Patient Stories: Piper

We have a wonderful patient story to share with you today, featuring Piper, the resolute little beagle. Piper came to VCA SFVS on Easter Sunday with intestinal bleeding. (She is thankfully on the road to recovery.)

Here, Piper’s human companion David tells us a little more about this special beagle. Thank you, David and Mark, for sharing this story and the photos, for the volunteer work you do, and for being great friends to the animals!

We’ve been a two-beagle family for about 15 years. When our 13-year-old beagle Claire died in April 2011, our other beagle, Josie, seemed to enjoy being the center of attention, so we put off finding her a companion from Nor Cal Beagle Rescue. We’re regular volunteers with that rescue organization. Our role is beagle transport – usually from a shelter to a foster home.

That’s how we happened to meet Piper, a three-legged beagle. We offered to drive her from a temporary home near San Jose to a foster home in Sacramento. She was found abandoned, living in a field in San Jose. A real survivor – overflowing with that great beagle spirit.

piper the three-legged beagle / client-provided photo

About halfway to her new foster home, we realized what a uniquely wonderful dog she is and decided on the spot to head for San Francisco instead, and offer her a forever home with us. Because she came to us without a documented history, we don’t know much about her past. From the scar above her missing back leg, we believe she was hit by a car. We think she is about 8 years old, but she refuses to confess her real age so we’re not certain.

We live in a third-floor walkup loft – no passenger elevator, so we were prepared to do a lot of carrying up and down. Turns out she can easily maneuver going down the stairs and only needs a lift up. It only took her a few days to decide that our bed was where she preferred to spend the night. Josie was very gracious about that – the only problems we encounter are food-related – beagles, you know!

On Easter Sunday, Piper came down with some awful kind of intestinal bleeding so we zipped her off to VCA SF Veterinary Specialists to find out what was going on. Dr. Hansen quickly diagnosed Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis, a condition that can be life-threatening if not treated, and put her on IV fluids. (We got to see the X-rays he took, which showed a pin in her remaining back leg – confirming our suspicions that she most likely was hit by a car.)

She quickly rallied and was able to come home the following Tuesday. We got to visit her Monday night and take her for a spin around the block. We only live two blocks away, so she got to meander around her old stomping ground.

We love that little dog and are so grateful for the excellent care she received during this recent health emergency – thanks to everyone from the staff at the front desk to Dr. Hansen and Dr. Maretzki and the entire medical team that took care of her.

Other members of our extended family include our cat Edie, our tortoise, our canary, our Cordon Bleu finch, and our tropical fish – all living amicably together in 600 square feet.

Perfect, given that this town is named after Francis of Assisi.

david and piper, mark and josie / client-provided photo

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Related resources:

• Learn more about hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE)
• See a list of situations that could be considered an emergency for your pet
• Visit Nor Cal Beagle Rescue online

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Would you like your dog or cat to be featured in our Patient Stories series? Please email us for information. We look forward to hearing from you!

VCA SFVS Hours and Carnaval

VCA San Francisco Veterinary Specialists is open all day, every day … except when San Francisco Carnaval rolls around! A heads-up that VCA SFVS will be closed from Friday, May 24 at 6 p.m. to Monday, May 27 at 8 a.m. This includes our emergency service. Street access to our facility will be blocked due to Carnaval festivities in the Mission District. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Let us know if you have any questions! 415-401-9200

VCA SFVS in the News: Veterinarian Career Paths

VCA SFVS was featured in the March 28 edition of the SF Chronicle, in an article about the career paths of today’s veterinarians. (Most graduates go into companion-animal practices; there’s a dearth of food-animal veterinarians in California.)

Here’s the link to the article (subscription required): State short of food-animal veterinarians 

The article featured some really nice photos from our hospital, and we wanted to share those with you below.

Nurse Miranda Blankenship (left), technician assistant Nick Belara, intern Sharon Tenenbaum and veterinarian Craig Maretzki treat Mack in San Francisco. Photo credit: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

Sharon Tenenbaum, an intern at VCA Veterinary Specialists in San Francisco, plans to work with large and small animals as part of her residency. Photo credit: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

The veterinary team gives Mack an ultrasound at VCA Veterinary Specialists in San Francisco. Photo credit: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

 

Patient Story: Pogo

Today on the blog, meet Pogo. A handsome Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever, Pogo is a patient of VCA SFVS cardiologist Dr. Justin Williams. Pogo was diagnosed with endocardosis and congestive heart failure. Here, Pogo’s mom, Marty, writes beautifully about his journey and his (still!) big appetite for food and life.

Marty, thank you so much for sharing this touching story with us. Pogo is one lucky dog to have you and Chaz as his human companions.

