Lucky Update

Thanks to everyone who has made  a donation to Lucky's Fund or has helped spread the word about her predicament.   I let her out of jail over the weekend, and shot this little video of her around the office. Priscilla is the only one who would befriend her.  In one short scene, you see Sunshine poking her head around the corner.



The link to her fund at the Teaching Hospital is located in her first blog post.  Last Thursday, I think. 

Maybelline get a Laser Treatment

Maybelline is the 2nd oldest cat at the hospital and she's been rather gimpy on her back legs.  Starting before Christmas she was going over to Anderson to have laser treatments to see if it would make her feel better.

Class 4 therapy lasers have been around for a few years, but I consider them still relatively new.   Chiropractors, Physical Therapists, and Sports Trainers use them.   Now veterinarians are starting to use them for pain management, and some other problems like hot spots and lick graulomas.

Maybelline is still gimpy, but I think it might help her some.  And since their are no side effects to laser treatments,  I think it is worthwhile.  She is also taking some other medications and injections too for arthritis.  

Yesterday she went for a treatment and I took my camcorder along to record her session. 

Lucky Had Her Surgery Consult Today

Some of you are familar with Lucky the kitten that I took in on Christmas Eve.  She has been here at the hospital waiting for a surgery consult at the University of Georgia and had that today.  But let me back up and tell you how we got here . . . . .

We first saw Lucky back at the end of August with what appeared to be a wound on her tail and some type of wound in her perineal region next to her rectum. Her family thought it was some type of trauma.  Over the few weeks, while Lucky was coming in for her vaccinations, the wound wasn't healing. 

November went by and most of December.  On the 22nd of Dec, Lucky's Mom called and her husband brought Lucky in.  Lucky had weeks worth of poop all over her rear end, flanks, and rear legs.  Once we got her cleaned up the best we could, she appeared to have some type of fistula as she had a vaginal discharge that looked a lot like poop.

In talking with the family, it wasn't looking good for Lucky. Some of the family wanted Lucky euthanized.  Some didn't. And some felt that the most humane thing to do would be to throw her out somewhere.   And it seemed that the dumping her somewhere was going to be her fate.   On Christmas Eve.  With it being 22 degrees outside.  With poop on her rear end.  And it was going to snow the next day.

So I took Lucky in to get her out of harms way.

 in the dryer cage after her bath

The Teaching Hospital is on a holiday schedule the week before Christmas until after News Year.  Most of the students are gone, and most of the cases are emergencies only.  Lucky  originally had an appointment last week when the 2nd snow storm hit.  And was rescheduled for today.

Here's a Short Video of her on Flickr. 

I think it's in the Movie Dirty Harry,  there's the line,  

" Opinions are like ass holes. Everyone Has One."  

Well, it seems that Lucky was born with no opinion.  And no ass hole. 

"Atresia Ani" is the fancy name for it.  If you insert a thermometer into her rectum, it's like a closed pouch.  And that's where the fistula developed into her vagina.   (I hope no one is about to eat dinner after reading this by the way. . . .)  Rectovaginal Fistula.

The next time you feel like calling someone an AssHole,  take the fancy route and tell them,  "You are so NOT ATRESIA ANI."  By the time they google that, you will have safely left the building.

So, at this point,  Lucky has 2 options.
1. Euthanasia.
2. Surgery to try and repair the fistula.

Surgery Estimate-  $2000-2500.   There are possible complications as even routine surgeries have risk of complications.   Colons don't like surgery.  Surgical sites don't like poop on them.  There is also the risk of nerve damage to her sphincter muscle resulting in fecal incontinence.  But at least I (we, they) tried to give Lucky the best quality of life in the first place.

Now I know that some of you are thinking,  "That sounds like a beautiful case for surgery students to study.  So much better than a routine spay.  Why can't they do it pro-bono or at a really reduced rate?"

And it is a fantastic case.  You just don't see things like this everyday.  But I can't expect the teaching hospital to do the surgery for free.  They are too many expenses involved-  salaries, utilities, medical lucky supplies, etc.   It can't all be covered by tuition alone.  Poor college students pay a lot as it is.  However, sometimes when cases go way over the estimate, the hospital does try to write some or all of that off. So I personally think it all works out in the end.

