Heartworm & Pets

Warm weather means the return of mosquitoes and the heartworm disease that they carry. Because a single bite from a mosquito could transmit the deadly heartworm parasite to your pet, it’s important that your pet stay on a heartworm preventative at all times. We can’t prevent the mosquitoes from biting, but we can prevent their harmful effects. We would love to discuss heartworm prevention for your pet!

The Veterinary Journey of a Much Loved Dog.

                      ....an 18 month adventure

Allow me to introduce Mattie.... a 10 year old, neutered male, Maltese Yorkshire Terrier mix... a whopping 10 pounds of wonder.

Mattie initially came to us with a sore foot. In veterinary lingo..pododermatitis...in normal terms an infected, inflamed sore area between the toes, also affecting the nail bed. His owner reported he had suffered from this on many occasions in the past.

During his general examination it was noted that he had:

• a pot bellied appearance with a distended abdomen
• a large liver with edges extending beyond his ribs
• a thin hair coat especially along his sides
• mild-moderate dental calculus
• restricted range of motion in his hind limbs, abnormal patellar (knee cap) movement on both hind legs and joint changes in the left knee

His general appearance, and recurrent skin issues, gave us concern that he may have a condition called "Canine Cushings" that results in excess circulating cortisol (steroid) and associated complications.

Mattie was about to begin his journey! 

Blood and urine tests were run. He was given antibiotics for his sore foot and his owner was instructed to clean his foot daily with an antiseptic soap. The tests revealed elevated liver enzymes, a low urine concentration, excess protein in his urine and a high urine protein/creatinine ratio without specific kidney disease. These test results were very suspicious for Cushings.

Initial testing was done to rule in/out Cushings. There are two common tests for this:

• a Low Dose Dexamethasone Suppression Test
• an ACTH Stimulation test

The former test was run....and, to our amazement, it was normal!

Given the excess protein in his urine, his blood pressure level was checked. It was high. Mattie was put on medication to help manage both his elevated blood pressure and the protein in his urine.

For a few months Mattie went along without further incident. On his medication his blood pressure returned to normal.

Then Mattie came in lame behind.... he was hurting. We knew he had chronic issues in his hind limbs and suspected these issues were now causing him to be painful. Observation of how he was moving, and an examination, confirmed his hind end was troubling him. Radiographs (X-rays) were taken and showed signs of osteoarthritis and inflammation in both of his knees.  These we not the only changes noted. His liver was indeed very large and he had a calcified stone just in front of his os penis. (Yes...male dogs do have a bone in their penis!) Despite this finding his owner assured us he was having no problem urinating.

Treatment options, both surgical and medical, were discussed with his owner. As the urethral stone was not causing any problems at the moment his owner opted for a "wait and see" approach. Given his age, the chronicity of his problems and his medical issues a more conservative medical management  route was chosen for his lameness, rather than the more aggressive surgical option for correction of his patellar and cruciate ligament abnormalities. Mattie was put on pain medication and a joint protectant. He resumed his normal activity level and continued to pass urine without difficulty. Mattie felt well on his medication.

Periodically Mattie had his urine checked to monitor the protein level. Despite an increase in his medication, his protein/creatinine ratio was increasing and his blood pressure was high again. We were concerned. Bloods were run and his liver enzymes were higher than before. Mattie had something going on and we had to determine what it was.

The possibility of Cushings remained a concern. This time we ran an ACTH Stimulation Test. It was positive! Once a dog is determined to have Cushings the physical origin of the problem must be determined as treatment options differ depending on the origin of the problem. To make a long story short, the problem can originate in either the pituitary gland in the head, or the adrenal gland in the abdomen. Medication is used to manage Pituitary Cushings and surgery is the treatment for Adrenal Cushings. In a normal dog the pituitary secretes a substance that activates the adrenal to produce cortisol. When adequate amounts of cortisol are circulating in the blood the pituitary does not ask the adrenal to make more; when levels are lower the pituitary gets active, and signals the adrenal to produce more. This is type of control is called a negative feed back loop. Thus either the pituitary (the general) or the adrenal (the manufacturer) can be out of control. In order to determine where the problem is one can do a blood test (High Dose Dexamethasone Suppression Test) and an abdominal ultrasound. If the blood test is positive the problem is the pituitary. If it is negative it is likely the adrenal that has gone wrong and an ultrasound can confirm this. Mattie's problem was his pituitary. Now there is a definitive diagnosis  and treatment can be started. Treatment for Cushings is tricky and requires medication to control the adrenal production of cortisol. Clinical signs, and blood test results, help determine the correct dose of the required medication. In Mattie's case it took quite a while to fine tune his oral medication to fit his specific needs. Cushings is controlled/managed, not cured, so life long medication is required. His owner, WBVC and Mattie are a team ... all are invested in keeping his problem well controlled.

Unfortunately, Mattie's journey had not ended!

His dental disease had rapidly worsened while his Cushings disease was not fully under control! Mattie required major dental work. Under general anaesthesia he had a dental prophy, to remove his plaque and calculus, and his mouth was charted. Gross abnormalities were noted and it was determined he required dental radiographs. At WBVC these are done with a special dental x ray unit using DR digital technology. The x rays showed extensive apical root abscessation and bone resorption. Mattie required several extractions.

