLE!!  However, Inky had so ingratiated himself into the hearts of his fur-ever family, there was no turning back and they explored every avenue to help him through these terrible 2’s.

His humans read almost every feline behavior book available. They tried medications, they hired behaviorists and they tried holistic care. They even consulted a pet psychic hoping to find a fix. Happily, they did.  Now at the seasoned age of 11, Inky was settle in his home and routine. He was (usually) very well behaved and extremely smart and loving. Sometimes he even did “tricks” on command!

Then, one day, he stopped eating. He began vomiting and had a very painful abdomen. He was clearly not feeling well and was brought to the HAH. Dr.Cappe evaluated Inky and after a thorough exam, bloodwork and radiographs-the answer was found. Inky had an abdominal hernia. An abdominal hernia exists when one part of the body protrudes through a gap in the abdomen and parts of the stomach push through the opening.  This is most common to occur in kittens before they reach age 1 and is usually inherited (congenital). However, trauma can bring on an acquired hernia at any age.  Inky however,  had incurred NO trauma!!!  

His compromised diaphragm was of an unknown origin and existed for an unknown period of time.  The immediate concern then was surgical repair and evaluation of potential damage related to the long term effects of his compromised lung and organ development. 

Inky went into immediate surgery with Dr. Herrington. The surgery was intense. Inky was on manual respiration while the hole in his diaphragm was cleared and closed. Once the air was removed from the chest cavity, allowing for appropriate respiration, his recovery was managed by our Boarded Internist, Dr. Fishkin to ensured Inky woke up smoothly and pain free.

Overnight, Inky rested comfortable and by morning he was nearly back to normal. His fiery personality was in full swing now that he could take a breather.

Inky recently had his stitches out and is doing great at home. His case was certainly unique but his team of humans knew exactly what to do. This month we recognized this fiery feline as our November Patient of the Month!

To learn more about Inky and the behavior of cats_ check out Inky’s blog @ http://www.felinebehavior.blogspot.com/

October Patients of the Month!!

This October we recognize a group of pets as our Patients of the Month.


Early this month we had the joy of watching the many pets we cared for personally- as well as the many pets around the country that were cared for by other animal hospitals-  be transported to their furever homes. In partnership with the local rescue group Jamie's Rescue,our team of doctors and staff provided medical attention to 20+ dogs from a local county shelter.

Mostly middle aged pups, they came to us with a wide range of troubles necessitating a wide range of veterinary care. Initially isolated to ensure no communicable diseases could spread to other hospitalized patients, they received complete wellness care. Through the combined efforts of volunteers with Pilots for Paws, most were ready to make the move throughout the country to their awaiting homes.

Those that needed more specialized care found homes with The Senior Scenter, a cage free senior dog center  in Warne, NC.

 Being a part of this national event in partnership with our local rescue groups affirmed our commitment to care for the pets in our community. Families around the country will be celebrating the coming holidays with their new fur babies. We are proud to have played a role in these success stories. 

Click here to see images of the pets' transfer from VCA HAH!

 

Follow these links to learn more about Pilots for Paws & The Senior Scenter!

September Patient of the Month- Bentley!!!!!!

Bentley Potts, as he is formally addressed, is an 11 year old Pekinese mix that has been a part of the VCAHAH family most of his life. Adopted at four, his forever family has trusted us with all of their baby’s healthcare needs and overall Bentley’s health history was very routine- regular dental cleanings, vaccinations -an occasional cough. The best kind of patient!

Then, earlier this year, Bentley had what appeared to be a seizure followed by a loss of consciousness. As a patient of Dr. Patterson, Bentley had the very best care and an exam and blood work was preformed. His report card came in- Bentley’s kidney values were high. He had all the signs of chronic renal disease or- kidney failure.

The job of the Kidneys is to regulate, among other things, blood pressure, blood sugars, blood volume, water composition in the blood, and pH levels. Bentley’s episodes of ‘seizing and passing out’ were more likely syncope-the temporary loss of consciousness due to a fall in blood pressure.

