Bulletin #72

Inside this issue:

       Delgado Community College, located near City Park, recently began offering a new program that will benefit all area veterinarians and their clients.  In January, Delgado started its first class of students who will complete a curriculum in veterinary nursing and technology and who will ultimately be credentialed veterinary technicians.  This is very exciting for the entire community, as it aids in raising the bar for veterinary care throughout the New Orleans area.

       Previously, students interested in becoming a Certified Veterinary Technician had to travel pretty far to find a college that offered such a curriculum.  Delgado's acceptance of this program will offer people the opportunity to explore careers in the veterinary field as well as help produce quality employees for local veterinarians. 

      We are also very happy to announce that three members of our current veterinary staff were chosen to be a part of the first class of veterinary technicians at Delgado.  I'm sure you know them all well:  Carrie Osbourn, Erin Harvey and Steve Grossman.  We are very pleased that they were accepted into the class and, as always, are very proud of them!

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                    Volume 7, Issue 3                               

Employee of the Month

LARRY FLOWERS is
MSAH's Employee of the Month!

Larry was born in Alabama and raised in New Jersey.   He moved to the New Orleans area in 1965.  In his spare time he likes to watch sports and Westerns.   At MSAH, he works after hours behind the scenes to keep the facility clean and looking great for our clients and patients. We all appreciate his hard work.

Thanks again, Larry!

This 12 year old dog presented to MSAH for coughing late at night and early in the morning. Listening to the heart with a stethoscope revealed a heart murmur. Chest radiographs are shown above. What's your diagnosis?
                                                              Answer on page 5

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                    Volume 7, Issue 3                               

Case of the Month

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                    Volume 7, Issue 3                               

Our
Mission Statement


Metairie Small Animal Hospital is committed to providing the highest quality medical and surgical care for our  clients in a humane, compassionate and caring environment . We will   strive   to  maintain  an  open,  honest relationship  with  our  clientele.  We will constantly improve our   care  and  skills   through    educational    enhancement  and personal dedication to our profession.

What's Your Diagnosis?   (Answer)

The radiographs reveal an enlarged heart that is compressing the trachea and main stem bronchi, causing the coughing. You can also see that the trachea is elevated. The trachea should be at a 45 degree angle compared to the spine, but this one  is completely parallel to the spine. At the top of the heart, you can see more opacity (whiteness) of the lungs. This is due to fluid build up (pulmonary edema) , secondary to heart disease. We always recommend an ultrasound of the heart (ECG) and an EKG to further evaluate heart disease. This dog was started on heart meds, a diuretic, cough suppressant, and put on a low sodium diet. (Hill's H/D). We plan to follow up this case in 3 weeks to recheck his bloodwork, in order to evaluate if there is kidney or heart disease.