Hello, and welcome to another big holiday season! I hope all my fans (furry and otherwise) are doing well. I love seeing humans get together this time of year. After all, humans gathering in large numbers typically means a lot of eating. They love great food, and I love great food. It’s an instant win-win, right? SAM’S COR TURKEY TIME PET-CARE TIPS
Hunny is an adult Pomeranian who arrived at an emergency clinic last March for further evaluation and treatment for his inability to use his back legs after being hit by a car. He had escaped the fenced yard on the property where his family was staying. He was then relinquished to a nearby foster. Hunny’s Path to Playfulness Pomeranian Power
Well, not always.
Let’s use Thanksgiving as an example. Not all the goodies that will be on your table in a few days are good for your pets. Even if we look up at you with that cute feed-me-now look, please don’t give us turkey
bones, onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, chocolate, and any sweets that might have xylitol in them as an additive. (What’s that? I’m a dog; how would I know? But I heard Dr. Petersen mention it as a no-no, so you should check out your ingredient labels to see if you have any food with it, and be sure to keep it away from us.)
The clinic performed X-rays and bloodwork that showed no concerning findings. He was hospitalized for monitoring, pain management, and fluids. The next morning, he was transferred to a tertiary hospital and received a CT scan of his body. Some intervertebral disc disease was detected. This traumatic intervertebral disc extrusion caused compression and bruising of Hunny’s spinal cord. Intervertebral discs act as cushions between the vertebrae in the spine that absorb shock. However, with trauma, the inner part of the disc can extrude into the area of the spinal cord and cause neurologic deficits.
If you are tempted to give a little treat to a dog or cat (which, frankly, you should be), it’s okay to feed them some 100% canned
Degenerative disc disease is a common problem in pets and causes them to experience a variety of
symptoms based on the severity of spinal cord compression. Unfortunately, pets with the condition are predisposed to future disc disease, and there is no definitive prevention to avoid disc injury in these predisposed pets. An MRI is needed to better diagnose and determine the next steps for dogs with disc disease. Hunny responded well to pain management and rest. The CT scan did not clearly indicate that an MRI was warranted at that time, so he was transferred to canine rehabilitation services for monitoring and exercise therapy.
After a short stay at his rehabilitation facility, Hunny was discharged to his foster’s care and given pain medications to help the inflammation in his back. Shortly thereafter, he was adopted by his amazing owners. Hunny’s new family brought him in right after adoption to see my team. I recommended laser therapy to decrease inflammation and pain. When his six laser therapy sessions were completed, I recommended hydrotherapy using an underwater treadmill as another rehab option. His owners took him to hydrotherapy sessions from May through July. Hunny’s family reports that he went from barely standing on his back legs to running and playing alongside other dogs. He also loves meeting new people and pets, chasing birds in the yard, and joining his family at the farmers market! —Dr. Hannah Green
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