Pogo’s Story – written by his mom, Marty

Pogo came to us in San Francisco all the way from Nova Scotia one bright day in November 2003. At four months old he took his first brave journey huddled in Air Canada’s cargo hold. When he arrived a bit bedraggled at SFO that night, we opened his travel crate to welcome him, but he refused to take so much as a sniff toward us, instead crouching back as far as he could to the rear of the crate.

puppy pogo

Back at home Pogo sat quietly on the back porch in his den while his new four-pawed siblings eagerly investigated. Still bunched in the back shadows, Pogo showed no interest in venturing out, even for cheese and chicken treats. Finally after a few hours we tilted the crate slowly and steeply on its end, plopping him out onto a waiting lap, his reward a juicy carrot. To our surprise and relief he gobbled it right down and has been in our warm embrace ever since.

pogo with mom

pogo with dad

Born to a long line of Nova Scotia duck tolling retrievers, Pogo is proud of his Canadian heritage. As a young pup, he loved romping with his brothers and sisters around their little farm. Not one to miss the buzz around town, though, he knew his kind was bred to work long days “tolling” and retrieving ducks for serious hunters. “Not the life for me,” he told his then-mom. “I’m really more of a ‘slacker’ toller.” Pogo dreamt of playing in the fields and enjoying all-you-can-eat buffets. When word came that a family in San Francisco wanted him, he leapt at the chance to escape a fate of hard labor and move to mellow California where he had heard the fields overflowed with food.

pogo on vacation

Once his initial shyness passed, Pogo joined our family with wild exuberance, following his mama everywhere. He was full of energy and had a crazy happy appetite for life, especially anything remotely edible. Whether swimming for sticks in the ocean waves, chasing squirrels and exploring gopher holes with his sister, Sadie, or learning fun tricks, he was pumped up and ready for more adventure. At home, he romped in the backyard, played fun games for treats, munched on raw bones, and snuggled for hours with his dad, draped over him napping while his dad watched TV. Happy as a clam, eight years flew by and Pogo was primed for eight more.

chillin’ out with sister sadie

One day during a routine exam in 2011, our vet at Mission Pet Hospital (Dr. Hindatu Mohammed) discovered that Pogo had a heart murmur. A three-month follow-up was recommended and happily life went on as normal, though started to cloud over somewhat as we learned that his heartbeat had grown more erratic. Dr. Mohammed advised that we see a heart specialist and we soon drove up to VCA Santa Rosa where Dr. Kristin McDonald diagnosed mitral valve degeneration with a slightly enlarged heart. So began our journey with heart disease and its many twists and turns. Some months later when Pogo suddenly developed a cough, another vet at our regular clinic diagnosed kennel cough, surmising that he had caught a case of this common affliction on one of his daily outings. A month later, though, when Pogo’s cough had not improved and he also started experiencing rapid breathing, we knew his heart condition had worsened. Dr. Mohammed told us that a cardio specialist had recently joined the staff at VCA SF and we soon came onboard with Dr. Justin Williams who affirmed Pogo’s diagnosis of endocardosis and further identified signs of congestive heart failure. The past year and a half has been all about navigating the labyrinth of advancing disease and numerous treatment modalities.

Through this sad and bewildering process, Dr. Williams has been our steady guide and a critical lifeline for Pogo. Extremely knowledgeable and conscientious, Dr. Williams thoroughly evaluates Pogo at every turn, keeping a keen eye on multiple factors involved in medically treating his cardiac disease, always patiently attentive to maximizing Pogo’s quality of life. At the same time, he is honest and forthright about the progressive realities of the disease, including its unavoidable shortened life expectancy. Alongside Dr. Williams, his wonderful assistants Crystal and Melissa (now relocated to Texas—we miss you) have been warm and loving friends to Pogo, taking him into their hearts (and, most importantly, rewarding him with treats).

pogo today

At this writing, Pogo has outlived the statistical average lifespan for this disease by five months and counting. Over the past year he has been in and out of congestive heart failure a few times and struggles more and more each day. With a significantly enlarged heart at times pressing on his trachea, he now has a chronic low-grade cough, his breathing is challenged, his heartbeat sounds like chaotic “shoes in the dryer” causing his body to vibrate slightly, and he must endure extensive meds three times per day plus daily transcutaneous injections.

Amazingly Pogo still has his big appetite, both for food and life. Slower and a bit shakier, he is nonetheless eager to play treat games and go out on daily nature walks. He no longer snuggles with us as any added warmth can bring on a cough, but he still comes up for his daily love “lean-ins.” We know his life is waning and our hearts are deeply sad. We have talked with him about one day swimming through ocean waves to the Land of Forever Treats and will be planting a Pogo Memorial Tree in our backyard. We treasure every day we have left together. Pogo has taught us so much about living with gusto and dying with grace. He will live in our hearts forever.

For more, read Pogo’s Rules to Live By (PDF).

Update: The beautiful Pogo left this world on March 30, 2013, following a long struggle with advanced heart disease. RIP, Pogo! We were honored to get to know you and to be a part of your care team. You will be missed. – VCA SFVS   

SF Aid for Animals in Running for Sports Basement’s Charity Madness 2013

From our friends at San Francisco Aid for Animals: SFAfA has been invited to participate in Sports Basement’s Charity Madness Tournament 2013!

