Author: virtuavet

9-Year-Old Chihuahua Suffers Cystic Endometriosis

“So, you’re saying your 9-year-old female intact Chihuahua who has never had puppies before and only lives in the house has been in heat for 2 months, with bloody vaginal discharge, and now her belly is so big and tight, you are sure she must be pregnant because you can’t think of anything else that would cause the belly to get that big?” asked Doc Truli.

9-year-old black long-haired Chihuahua with big belly waits for her abdominal sonogram
Chihuahua Waiting for her abdominal sonogram

“We Think Our Chihuahua is Pregnant!”

Okay.  Veterinarians hear this often.  Here’s the checklist in Doc Truli’s mind of questions to go through before we decide if a nine-year-old Chihuahua is pregnant or not:

Girl?  Check.

Unspayed? Check.

In heat in the past 2 months?  “Well, she’s looked big in the back under her tail, and there have been strange male dogs camping out on the front lawn.” Hmmm…could be.

In heat for the past two months? “Yes!” That’s not normal…most Chihuahuas go into heat for 1-2 weeks at most.

Tied, or bred with a male dog? “We don’t know.” Veterinarians hear that a lot, too…

“So, you’re saying your 9-year-old female intact Chihuahua who has never had puppies before and only lives in the house has been in heat for 2 months, with bloody vaginal discharge, and now her belly is so big and tight, you are sure she must be pregnant because you can’t think of anything else that would cause the belly to get that big?” asked Doc Truli.  “Yeah!” said mom.

Continue reading “9-Year-Old Chihuahua Suffers Cystic Endometriosis”

How to Help Your Chihuahua Live 18 Years

Chihuahuas should live 18-22 years, or longer! Read and see how you can keep your best friend by your side for decades!

Stately old chihuahua with tan face and grey around his neck ruff
Is there a treat involved in this office visit?

We Want Our Chihuahuas to Live Forever!

Chihuahuas are not only lap dogs and purse ninjas, they are confidantes and best friends. We want them to stick around a long time.

Chihuahuas Live Longer Than Big Dogs

Usually, a small dog like a Chihuahua will have an expected lifespan of 12-14 years. The oldest Chihuahua Doc Truli has treated was 20 years old when he passed away from heart disease.

2 Best Things to do to Extend Your Chihuahua’s Life

You can do two specific things to help your Chihuahua live a long, healthy life:

Continue reading “How to Help Your Chihuahua Live 18 Years”

Chihuahua Walloped With Wood

…he saw something “brown” go rolling down the hill!

Short hair reddish brown Chihuahua looks worried in the vet office
Worried Chihuahua

How Do You Know if your Chihuahua has a Headache?

If your chihuahua is quiet, lethargic, flinches or cries out at the slightest touch, especially on the head area. If your little chihuahua friend is holding both eyes 3/4 closed and then opens then when a bright light or sharp noise cracks in the room, suspect a headache.

Chihuahua with Concussion Symptoms

Rocky was tired, whining, holding his eyes shut, he barely wanted to move, and did not want to eat.

A red bump stuck out on the side of his little skull above his right ear. Most Chihuahuas have thin fur on their scalps. Bruises are easier to see than with most other breeds of dogs. Continue reading “Chihuahua Walloped With Wood”

4-Week Old Kitten In a Coma From Fleas

Like the reason a pagan tree symbolizes a Christian messiah’s birth, illogical home remedies for fleas get handed down and passed around. You probably don’t even know the original logic. And the remedies waste time and do not work. Here’s the scoop:

A handful of three four-week old kittens, one cream, and two black with white
The three amigos

Tiny Kittens Nearly Killed by Tinier Fleas

Sugar was a 2-year-old Siamese mix short-haired cat, mostly cream with light brown and dark brown patches.  One of kittens looked like her and meowed and tugged at Sugar’s ear.  The other two kittens were black and white with short fur and almost dead.

Yes, you read that right.  Here’s what happened. Continue reading “4-Week Old Kitten In a Coma From Fleas”

If Your Dog Sits Funny, Get a Knee Check Up!

Orthopedic veterinary surgeons tell us that 85% of hind limb lameness in dogs is attributable to knee instability.

6-year-old black and tan belgian malinois sits with hind leg thrown out to the side
This abnormal sitting position indicates a knee injury.

6-Year-old Belgian Malinois Police Dog Injures Cranial Cruciate Knee Ligament

Ashley ran the fence every night.  She guarded the yard from the ominous strangers delivering pizza and walking their poodles on the other side of her fence.

One Spring night, suddenly, for no clear reason, Ashley started yelping and soul-wrenchingly howling in pain!  She held her right hind leg up close to her tummy and limped back to the house, licking her lips on pain and anxiety.

Her handler/human father had no idea what could have happened!

Continue reading “If Your Dog Sits Funny, Get a Knee Check Up!”

2-Year Old Golden Retriever Jumps in Pool, Comes Out With Infection

Jake was too tired and lazy to make the ear to paw connection. He settled for rubbing the ear on the nearest leather chair.

2-Year-Old Golden Retriever Suffers Crusts and Sores under Ear and Around his Neck
Hot Spot Dermatitis Below Ear and on Neck

“Hot Spot” Symptoms

A miserable, itchy Golden Retriever sat on the floor in the corner of Doc Truli’s examination room and attempted to scratch an oozing, sticky, furry mess under his right ear with his right hind paw.  He was too tired and lazy to make the ear to paw connection.  He settled for rubbing the ear on the nearest leather chair.

“Hot Spot” Skin Infection Spread in Hours

“When did you notice the problem?” asked Doc Truli.