When I posted the first photos of Lucky of Facebook and Flickr, people offered to donate some funds to help her out, but I had to first find out if surgery was even a possibility.  And it is.  So, the University has set up a fund for her.

It is set up through Sundown Surgery Fund at the University website so any donation is tax deductible.  It is important to note in the Notes or Comments section that the donation is for the Lucky Fund.

If you would like to help with an online donation, here's the link to the page.  

If you would prefer to mail in a check, please make the check out to The UGA Foundation for Sundown Surgery and make sure to note For Lucky on the check.  The mailing address is

Veterinary External Affairs Office- Sundown Surgery Fund
501 D.W. Brooks Drive
Athens, GA 30602 USA 

I would also appreciate if you would take the time to pass this post around.  Post it on Facebook. Tweet it.  Email it.  Lucky can't have surgery until the funds are raised.   The Foundation Office will let me know when donations come in so that I can share it with you. 

Any questions?  Drop me an email at andy@andymathis.com

Parvo Virus- From Velvet to Maggie Moo

Happy January Everyone.

I ate a salad for Wendy's for lunch.  Probably the most healthy and green thing I've eaten since mid December.  These new year's resolutions are tough.

I am a bit behind so I'll show you these 2 girls.  They had or have Parvo.
Velvet was here last week, some might have seen her photo on Flickr.  She came in on Tuesday.  Sketchy vaccine history, lethargic, with projectile diarrhea.  and by sketchy vaccine history it usually refers to someone's neighbor, down the road, going to the feedstore, some time several months ago, but the dog is all up to date and current on its shots.  They are most sure of it.

Well, this was Velvet in the middle of the week.  Not feeling so great.  

By Friday she was feeling a little better. Still had diarrhea though.  This video clip was shot on Friday afternoon. 



She was starting to eat a little on her own on Saturday morning so she got a bath and went home.   Her Mom came by on Monday and said her stool was clearing up too and her appetite had improved as well.


Next, we have Maggie.  Maggie Moo.  An 11 week old Boxer Puppy.  She came in on Monday of this week. Not feeling good.  She was wormy, not running a fever.  She we gave her dewormer and got a puppy shot in her.   She came back in yesterday, still not eating.  Her stool had changed from a normal color on Monday to bloody.  So we sent a sample to the lab and I got the results back this afternoon.  PARVO.

With her Flying Nun Ears

 

She's a sweet, sweet puppy.  I shot these photos and short video of her yesterday afternoon.  She felt a little better this morning.  She was a little perkier, but still depressed.  Her temperature has remained normal (too high is bad, and too low is bad).  She has been curled up on a blanket in the corner of her cage under a heat lamp.  If you open the door to pet her, she'll rest her head on your forearm,  let out a big sigh, and  go back to sleep.   We've not seen projectile diarrhea today, so I am hopeful that she'll pull through. Time will tell. 

If you happen to know someone who got a puppy for Christmas,  please ask about their vaccinations. And if no one seems to know, encourage them to get one as soon as possible. 

It could save the puppy from unnecessary suffering. And save the family from  heartache if that puppy passes away.  Not to mention a lot of money to hospitalize and treat them.  The owners of both Velvet and Maggie could have prevented this if they had gotten a $25 puppy vaccination sooner.

I just know Currier and Ives were envisioning Granite Hills Animal Care

 on Christmas Day. All those years ago.   Just like a picture postcard. 

Love this Holly Tree. It is covered with berries 70-80% of the year.

Here are some photos and video of Christmas Snow 2010 in Elberton.  It started snowing about 8:30 Christmas night and into Sunday.  It was mostly grey all day, but the sun finally did peek out about 5:30 in the afternoon. 

Sunlit Tree Tops

Merry Christmas to All

Well, it looks like we are winding down towards the Holiday.  Some boarders came in yesterday, a few more arrive on Friday.  I have  few more things to buy.  A few more things to make.  A cluttered house to clean by Saturday night.  Ugghh.   My Mother announces this past weekend that she and Dad are staying at my house on Saturday night.  I'm sure she does it just to aggravate me.  So I have to suck up the Taj Mahal of spider webs out of the spare room with the vacuum cleaner.  If I don't make it out alive, tell the coroner and Channel 11 film crew to look for my body in that room.


