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Chris | 5 years ago
PLEASE HELP ASAP!!! I Have A 10 Year Old Black Lab And Today He Was Kicked In …

PLEASE HELP ASAP!!! I have a 10 year old black lab and today he was kicked in the side close to his back leg by a horse. I cannot get him in the car to go to the vet. Can I give him aspirin or anything for the pain??? He’s letting me pet him where he was kicked. Can a vet prescribe him any meds without him being seen?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry to hear about your dog. As much as we all want to help it is not legal to prescribe without seeing a veterinarian. You can call your vet and ask for help. But we cannot do it online without a pet existing vet relationship. Further if your dog is injured he may need more than pain meds. Please call your vet, or look for a local mobile vet to come to your home.

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Brook | 5 years ago
My 4 Year Lab X Great Dane X Bull Mastiff Had TTA Surgery On His Left Knee …

My 4 year Lab x Great Dane x bull mastiff had TTA surgery on his left knee about 15 months ago and about 9 days ago he had to have surgery on it again for a Latent meniscus tear on the back of the medial side.
A few days ago he developed a seroma. It’s a good handful size. When the vet aspirated some fluid it was the normal blood stained colour however the fluid was quite viscose (this vet was filling in for the vet that did the meniscus surgery as he is away for a few weeks). My concern is that synovial fluid is leaking into the dead space, along with normal fluid. If SF is leaking from the internal incision site of the joint capsule, will this heal on its own? Also has this occured because Benson may have been over doing it, even though I’ve tried very hard to limit his activity? No fluid is leaking out of the suture site on the skin. He’s currently on antibiotics and a NSAID. I was a bit annoyed I had to pay for the consultant considering it was a post op issue.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    This is really a question for your surgeon. They can help identify which layer has the issue and also guide you in monitoring it.

    1. Brook Post author

      Surgeon is away for another 2 weeks. I think the fluid is pushing on the patella, this morning Benson screamed, he wouldn’t put his foot down. So I tried some flexations, it wouldn’t budge at first, then I finally got the knee to move, I could feel the patella moving then there was an almighty crack. He’s back weight bearing on it now. Vet is closed on Sunday so I have to wait til tomorrow.
      I’m lost as to what to do. Seen 3 vets in one practice regarding Benson’s knee and I’ve been given mixed advise. I’m scared they are going to want to drain it, I don’t want that.

      1. Sarah

        Hello- just wondering if you got in to the vet yesterday and if so what they said. If you’re wary though, remember to voice your concerns…. and there is always the option to seek out another opinion from a different practice if you’re not happy at the moment. I know it is hard to leave where you’re comfortable, and the current corona virus situation doesn’t make it easier….. hoping Benson is doing ok!!????????

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Melissa | 5 years ago
My 7 Year Old Dog, We Aren’t Sure Of Breed, But We Think A Lab/beagle …

my 7 year old dog, we aren’t sure of breed, but we think a lab/beagle mix of some sort experienced extreme pain and loss of the use of his back legs 2 days ago. I immediately took him to the emergency vet. They told us med management and cage rest. They brought him to the car with the use of a sling for his hind legs stating he still had some movement of his hind limbs intact. 2 hours later I believed he had declined and had no use. I called back to the vet who made me feel guilty for asking for further evaluation stating she would not put a dog through an MRI and surgery that still exhibited neurological function. He cried all night long and every time I moved him to potty was in excruciating pain. he wouldn’t eat and no longer could void. I took him back to the vet the next morning where he received an MRI and underwent surgery for a ruptured disc. at that point he no longer had deep pain sensation. My question is did that delay diminish his chances of recovery? and what are the odds now? I’m just heartbroken for him and do not want him to suffer. I am a nurse practitioner and very willing to provide the care he needs however I don’t want him to be in long term pain or have a poor quality of life.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Please dont beat yourself up over doing the best you could in a very difficult time. I really hope things work out. Stay in touch with your veterinary team and I’m sending hugs to you both. You are doing the best you can. Give your dog some time. It’s always really hard the first few days. Hang in there.

    1. Melissa Post author

      thank you for your encouragement. I’m going to remain hopeful that he can make a full recovery.

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Nicole | 5 years ago
My 11yr Old Lab/Mastiff Mix Was Diagnosed With A Mass On Her Spleen. It’s …

My 11yr old Lab/Mastiff mix was diagnosed with a mass on her spleen. It’s currently not bleeding, but we are trying to figure if we should go ahead with the surgery or not. I feel in my heart she has still more life in her, but I also know that if it’s cancerous she won’t have long. I know in the long run it’s my decision, but I just need to hear what others think.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    In my experience I have found removing it before it starts bleeding and becomes a serious life threatening issue is far better than waiting for this to happen.

