Cricket

Cricket is our adorable Pet of the Month for many reasons. He will turn 18 this August and has the personality of a kitten! Cricket has been coming to Dogwood Pet Hospital since October 1993! Most of his life he has been healthy with only a few surprises here and there. In December 2008, we ran some blood work on Cricket and found his kidney values were increasing. We changed Cricket’s diet and added some supplements to help bring these values down.  During a recheck exam, we discovered Cricket’s blood pressure was high!  Yes, cats get high blood pressure too!  Lately, Cricket has been having some breathing problems, and we’ve had to supplement him with oxygen and take chest x-rays.  Currently, Cricket is doing great!

Gabby

Gabby is our fabulous pet of the month for August! Sweet Gabby is a two-year -old tabby who came home limping and bloody at the beginning of June. We suspect that Gabby was hit by a car because the exam revealed a broken tibia (shin bone) that had punctured through the skin. Gabby was stitched up and had to wear a splint for 6 weeks (and stay in the bathroom!). Poor Gabby needed that splint changed every 7 days (twice in one week when Gabby figured out how to get the splint off behind the TV!). Now, Gabby has healed up and is at home with her loving family. We love you, Gabby!

At just 9 weeks’ old, Mader a normally spunky boxer developed acute pain all over his body and trouble walking. His concerned parents brought him to Dogwood Pet Hospital for a comprehensive examination and diagnostics. We took x-rays (also known as radiographs) and ran full bloodwork. Diagnostics such as radiographs and bloodwork give us a better understanding of what’s happening inside the body, but in Mader’s case, his condition remained a mystery!

Mader was later diagnosed with probable corticosteroid responsive meningitis, a rare disease causing inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cords. This disease can be very painful, but manageable. Today, Mader’s parents are giving him a low dose of oral steroids and monitoring his temperature. We are happy that Mader is recovering and wish him the very best!

For the month of June, we are honoring a beloved Golden Retriever, Cassie! Cassie’s breed originated in the Scottish Highlands in the late 1800s and was predominately used for hunting. Although Cassie doesn’t hunt, she does enjoy spending time at home with her most loving family!

Cassie has several medical conditions that require routine testing and medications. She has a condition called Cushing’s Disease which is an overproduction of cortisol (the stress-steroid). Cushing’s causes excess thirst, muscle pain, hair loss as well as a myriad of other symptoms. In addition to her Cushing’s Disease, she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and recurring nosebleeds.

In her youth she had a bout with cancer. Our doctors found a mast cell tumor that required surgical removal and radiation therapy by an oncologist. After recovery, Cassie began taking cancer supplements such as high potency fish oils, mushrooms, and antioxidants.

Interestingly, Cassie’s littermate, Jessie, is also a patient of ours! We all wish you the best of health!

P.S. — Happy Birthday Sadie!

Our Hero Varro!

We are extremely proud of our April Pet of the Month: Varro, a Multnomah County Sheriff Dog who regularly visits us since 2005.

Our featured hero mostly visits us for his annual health exam. Recently,Varro had 2 molars pulled due to an infection and a cyst removed from the top of his head, which meant time off work to heal and relax.

During his career with the Sheriff’s Department, Varro has captured 54 criminals in 3 years and counting! All of us at Dogwood love visiting with Varro and hearing about his many adventures. We hope he catches many more bad guys and has a long and happy life!

Fajita (“Heater”) is a 9 ½ year old Persian that has been coming to Dogwood for 3 years. Heater, due to his breed, has some long standing issues with difficulty breathing and chronic upper respiratory infections. Because of this, Heater visits us often! Heater’s owners understand the value of dental health, so Heater also visits us every few years for a full dental cleaning. Frequent dental cleanings are proven to increase long term health and comfort! We love seeing Heater, and wish him a happy St Patrick’s Day.

Tubby is a 14-year-old bundle of love that has been coming to Dogwood since February 2008. Ever since he came to us he has had nasal issues. He used to breath loudly and with difficulty. We tried antibiotics and flushed the naval cavity. Still Tubby remained congested! Last fall, the owner came rushing in! Tubby had sneezed up a large, benign tumor! Ever since then his breathing has been great! We here at Dogwood wish Tubby all the best!