I poured up homemade vanilla extract last night for little gifts.  It has to sit for 6-8 weeks to cure, so people can use it by March. Maybe.

 It's vodka and/or Bourbon with vanilla beans in it, poured up in little Jelly Jars. 

Then Ms. Ellie came in for a bath today.  Y'all have seen her several times since she was a puppy.  Don't tell anyone, but some say she's the prettiest and sweetest dog around.  That's what they say.

Her hair has grown out from when it got cut off by the groomer back in the summer.  That was a tough day all around.  Ellie was overjoyed. And cooler.  The rest of us cried like little school girls.

(Okay, I cried like a little school girl.  No fibbing right here at Christmas. )

 You know how you do when you pick up a sweater or scarf made out of cashmere?  You say the word "cashmere"  in sort of a sigh, as if it something rare, treasured, and precious, and immediately want to rub it on your cheek.

Ellie's the same way.  She's all fluffy and fuzzy, and smells like shampoo.  She's like the ultimate pillow pet and you just want to nap on her.

I'm sure this happens to her all the time. 

(You should visit more often, Ms. Ellie. Preferably about 2 in the afternoon, okay?)


And then the surveillance video captured this mischievousness by Little Miss Sunshine.

There is a folding chair in the exam room.  It usually has a slip cover on it.  Leon, the old hospital cat, claims it as his own.  If a client sits their purse in it, Leon wanders in, sits and stares at it until someone moves the purse.  So he can get up in the chair for a better view, a petting, a treat, or all the above.  If a client sits in the chair, the same thing happens.

So the slip cover was getting fairly grungy with cat hair and all, so we changed it to a clean one.  And 5 minutes doesn't by before crabby Miss Sunshine is in there christening the clean slip cover. . . . take a look.

Lastly, I doubt I'll be posting again before the holiday, (that spider web is huge)  so I just want to take the time to wish you a Merry Christmas and  Happy Holidays.  If you are traveling, be careful.  Be safe. Stay warm. Stay dry.  Spend time with family and friends and make memories if there are little ones around.    2010 has been a tough year for some people and their families, so here's wishing 2011 will be better, whatever the case may be.  

Thanks as usual for reading my gibberish and spending time here. 

Merry Christmas everyone,  

From Me , Daisy, Leon, Maybelline, Sunshine, and Priscilla 

Ginger - Pomeranian Puppy- 12/15/10

This is Ginger. You saw her first back in mid October.   She was in today for her last puppy vaccinations.   Not quite 5 lbs. yet.

 

 

If you want to see her earlier photos, click here. 

Slade- Australian Blue Heeler Puppy

I had the perfect photo of this guy and somehow my camera ate it.  Gave me an error message and left me with only this one photo.  Boooooooooo . . .

 

He's 9 weeks old and was in for his first puppy vaccination today.  He got his collar yesterday and has been scratching or trying to back out of it.  Today he met a leash for the first time.  Can you tell?  He doesn't seem too thrilled about it. 

If Daisy Were Singing Beyonce If I Were a Boy

You might remember Daisy.

She's the Corgi looking dog that was abandoned here at the hospital about 4 years ago.  You can find her first photos on this blog, way way way back in 2006. 

This other little dog was rescued from the pound 2 weeks ago.  His name is Dee. And the resemblance is uncanny.  So I had to get it on tape and put together a video.

If you are on a really slow connection, and can't watch the video, here are some photos of Daisy and Dee. (But watch the video if you can)

Carly, Bailey, and Your Opinion is Requested.

First the fun stuff.

This is Carly.  She was in the other day for a haircut and a puppy shot.  She was surprising good for her first haircut as most puppies jump around, acting the fool, until the realize that the buzzing clippers aren't all that scary.

The next Beast is Bailey.  She's a 4 month old Lab who came in the other day.




