Meet Newman! Our Pet Hero For Arthritis Pain Diagnosis and Treatment

Newman’s people noticed that Newman was becoming cranky and aggressive with his housemates and with them. When Newman came in for his appointment with Dr. Humphrey, this is how he behaved. He did not want to interact, he faced the wall, and Dr. Humphrey found that he was quite painful in his lower back. Dr. Humphrey recommended that Newman try some Class IV Laser Therapy to ease his arthritis pain. Newman LOVES his laser treatments! He is back to his happy, playful self and his people are PET HEROES!!

Meet Sonny! Our Pet Hero for Arthritis Pain Diagnosis and Treatment!

Sonny’s people attended out first Arthritis Workshop in February. Realizing that Sonny was uncomfortable and probably in pain, they made an appointment to talk to Dr. Murray at the beginning of March about solutions for Sonny’s arthritis pain. Dr. Murray recommended some bloodwork, NSAIDS, laser therapy and massage. Sonny is almost like a new dog! He is back to his happy, playful self and his people are PET HEROS!!

Meet Zack! Our Senior Wellness Pet Hero!

Zack’s family brought him in for routine lab work prior to a scheduled dental procedure. At the time they had not noticed any signs of illness, however his lab work clearly indicated that he was diabetic. Thanks to Zack’s people trusting our recommendation for routine lab work we were able to identify this treatable condition before he got too sick. Zack is now feeling great, his diabetes is well controlled and he was able to safely have his dental procedure performed just last month.

Zack’s people are PET HEROS!!

Cassidy- Pet Hero for Snake Avoidance

Cassidy came from California at 10 years of age. She had lived her entire life in a suburban walled yard. Now she would be joining three other dogs loose on desert acreage. When she came in for her first post-adoption exam we discussed rattlesnake aversion training. Cassidy was signed up right away, and not a moment too soon!

Three weeks later Cassidy alerted her pet parent to a coiled up rattlesnake on her back porch. Cassidy stayed safe and kept her people safe too! Cassidy’s people are PET HEROS!!

Star- Pet Hero for Canine Valley Fever

Star was initially brought in for lethargy and “not acting right” for about two weeks. After a thorough examination, the doctor found lumbar pain and weight loss. We took back X-rays and saw a lesion on the spine, which prompted us to begin pain medication immediately while we were waiting for blood work results. Star came back Valley Fever positive, and immediately began Fluconazole. Five days later she returned to the hospital unable to move her rear limbs. We were concerned that she may not recover, but decided to give her 48 hours with steroids and a large dose of Fluconazole. Star responded almost immediately, and she is able to walk freely now! Star is happy and comfortable on her maintenance dose of Fluconazole all due to the fact that her owners noticed her changes in behavior which quickened her diagnosis and treatment. Star and her people are PET HEROES!!

Simi-Valley Fever Feline Hero!

Meet Etta and Simi!

Simi lived in Arizona for 4 years as an indoor-only cat before moving to Oregon. While there, Simi started becoming much more sedate, more quiet and sought out warm spots. Since it was December, this didn’t seem that unusual. But over the next few weeks, things continued to deteriorate. She became even more sedate, and sought me out constantly. Simi was always a “lap cat”–but this was definitely a change in behavior. My regular vet didn’t find anything abnormal on exam or labs–but we did NOT test for cocci. By mid-Feb or so, Simi started showing neurological symptoms: she was turning in circles constantly–only counterclockwise; appetite decreased; eventually losing control of her bladder function; gate abnormal, and one pupil was dilated. Chest x-ray showed a small lesion. We were referred to the neurologist for the head MRI, which showed the large tumor. Simi had neurosurgery that same day. The specialist suspected cocci when he saw the tumor–test results confirmed. Simi lost a lot of brain function with the surgery. She spent several weeks in ICU–very rough recovery period.Surgery was March, 2005, and Simi lived a happy and mostly healthy life until September 2014, when she died at 15 years old. Simi and Etta are Pet Hero’s!