February 2005
The Newsletter of Dwight – Pine Bluff – Lakewood Animal
Hospitals
Case of the Month:
Rudy
For a black Lab puppy and his family, Christmas 2004 came a few days early!
At
birth, Rudy seemed like a normal puppy. But as soon as he was weaned,
it was obvious Rudy had a serious problem. While the Rudy’s littermates
were thriving, Rudy threw up anything he ate. Because of this, he
was not growing, and he was getting weaker.
Rudy’s breeders brought him in to Pine Bluff. Careful questioning
and a physical exam revealed that what Rudy was actually doing was regurgitating,
not vomiting. He was spitting up undigested food that had never reached
his stomach. A barium X-ray showed the problem – a blockage of the
esophagus was present. Right in the region of the heart, the esophagus
narrowed sharply. The front portion of his esophagus was severely
dilated from food getting backed up for so long. But beyond the narrowing,
hardly any barium passed through. Basically, the obstruction of the esophagus
prevented Rudy from swallowing. He had been fine on a liquid diet
(mother’s milk), which could pass through the stricture, but anything solid
got stuck.
The most likely cause for this stricture was persistent right
aortic arch (PRAA), a congenital condition in which the aorta forms abnormally,
leaving a band of fibrous tissue that wraps around and constricts the esophagus.
Without surgery, Rudy would almost certainly die.
Dr. Schmidt performed the surgery on December 22. An incision
was made into Rudy’s chest, the fibrous band was located and severed, and
the esophagus was freed. Then Dr. Schmidt passed a tube down the
esophagus to expand the constriction. This is the first time such
a surgery had been performed at Pine Bluff (PRAA is a rare condition),
but the procedure went smoothly.
This radiograph clearly shows the obstruction and the dilatation in
Rudy’s esophagus. Note how the barium (bright white) stops flows
down the neck but then stops abruptly right in front of the heart (pale
white). Also note how the barium forms a ball shape at the site of
the obstruction, and that the barium in the esophagus seems to take up
the entire neck. In a normal dog, the esophagus would be about the
width of a pencil.
With the resilience of a puppy, little Rudy bounced through his
major surgery as though nothing had happened! The very next day he
was playful and happy. Best of all, for the first time in his young
life, he could eat solid food! The day before Christmas, Rudy went
home – the best Christmas present his family could have received.
But Rudy’s battle was not yet over. He faced 2 possible
complications. Megaesophagus, in which the dilated front section of the
esophagus would not return to normal size, would mean his esophageal muscles
would never function properly. The other possibility was that the
esophagus would scar where the original stricture had been. Sure
enough, just after Christmas, Rudy began to regurgitate again. The
esophagus was scarring.
Rudy underwent a second tube dilation to re-open the esophagus.
Once again, Rudy recuperated quickly. Three weeks after his second
hospitalization, Rudy has had no further problems. In fact, Rudy
looks like a normal puppy, with only a scar under his hair to remind us.
He remains with his breeders, who plan to keep Rudy for the rest of his
life. In his 4 months of life Rudy has been through more than many
dogs ever experience, but thanks to the persistence of his owners and the
Pine Bluff veterinarians and staff, he is alive!
Rabies Update
As reported in last month’s newsletter, a horse in LaSalle County was di
agnosed
with rabies in December 2004. Further testing indicated that the
horse contracted rabies from a skunk.
The rabies situation in northern Illinois remains a concern as a second
domestic animal, a cow, died of rabies last month. This cow lived
in the Bureau-LaSalle County area not far from where the horse was stabled.
Wild animals with rabies often are not scared of humans and come out
in the daytime. The classical “mad dog”– a drooling animal who attacks
humans – is actually not the common scenario with rabies. Most rabid
animals are sluggish, weak, and delirious. Animals may also
show weakness or paralysis in the rear legs.
To ensure the safety of your pets and your family, we encourage the
following:
? Make sure all of your pets are up-to-date on their vaccinations.
Even indoor cats and dogs who “never go out.” Not only is it the
safe thing to do, it’s the law.
? Teach children not to go near wild animals or stray dogs and cats.
? If you note a wild animal acting odd, STAY AWAY and contact your
local Animal Control immediately.
ARTHRITIS MEDICATION –
Still Safe for Dogs
If your dog takes arthritis medication, the recent media storm over the
dangers of such drugs for people may have you concerned. Nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Vioxx and Celebrex have been linked
to heart attack and stroke in people. These drugs are closely related
to popular canine drugs such as Rimadyl and Deramaxx. Should you
worry about your dog?
The answer is no. Unlike people, dogs do not suffer from
atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and cholesterol plaques, major
causes of heart disease and stroke in humans. Therefore, NSAIDs are
highly unlikely to cause such disease in dogs. If you have any other
concerns, please talk to your veterinarian about the use of pain relievers
for your pet.
Chewable Pills May Taste TOO Good!
If your pet is on chronic medication, such as pain relievers, you probably
appreciate the con
venience
of a chewable tablet, and so does your dog. However, be careful:
your pet may like flavored medication too much! Some dogs will sniff
out that “treat” and eat the entire bottle. Not only is this expensive
for you, but an overdose of some medications can require intensive care
or even be fatal.
For the safety of your pet, make it a habit to store your flavored
medications in the refrigerator. This way, your pet can’t get too
much of a good thing!
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