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Medicine

Mistakes I’ve Made – Bulldog Anesthesia

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Dr. Andy Roark talks to Tasha McNerney BS, CVT, CVPP, VTS about the day she wishes she could re-do and the anesthesia case that went badly.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Tasha is a Certified Veterinary Technician from Glenside, PA. She is also a certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner and works closely with the IVAPM to educate the public about animal pain awareness. Tasha loves to lecture on various anesthesia and pain management topics around the globe. In her spare time Tasha enjoys reading, spending time with her son.

COVID-19 and Your Pet

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It has been a life-changing week in Northern Minnesota. Less than a month ago, COVID-19 was known only as “The Corona Virus” and thought to be a disease of foreign countries on the other side of the world. We were warned but didn’t really believe that it would make its way to the United States. Suddenly it’s here and our lives have changed dramatically overnight – schools and restaurants are closed, events are canceled, and everyone is urged to keep a six-foot social distance from each other.

As we slowly adjust to this new normal, many will start to wonder what this means for their four-legged companions. The truth is, at this time, we don’t know exactly how our pets will be impacted. Here is what we do know:

Both dogs and cats can become infected with strains of coronaviruses. But these coronaviruses are not COVID-19. COVID-19 is a novel virus, meaning that it is a virus that we have never seen before. The coronaviruses that commonly affect dogs and cats are not the same and they do not cause disease in people. Although COVID-19 is believed to have originated in an animal (some reports say a bat), there is no evidence as of yet that the virus is transferred from dogs or cats to people.

There has been one report of a dog testing positive for COVID-19 after his owner became sick with the disease. The dog never showed signs of illness. Further testing is in process to determine if the dog was just exposed or if his immune system produced antibodies to COVID-19, meaning his body was infected with the virus. Another dog who was also exposed repeatedly tested negative for COVID-19. On March 13, 2020, Idexx, a veterinary reference laboratory, announced that it has tested thousands of dogs and cats for COVID-19 and has not obtained any positive results.

There is a possibility that COVID-19 may transfer from a person to a pet, but the primary mode of transmission is person to person spread. However, until more is known about COVID-19, if you are infected with the virus, the American Veterinary Medical Association recommends to avoid contact with your pet. The website states:

“Have another member of your household take care of walking, feeding, and playing with your pet. If you have a service animal or you must care for your pet, then wear a facemask; don’t share food, kiss, or hug them; and wash your hands before and after any contact with them.”

A bigger concern to pet owners is that pet fur may act as a fomite, an object capable of carrying an infectious agent.  If an infected person coughs on their pet, the virus may be present on the pet’s haircoat. How long it will survive there is not known at this time, but it could potentially be hours or more. Collars and leashes can also act as fomites and carry the disease. This is another reason why it is strongly advised to avoid taking care of your pet if you are sick.

There is still so much we are learning about COVID-19 and new information is coming out daily. If your pet is showing any respiratory signs, the best thing to do is to contact your veterinarian for guidance.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

“Help! I Think My Cat Just Died!” HDYTT

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This week on the Cone of Shame…

We’ve all heard those terrible words as a technician bursts into the treatment room “This cat died on the way here!” That’s when the crash cart comes out and CPR gets started. But what, exactly, should we be doing? And how long should we go on for before we call it? Let’s get into this.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

David Liss has an incredibly rich and diverse background in the field of veterinary technology. A registered veterinary technician in California, David holds a Bachelor’s in Sociology and an Associate’s Degree in Veterinary Technology. He also holds double board-certifications as a veterinary technician specialist in emergency/critical care and small animal internal medicine and has diverse background in emergency and critical care nursing in addition to being a certified veterinary practice manager (CVPM) and professional in human resources (PHR). He has been a technician manager at two different twenty-four-hour referral/specialty facilities in the Los Angeles area, has contributed to numerous veterinary texts and was awarded the Veterinary Technician Educator of the Year award by Western Veterinary Conference. David also holds a Master’s in Biomedical Science. David currently is the director of operations for Amerivet in Los Angeles, runs his own consulting business: Veterinary Training and Consulting, Inc., and lectures worldwide.