Throughout March Madness season, charities (such as SFAfA) will compete to see who can raise the most money each week. When shopping at Sports Basement, mention SFAfA at the register. As a charity supporter, you will get 10 % off your purchase, and Sports Basement will donate 10% of your purchase to your charity. At the end of each week, the “winner” charity moves on to the next round and gets to keep fundraising.

More info here: http://community.sportsbasement.com/archives/sports-basements-charity-madness/

Charity Madness kicks off March 16. See this year’s bracket here or click on the image below: http://community.sportsbasement.com/archives/charity-madness-is-almost-here/

San Francisco Aid for Animals seeks to provide charitable veterinary services currently unavailable to pet owners in our community and to serve as a safety net for clients who may not qualify for assistance elsewhere. VCA SFVS’s Dr. Alan Stewart and Dr. Emily Wong serve on SFAfA’s committee. More info: http://www.sfaidforanimals.org/

Patient Stories: Sugar

For today’s patient story, we happily introduce you to Sugar – a kitty who lives up to her sweet name. In late January, Sugar was diagnosed with mammary cancer and came to us as a referral from Dr. Calvin Lum of San Francisco Veterinary Housecalls. We at VCA SFVS are lucky to work so closely with such a talented veterinarian.

Jeanette, Sugar’s human companion, beautifully writes about Sugar’s story here. She also sent us some fabulous photos, included below. Thank you, Jeanette, for allowing us to be a part of Sugar’s veterinary care team. We’ve loved getting to know both of you!

sugar and jeanette

Sugar’s story, written by Jeanette:

Sugar’s Arrival Story

Prior to adopting Sugar we had two kitties, Chai, a mellow Lynx Point Siamese mix, and Little Bit, a very playful tabby. We decided that Little Bit needed a playmate, so on Super Bowl Sunday 2008 we went to Maddie’s Adoption Center at the San Francisco SPCA.

I was wandering around looking in the rooms and reading the bios on the windows and I found one that sounded like a good fit. She was a six year old tabby who had been at Maddie’s for six months. I looked into the room but I could not see a kitty. Then I looked down and saw that she was at the door looking up and meowing at me.

A volunteer took us in the room and we sat down on the floor. The kitty immediately jumped in my lap and gave me a nose kiss. Then she jumped in Bill’s lap and gave him a nose kiss. Bill said, “Who do we make the check out to?”. Her name at the shelter was Colette, but on the way home we renamed her Sugar.

sugar in a bag (what kitty doesn’t love them??)

About Sugar

Sugar is an absolute sweetheart and lives up to her name every day. She is very loving and connects with all who visit our home. She is eleven years old now and she is still a very playful kitty. She can have fun with anything – a tube of Chapstick, a dust bunny or a paper bag or box.

Sugar and Little Bit love to romp and play together. We call them “The Tabby Terrors” and their 6 am wrestling matches on our bed are a regular routine. They also have their quiet moments as “Tabby Bookends” sitting on our futon enjoying our sunroom window.

the tabby terrors

Sugar loves to eat and she can tell time. If we don’t realize it is 7 pm (Treat Time when the kitties get their Tiki Cat) Sugar reminds us quite vocally!

Sugar’s Mammary Cancer

[In early January of this year, Jeanette felt a lump on Sugar, and had Dr. Lum examine her. He extracted fluid from the lump and let Jeanette know the bad news. Sugar was then referred to VCA SFVS, where she met surgeon Dr. Margo Mehl and oncologist Dr. Stephen Atwater. After some testing, Sugar had surgery to remove the tumor.]

I was devastated and scared when we learned that Sugar had mammary cancer. Sugar’s tumor was malignant, which was not surprising since that is the case with a high percentage of feline mammary tumors. The surgeon did not see any evidence of the cancer in the lymph nodes and the type of cancer Sugar has is slow replicating. So for now, nothing further is recommended except monitoring Sugar very closely to detect any new tumors. She’ll be going back for monthly check-ups for a while.

When I shared her story with others, I was surprised at how many people, many of them pet owners, don’t know that animals can get mammary cancer. So I decided to do two things.

First, I signed up to participate in the San Francisco Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in September 2013. Sugar will be my mascot and together we will raise money to end breast cancer and raise awareness of mammary cancer in animals.

sugar in pink

Second, I created a website called Sugarrub.org. The goal of the website is to encourage pet owners to do regular breast exams on their pets and to raise funds to aid cancer research for animals. Sugar often sits on the counter next to me so she can snoopervise while I work on the website.

Resources:

• Visit SugarRub.org to learn more about Sugar and animal mammary tumors.
• Read more about mammary tumors in cats on the VCA SFVS website. 

sugar greeting the sun … sweet serenity

VCA SFVS Voted Best Veterinary Emergency Care

We are thrilled to announce that VCA SFVS was voted as “Best Emergency Care” in Bay Woof’s 2013 Beast of the Bay awards! Many, many thanks to those who listed us on your ballots, and congratulations to all the winners. Woof-woof! We are so grateful.

 

Read more about our 24/7 emergency and urgent care for dogs and cats.

Our team of emergency veterinarians includes: Elyse Hammer, DVM; Thomas McEntegart, DVM; and Emily Wong, DVM.