Cloned dogs

Reading about a recent offer by a California biotech company to clone five dogs has left me with a queasy feeling in my gut. An auction will be set up with bidding starting at $100,000. I cannot fathom the arrogance of somebody willing to spend that kind of money to clone their pet. 1) That money could be used for something far more noble, and 2) the cloned pet will simply be that animal's physical twin. Again, a replica. The same model, but with far different software. The cloned pet would likely NOT have the same personality as the original. It would require the same programming, or training. 3) There are millions of unwanted pets in North America. These people should lose their ego, go to a shelter, where they can find the most wonderful dogs. Save a life or two, instead of feeding the pockets of these multi-billion dollar corporations, likely eerily-similar to Cyberdyne Systems Corporation in "The Terminator."


Not a cloned puppy, but the work going into both is identical (though one is fiction).

Disclaimer: I am in favour of such genetic manipulation, if used to produce tissues and not living, conscious, feeling, entities. Such technology can (and will) advance the medical field immensely, to relieve suffering, improve or save lives.

More painting

Now that I'm idle, I've been spending much time painting - one of my true joys.
I've been working on this for a good friend in Montreal, for his housewarming.



I might just keep it for myself.
(No, no, just kidding.)
B-A-G-E-S (and not bagels) is an anagram of his last name.

A spot diagnosis

Have you walked down the street, noticed a person or dog with a limp, skin condition, or other visually-obvious ailment and wondered: what is that disease? No? Well, I do it all the time. And so do many of my friends, especially those who are MDs.
Is that person afflicted with alopecia areata or universalis? Oh, that dog is limping.... is it the right or left front... hmm, let me see, oh, it's the left, no right front limb, definitely the right front (I wonder if the owners think it's the left front). Could it be an injury? Osteoarthritis? Post-op? OCD?
And the occasional dog wearing an Elizabethan collar (cone): was she just spayed? Maybe she swallowed a sock and just had exploratory surgery? Maybe much simpler: a small skin wound that she shouldn't lick?
Across the street I see an older miniature poodle with a large, pendulous abdomen, symmetrical hair loss along the back - it's gotta be Cushing's. Definitely. Do the owners know? Was the dog diagnosed? Treated?

I'm always tempted to talk to these pet owners, but decide against it. I'm sure they know what's going on...
Or maybe not?!

The person riding the motorized wheelchair, doing 30 km/hr down Queen street in Leslieville, morbidly obese, and smoking: What's your spot diagnosis?


Not a poodle, but definitely Cushing's.

Watteau: a drawing Master

I found this drawing on the official website for the Louvre. It is by Antoine Watteau, a French painter born in the late 17th century. Nowhere in the Wikipedia entry for the artist, could I find any references to his drawings. He is a Master at drawing. The three-dimensionality of the subjects rendered in this two-dimensional drawing is astonishing. It appears that only three colours of charcoal or conté are used: black, sienna, and white. Perhaps an expert can tell us more.

I love this drawing (click on the image to enlarge it for more detail).

Getting antsy

I've been off work for the past seven weeks and am beginning to feel antsy to get back to it. It's amazing, and quite sad actually, that we become defined by what we do and not what we are. Despite the absurdity of it, I certainly feel an element of uselessness and idleness, that I consciously think I should not feel.
I have never been off work for more than two weeks at a time in the last decade or so. I have held two jobs each for decent lengths of time. Why is it that I am feeling so antsy about getting back to work? I am trying hard, and with a moderate degree of difficulty, to take a BIG step back and just allow what is actually me to shine through. Part of that is doing, but I think mostly it involves just being.


Oh my goodness, I've gone all zen...

This dog is a biped

The word biped doesn't typically elicit thoughts of canines, now does it? However, here's the story of a dog named Faith, born with a congenital deformity (the total absence of her thoracic [front] limbs). It's an endearing story that has just simply warmed my heart. Watch the story here.


Faith, as a puppy.