The Lethargic Rabbit (HDYTT Essentials)

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This week on the Cone of Shame Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark talks to Dr. Laurie Hess about a lethargic rabbit who isn’t eating well. If you’re not a veterinarian who sees a ton of bunnies… How do you treat that?

Want a shout-out from Dr. Andy Roark for a friend or co-worker? Rate this podcast on iTunes and then send an email telling us who we are shouting out and WHY. The email address is podcast@drandyroark.com

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Originally from New York City, Dr. Laurie Hess is one of approximately 150 board-certified avian specialists worldwide. After graduating from Yale University, she earned her veterinary degree at Tufts University and completed an internship & residency in avian/exotic pet medicine at the world-renowned Animal Medical Center in New York City where she practiced for more than a decade.

She is Director of Pet Health & Nutrition for the pet food company ZuPreem and owns a bird and exotic pet specialty hospital – the Veterinary Center for Birds & Exotics – in Westchester County, New York, where she treats birds, rabbits, ferrets, rodents, reptiles, sugar gliders, hedgehogs, and other non-traditional pets, as well as wildlife. She is the author of “Unlikely Companions: The Adventures of an Exotic Animal Doctor” – a memoir about her life as an exotic animal veterinarian.

Dr. Hess is the Social Media Chairperson for the Association of Avian Veterinarians and an active member of this association, the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians, the Association of Reptile & Amphibian Veterinarians, and the Association of Zoo Animal Veterinarians. She also is a frequent contributor to websites, radio broadcasts, and TV shows about exotic pets, as well as a lecturer on exotic pet care internationally.

Dog With “Swollen” Gums (HDYTT)

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This week on the Cone…

Dr. Andy Roark asks for help from veterinary dentist extraordinaire Dr. Donnell Hansen! Andy has a 5-year-old FS Golden Retriever with a “face that looks different.” Quick!!! How do you treat that???

Want a shout out for your friend?? Leave us an honest review on iTunes and then send an email to podcast@drandyroark.com

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

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Donnell Hansen, DVM DAVDC

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Dr. Donnell Hansen is a board-certified veterinary dentist and oral surgeon from the Minnesota BluePearl Hospitals.

A Minnesota native, Donnell traveled through Iowa (Go Norse!), Oklahoma, and back to Minnesota again on her path toward veterinary dentistry. In 2009, Dr. Hansen joined forces with friends to form Moxie Center, which is now known as BluePearl Veterinary Partners. In 2010, she and her husband opened his family practice, Rice Creek Animal Hospital, in Lino Lakes, MN along with Bean’s Place Pet Wash. Recently, Donnell opened Four Legged Tooth Fairy, an online resource and interactive conference center aimed at helping the veterinary community enhance their patient health, practice health, and mental health through veterinary dentistry.

While managing a busy clinical caseload, Dr. Hansen also speaks nationally about the value (both from a patient care standpoint and practice health perspective) of veterinary dentistry and oral surgery. Dr. Hansen has a special interest in maxillofacial surgery but honestly, loves the whole gig.

To provide a little balance to life, Donnell enjoys time with her family, including her husband (a fellow veterinarian) and two children, out on Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes or working a jigsaw puzzle during the long Minnesota winters. Like any veterinary family, there are an amalgamation of pets at home but the beloved include her pocket pittie, named Crickett and a beast of a labrador named Goose (or depending on the day, Goosifer). There may or may not be a bunch of bull head eggs hatching on her kitchen counter as we speak.

If Only We Could Do Something About Bulldogs

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This week on the Cone…

Dr. Andy Roark sits down with the amazing Dr. Sarah Boston to discuss her recent article called “If Only We Could Do Something About Bulldogs.” They talk about the rising popularity of smoosh-faced dogs and what it means to support this growth as a profession.

Read Dr. Boston’s article here.

Dr. Sarah Boston is a veterinary surgical oncologist practicing in the Toronto area. She is also an author and her memoir, “Lucky Dog: How Being a Veterinarian Saved My Life” was published by the House of Anansi Press in 2014. She has published numerous scientific articles and book chapters, some of them good. She is the co-creator of the satirical online veterinary newspaper The Cageliner and an amateur stand up comedian. You can follow her on Twitter @drsarahboston

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.