Category: Uncategorized

Meet Otto. Over the past 4 years we have had the pleasure of getting to know this grand old guy. Yesterday, at the age of nearly 21 he passed away peacefully in his parent’s arms. Otto was our oldest canine patient – a truly extraordinary dog. He was a gentle and loving soul, a wonderful companion, and he will be greatly missed.

Meet Emmit, our Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic Pet of the Week

I want you to meet Emmit for two reasons (well, three reasons if you count “just because he’s cute and a really good boy” as being a reason 🙂 ).

One: Emmit, like many labrador retreivers, has had many lumps and bumps show up on his body over the years. All of these have been examined by a veterinarian and most have been what are called lipomas (soft, moveable, discrete deposits of fat under the skin that can vary in size). However, on two occasions, Emmit’s bumps came back as cancer called mast cell tumor. Fortunately, Emmit’s people are diligent about getting all of his lumps checked out and because of early detection, Emmit has now been cancer free for 2 years (4 years since the first one was removed)!

Two: One of Emmit’s lipomas kept growing (and growing and growing) and started to interfere with his mobility, so we had to remove it. (For other medical reasons, we did not recommend the surgery for Emmit prior to this). So here are some pictures of the 7 1/2 pound “mini Emmit” Dr. Joel removed!

Lessons from Emmit: Not all lumps and bumps are the same, early detection is best, and even a benign lump should be re-evaluated if changing (in size or texture).

WARNING: At least one graphic surgery picture below.

Meet Heidi, our Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic Pet of the Week. Heidi is proof that you CAN get your dog to shed pounds. By the age of 3, Heidi was obese at 116 pounds. Like people, obesity is a major problem in our pets and can contribute to many medical problems such as arthritis, breathing difficulties, skin problems, diabetes, and others. With a diligent feeding regimen and lots of love, Heidi successfully lost almost 40 pounds!

Good job to both Heidi and her caring family!

Below are Heidi’s before and after pictures followed by a Purina body condition chart so you can see if your pet is the right weight.

Meet Max, our Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic Pet of the Week.

Max came in early in the morning because his mom realized right away that something was wrong. He hadn’t eaten his dinner the night before (quite unusual for Max). And she awoke to find that Max was hunched over and acting really painful. Together with his examination and xrays of his belly, it was clear that Max needed surgery right away for an obstruction. In surgery, we found that Max had eaten carpet, with strands of carpet fiber completely filling his intestines and stuck from his stomach, throughout his entire bowel, to his colon. After 6 incisions into his intestines to remove the carpet, Max is on his way to recovery. This type of an obstruction is called a linear foreign body, probably one of the most serious types of blockages a dog or cat can get (common culprits are also string, yarn, rope and tinsel). If you suspect your pet swallowed a linear foreign body, we recommend getting them to the vet as soon as possible (before a lot of damage can occur).

CAUTION – Images May Be Graphic!!  Below are pictures of the surgery:

Meet Gem, our Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic Pet of the Week. Gem was rushed to the clinic after she had collapsed at home. In addition, her nose started to swell up. Upon close examination, a bee stinger was found in Gem’s muzzle! She had had an anaplyactic reaction to a bee sting. Treatment of anaphylaxis involves emergency injections (usually of benadryl, cortisone, and sometime adreneline if critical enough) and immediate IV fluid support. Gem did great and was back to her normal self in no time! Hopefully she’ll steer clear of bees in the future.

Bee stinger with the pen tip for scale.

Meet Max, our Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic Pet of the Week. Max is a persian kitty who also goes by the name of “Snaggletooth” (for obvious reasons). We’ve enjoyed taking care of this sweet boy over the past few years; but sadly, he must move on to Texas with his people. We hope he adjusts well. He might have to get a “lion cut” to stay cool in the Texas heat!

Max has a condition fairly common in cats called FIC (feline idiopathic cystitis), previously known as FUS or FLUTD. This is a condition in which the affected cat develops bladder inflammation, leading to various symptoms, including difficulty urinating, blood in the urine, frequent urination, or urinating in inappropriate locations. The condition is most often induced by stress (sort of the same way people develop stomach ulcers from stress). Other things that can cause the same signs (and should be tested to rule out if your cat is showing symptoms) are crystals in the urine, bladder infections, bladder stones, and bladder cancer.

You should be aware that male cats especially are prone to an emergency situation in which they become completely obstructed and are unable to urinate. This situation can be fatal if not treated promptly.

If you suspect your kitty companion to have this problem, let us take a look and talk to you about what can be done to make your kitty (and you) happier.

One final farewell to Max! We’ll miss you!

Update (March 11): Stitch has been adopted to a loving family!  Thank you all for all of your help in spreading the word!

Stitch is available for adoption!

Stitch is a 4 month old female, white, American Bulldog. She is already crate trained, doing well on a leash and knows how to sit. She is an intelligent and sweet natured pup. She is now fully house trained, but will still go in her crate overnight. A re-homing fee will apply and will cover the first three Distemper/Parvo vaccines, Rabies vaccine, several dewormings, a microchip, flea prevention, and her future spay at 6 months of age. She is being fostered through a veterinary hospital and her health and progress is being monitored by veterinarians. An adoption application, home check and references will apply.

Her unique story:

Stitch is lucky to be alive. She was injured by her mom when she was born at the shelter. She has a scar by her right hind leg & a broken tail that can be seen in the pictures from being bitten by her mom when she was born! Her leg and tail are completely healed and neither bother her a bit (gives her character). She had to be bottle fed from the start. At 3 weeks of age, she got pneumonia and struggled to stay alive. This darling was such a fighter and is now doing wonderfully! At 4 months of age, she is in great health, super playful and incredibly adorable! She weighs in at 30 pounds already. Her mom was 100 pounds!! Stitch has been socialized with many people, kids, cats and adult dogs. She seems to be developing a really relaxed, mellow personality. She gets playful with stimulation, but then sleeps or lounges around and loves to cuddle with her people and the adult dogs that have become her uncles.

Things to consider before adopting Stitch:

1. She has some permanent scarring in her lungs that may or may not affect her. She may or may not exhibit some exercise & heat intolerance. She may be more susceptible to respiratory infections. Prior to adopting her, I would send over all of her records to your veterinarian for you to get an opinion on this from them.

2. Her scar on her leg/back will have to have sunscreen put on it daily if her hair does not grow over the scar. Above her nose also needs to have sunscreen applied as white dogs with pink skin are very susceptible to sunburns.

3. She is going to be a very large and strong dog. It would be best for her to be in a home that is able to offer a lot of time, training and socialization. Joining a puppy class would be ideal for her.

To be considered as a forever home for Stitch, please email Tanja at tanjanj@gmail.com and include why you want this breed and what kind of home you can offer her. Thank you for your time.