A Canine Café?

Ok, you may have heard of a few places like this, and if not, you can take the idea and make a mint. Or not. This post is to get the opinion of the readers. Would a Canine Café work in Toronto? Here's the concept: a place, or restaurant, only for dogs. Well their owners would be welcome as well. Owners would be given a menu with many choices of meals for their dogs. Specific dietary needs, special requirements, food sensitivities, and allergies to specific foods would be noted. A meal would be brought to the dogs, possibly as 1) appetizers, 2) a main course, and 3) desert (this part is easy).
What do you think? Ok, I'll partly answer that. Am I crazy for even fathoming this idea?! Would the Canine Café not cater to eccentric pet owners, those pet owners who put their dogs in purses and strollers (see previous post on this matter)? What a hypocrite I would be. Slam the behaviour and then contribute to it for a buck (or more)! Sell my soul for money... that is so NOT me!
But imagine what a hoot it would be! (Ideally) A place teeming with happy dogs, happy people, and satisfying the basic needs of a pet in a healthy, original, and (hopefully) lucrative way. I need some feedback: would you take your dog to such a place?

Ok, is this normal?

Feeble laws protect the offenders

One hundred and one Arabian horses were seized by the Alberta SCPA, most of which were severely malnourished, emaciated, and in dire distress. Twenty nine were already dead from starvation. Other animals in the barn, such as rabbits, goats, and sheep, were in no better shape.
The owner of the farm, Axel Hinz-Schleuter, was previously fined in August of 2005 for neglect. This is his (documented) second offence. Ostensibly, he was unable to pay for their care. He should never have had a horse farm. If times were better in the past (when he could afford their care), he should have had the wherewithal to seek help during these hard times. Apparently, he had prize-winning horses at one time and "loved his horses dearly," according to a trainer who owns a horse purchased in the past from the accused. Seeking help could have meant bankruptcy, but hey, we'd all prefer that over the suffering of these animals.
The owner of the farm faces a fine of up to $20,000 and a prohibition on ever owning horses again. Since a lack of money is what apparently got this guy in trouble in the first place, I'd be satisfied with the latter, however he should not be allowed to own ANY animals in the future. No newts, no rabbits, no horses.
He should have received the $20,000 fine the first time, instead of the meager $1,000. He would have better remembered that number...
Canada's legislation on animal cruelty has remained virtually untouched since the late 1800s. Most are aptly calling them "archaic." People who inflict pain and suffering on animals either deliberately or through neglect cannot be prosecuted. Ironic that the current laws "protect" those that are inflicting the suffering. Slaps on the wrist will not deter humans from inflicting pain and suffering on those who cannot speak for themselves. Let's speak loudly for them.


Canada's animal cruelty legislation: as current and effective as these.

More perilous road conditions

Either I do know how to drive outside of Toronto, or I have been considerably more sensitive to terrible driving conditions elsewhere. Brooklyn, New York: diverse, cosmopolitan, and dangerous. I have never despised driving more than I have in Brooklyn, NY. Whether driving my Mini or my horse-drawn pumpkin (above), I constantly felt like a slalom Olympian. Potholes (more like crevasses), children, their parents, the homeless, were the majority of obstacles I succeeded in avoiding. Deep, smooth curves and dips in the actual asphalt reminded me of the roller coasters of Coney Island, not too great a distance from where I was staying. Mind-numbingly frustrating were the traffic lights, which were completely asynchronous. I would stop at red lights, seemingly never-changing, while the next light barely 100 meters ahead would be green. Having reached the next, it would turn red, the following green, the following red - you get the picture. It likely required 10 minutes to drive less than a mile. Not only does this contribute significantly to the flow of traffic, but invariably increases fuel consumption and therefore pollution. With nearly 250 million passenger vehicles in the US, I think it's high time that things like synchronizing traffic lights should be considered. Apparently, they are indeed synchronized in Manhattan.

After the Mini Cooper, the smallest vehicle in New York City. Gross.