“Just 2 days ago,” said the housekeeper.

Jake swam regularly.  Usually, the family’s housekeeper was in charge of hosing Jake down and making sure he dried off after a swim in the family pool.  This time, the housekeeper was out sick.  Jake went swimming and stayed damp under the fur – down to his skin –  for two days. Continue reading “2-Year Old Golden Retriever Jumps in Pool, Comes Out With Infection”

Rottweiler Mix Slated for Death

Two happy, tail-wagging dogs, a smallish Rottweiler and a largish Siberian Husky stood shoulder to shoulder and begged for their shots, hopped on the examination table, and tilted their heads for chin scratches.

Black and Tan Shaggy Rottweiler mix looks worried

Shelter Website Advertises Rottweiler for Adoption

The picture was sooo cute.  A 6-month-old Rottweiler girl was found running the streets, taken to the shelter, and posted on the adoption website.  Doc Truli’s client, Tom, fell in love with Heidi right away.  He didn’t even call first.  He shot off an email to reserve her, hopped in his car and boogied over the shelter to pick her up.

“We’re sorry sir, that puppy is deemed unadoptable and must be destroyed.”

Tom couldn’t believe his ears.

“But I just saw her picture on the adoption website on the internet and I came over to pick her up,” he said. Continue reading “Rottweiler Mix Slated for Death”

Hungarian Sheepdog Hypothyroidism

Rescued from the streets of Budapest when he was only a 4 month-old puppy, he was grey, wet, matted, filthy, hungry, and suspicious of people.

Rescued on the Streets of Europe, This Huge Patient Had a Rough Life Start

Sugar Bear peered out at Doc Truli from under tight, curly white furry eyebrows.  His gigantic, round curly white furry tail and rear end wedged between a black leather chair and a black wooden side table with a box of white scent-free facial tissues teetering half-way over the gold gilded edge above his enormous white tight curly furry shoulder blades.

This Kommondor was not taking his examination lightly.  Rescued from the streets of Budapest when he was only a 4 month-old puppy, he was grey, wet, matted, filthy, hungry, and suspicious of people.  Abandoned on the streets and kicked and yelled at by people who just wanted to chase him away from piles of food thrown away in the alleys behind their bistros, the puppy learned to distrust everyone.

When she saw him on the street, his (future) mom tried to call him over to her.  Kicked too many times, hungry and cold, he snarled and ran behind a car.  She knew he just needed food and love.  Starting with the food, Sugar Bear sniffed cautiously from behind a car tire.  He snatched the food and gobbled it behind the safety of the car.  For days, his mom visited the alley and brought food until finally, the lonely puppy let her approach and pick him up.

Tens years later, 180 pounds, snowy white curly fur, and immigration to the United States turned Sugar into a mostly trusting soul.

“He won’t bite you,” said his mom.  Hmmm, the start of many fateful examinations…..

Continue reading “Hungarian Sheepdog Hypothyroidism”

How to Read Your Pet's Prescription Labels

How to Check Your Pet’s Prescriptions and Demystifying Common Misunderstandings Reading Medication Label Directions

VirtuaVet’s: How to Check Your Pet’s Medications

Check your pet’s medications when you pick them up!  Mix-ups, mistakes, mistaken identity, wrong count, wrong meds, wrong directions, expired medications, or just plain old unclear, confusing directions can leave you out some money and your pet not feeling any better.  Be sure you understand the label and the label is clear and correct before you take that medication home with you!

You’d be Surprised How Easy It Is to Misunderstand

The doctor says, “Mom, if I gave you a prescription and told you to give your cat two pills every 12 hours, tell me what you would put in your cat’s body.”

“Okay,” says mom,” I’d give a tablet in the morning at about 8 am and another tablet at night at 8 pm. That’s two tablets every 12 hours, right?”

Continue reading “How to Read Your Pet's Prescription Labels”

When to Syringe Feed Your Sick Cat

If you think the syringe feeding is “difficult” or “time-consuming,” think of the discomfort you may be saving your cat, and the finances you will have freed up for follow-up care for your cat (or yourself!)

Syringe-Feeding Saves Cats’ Lives

A cat will not eat if he or she cannot smell the food, feels too much pain, is frightened the food may have caused the pain (called food aversion), obviously if the food has gone bad (use your sniffer to see if your cat is trying to tell you something), another cat is guarding and patrolling the food bowl (behavior conflict, call the veterinarian!), has a painful or blocked stomach/alimentary situation.

Syringe-feeding saves lives when the reason is not surgically fixed, and the medicine is adequate.  Certain cats just need a little help for a while until they get their kitty “mojo” back.

  1. Kidney disease (hyperparathormonemia)
  2. Hypertension (high blood pressure)
  3. Blocked sinuses (any reason)
  4. Sore throat (any reason)
  5. Post intestinal or stomach surgery
  6. Hepatic Lipidosis (fatty liver disease)
  7. Pancreatitis
  8. Liver disease in general
  9. Painful Teeth (Surgery to fix the teeth, and then gentle feeding during healing)
  10. Cancer

Alternatives to syringe feeding include a surgically-placed feeding tube through the nose, pharynx (at the back of the throat), esophagus, into the stomach, or into the jejunum (second part of the small intestine).  Obviously, these are doctor-prescribed and performed and monitored happenings.

If you think the syringe feeding is “difficult” or “time-consuming,” think of the discomfort you may be saving your cat, and the finances you will have freed up for follow-up care for your cat (or yourself!)

See VirtuaVet’s How to Syringe Feed a Cat.