While pets of any age can be diagnosed with chronic renal disease it is most common in older dogs. 9 in every 1000 dogs examined suffer from failure of the kidneys. This deterioration of the kidneys takes place slowly and is often not obvious until it is too late to treat. Curing or reversing kidney failure is not possible. Once it starts, managing it to reduce the causal factors and symptom will help to slow down its progression.
           

Mike and Bentley after his daily treatment.

Fortunately for Bentley Potts this was not his parent’s first experience with a CKD (chronic kidney disease) diagnosis. Earlier this year, their 13+yr old Tibetan Spaniel Gigi passed after over two years of managing this disease with medication and daily fluids.  Bentley had a good team.

After a few hospitalization stays for Bentley to get his kidneys as healthy as possible he was sent home with medications and the same order for daily subcutaneous fluids.

If anyone has had to give fluids to their own pet or knows anyone that has had to, you know that it is not always so easy to perform on your fur-baby. So for the past four months Bentley’s owner (our dear client Mrs.Sosnick) brings Bentley in everyday for fluid administration under the skin.  They are regulars. A patient and parent pair we all enjoy seeing.

Under the care of both Dr. Patterson & Dr. Shapiro, the careful hand of Veterinary Technician Mike and the entire patient support team at VCA HAH Bentley is feeling fine and enjoying life today- even with a daily trips to the Vet!

We are please to recognize this family for their dedication to all of their four-legged babies. We are grateful for the sheer joy they bring each day to our practice when they visit and we are happy to recognize Bentley as our September Team Member of the Month!

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How do I know if my pet is having kidney issues?

Bentley & brother-Cappicino

Bloodwork!!

Bloodwork is the only definitive way to tell what is happening with your pet’s kidney’s. A fair indicator of chronic kidney disease is urine that is either concentrated or dilute, thus indicating the kidney's inability to process the urine correctly.


Other symptoms that can be signs of Kidney Failure are:

Vomiting
Lethargy
Diarrhea
Constipation
Depression
Weight loss
Increased thirst
Lack of appetite (anorexia)
Acute blindness
Seizures and comas
Blood in the urine (hematuria)
An increase in the frequency and amount of urination

For tips and techniques to give fluids to your pet, visit our Youtube Channel for How to videos.
                           

August Patient of the Month- Carli!!!!!!!!!!!

We all have circumstances outside our control that can affect our lives and the lives of our pets. We see very often families that need to travel unexpectedly, have an illness in their family or are experiencing a transition and their pets becomes a regular guest at our hospital. Often, these frequent flyers find a special place in the hearts of our staff. 

While we see many many animals every day, these regulars become a sort of office pet. I companion we get through the day with. One of these regulars in particular, fits this bill perfectly and comes with a very sweet ending. 

Carli, a 14+year old Jack Russel was our HAH guest. She was on eye medications several times a day. She enjoyed her trips to walk and explore the yard. But mostly she spent her days simply relaxing in her kennel. Each time we passed, with a face like her’s, who could resist stopping by for a visit.

One person in particular could not! Maybe it was the way Carli looked so much like her own dog at home or maybe it was simply meant to be but after an extended stay with us, Candice, our Boarding Coordinator was hooked and unofficially ‘adopted’ Carli as her 'work pup'.

Every day, Candice would pick Carli up and visit with her. As the days progressed these visits moved toward Candice’s office until she essentially moved. While this is rather unusual in our practice, between the hours of 8-5 Carli was an office pet. No one seemed to mind, least of all her owner. Due to her own circumstances, Carli’s mom could not have her at home. While her family came to visit; knowing she was so well cared for was a great peace of mind to them.  Soon everyone just expected Carli and Candice to be together. 

Today, Carli does not visit the office too often. As fate would have it, Candice was allowed to bring Carli home. Now her days are filled with her extended family unit which includes two small children, a three legged mutt, a 15 year old Chihuahua, a Police Dog and of course-Dad! 