Montreal: perilous road conditions

I'm two weeks in to my sabbatical, time off, whatever. I'm now in New York for the week, after spending last week in Montreal, whose streets have more potholes than the moon. Like the Bermuda Triangle, accidentally driving into one would inevitably have lead me into another dimension. Luckily, that didn't happen.
Though my stay in Montreal was not accident-free. Around the corner from my parents' place, a lanky 14 year-old ran across the street and right in front of my car. I slammed on the brakes but alas, too late. -boom- He went up on the hood as I slammed on the brakes, and as the car skidded to a stop, he landed a few feet from the front of the car. I, sanely, stood him up, checked him out, and asked if was ok (he was evidently fine). I called an ambulance while a witness called the police. It must have been 10 seconds before the paramedics arrived. We called his mother who ran franctically to the scene, overwhelmed yet relieved to find her son unscathed. A little shaken, yet relieved, I went over the accident with the officer who was extraordinarily sympathetic to me. He went on to describe how careless the "piétons" (pedestrians) in Montreal can be. He reassured me the accident was not my fault (after hearing my side of the story).
In retrospect, the child was afraid, not hurt. This was particularly evident when we called the police. This poor kid thought he'd be in big trouble. His reaction was at par with ours. The freaked-out entourage caused him to be freaked out. Before walking home with his parents, I reassured him that it was neither his fault, nor mine.
I had asked his parents for their phone number so that I can call them the following day (and gave them mine to call me for whatever reason). Happily, they gave it to me.
The only damage: the child's CD player, which I replaced with, say, a nicer version.
I called the following day for an update: he was doing great and his parents were understanding and appreciated the follow-up. When I arrived at their apartment to give the boy his replacement CD player, they would not let me go without insisting I stay for a drink. I must have spent an hour and a half with them. I felt lucky and humbled that such good and understanding could have stemmed from a car accident. They were understanding, empathetic, and down-to-earth. They manifested not an iota of blame or vindiction.
These are truly good people whose exemplary behaviour has reminded me of humanity's ultimate capacity for compassion and forgiving. I needed to have that accident and am thankful for the outcome.

I believe I have the right of way.

Thank you

To everyone at The Animal Clinic: thank you. Working with each and every one of you has taught me how to be an integral part of a very successful team, a caring team. You have allowed me to grow intellectually and most importantly, to accept my limitations, key to my personal evolution. In so doing, I was allowed to shine in ways I never thought possible. The close relationships that I have developed with staff and clients have underscored the need for me to strive for and maintain these relationships in my future ventures.
The feedback that I have received from both staff and clients has been tremendously positive and I thank all of you for your support in my personal endeavours.
The vets, and all staff, with whom I worked at The Animal Clinic are extremely talented, both professionally and personally. The heart and devotion poured into your work was always clearly manifest. I have always tried to emulate these qualities.
I hope that I have imparted knowledge to all of you, as you have to me.
Thank you, everyone at The Animal Clinic! I will miss you...

"Peaceful" protest on Bloor street in Toronto

Yesterday, while briefly leaving the Manulife Building, I had the grave misfortune of witnessing a pro-Gaza, "free-Palestine" protest, making its way east on Bloor street. I could not help but notice one of the large signs in the rally, held up by two people. On it was written: The Myth of 9/11: a pretext to war with Iraq... and something about World War III...
In shock, I thought that the only mystery of 9/11 was why these crackpots consider it a mystery. With overwhelming and unequivocal physical, photographic, and eye-witness pieces of evidence (oh, and don't forgot all of those people whose loved ones didn't come home that night - that's quite important), people actually consider the attacks on the Twin Towers a myth. More alarmingly, I witnessed the same signs paraded in New York City at random and very-busy street corners.
It drew outrage there, as it drew outrage in me here.
The inclusion of this conspiracy theory during the rally only served to undermine their main point (of which I am not a proponent). For more on conspiracy theories of 9/11 and hard evidence to refute them, click here.

