Have a Happy & Healthy New Year! - the Parklander

PET TALK
3 Glenn Kalick, DVM outBy
Riverstone Millenium Shopping Center
7267 State Road 7 (441) Parkland • 954-344-8880 (Next to Sweet & Sassy Parties)
Have A Microchip
Implanted In Your Pet For Only
$30.00
1 per household. Not valid with any other coupons
or discounts. All pets must be up to date with all
vaccines at the time of service. Expires 1/31/07
STRIKES &
YOU’RE
Have you ever met a person or been in a situation destined to fail, not
because you don’t have similar interests but because you just don’t see eye
to eye. Let me introduce you to Mrs. S. When I practiced in Fort
Lauderdale, I saw Mrs. S and Trasher (named appropriately), a 3 year old
Bulldog, at least once a month for various problems usually secondary to
eating something inappropriate. Mrs. S. used to laugh about the things
that this dog used to eat or get into. Bee stings, fishing tackle. After two
foreign body surgeries, Mrs. S. once asked me to sew a zipper into
Trasher to make the next surgery easier. Unbeknownst to me, all these
trips to the animal hospital were not disclosed to Mr. S. After a divorce
Trasher became the property of Mr. S. and the comedy of errors began.
Trasher was not a dog for first time dog owners. He was a challenge, the
Mount Everest of dogs that got into trouble.
Strike one. Within a week Trasher was brought into the animal
hospital for Bufo Toad poisoning. He was foaming from the mouth
BROOKSIDE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
Open 7 Days a Week • Convenient Early Morning Drop-offs & Evening Pick-ups
• Complete Medical, Diagnostic & Surgical Facilities
$5.00 OFF
6 months worth of
Flea Preventative
1 per household.
Not valid with any other coupons
or discounts. Expires 1/31/07
10625 Wiles Rd. • Coral Springs • In Brookside Square • www.brooksidevet.com
24 Hour On Call
Emergency Service 954-755-5540
• Air Conditioned Boarding Facilities • Spacious Dog Runs & Kitty Condos
• Pet Day Care Available • Professional Groomer • Home Delivery of Pet Care Products
THE PATIENT AND ANY OTHER PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT HAS A RIGHT TO REFUSE PAY, CANCEL PAYMENT OR BE REIMBURSED FOR PAYMENT FOR ANY
OTHER SERVICES, EXAMINATION OR TREATMENT WHICH IS PERFORMED AS A RESULT OF AND WITHIN 72 HOURS OF RESPONDING TO THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE
FEE, DISCOUNTED FEE, OR REDUCED FEE SERVICE, EXAMINATION OR TREATMENT.
106 JANUARY 2007
and just about to
start seizuring. I
informed Mr. S.
about Trasher’s
propensity to eat
the toads whole
and not just lick
them. He said
that he was
washing the
mouth out
with water as told by a friend, but he wasn’t getting better. I told him
that most dog’s just lick toads but Trasher eats them. I showed him the
records of the dog’s previous toad emergencies to prove my point.
After Trasher vomited the toad up and started to act normally I told
him that he must not leave Trasher outside unattended. He informed
me that unlike his wife he would have a heart to heart discussion with
his dog and this will not happen again.
Strike two. About a month later Trasher was brought in for
vomiting. On radiographs it was obvious that Trasher ate a foreign
body. I showed it to Mr. S, telling him that, based on previous history,
Trasher liked rib bones and his daughter’s Barbie dolls. After
informing him that I was going to have to perform surgery for the 3rd
time on him (I left out the zipper comment) I told him that the shape
of the object didn’t resemble a bone; it was actually oblong. I asked him
what was in his garbage last night. He told me he had BBQ chicken,
corn and muffins. I told him that I thought it was the corn, cob and all.
Strike three. Ten days later Mr. S and Trasher came into my practice
for suture removal from the surgery. He told me that I should have
removed the pigmented mole on his chest after removing the staples. I
apologized for missing the mole because that would have been the
perfect time to take it off but I have performed dozens of physical
examinations on this dog and had never seen a mass on him. I spent
the next 3-5 minutes examining the dog and could not find the mass.
Mr. S. started losing his patience. I asked him to help my technician
and I find the missing growth. He immediately found the mass and I
informed him that the growth was not malignant but it was actually a
nipple. Mr. S. starting getting mad wanting to know if I knew the
difference between a “girl” and a “boy”dog and if they taught that at
the Yankee school I went to. Quickly I asked Mr S. if he had nipples
because he was a boy. Mr S. walked out of the office very embarrassed.
Strike three and you’re out. Mr. S had met his match. The next time
Trasher came to see me he was with Mrs. S.
Glenn Kalick DVM is associated with Brookside Animal Hospital
of Coral Springs. E-mail him at kalick@theparklander.com.