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We recently worked on a Serval Cat!
Serval cats are medium size cats from Africa. The cheetah is thought to descend from them. Like so many other animals in the wild, their numbers have dwindled. Their population has been in decline largerly due to human population encroaching on their habitats or being hunted for their beautiful pelts. Servals can also be preyed upon by other large cats.Their introduction as pets in North America is recent but the ancient Egyptians worshipped the serval as gods, and kept them as pets.
Servals are known to develop an intense emotional bond with their original owners and this lovely girl was no different. We could not have approached her easily on our own (servals have unusual long legs and proportionally small heads but she showed us her teeth were definitely full size!) without stressing her and possibly causing her harm, but she was completely trusting of her owner and calm in her presence.
I called in Dr Craig Mosley, our anesthesiologist, who has worked with with large cats in the past (as well as lions and tigers and bears, oh my!). He devised a sedation plan that would have her stay in her owner’s arm while we gave her an injection to minimize her stress and that we would work quickly once she was sedated to anesthetize her, that Dr Francis would do the surgery to fix the fractures in her hind legs and have her stay in the hospital only until she was awake enough to know that she has safely recovered from the long anesthesia which would be required.
Full physical exam once asleep...
I am happy to report that she has been recovering well at home for the past few weeks
It made me think back to the various unusual animals we have treated over the years. We usually restrict our practice to small animals, predominantly cats and dogs with the very occasional ferret or rodent but, given the expertise of the various specialists we have treated a wolverine, help participate in the care of several aquatic mammals, treated a bear with neck pain to name a few.
There are fairly strict regulations in place for owning exotic pets (http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlifeactreview/cas) and while it is likely due to the danger that these animals can pause to humans as well as to reduce illegal importation, it should also be because their habitat and diet are so difficult to emulate to ensure the best environment for these different breeds and species. While many exotics pets are not banned, it is at times very difficult to find accurate information as to the type and quality of the diets these animals require, the quantity of food to feed them (wild animals are lean!) and the type of exercise that may most benefit them in their new home.
Some private practice veterinarians who have extensive experience with exotics and zoo medicine veterinarians are good resources for family veterinarians who help care for these special pets.
Recently, Canada West Cardiologist Dr. Marco Margiocco and teamed up with Bertie Nelson of the Cavalier Club of BC to preside over a heart-check clinic day (the technical term is an “auscultation clinic”) for a large and happy group of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (“CKCS”).
Mitral valve disease is the most common form of heart disease in CKCS dogs. Mitral valve disease is highly heritable (i.e. passed from one generation to the next) and a study published in 2010 provided a simple protocol for breeders to help breed healthier dogs by avoiding breeding of CKCS dogs that show signs of the disease during their first five years of life. With the information gleaned from such clinics, breeders are in a better position to improve the health of future generations of puppies.
If you would like to learn more about organizing a heart-check clinic for your dog club, please contact the cardiology service at Canada West.
Author: Dr Marilyn Dunn
Bella, a 6 year old female Lhasa Apso had bladder stones in the past which had necessitated 2 surgeries in the previous 2 years. The stones had been analyzed and she had been on a diet to prevent stone formation with added water to keep her urine dilute. Over the last few days, her family had noticed that she was straining to urinate again.
Abdominal radiographs (x-rays) showed 2 large bladder stones.
Given Bella’s multiple prior surgeries, her family was looking for an alternative to surgery. Bella underwent lithotripsy: lithotripsy uses shock waves to break up the stones into tiny pieces which then pass into the urine.
A scope was placed in her bladder; a lithotripsy probe was passed through the scope and advanced until it came into contact with her stones. Her stones were then broken up by lithotripsy and the fragments were flushed from the bladder. Bella was sent home 3 hours after the procedure!
Breakfast Television Vancouver came to the hospital today for a live on-camera visit to show their viewers some of the work we do. Today’s segments included:
BTV has visited us last fall and based on the positive viewer reaction to that show they were interested in coming back for a return visit. If you didn’t get a chance to see the show, they have conveniently edited our segments into a single 12 minute streaming video that you can access by clicking on the image below:
Author: Tanya Crocker
In late November, we held our first invasive cardiology lab here at Canada West. Invasive cardiology involves using diagnostic and therapeutic tools, such as balloons, catheters or stents that are inserted directly into the patient’s body to treat heart disease. They are much less invasive than traditional surgical procedures and can be used to treat animals that would otherwise be forced to travel outside of Canada for effective treatment at greater cost and risk.
Setting up Hermosa's angiogram
Hermosa, a 7 month old extremely sweet boxer, was referred to us in September due to a heart murmur she had had since birth. Some breeds are more susceptible to heart conditions and boxers are amongst this group. A heart murmur is caused by abnormal blood flow through the heart. Heart murmurs are graded from 1 to 6, with 6 being the most serious. This murmur was a grade 4/5 out of 6 which is strong enough that you can feel it by placing your hand on the side of the chest. An ultrasound (echocardiogram) revealed that Hermosa had two forms of congenital heart disease.
The first involved a thickening of the leaflets of the pulmonic valve, which results in a smaller channel available for the blood to pass from the right side of the heart out through the arteries and lungs. Due to the severity of her condition, if left untreated this would significantly increase Heromosa’s risk over time of going into congestive heart failure or the development of lethal arryhthmias (abnormal heart rythm).
Hermosa the day after her procedure
The second issue was a a small abnormal “hole” between the right and left ventricle. In Hermosa’s case this defect was considered small and therefore unlikely to cause problems in the future.
The procedure for Hermosa consisted of an angiogram and balloon valvuloplasty.
Hermosa recovered very well in our ICU. The incision was very small (about 6 cm) on the right side of her neck. She looked fantastic the next morning and a repeat ultrasound revealed improved blood circulation and indicated the procedure was successful as it had changed the functioning of her defective heart valve. She was sent home the day after the procedure and we will see her again approximately one month post-procedure for a follow-up ultrasound which will give us an even better idea of the overall results.
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