Spectacular image

The Hubble telescope took this composite image from data accumulated over a four-month period. The light emitted by the stars of these galaxies took 13 billion years to reach Earth. Strange to fathom, isn't it? There are ten thousand galaxies in that image alone - a grain of sand on a million beaches compared to what's out there.
It kinda humbles you, just a tad now, doesn't it? From the deeply religious to vehement atheists: I hope all are humbled equally. More importantly, that it quells any dogmatic rhetoric and behaviour. As I stare at the above image, I am reminded that there is very little that separates all humans.

Iranian man kisses woman's breast

Last month, a man from Iran completing his PhD in engineering in St. Johns, Newfoundland, found it perfectly normal to kiss a woman on her breast while riding an elevator alone with her. He claimed, "You can't expect all males to control themselves when the breasts are out." I'd call a primitive ape a gentleman compared to this guy.
Had that occurred in his own or neighboring country, the fault would likely lie squarely on the woman's shoulders. Firstly, she would be stoned to death for dressing immodestly, and secondly would be found guilty for "enticing" the man (I mean, what kind of hussy rides alone in an elevator with a man?).
This guy is a barbarian who has lost his privilege to stay in this country. Period. This is a country where a woman can show cleavage (no matter how tasteless: attend Toronto's Caribana for details) if she wishes without inviting unwanted booby kisses.
The woman is now suffering from trauma and has difficulty sleeping. Farhood Azarsina, the scumbag in question, claims he has suffered while in prison for three weeks. I hope his fellow inmates find him as appealing as he found the woman whose breast he kissed. Let this guy get molested by a couple of big guys against his will: it'll most certainly be the only way for him to see just how wrong his actions were.

While lacking in taste and leaving nothing to the imagination, please ask her permission before kissing.

Yorkie gets carte blanche

In an underground mall in the heart of downtown Toronto, I witnessed something that infuriated me. A woman was walking her leashed Yorkie. Turning a corner in the hall, this woman allowed her dog to stop and urinate on the wall. In a public mall! I didn't even hear her say, "No" while he was peeing, or even make an attempt to let anyone know after the deed was done, in order to have it cleaned up. She continued on as if nothing had happened. It was painful to keep my mouth shut, but I did.
I normally find it enjoyable to see owners walking their dogs indoors there, but I was never privy to one excreting on the walls.
About a half hour after that occurrence, I was sitting at a table enjoying a coffee when I heard the yipping of a small dog. Guess who? That's right: the same dog. An owner that allows their dog to behave in this fashion is not only providing a disservice to the public, but very importantly is not being a leader to her pet, who desperately needs leadership (and good manners). That poor little dog's owner deserves a spanking.

A normal place for a dog to urinate

First commission

By some great chance, I met somebody who saw a few paintings of mine, and wanted a similar piece for her parents. This is my first commission.

Clearing the haze

I'm sorry I have not posted in a while. I have made a very important decision, something I was considering for months. Last week I gave my notice at work. So mid-February I will no longer be at my current practice. I have left on the best of terms and will sadly miss everyone at work. It was one of the toughest decisions I have ever made. Why? Good question. Let's just say that my professional goals would never be met there. I am not angry or sad because that's just the way it is. I am deeply saddened by leaving those many, many wonderful clients and pets that I have known through this practice. I feel like I am deserting them.
The good news is that I truly feel like I made the right decision. While I have nothing lined up, I still feel optimistic. I have cleared the haze in order to more clearly see the future. I will take the necessary time to determine what exactly I want to do now: open my own practice perhaps? I will see...
Thank you everyone!


A vacation is in order.