 Even though he was under general anaesthesia, regional local anaesthetic blocks were used in order to avoid an excessive depth of general anaesthetic, and to aleviate post operative pain. Teeth with more than one root are cut into sections with a high speed dental drill before the roots can be removed. Once the root is removed the empty socket is cleaned, and packed with special material, to help healing. The tissue around the the tooth is surgically fashioned to make a flap that is used to close over the defect left after a root extraction. Mattie had seven teeth extracted! He did very well and went home with pain medication, and anitbiotics. A few days after his dental surgery his owner said he was running around like a puppy...he hadn't felt so well in years!

However, the issue of the urethral stone had been left unaddressed and, unsurprisingly, Mattie started to have difficulty passing his urine! He could still pass urine, but it is a pitiful stream. We are able to pass a small catheter and get a urine sample from the bladder. Calcium oxalate crystals were in his urine.. his urethral stone would likely be Calcium oxalate as well. The stone needed to be removed and his owner did not want him to undergo surgery. Fortunately, thanks to modern technology, there was a solution for Mattie's problem....laser lithotripsy! Under general anaesthesia a flexible ureteroscope was passed into the penile urethra. The stone was firmly adhered to the lining of the urethra. Once directly visualized the stone was fragmented in the urethra using laser lithotripsy! The pieces were removed using a basket attachment on the tiny endoscope. No more stone...no more urinary problem. Unfortunately Calcium oxalate stones tend to recur over time. Specially formulated diets do help reduce the incidence of recurrence.

Our Mattie continues to do well...we hope this medical journey is at an end!

Dr. Rurak in Costa Rica

Safe Travels!

West Boulevard Veterinary Clinic would like to wish safe travels to Dr. Rurak who has left for Costa Rica for two weeks! We hope you have an incredible journey!

Who's Caring for Daisy???

We all get excited about going away on a vacation. Unfortunately we can't always take our pets with us.

The question arises.... who will look after Daisy??

There are several options:

• leave your pet at home with remaining family members
• leave your pet at home with a caregiver coming in to provide care
• hire a live-in pet sitter
• take your pet to a kennel or boarding facility

Regardless of the chosen option the question arises...what is to be done if Daisy becomes ill when her family is away???

As veterinarians we see what happens when the hard questions of veterinary care and accompanying finances have not been addressed in advance of situations arising. 

The following is an example of what can, and does, happen.

Daisy's family are heading off on vacation. They take her to a local boarding facility and check her in for two weeks of care and lodging. They give their personal information, a contact number and the name of Daisy's regular veterinarian. They sign a release of liability should Daisy be lost or injured during her stay. The people at the facility are warm and friendly. Daisy's family feel confident she will be well looked after and head off to the airport.

After a few days the staff at the kennel notice Daisy is urinating more frequently. They call the owners and let them know they have some concern. Daisy's condition rapidly worsens...she seems painful when she tries to urinate and her urine is now blood red. 

The kennel owner takes her to the local veterinarian in hopes of obtaining some antibiotics to "fix the problem". She is told an examination is required. As Daisy's family are not clients of the local veterinary hospital payment is required at the time of service. The kennel agrees to pay for a basic examination. Daisy is examined by the veterinarian. She seems well except for the red urine stains on her hind end. Her bladder is tiny as she piddles small amounts often. The veterinarian tells the kennel owner that further testing is advised as there is a concern that Daisy may have a bladder stone....a painful and irritating condition...rather than an uncomplicated  bacterial infection 

The kennel refuse to sign the admission paper for Daisy. They do not want to be responsible for procedure authorization or payment for additional services. They still want the veterinarian to give Daisy antibiotics. They take her back to the kennel. They are now unable to contact the owners. Daisy is increasingly uncomfortable. The kennel does not want to take responsibility for her medical care. 

The kennel has a dilemma! A sick dog under their care and concern they may not be able to collect payment from the owners.

Fortunately the veterinarian, after several attempts, was able to contact the owners. Daisy's situation was explained to them and they authorized diagnostics and treatment as required. They provided a deposit via credit card. Once payment had been arranged the kennel agreed to sign as Daisy's agent to have her admitted to the veterinary hospital for care. The question arises...what would the outcome have been if the veterinarian could not get in touch with the owner??

Several tests were done and Daisy was found to have bladder stones, no bacterial infection of the urine and no other issues. She was returned to the kennel with medication to keep her comfortable until her owners returned home. Daisy will likely require surgery to remove the stones.

Ultrasound of bladder stones

Radiograph of bladder stones

The take home points from this scenario are:

• ask the caregiver/kennel what protocol for care is in place should your pet become ill in your absence
• indicate if the caregiver/kennel is to use your regular veterinarian unless they are not available
• provide the caregiver/kennel with a budget they can work with for your pet's veterinary care should they be unable to contact you

In the above situation:

• there was no standard protocol in place for a sick pet
• the caregiver/kennel made a lay person diagnosis
• the regular veterinarian was not contacted by the caregiver/kennel
• the caregiver/kennel would not take agent, or interim financial, responsibility for the pet in their care
• there was no emergency budget in place for veterinary care

Expect the best but PLAN for the worst

and have a WORRY  FREE vacation!

