• Frustrating flea problem.
• Reasons for blood in urine.
• Ear mite problems.
• Vomiting…when to go to the vet?
• Inguinal hernia. Questions about anesthetic safety.
• Dog suddenly died.
• Arthritis questions – glucosamine and other medicines.

• Female cat urinating in the house.
• Unneutered male dog with a swelling near his anus.
• Questions about degenerative myelopathy.
• Infection in the skin around the genital area.
• Ear mite question.
• Hair loss around the eyes.
• Vomiting, not eating and limping.

Metacam is an anti-inflamatory medication that is used for pain relief in cats and dogs.

I recently wrote an article about Metacam Use in Cats.  I was surprised to find that there are a lot of reported cases of serious problems resulting after a cat had received a single injection of Metacam.  You can read in the article about the specifics of these problems.

In my practice I have recently switched from giving Metacam injections to cats for post operative pain and instead I give an alternative medication called Tolfedine.  I do occasionally prescribe oral Metacam for cats with arthritis but I am careful to do regular checks on the cat’s kidney function and use a very small dose.

Do you have an experience with using Metacam in cats?  Did your cat experience side effects?  Feel free to leave a comment!

All vets get some training in school on how to ultrasound but most will end up calling in a specialist to do their ultrasounds for them.  Now that I have this course under my belt I am excited to do some ultrasounds.

An ultrasound is better than an xray for many things.  It is generally better for finding tumors or cancer in the abdomen.

I had my first ultrasound case yesterday.  It was a large Golden Retriever.  Large dogs are usually more difficult to ultrasound so I had my employer help me.  It turns out that the poor boy has a tumor on his spleen.

Just thought I would let you know what I am doing.  I have been practicing for 11 years but I am always learning!

Dr. Marie

We had a gentleman bring in a stray cat today.  The cat had been hanging around his house for several months and he was finally able to catch him.

Our staff scanned him for a microchip and found that he had one!  So, we contacted the microchip company and they gave us a phone number.  Sure enough, we had found the owner of the cat.  We spoke with a man who confirmed that the cat belonged to his fiance.  He said that “Spezza” has been missing for seven months.  But, he said, he would be unable to pick the cat up today because he was busy.  It turns out that today is their wedding day!!!

The man asked if we could keep things secret for a day.  He plans to bring his new wife in to the clinic tomorrow and surprise her with her cat.

He gave us the ok to contact some media, so tomorrow there should be some news stories about Spezza’s reunion with his mom and dad.  What a wedding gift!

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• Not eating
• Jaundice (Often you can see a slight yellow tinge on the skin inside the ears, on the gums or in the whites of the eyes).
• Weight loss
• Lethargy
• Dehydration
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Hypersalivation (drooling)
• Increase in thirst
• Increase in urination

If you want to read more, here is more detailed information on fatty liver syndrome in cats

Do you suspect your cat has fatty liver? If you would like to talk to a vet about your cat, you can Ask Dr. Marie an online veterinary question.

1. Weight gain
2. Lethargy
3. Poor hair coat (course hair)
4. Poor appetite
5. Hair loss – often in a symmetrical pattern along the sides of the back and sometimes the tip of the tail
6. Black pigmentation of the skin – especially in the groin or armpits
7. Increased number of skin infections
8. Increased number of ear infections
9. “Tragic face” in which there is thickening of the skin folds of the face
10. Cholesterol deposits in the eye – this looks like a small white dot on the middle of each cornea.

If you want to read more, here is more detailed information on hypothyroidism in dogs.

Do you suspect your dog has hypothyroidism?  If you would like to talk to a vet about your dog, you can Ask Dr. Marie an online veterinary question.

1. Increase in thirst.  Anything more than 1 cup of water per 10lbs of body weight is considered excessive thirst.
2. Increase in the amount of urine produced.
3. Increase in appetite.
4. Panting (often worse at night time).
5. Course haircoat.
6. Potbelly appearance.
7. Thin, fragile skin (able to see blood vessels easily, especially on the abdomen).
8. Hair loss, often in a symmetrical pattern.
9. Repeated skin infections.
10. Blackheads, or darkening of the skin.

Do you suspect your dog has cushing’s disease?  If you would like to talk to a vet about your dog, you can Ask Dr. Marie an online veterinary question.