Itchy dogs and cats

One of the most common reasons for which owners seek veterinary advice is due to skin problems. Cats and dogs develop skin diseases that range from fleas and lice, to allergies and sometimes even cancer.
Itchy skin is by far the most common presenting complaint. This can be due to several things. The most common would be allergies, divided into allergies to 1) inhaled allergens 2) food 3) fleas or rarely 4) contact allergies. Itchy skin in very young dogs and cats are commonly caused by ectoparasites (parasites on or in the skin - like fleas and scabies).
Dog and cats rarely manifest the same allergy symptoms as we do. They don't typically get watery, itchy eyes, and only sometimes sneeze. Their allergies usually manifest in the form of itchy skin - all over the body. A dog with chronic ear infections should certainly prompt the veterinarian to consider an underlying allergy of some sort.
Not only do dogs and cats get fleas, but they may become allergic to the bite of the flea (allergy to the fleas' saliva). Diagnosis in this case is more straightforward with treatment aimed at killing the fleas, ridding the environment of fleas, and providing itch relief to the pet in the form of antihistamines or steroids.
Dogs, and sometimes cats, chew their paws and forearm areas incessantly when they have allergies. If your dog's paws are rust-stained from constant licking and chewing, don't jump to the common belief that "it's just nerves." It's almost never nerves. It's allergies.
Cats often develop patchy hair loss from pulling out their own hair, and chronic licking. This occurs commonly on the belly, the neck, and hair loss on the face (ears and around the eyes).
The history, and ruling out of obvious diseases, will often prompt the vet to consider allergies as the underlying problem. A skin biopsy can help to make a diagnosis of allergies, but will NOT tell the vet what the pet is allergic to. Blood tests which measure the level of antibodies against a myriad number of allergens can help us with finding the source of the allergies (but should not be used to look for food allergies). These blood tests are variable in their accuracy. Skin testing tends to be preferable in the diagnosis of inhalant allergies (atopy).
Regardless of the type of allergy, it is incumbent on pet owners to recognize the symptoms so that at least relief can be provided to the itchy pet. A relatively new drug, called Atopica (cyclosporine), has been approved for the treatment of atopy in dogs.
Working a pet up with skin problems can be frustrating for everyone involved: the pet, the owners, and the vet. Be patient as response to a certain treatment will often, retroactively, help make a diagnosis!
See your vet if your pet is itchy - he or she will thank you!

A severe case of atopic dermatitis, taken from www.dermvet.com.


Intradermal testing: helps determine what the pet is allergic to (inhalant allergies - not food!).


A cat with inhalant (or food) allergies. Thanks dermvet.com.

New car

After all the kvetching I do over public transportation (the TTC, more specifically), it may be a little surprising to you that only now am I mentioning that I've purchased a new car.
My quality of life has improved dramatically since I bought it over a month ago. I no longer take the subway or filthy, inconvenient streetcars. It is surprising even to me that it took four years to make this decision.
However, it was an expensive decision. I bought another Mini, which I didn't have to. I could've have purchased the much-less-expensive Yaris, which drives well, too. I do feel the safer in the tank-like weight of the Mini, hence my decision to purchase it.
Parking downtown is expensive, obviously. I pay $8-$12 at least four times weekly. This adds up. BUT, I have the independence I was looking for.
It is a shame that I cannot avail myself of a world-class public transportation system in this city. The reason for this is simple: it doesn't exist, except in the form of a small, iridescent, taupe-coloured Mini Cooper.

Me, feigning happiness, in my Mini

Pyometra in a cat

Cats and dogs that are not spayed are susceptible to a uterine infection called pyometra. It is commonly diagnosed in most veterinary practices. After a cat's or dog's oestrus (heat) cycle, the uterine lining becomes less able to fight off colonization by bacteria, and can rapidly lead to a severe infection. Pyometra literally means 'uterus of pus.' Gross. And dangerous: These pets often are brought to hospital for generalized lethargy, malaise, fever, lack of appetite, and excessive thirst.
In severe cases, these dogs and cats are often septic (bacteria in the blood) and in shock. These cases must be handled as a medical emergency. Treatment involves correcting the animal's dehydration (sometimes aggressively), antibiotics, and surgically removing the infected uterus and ovaries (i.e., spaying the pet). This disease can also be medically treated (more often in Europe) with antibiotics and a class of drugs called prostaglandins, but it is my opinion that pyometra should be treated surgically, and not medically.

