I saw a dog today that had run into a stick.  Or, at least we think that is what happened!  The dog was acting like nothing was wrong, but she had a nice gash on her side:

Fortunately the stick didn’t too penetrate too far so it was a relatively simple stitching job.  The dog went under a full anesthetic and we cleaned up the wound:

And a few minutes later, here’s what she looked like:

Do you have any experiences with a pet needing stitches?  I’d love to hear about it in a comment below!

OK folks…let’s see how smart you are!  What do you think the bump is on this dog’s ear?

Here’s some background information.  The dog is a 4 year old Boxer cross.  The bump just appeared and doesn’t seem to bother her at all.

What do you think it is?  Leave a comment below!

Today I saw this little sweetie in my office:

Isn’t he gorgeous?   I know it’s not the greatest picture…and the poor little guy was really not feeling well so he didn’t want to open his eyes and smile for the camera.

The Oxbow Critical care in the background is a nutrition supplement for him.  Oh, and the large elizabethan collar is not for him….it was for another, slightly larger patient of mine!

If you didn’t guess it already, this is a degu.

I don’t get to see a whole lot of degus…I wish I could see more of them!

Here are some interesting facts about degus:

• Degus are really social creatures.  They love to live in pairs!
• Degus are originally from Chile.
• Degus are pretty picky about their carbs.  They need good quality fiber and are quite sensitive to sugar.
• Degus are prone to developing diabetes.
• The average lifespan of a degu is 6-9 years.  I did hear one report of a degu living 18 years.  WOW!
• Degus bathe themselves by taking a dust bath.  You can buy a chinchilla dust bath for them and they absolutely love it!  Here’s a great video of a degu taking a dust bath:

Degus are really delightful creatures!  Do you have any degu stories to share?

Hi guys!  Just wanted to let you know that I have finally finished my book : “Save Money on Vet Bills“.

I have been working so much on my book that I have neglected my blog!

Ask A Vet Question is really taking off!  I’d like to thank all of you who have tried the website out.  I am really enjoying answering your veterinary questions.

So, let me update you on what is going on with my life.  My little girl is almost 2 years old now.  She is such a sweetheart!  Today she had a blast in the McDonald’s playground.  She loves when mommy is home to play with her!

It has been extremely busy at the animal hospital.  Usually the winter months are slow but we have been fully booked almost every day.  I think this is a good sign that the economy is doing well.

We’ve unfortunately had a number of cats with a urinary tract blockage in lately but we have managed to treat them all and all are doing well to this point!  We’ve also had a rash of ACL tears lately.  I usually find that we see these more in the summer time when animals are running free at the cottage and parks but we have seen several in the last few months.  These cases always make my heart drop because I know it is going to cost the owners so much money.  We usually end up calling in our orthopedic surgeon to do a TPLO surgery which can cost $2500-$3000 or so.

The other thing we are seeing lots of is cats with upper respiratory tract infections.  But again, almost all of them are being treated successfully.

I look forward to updating you on how my cases are going!  Stay tuned!

Dr. Marie