Comments on VETBLOG: Moving to New York City

Ameene and Peter,Great to hear from you! You can...

2008-07-18T22:27:00.000-04:00

Ameene and Peter,

Great to hear from you! You can always e-mail me directly:

canadian.vet.art@gmail.com

Please keep in touch.

Clifford, you can't move to NYC (well, ok, you can...

2008-07-18T19:36:00.000-04:00

Clifford, you can't move to NYC (well, ok, you can, but...). We haven't even had a chance to say hello, what's this about goodbye? Well, fine - go, but we're coming to visit, and we're staying with you...

xxxxooo
Ameene and Peter (fathers of Eliot, Dakota and Myshka (RIP))

Almost forgot to add:Plavix, another drug used com...

2008-07-16T21:36:00.000-04:00

Almost forgot to add:

Plavix, another drug used commonly in human medicine, is also used to prevent the formation of blood clots in cats with heart disease. It's expensive but not when it's for a cat.

Catherine,Interestingly, there's no conclusive evi...

2008-07-16T21:30:00.000-04:00

Catherine,

Interestingly, there's no conclusive evidence that aspirin is a miracle drug in preventing thromboembolism in cats with heart disease.
Having said that, many are still using it. If it's not causing any side effects (especially after this long), I would continue with it.

Thanks for visiting and posting a comment!

NYC sounds like a huge adventure!You met Lester, o...

2008-07-15T18:36:00.000-04:00

NYC sounds like a huge adventure!

You met Lester, our red tabby Maine Coon, when he had a stroke and then prescribed Aspirin after his second. It is a miracle drug. You would never ever know he had had a stroke at all now. You were just talking to Bob earlier today in the Manulife Centre.

While I'm sad you're leaving Toronto, I can imagine how exciting the move must be.

I look forward to reading about your adventures in NYC. And thank you -- your treatment of Lester and kindness were invaluable.

Shelly,Just an addition: not ALL vegetables should...

2008-07-12T13:53:00.000-04:00

Shelly,

Just an addition: not ALL vegetables should be avoided. Green leafy vegetables are high in oxalates.
Your vet should be able to find a list of foods to avoid to prevent CaOx crystals.

Hi Shelly,So far, those recommendations sound grea...

2008-07-12T13:51:00.000-04:00

Hi Shelly,

So far, those recommendations sound great. Calcium oxalates can be frustrating because they often recur.

First thing we need to determine: was the urine in the fridge for any extended period of time prior to the urine test (find out if the vet refrigerated it)?
It is COMMON for these crystals to form in the urine in the fridge!
An easy way to check is for you or the vet to collect the urine, have it spun and examined under the microscope almost immediately.
If there are no crystals, I would repeat this in 2 and 4 weeks (at least). If all samples show no crystals, your little gal has no issues.

Now, let's assume they are REAL:

The x-rays will determine if there are actual STONES. We know that she has microscropic CRYSTALS now.
If there are no stones, that's a good start.
Things I would discuss with your vet include the following: 1) the dog's current diet (including all dairy products and vegetables - these contribute to CaOx crystal formation), 2) feeding an appropriate diet for this type of condition, such as Waltham's urinary S/O, 3) daily at home monitoring of the dog's urine pH - you want it hovering around 7 or slightly above at all times throughout the day
4) ways to increase the dog's water consumption, such as giving the dog ice cubes, moistening the kibble with water, etc, and 5) close monitoring of the urine (frequent urinalyses).

Good luck and keep me posted.

Best of Luck!Question:I have a 5 1/2 month old mix...

2008-07-12T10:38:00.000-04:00

Best of Luck!

Question:

I have a 5 1/2 month old mix breed: female - yorkie shih tzu mix.....love her to pieces......

she had her urine tested at about 5 months and they found blood in her urine.....I was always concerned because she drank a lot and peed alot......so they treated that and asked for another urine sample....which I just gave them.

They told me that in the urine it showed calcium oxalate crystals.....

Of course I was upset and they now want to do an xray of her Monday......

any suggestions?

I have to have her spade shortly as well.

Thanks
Shelly
Nova Scotia

Concerning Atticus' weight, we've got to look at t...

2008-07-11T22:48:00.000-04:00

Concerning Atticus' weight, we've got to look at two things: the amount he is putting in (eating/calories) and how much is he putting out (exercise).
Two cups, I admit, doesn't sound like a lot...
For weight loss, this guy should be consuming about 800-850 calories a day, possibly less if he is relatively inactive.