I am posting photos of a case that I saw recently, of a cat that had the most severe pyometra I (and my colleagues) have ever seen. With the owner's permission, I am sharing this case: This was a darling older unspayed cat, about twelve years old, that presented to me with a decreased appetite and a massively distended belly. I took two radiographs (x-rays) of her belly, and this is what I found:

X-ray on her side


X-ray on her back

Without advanced knowledge of radiology, one can appreciate the distended abdomen. For those wtih some understanding, there is a large (massive actually) tubular soft-tissue opacity taking up much of the abdominal cavity that is consistent with pyometra. Keep this in mind when having a look at the following photos. These were taken while in surgery. What you see is the cat's uterus (and ovaries) that has almost completely been removed. It is huge.


This is the uterus after surgery. Take special note of the normal cat uterus to the right, which was removed that same morning during a routine spay. Astounding.


The very sad news is that the cat died two days later. We were all saddened by this.
Please everyone, this is one very good reason to have your female pet spayed.

Feedback: dogs wearing costumes

I received some feedback from some of my great clients regarding my previous post. While they understood the point of my post, they also thought I may have been a tad harsh. Let me set something straight: I love dogs and cats - for being just that: dogs and cats. I like them for their canine-ness and their feline-ness, not for the eccentricities subjected on them by humans. One of those eccentricities involves dressing dogs up in Halloween costumes. BUT! They are darn cute, I admit it... I mean, how could I not?

Dogs in costumes and beauty pageants...

It would be hard to say that this isn't adorable. And clever. I distinctly recall dogs as having four limbs.... I'm more impressed with the creativity associated with this costume than the fact that it is being sported by a species other than Homo sapiens.
Seeing a dog clad in a Halloween costume irks me, almost as much as being privy to a five year-old in a Southern Belle Beauty pageant (not irks, repulses me). Neither, however serve the dog or the child. A dog doesn't understand the purpose of the costume party, while a four year-old toddler may like the attention (like the dog) in a pageant but surely doesn't understand what exactly is going on around her. These activities and behaviour serve but their eccentric pet owners and whacko parents.
Would an interactive, fun, and educational visit to a museum or aquarium with one's young child not serve a child better than to transform her into a Barbie doll (risking shame and embarrassment, disappointment, and sadness)?
It is very different from dressing ourselves and our children in costumes, who understand the tradition and fun associated with it, just as a smart, young woman surely understands why she wants to be Miss Universe (which still makes me gag).

The excitement manifested by your dog on a walk or run on a wooded path, ravine, or beach, would far likely prove that this activity is much healthier (for dog and owner) than this:

I would much rather see a large (or even small) dog sporting a full backpack running through the forest with his owners. Here, the weight of the backpack is good for the dog and he is also working for his owners (the alpha leaders). This is what dogs do for a living, and love to do it!

Now THAT's a dog in a costume!


And to any parent contemplating entering their child into a beauty pageant, I would strongly recommend you do this with your child


instead of this



This is just $^%# sick...

Having no choice but to eat pets...

It was reported today, on CNN (online edition) that due to a severe food/meat shortage in Zimbabwe, pets are being slaughtered and eaten. Here, we live in a society that lavishes love and attention on its pets. Can you imagine being in a situation that prevents you from properly serving the basic needs of your pet? I cannot imagine not having the means to provide food for my cats. I can imagine less being so hungry that I would need to eat my them. The thought is just too macabre.... but the residents of Zimbabwe are so desperate for food that this is what it has come down to. Vendors are selling frozen dog meat from trucks by the roadside... dogs are starving. And worse, there is not enough phenobarbital solution to humanely euthanize the pets who are suffering. My heart pours out to all of them: the desperate human beings and the suffering pets who cannot possibly understand what is occurring around them...

