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                      Volume 4, Issue 10                               

Important News on the Detection of Kidney Disease in Dogs

The kidneys filter your dog's entire blood volume 48 times each day to remove toxins.  As a result, they are exposed to potentially damaging factors from many disease conditions, including:  dental disease, skin infections, heartworm infection, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Conventional testing of kidney values can only detect late kidney disease--and by this point more than 75% of the kidneys may have been destroyed.  As a consequence, early kidney damage can occur without any visible signs of illness.  Unfortunately, kidney disease is currently the second most common cause of death from illness in dogs.

Now, the good news.  We now have a new screening test that detects kidney damage in your dog earlier than ever before.  It is a quick and simple urine test that locates trace amounts of albumin in the urine--an indication of possible early kidney disease.  With this information, your veterinarian can monitor your dog's kidney values closely and design a prophylactic treatment regiment. 

This new screening test is very exciting news and brings with it great promise for prolonging the healthy lives of your dogs.  On your next visit to MSAH, ask your veterinarian about the ERD screening test.  It may be the most important question you ever ask!

                      Volume 4, Issue 10                               

Anthony Pierce is October's Employee of the Month.  He has been a dedicated member of our team for 25 years.  Some of you may recognize Anthony as our late-night technician.  For many years, he has stayed in the hospital overnight, taking care of our patients and aiding in emergency exams and surgeries.  Anthony is an integral part of our hospital and plays a major role in our being a 24 hour facility--he ensures that your pets are never alone.  We appreciate the hard work Anthony has done over the years and look forward to many more!

Blackie is a year old domestic shorthair feline who presented for forelimb lameness.  Blackie was found as a stray 3 weeks ago and this morning the owner noticed that Blackie was whining and not bearing weight on the left front leg.  Upon physical examination Blackie was painful in the shoulder region.  Her toes were somewhat hyper flexed.  At right is the radiograph taken of the shoulder.  What's your diagnosis?

(Answer on page 4)

Puppy is a four week old schnauzer who presented to MSAH with a history of not eating and failure to thrive.  Upon physical examination Puppy was found to be in serious trouble.  She was very weak, dehydrated and had bluish tinged mucous membranes.   Puppy's vulva was swollen and extremely painful.  In addition, the attending veterinarian found stool coming from the vagina.  The attending veterinarian took blood for a complete blood count and a mini profile.  An IV catheter was placed and Puppy was given intravenous fluids, steroids, and antibiotics.  Puppy had to be fed by syringe because she was too weak to eat on her own. The bloodwork revealed anemia, a high white blood cell count, electrolyte abnormalities, and hypoglycemia. Exploratory surgery was scheduled for the next day. 

The attending veterinarian found extensive amounts of dead tissue around Puppy's vulva.  He also found a hole, which communicated between Puppy's vagina and rectum.  This explained the feces coming from the vagina.  The veterinarian closed the hole and trimmed away all of the dead tissue around the vulva. 

A rectovaginal fistula is a hole which communicates between the vagina and the rectum. This abnormality is found in newborn animals.  This condition is serious because feces will travel into the vagina through the fistula and carry dangerous bacteria into the vagina.  The vagina will become infected and if the condition is not corrected, the bacteria may travel into the animals bloodstream.

Puppy recovered well from surgery.  Two days post-op Puppy was eating and drinking on her own and her attitude had improved dramatically.  Puppy may have to have re-constructive surgery in the future on her vulva because of the extent of the tissue that had to be removed.  Puppy is now continuing her recovery and is doing well at home.

The radiographs reveal a fracture at the physis (growth plate) of the humerus.  This is a very uncommon type of fracture which occurs in young animals.  Blackie's fracture was repaired surgically using cross pin fixation.  This involves placing two wires in an X configuration to connect and stabilize the two fragments.   

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                      Volume 4, Issue 10                               

10. Little white dogs named "Beignet"