 This family of 8 makes a wonderful team and we could not be happier to share this happily ever after story. #LG

 

July Patient of the Month-Sidney!!!

A neighborhood cat, Sidney was like many other multi-family strays. She hung around only the best houses; those that provided the best food and the most love.Then one day in 2010, her most beloved caregiver noticed a lump on the top of  her head. As a longtime client of our Dr. Anne Murphy she immediately scheduled an exam for her neighborhood stray.

Initially, Dr. Murphy found the lump to be fluid filled with no evidence of infection or abnormal cells. She drained the lump and saw immediate improvement.  

However, two weeks later, the growth was back, larger and more solid then before. When a round of antibiotics made no change, more intense diagnostics were necessary.

Under anesthesia, radiographs of her skull showed aggressive changes in the bone of Sydney's skull. A biopsy and culture were performed and a  sample was sent for pathology. The pathologist report diagnosed the mass as an osteosarcoma type of bone tumor: bone cancer.

Osteosarcoma in cats has a survival expectancy of 5-6 months. Treatment can include surgery to remove the mass. In Sidney's case, removal was not an option. As Sydney had only recently adopted her new family and aggressive treatment like radiation therapy and chemotherapy to her tumor would mostly improve her survival but not cure it her family opted to keep her comfortable throughout whatever time she had left. 

Sidney, or as she is affectionately called at home: Lumpy- lives the good life now. With the diagnosis of bone cancer her humans made a comfy home inside for her and she has never left. Now, five years later signs of the cancer remain in her very visible lump and with only now a developing sinus issue presumable from the mass. Although, Sydney does not seem to mind. Her silly disposition has never dampened. Whether at home or in our hospital she maintains her eternal smile and seems to have fully embraced her lovely lady lump!

We gladly share the love with her today as our July Patient of the Month!!

May Patient of the Month- Elijah!!!

This pint sizes powerhouse will certainly have a tale or two to tell his canine companions around the watering bowl. Elijah, a 12 week old Dachshund mix was rescued from abuse, fought Parvo and won the hearts of so many at our hospital. 

About four weeks ago, a young man witnessed Elijah being abused by a group of kids at the Opa Locka TriRail Station. Unable to simply stand by, he stepped in to save him. Once Elijah was safe, the young man was unsure of what to do with this tiny, lethargic puppy and he turned to the VCA HAH for care.

While sitting in our lobby with this pup wrapped in a cloth no larger than a dinner napkin, Fran, the founder of Boxer Friends Rescue,  walked in.  This Good Samaritan’s heart was certainly in the right place when he removed little Elijah from harm but the impending cost of care was a large concern. Fran offered to help.

Initially, Fran thought she could simply hospitalize the little guy while she found an all breed rescue to step in. Unfortunately Elijah was diagnosed Parvo positive. He was very ill and had a very low chance of survival. His blood sugar levels were dangerously low and he needed immediate and intensive medical care. 

Without hesitation, Fran christened Elijah an ‘honorary boxer’ and he was admitted for care. For several days he was in our intensive care isolation ward. He received intravenous fluids and antibiotic while his blood sugar was checked regularly. His temperature was monitored and his symptoms managed. He was a weak little puppy that really needed some R&R.

After a couple of days of care, Elijah began to respond. His blood sugar levels began to regulate, his vomiting subsided and is appetite slowly emerged. It was clear that Elijah was on the mend.

Today, it is hard to see the effect of his early days. Elijah received his first set of vaccinations this week and was even neutered. His foster takes great care of him day to day now but he still needs a fur-ever home. We have no doubt this little bundle will settle in the heart of a family of his own very soon.

While Elijah earned his stripes as a fighter, he certainly won the hearts of the VCA HAH staff as did the Good Samaritans that made all of this possible. If not for their acts of kindness to reach out and simply help this pint sized pup he would not be the energetic puppy we now see (and hear)!!!

To see more about Elijah, check out this video: https://youtu.be/TtsZToWfYD8

Or visit Boxer Friends on-line !