Where is the international support for Zimbabwe? Why are there not 130 thousand (or a portion of that number) American troops in southern Africa trying to oust the corrupt ZImbabwean leader, Mugabe (a sick man who believes that there is a cure for AIDS)? Where are the international community's efforts in supplanting him? Click here to see why this is feasible.

The G8 and other countries, together, could easily provide the nourishment to all those human and animal mouths that are desperate for their basic needs.

Please read the entire CNN article here


At least for a little while, these two men should provide some sort of bitter sustenance for the starving dogs.

Today's theme is peace...

Peace along La Seine.


In the Hamptons, absolute serenity.

When things don't go smoothly...

Yesterday was a day that many would call a nightmare. I was scheduled on surgery from 8 AM to about 1 PM. I had three surgeries scheduled: one cystotomy (opening bladder to remove bladder stones) and two cats for dentistry.
I started with the cystotomy. The patient: a Yorkie that weighs less than my pinky finger. He was not the best anesthetic patient.... Thank goodness we have excellent monitoring equipment. While at no time was this little guy in danger, we kept having to adjust his anesthetic gas concentrations, fluid rates, etc, all to maintain a good plane of anesthesia while preventing a dangerous drop in blood pressure. Ok, so that took effort but certainly manageable. After removing one large stone and dozens of tiny ones from this guy's bladder, I stitched his bladder up, brought him to radiology to snap an X-ray, to ensure that no stones remain. Shoot. The processor just died. Tried three times. X-rays aren't being developed properly. Shoot, damn, and insert more swearing here. So I stitch up the rest (abdominal wall and skin), and call the owner to let him know that quality medicine has just been thrown out the window, but what could I do? It was certainly not anybody's fault that the processor had decided to die at that moment.
About a half hour after the dog wakes up from surgery, in come the service guys for the processor. Shoot. Great timing.
I get one of my dentistries under general anesthesia and start working on that big job. In comes my tech with two X-rays he had just taken, which would have been much more useful had they been taken just 30 minutes before. They showed a single beautiful stone remaining in the bladder. I was tempted to send the stool on which I was sitting straight into orbit! Ok, not the end of the world. It sucks big time but all I have to do is remove the stitches, no new incisions, and find that single stone.
I finished the first dentistry during which I had to make a flap over three lower teeth, extract all of them, and sew the flap up again (usually looks great when healed). Ok, that surgery went well.
I put the other cat under general. Started on that big job.... My techs meanwhile had to take the first cat out of his cage, as the cat started profusely bleeding from its mouth. Vets and doctors hate nothing less: hemorrhage. Funny, the cat bled minimally little DURING the surgery and likely banged its face on the cage wall while waking up (they do that sometimes when they wake up). So that cat had to be RE-anesthetized and the pressure had to be applied to the area for about 20 minutes. Bleeding stopped. My heart rate and pressure already sky-high.... Woke the kittie up.
So I finish THAT surgery. Went well, nothing interesting to report. This cat wakes up fine.
The first cat, dysphoric (stoned) from the pain drugs, smacks its face yet again against the cage wall (after adding more comforters and pillows than a bed at the Ritz) - a warm, bright-red liquid starts flowing... A third time, we put the cat out, I remove several stitches, pack the extraction sites with a packing material, and close up. Now we're good.
-sigh-

Back to the Yorkie. Unfortunately the dog had to be put under general again... Thank goodness the owner was a total sweetheart. I explained everything to him, was completely honest about what happened, and apologized to him most obsequiously.
Repeated the surgery, removed the single remaining stone easily (where was that little bugger the first time that it couldn't be flushed out like the others?) and woke the dog up. Time: 6:30 PM.

I sat down in my office at my computer to type out my notes for the day. It took much for me not to break down and cry.



Addendum (August 31, 2007): all patients discussed above are doing fabulously, as if nothing had happened.