The camera batteries died rather quickly, so I only got this short video of her.  She got a puppy vaccine but she originally came in because she got bug bit on her face by something, (bee, bug, spider, etc.).  You can't see it very well but her left eye is swollen, almost closed, along with the left side of her face.  We got her some Benadryl and she was fine.   We did get a puppy shot in her too.  Getting bug bit might have saved her life.  She was already way behind on her puppy vaccinations, and we've already seen our first parvo puppy this winter.   A 7 month old Bulldog mix died last week with it. 

He had received one vaccination from the feedstore.  It's very disheartening to know parvo puppies have to suffer unnecessarily like they do, or die, when it's easy to prevent, not to mention a hell of a lot cheaper, than to try and treat it.    But such is the reality when people rely on the feedstore, a yearly rabies clinic, and the spay- neuter clinic for  their veterinary care.  


And now for my question-
What do people think of crowd sourcing fundraising sites?  Sites like KickStarter.com, ChipIn.com,  IndieGoGo.com, Profounder, or CrowdRise?   Any experiences with them?

The reason I ask, I have been secretly wishing for a class 4 therapy laser.  Familiar with those?  They have been used longer in human medicine than veterinary medicine.  Chiropractors, Physical Therapists, Sports Medicine specialist use them for rehabilitation.   They are a little different than a surgical laser that is used for tissue cutting.  Surgical lasers are great for surgery- no bleeding, less pain and swelling, etc.  Therapy lasers use a different wavelength of light than surgical lasers.   They are good for degenerative joint diseases, pain management, wounds that won't heal, fractures that are slow to heal-  really anything where it is desirable to reduce swelling, pain, inflammation, and stimulate collagen-   hot spots, lick granulomas, stomatitis, herniated disks and spinal injuries, etc.  I am probably going to get an appointment for Maybelline with a hospital that is about 40 miles away in Anderson, SC. To see if the treatments help her mobility.

If you want to read more about laser therapy, search for k-laser usa,  companion therapy lasers, or litecure.com.  You can also find videos online on Youtube.

I first learned about therapy lasers 3-4 years ago.  And I think it is one of those things, that one would use, if they had it.  The case studies are impressive.  Jethro has his neck lasered twice when it seemed to be bothering him from his cancer.   The two treatments might have helped some, but he had worse problems to deal with so he only got 2 treatments.

The problem is that lasers aren't cheap.  And since they are rather new and everybody loves the one they have, you can't find them used or refurbished.   The surgical lasers run about 30 thousand dollars new.  You can find them used and refurbished since they have been around a bit longer.   Therapy lasers cost a little less but they are still expensive-  16-17 thousand.

And with the economy what it is at this time, I don't want to deal with an equipment payment or lease without knowing if that equipment can pay for itself in such a small community.  Large metropolitan area wouldn't have such an issue.    Arthritic patients would require a series of 6 treatments and then maybe only a monthly treatment after that.

The reason this comes up again now, is that  I have an older cat patient who is a little gimpy in his rear legs.  He had a couple of treatments when he got sick while the couple was on vacation in Florida.  And his owners  could really tell a difference in how he was moving afterwards.

 So, I am back to looking at laser therapy.  Using a program like kickstarter would fund the equipment ahead of time, without going down the traditional route of a lease or a bank loan.   (Kickstarter is actually for creative projects, so this might not qualify for them, although in my case, it's sort of a hybrid between business and art in how it would be stuctured.)

I guess what I like about Kickstart is that it's an "all or none" approach.  I think the limit is 90 days, so if the goal isn't met, no money is exchanged.  The fees and credit card fees would be similar to what a bank loan would charge for an interest rate.  I can get creative with incentive packages.  For local pet clients, it might be a series of treatment or other veterinary services.  For art patrons it could be packages of gift items, original paintings, reproductions, etc.

So, after all my ramblings,  my question is, What do people think of crowdsource fundraising rather than traditional financing?  Would you consider it?  Specifically for a site like KickStarter, what tiers of packages would you choose to do-     $20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 1500, 2500, 3600? 

Leave me your thoughts or comments below.  Also if you have any experience or comments about laser therapy in pets, leave those too.  Thanks.