Acupuncture at West Boulevard Veterinary Clinic

At West Boulevard Veterinary Clinic, we proudly offer acupuncture! This treatment is a drug-free pain management option for pets in many different health conditions.

 Acupuncture is the insertion of needles into specific points on the body in order to bring about a desired healing effect. The placement of needles causes very little, if any, discomfort. Once situated they are painless. During a treatment most animals become very relaxed, they may become sleepy and yawn. The number of needles, their placement and needling technique employed varies from case to case, as does the duration of treatment. 

 The duration of treatment can be as short as a few seconds to as long as thirty minutes. The number of sessions and their timing varies with the problem being treated. Most cases will need up to six treatments at varying time intervals, however some will require only one or two treatments.

Call us at 604-266-7421 if you think your pet could benefit from acupuncture. 

Visit our website...the acupuncture pages are under the Services tab!

Sarah's New Mug!

This is Sarah's new mug.

 Sarah loved her old mug as it held a lot of tea...a beverage she sips throughout the day. Although the new mug is beautiful Sarah isn't one to turn over something solely for the sake of beauty!

Sarah's mugs have radically different shapes. The shape is the key to the change.

Meet Siegfried....

...Siegfried is the catalyst for Sarah changing mugs!

After Christmas our AHT, Kari, decided it was time to get a dog of her own. Her wish list was a quiet dog that had an easily managed coat, was larger breed that was not aggressive and could jog with her for miles without tiring. At WBVC we are involved with medical and psychological management of various rescue dogs so it was only natural that Kari's dog was to be a rescue dog. We care for several rescued retired racing greyhounds. With time and dedication they all have become wonderful companions.

Thus Kari had decided on her breed of choice...a racing Greyhound rescue. The task... to find the face of HER companion. Days became weeks of looking on line...which faces touched her heart? White ones, grey ones, mottled ones, black ones, fawn ones and brindle ones were all on offer. There we males and females. Some were shy and others boisterous. Some older and others youthful. Some would eat a cat!

Kari added on to her search criteria. Male, as she worried a late spayed female may develop mammary cancer as she aged. Cat friendly as she has three kitties. Brave enough to come to work each day and laid back enough not to trash the office or her town home! 

The next step was seeing if Kari was deemed by Greyhound Pets Inc. to be a suitable Greyhound adopter. After several telephone calls, emails and  form filling Kari passed with flying colours!

In February a date was set for Kari and Sarah to take off a Friday from the hospital to visit the greyhounds and bring home the perfect fit. All was organized and then IT SNOWED...a lot!! Now Kari was worrying her short list of dogs, and thus her perfect companion, would be adopted to other adopters before she could drive to Washington. She was upset. However the weather cleared and off she went to Washington...without Sarah as there were now surgeries scheduled.

Kari met a lot of Greyhounds and a match was made...M's Motown Rock....a four year old, newly neutered, brindle male.  He was not one of her short listed dogs but he was her first choice. The fellow who had been on the top her short list came out to greet her and promptly lifted his leg and urinated on the hall wall! He missed out on a great home:(

Paperwork completed Kari and the newly named Siegfried headed back to his forever home.

He spend a quiet weekend at home and came to work with Kari on Monday. He had a great start at Greyhound Pets Inc www.greyhoundpetsinc.org . All his health needs had been seen to before he came home. His teeth are badly chipped and worn, presumably from biting at cage bars, and he has a small esophageal diverticulum but other than that he is in good form.

We quickly found that Siegfried: 

• will walk through any door that is even left slightly ajar
• is great with cats and other dogs
• is not so great with "Red" the clinic's African Grey
• can't be trusted with rabbits....to him they are the lure!
• loves soft doughnut beds
•  has to be fed with his food at chest level or higher
• gets upset when Kari is out of sight (thankfully this is resolving)
• is needy and loves to be touching someone
• is incredibly laid back
• is deaf to subtle hints
• never makes a bathroom mistake indoors
• panics and screams if you raise your voice at all
• would rather watch Kari jog than actually participate in jogging
• COUNTER SURFS

By now you may be getting an inkling why Sarah has a new mug.

Siegfried can drink up the contents of a mug without tipping the mug, without spilling a drop and without leaving a drop behind. It happens to all of us but I think he prefers tea over coffee. 

Sarah could not tolerate her tea disappearing any longer! Her solution...a very tall, very narrow mug. 

To our surprise it worked...he now drinks from everyone else's mug and leaves Sarah's alone!

To see Sieg's racing history and pedigree go to: 

 http://www.greyhound-data.com/d?d=M%27s+Motown+Rock&sex=&color=&birthyear=&birthland=

Check back...we will keep you posted on Sieg's transition to a house pet, running companion and clinic mascot:)


If you are looking towards a new dog in your life consider a Greyhound rescue. There are various groups that coordinate Greyhound rescue and here in the Pacific Northwest, Greyhound Pets Inc. are doing a wonderful job! 

WHAT a DOG!!