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Karen Hesch | 5 years ago
Hello… I Was Hoping For Some Advice… So I Have A 7 Y/o Lab/rotti Mix …

Hello… i was hoping for some advice… so i have a 7 y/o lab/rotti mix whom ive had since he was 4 weeks old… he’s very good EXCEPT for when i try to mess with his ears or go passed his chest area… he has chronic ear infections and now has growths popping up in a few spots… he’s miserable n he won’t let me help him… Im out of work n can’t afford much. Just had 3 disc replaced in my neck n the covid situations had everything messed up so i don’t know what to do to help him n it’s breaking my heart… I’ve tried to muzzle him n sedated him a little with benadryl but he gets very aggressive when i try… he’s 100lbs n I’m only 140 and have been injured so i can’t really do much. When my husband left in 2018 he left me with all these fur babies n being out of work since dec 2019 im desperate at this point ???? but i refuse to give up on him ever… can someone give me some advice/ help

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  1. Sarah

    Hi there- I’m not 100% sure of your question. are you looking for advice on ear cleaning? Or growths? Or behavior?

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Brenna | 5 years ago
Is It Common For Puppies To Wet Themselves Napping?

Is it common for puppies to wet themselves napping (or could it be a UTI or something else)? I have a 10 week old female chocolate lab. We take her outside to pee very frequently, but she sometimes wakes up from a short nap during the day and one side of her body is soaked.

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  1. Laura

    The only time we found a mess in the crate, it was a UTI. Head to the vet.

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Jacqueline | 5 years ago
My Lab Will Be 11 In June. He Was Diagnosed With Diabetes 4 Years Ago. We’ve Never …

My lab will be 11 in June. He was diagnosed with diabetes 4 years ago. We’ve never been able to regulate his insulin and have tried both human and dog insulin. He’s currently taking 31 units of vetsulin 2 times a day and has been for over a year. No matter what dose/medicine brand we try, his blood sugar is still really high (between 250-400)! Recently, he’s been throwing up a few times a week after eating or drinking. The vomit is white and clear and looks like its mostly slobber with only a very small amount of food. What’s causing this?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I have had a few cases like this. Here’s what I do; I talk about diet, exercise and make sure everything is very consistent. I also check and recheck bloodwork. Diabetes can cause concurrent illness and this needs to be monitored very closely. I also refer to an internal medicine specialist when I feel stumped. I know it’s not what people want to hear but ask your vet to run a full bloodwork with urinalysis (and maybe even a urine culture) and then ask to be referred to a specialist. They can help. With the immediate vomiting your vet can help. Vomiting can mess up the insulin so make sure you are monitoring the blood sugar closely. Good luck! I hope this helps. Let us know what happens.

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Sarah | 6 years ago
Charley Is A 9 Year Old Lab Mix Female, Approx 70 Lbs. She Has Always Been An Incredibly …

Charley is a 9 year old lab mix female, approx 70 lbs. She has always been an incredibly active dog. Over the last year or so we have noticed her slowing down and assumed it was wear and tear of her joints after being so athletic and active. We started her on anti inflammatories (ostimax) after speaking with our vet, and used it as needed. It seemed to help. Within the last 3 months things worsened and we began giving her the anti inflammatory daily, as well as gabapentin. Things worsened again, and we finally requested that xrays be taken. They found a partial tear in one back acl and a fully torn acl in the other, we aren’t sure when this happened. She is receiving an injectable (adequan) 2 x a week for a month, and is taking the anti inflammatory, a cbd chew and gabapentin. This regimen is new this week and she looks a little better but still prefers to be laying down, has a hard time standing up/sitting down. We try to walk a block and she stops to lie down (we never push her). She sleeps most of the day, assuming from the meds. She is a different dog, it’s heartbreaking. She still eats and drinks but we put her food in front of her now, and mix it with wet (to hide the pills), otherwise I don’t know how often she would eat on her own. Thoughts on how surgery will help? Recovery? Our consult with the surgeon referred by our vet isn’t until July 31st (there is a backup with Covid) so we are looking for other options and might have a spot with a local vet- we are hoping to not have to wait that long because she’s just not our Charley, and we don’t want to see her in pain any longer.
some notes from vet: Ambulates tender hind legs R+L . thickened stifles- toe touching both and small stride on gait . Sits
slowly and swings legs out to avoid flexing too much . Crepitous on flex/ ext R side- patellar groove . Rlat- chip prox tibia- thickened JC and irregular lat collateral. L side – joitn mouse caudal joint – thickened JC irrgular medial collateral lig mild drawer both

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I think a few things might help. Call and get a referral to an orthopedic surgeon. Start there. They can help more than anyone else at this stage. The other option is to try a veterinary school. Everyone is backed up now do you covid. So I cannot promise these willl help. Also look into a suitcase type harness and orthopedic bed. Also swimming or underwater treadmill might help. I would also make sure your dog has had a full bloodwork done including thyroid. I also always check Lyme status. You don’t want to miss infectious or other disease when you are so focused on orthopedic. The best places around me are VOSM and VaTech vet school. If you cannot get into to surgery you can ask about braces. They might help. The folks at doglegs. I will forward their website. Did the vet take hip radiographs? Is your dog overweight? Did anyone help with other medications or supplements?

    1. Sarah Post author

      Thank you! My aunt Janet has spoken so highly of you, I appreciate your feedback! The vet said her hips and back looked great on the xray, was just the back knees. I will ask about getting bloodwork and checking for Lyme’s. As far as meds and supplements she is taking the ostimax, gaba, cbd chews and the adequan injections. Thank you again!