So, what I need you to do is to find out the caloric content of his diet (kcal per cup, for example) and let me know how much this guy is consuming (you may need to call the pet food company or go to their website for this info). I also want to know how many calories he gets from snacks - every one of them! Some snacks contain 50 calories each. That can be a lot for a dog. Any table scraps? After I get this info, we can see if it all makes sense.

Please let me know if you visit NYC!

Hi Clifford,Do you go by Cliff as well or are you ...

2008-07-11T21:00:00.000-04:00

Hi Clifford,
Do you go by Cliff as well or are you strictly Clifford. Or should I be calling you Dr. Clifford. I'm sure your pretty busy at this time packing up your life in TO. That part I don't envy, living in New York, I think I could handle that. I'm glad we met though. Thanks for taking the time with Atticus. I didn't catch your friends name, sorry, say hi.

We always come to New York in October to see shows with my husbands group of theatre subscribers. He does two tours. The aforementioned and London. Both great fun. Maybe we'll meet up. I have never been to Brooklyn. Well cross the bridge for a change. That's if you don't mind the presumption.

Atticus is going to be 5 on August 4th. My Big Leo Bear. This bladder infection is only his second. So I'm not to concerned about this yet. One thing I'm concerned about is his weight, which neither doctor mentioned. He weights 74.8 lbs. about 14 pounds over weight. The standard for a springer is 55 lbs., but I have to take into consideration his build which is big as well. He's fed two cups of food a day plus the odd treat. Plus he's out with me a fair bit. So I dont' get the weight gain. Maybe he's simply sympathizing with me and my over weightness. Who can say.

I am so happy to hear from you!Glad to hear that A...

2008-07-11T19:07:00.000-04:00

I am so happy to hear from you!
Glad to hear that Atticus is doing well and even more glad that his thyroid levels are adequate.

It is quite unusual for males to get such frequent bladder infections... If he gets another one, have some bladder x-rays or an ultrasound done. He may have bladder stones or a prostatic infection (though the latter would be more unlikely if he's neutered).

Please keep me posted. Again, great to have met you and the wonderful dogs. Take good care!

As a pet lover and now a fellow New Yorker, I thin...

2008-07-11T14:04:00.000-04:00

As a pet lover and now a fellow New Yorker, I think you'll appreciate this.

There is this great new show on CBS called Great American Dog. There is a character on the show that is a physician from New York and his dog, Elvis. You must see this show.

There are clips from the show and of Elvis on a website called TheDoctorsChannel.com. It's like a YouTube for doctors. It has a great veterinary medicine section as well.

Hi Clifford, you met me and my dogs at Kew Gardens...

2008-07-11T11:35:00.000-04:00

Hi Clifford, you met me and my dogs at Kew Gardens in the Beach. Atticus,Paieka,Jack and Maddie. I happened to mention that Atticus wasn't well. Well we did all the T4 tests, even one that went off to the states for his suspected Hypothyroidism, which he doesn't have glad to say. He does have a bladder infection though, he is on meds for that. Simple as that. Bladder infections and Atticus are not new. He came to me at 7 weeks with one. Oh well. Good luck in NYC. Hope the move goes well. Talk to you soon.

YAY! Best wishes for a great move. Look forward to...

2008-07-10T16:56:00.000-04:00

YAY! Best wishes for a great move. Look forward to visiting you in Brooklyn.

Bon courage,
j

I wish you the best of luck. Is this a permanent m...

2008-07-08T06:29:00.000-04:00

I wish you the best of luck. Is this a permanent move for you or just an "adventure"? Having been born and raised in NYC, I myself prefer the gentler pace of Toronto, but I can understand that NYC vibe and energy being a lure. Please post and let us know if you'll be working while you're there. I have a lot of friends who are looking for a good vet.

Hi Dr. M,It's Rosie the Airedale here...you ran in...

2008-07-02T16:23:00.000-04:00

Hi Dr. M,
It's Rosie the Airedale here...you ran into my owner Chris at Cdn Tire a while back. Congrats on the move to NYC. I'll will be hard pressed to find a vet who was as wonderful and caring as you. Best wishes for life in the big city!

Best of luck with the move! David & I got to think...

2008-06-30T12:25:00.000-04:00

Best of luck with the move! David & I got to thinking on our recent trip that we wouldn't mind living in Nova Scotia - though we're pretty content to stay in our little seaside village in Maine for the time being.

Perhaps if I move down the PhD route with my grad studies and a position opens at Dalhousie, though....

Have lots of fun! I'm looking forward to reading ...

2008-06-29T15:09:00.000-04:00

Have lots of fun! I'm looking forward to reading of your experiences in Brooklyn. I lived there for a while about 10 years ago, so it will be neat to hear how it's changed.

Are you bringing the mini, or leaving it behind?