Subscriber Archive
Today, I have good news and bad news. First the bad news. Dr. Samantha Uhrig, DVM, state veterinarian with the New Mexico Livestock Board, explains that “Since March 20, 2024, multiple dairies reporting an acute decrease in milk production in Texas and New Mexico have been diagnosed with highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1).” Should we haired humans be as worried as our feathered and uddered friends? Even if you’re not a dairy farmer you should know that birds and cats who contract avian flu may show neurologic symptoms. Dr. Uhrig added that, “Individuals with exposure to animals with suspected or confirmed H5N1 should self-monitor for symptoms for 10 days after their most recent exposure. If they experience clinical signs including conjunctivitis or respiratory symptoms, they should contact their healthcare provider or local NMDOH public health office immediately for prompt testing and Tamiflu. NMDOH offers free testing and Tamiflu to exposed…
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Everybody needs exercise but stopping every 6 feet on a leash walk doesn’t get it. You’re dragging your dog; nobody is having a good time.
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Last in a series
Birds are rather different than mammals; it’s more than feathers vs. hair. Like us, it takes a male and a female to reproduce but their sex organs are internal.
Don’t try correcting this bad behavior; it’ll never work. Stressors, like too many other cats, outdoor creatures, and physical disorders, are often major factors. Litter pan hygiene is another big one. You can set that naughty kitty up to succeed.
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Fourth in a series Anybody with a major trauma, including a 5-day-old eviscerated turkey, is assumed to be shocky. Blood vessels lose their tone, meaning that their diameter expands – fast. Blood pressure drops like a stone. The best surgical skill is meaningless if the heart and brain fail because they’re oxygen starved. Feathered “John” (namesake of the aforementioned poodle) needed a rapid fluid infusion to fill up his vessels and raise his blood pressure. The little squirt weighed mere ounces; attempting to find a vein would have been an exercise in futility. Luckily, bone marrow can distribute fluids almost as fast. I scrubbed a spot at the top of one of young John’s femurs (thigh bone) and inserted a hypodermic needle into the shaft of the thin walled appendage. A generous dose of lactated ringers solution was pushed in as a bolus. Then we marched the kid into surgery.…
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Some puppies are highly-stressed in their new homes. Helping the little rascal adjust starts with caring and love. There’s a whole lot more you can do to set the kid up for a well-adjusted life.
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Third in a series “John” the 11 year old poodle bounced in the door for his suture removal 10 days later. If it weren’t for his undignified tummy haircut you would never suspect that he’d been disemboweled by a dog 8 times his size. Happy endings is what we’re all about. It was shaping up to be a good day. The door had hardly closed when a man and his granddaughter arrived carrying a cardboard box – never a good sign. Martha at the front desk took a peek, raised a quick index finger, and grabbed the box. I was irrigating an ear canal as she zipped into the treatment room. The 5 day old turkey, looking confused but active, had a loop of intestine hanging from an open abdominal wound. OMG! Was this “John” with feathers? While examining the hapless poult I asked Amos to fired up the warm…
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Do you have a cat who, despite your good example, insists on prying open cabinets and wreaking havoc on your stuff? Does she complain or pester you relentlessly at the worst times? I know the type.
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Second in a series
I admit to being an annoying adherent to the Queen’s English, having shaken my head when hearing the noun ‘geek’ misappropriated. In our highly digitized society people can be fondly referred to this way or even adorn themselves with this moniker. It was not always so.