      1. Krista Magnifico

        Hello! Please let me know how things go. If you have trouble call Janet and have her send you my number. I can make some local calls to see if we can get some answers and help started. Good luck.

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Terri S | 6 years ago
Hi Dr. Magnifico. We Took Boogie To VRA In Gaithersburg, MD, A Couple Weeks Ago, Hoping …

Hi Dr. Magnifico. We took Boogie to VRA in Gaithersburg, MD, a couple weeks ago, hoping to have the Radioactive Iodine Therapy done for his hyperthyroidism, but Dr. Conway said she did not think he was a good candidate for it and was very concerned with his constipation.

She did bloodwork, an ultrasound, chest x-rays and more. We took him there on 4/16 and again on 4/27. I asked her to send all results to you and I hope you have received them by now.
Dr. Conway said he has a tumor or mass on his kidney but no abnormalities found from the chest x-ray.
She quoted me $5,000-$6,000 (gulp) to do the surgery, but I can not remember if she said that was to remove the tumor from the kidney, or remove the entire kidney.
She also mentioned something about his blood being thicker? I really can not remember exactly what she said about that, but it didn’t sound good. It may have something to do with his red blood cell level being high due to the tumor on his kidney.

She said to cut back his methimazole to 1/2 pill every 12 hours. *Dr. Conway told me that his hyperthyroidism is very mild.
She also said raise his dose of cisapride 5 mg/ml from 1 ml every 12 hours to 1 ml every 8 hours (three times a day), and she said to raise his dose of lactulose to 3 ml every 8 hours.
I started all of the above on 4/17.

He has since sprained his leg and is limping. He’s been hiding under the bed more, but not completely. He will still come up on the bed to visit me once or twice a day, but just not as often as he used to, and is still coming up on the bed to sleep with me. I’m not sure if he’s not feeling well because of Dr. Conways findings, because of his sprained leg, or both, the reason he is under the bed more.

Here is the last email I received from Dr. Conways office on 4/29, after his ultrasound on 4/27:

1) His calcium results was fine and within normal limits. Dr. Conway suspects the prior calcium elevated was due to lab error.
2) His thyroid level is good on the lower dose of Methimazole – please continue as directed with this medication.
3) His blood cell count shows his red blood cell level is HIGHER – this is due to the tumor of his kidney. If you are not interested in pursuing surgery for Boogie, Dr. Conway’s recommendation would be an oncology consult to discuss any palliative care options.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Julia Conny, RVT
Internal Medicine Lead Technician
Veterinary Referral Associates
301-926-3300

Dr. Mag, We have been clients of yours for several years, as four of our cats are all seen by you and your wonderful staff. We are begging you on hands and knees to please help our Boogie boy. He is only 12 years old and we are not ready for him to go. Can you please do the removal of the tumor or kidney? We realize it is a very risky surgery, but we would feel better knowing we did something, than not. We know you are a big advocate of doing everything you can to help bring pets back to health, instead of just giving up.
I’m in tears as I write this. Can you please look at all his records you have at your office asap, and also what Dr. Conways office sent you. Please, can you help our baby?

Terri and Steve

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I know how much you want to help your kitty. I will do my best to call you tomorrow to go over some options. Please understand that this is not a routine surgery and it comes with a significant amount of risk and many adverse possible side effects. It is something to discuss further. I am also on personal leave as my mom is very ill and in hospice so it is very hard for me to schedule surgeries at this time. I will do my best to call as soon as I am able. Hoping you are all safe and well.

    1. Terri S Post author

      Hi Dr. Magnifico,

      I am so sorry to hear about your mom ????
      I’ve not been on facebook much the past few weeks, so did not know.
      Your mom should be your only thought at this time, so I will call Dr. Ahrens tomorrow to speak to her about options, since she has also seen Boogie.
      Please know I will say a prayer for your mom, and you.
      Thinking of you both!
      Terri Xo

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deehoeck1 | 6 years ago
I Have A 10-1/2 That You (Dr. Morgan) Has Seen Over The Years. Lilly Started Sneezing …

I have a 10-1/2 black lab that you (Dr. Morgan) has seen over the years. Lilly started sneezing yesterday and last nite and today she has had a nose bleed. What could be causing this? Thank you!

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    There are lots of reasons pets sneeze. Allergies, foreign material inhaled (Like a piece of grass) into the nostrils, infection and even cancer are all possible. In general sneezing or longer than a few days duration causes rupturing of the delicate covering of the nasal turbinates (the internal tissue of the nose). When you over stress this tissue it starts to breakdown and causes bleeding. I use the analogy of blowing your nose for days when you have a head cold and then notice blood in your tissue/Kleenex. If the sneezing persists please call for an exam so we can help identify what the cause might be. Then we can help with treatment options. For right now try to increase the humidity on your home with a humidifier or running a hot shower and coding your pup Inside the bathroom With you. I have also seen some dogs have nose bleeds due to tick disease but usually not precipitated with sneezing. De Morgan is here tomorrow if you would like to call the clinic to set up an exam.