Morgan with her dogs, Willie and Tikka

Morgan Lance has been a client of ours since 2008. She is without a doubt, one of the BEST pet owners we have ever known. Many of her pets have needed long term care, like her dog Willie who suffers from seizures. He has made it to the ripe old age of 14 and still comes in with his tail wagging. Willie is on medication to control his seizures and Morgan has done an incredible job nursing him during his geriatric years. Then there is her cat Chester, who doesn’t quite love us as much as we love him. Poor Chester has had to make frequent visits to our hospital to make sure that his thyroid disease is managed properly.

Five of Morgan's six cats

Chester is also on a medication to manage his disease and is prospering.  Morgan has been through it all, like the time when two of her cats had laundry detergent toxicity and had to be hospitalized for awhile. Morgan is, in a word, amazing. She always enters and leaves our building smiling and with a fantastic attitude. And she is a true animal lover.  Morgan is the US Director of the Animals Asia Foundation, a Hong Kong – based charity aimed at protecting animals from cruelty in Asia. In addition to working on campaigns that; highlight dogs and cats as companions rather than a source of food, seek to strengthen veterinary capacity and aim to improve the care of exotic animals in zoos, Animals Asia is also dedicated to ending the bear bile trade.  They have two sanctuaries, one in China and the other in Vietnam, where they rehabilitate moon bears rescued from bile farms. To learn more visit www.animalsasia.org. Thank you Morgan, we wish there were more people in the world like you!

Garfield, aka "Mr. Handsome"

This adorable kitty is Garfield. He is a senior citizen now, at the ripe old age of 17! He has been a patient of ours since he was only 8 weeks old. But don’t let his old age fool you; Garfield is still incredibly young at heart. Sadly, Garfield’s owner experienced some hardship during this troubled economy and she is unable to have Garfield with her in her current living situation. Because of this, MPH has been housing Garfield for over a year now. He has become used to his new accommodations and the staff is very fond of him. After hours or during slow times of day, we let him roam around the hospital. He explores the exam rooms, the kitchen and even the closets during his after-hours adventures. One of his favorite activities is to visit with our front staff and sit on his “honorary” stool and gaze out the front window. He has also been known to share our receptionist’s lunch; some of his favorites are turkey and chicken.  His devoted mom visits him every week and brings him yummy treats as well.  It’s clear that the bond between them is still very strong. Garfield is one of the sweetest, most loving kitties at our practice and he is truly a staff favorite. We are extremely happy to help such a wonderful, loving owner and amazing cat during a very difficult time

Think it’s cool to throw your dog a nice fresh piece of raw salmon, trout or steel head on your fishing trip? Think again.

What is SalmonPoisoning? Salmon Poisoning is actually an infection caused by the rickettsial organism Neorickettsia helminthoeca.

What causes Salmon Poisoning? The rickettsial organisms are carried by a fluke which can embed into a fish’s tissues. When the fish is eaten the larval form of the flukes set up shop in your dog’s intestinal mucosa where the rickettsial organisms are then released into your dog’s blood stream. From there they can then travel to the liver, brain, lungs and lymphoid tissue.

What geographic regions are affected? Salmon Poisoning is seen in the Pacific North West fromSan Francisco to the coast ofAlaska.  

What are the symptoms of Salmon Poisoning? Symptoms typically begin 5 -7 days after eating raw fish, but can take longer to manifest. The signs can include vomiting, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, fever, lethargy, anorexia, possibly enlarged lymph nodes and/or spleen, possibly nasal and/or ocular discharge.

How bad is it? If left untreated, the disease can turn deadly in seven to ten days.

Diagnosis: Your veterinarian will most likely run a blood panel to assess electrolyte levels and metabolic changes, but the diagnosis of Salmon Poisoning is based upon a fecal float or smear, or a lymph node aspirate. The organism which carries the rickettsial component of the disease is a fluke whose ova is visible upon most fecal exams under the microscope. However, due to how the ova are shed, they are not present in every fecal sample your dog produces.

Treatment: Antibiotics and a deworming agent.

Prevention: Easy; just keep your dog’s lips off raw fish.

Can I get it? No. You cannot get this form of Salmon Poisoning. Oddly, it only attacks canids;  dogs, foxes, coyotes. Other wildlife, your cat and the neighborhood raccoon are not susceptible.

All in all, Salmon Poisoning is a potentially fatal disease to your dog. However, with a quick diagnosis a course of antibiotics and a dewormer can nip this infection in the bud. So, enjoy your fishing trip, just keep the raw fish to yourself. Please note: smoked raw salmon does not count as cooked when it comes to Salmon Poisoning and your dog.

If you think you get hot in the summer, think how it must feel to go through the hotter months wearing a fur coat. Heat stroke is a major concern in the spring and summer. Here are a few recommendations to prevent heat stroke:

1. Make sure your pet always has access to shade.
2. Make sure your pet always has access to plenty of cool drinking water.
3. Exercise in the early morning or evening to avoid the hottest part of the day.
4. Never leave your unattended pet in the car.
5. Dogs are more susceptible to heat than humans. Therefore, if you are feeling parched and tired, your dog is even worse off.

The signs of heat stroke are excessive panting and lethargy in both dogs and cats.

At our hospital the most common causes of heat stroke we see are going for a run in the middle of the day, and leaving a pet in the car. However, a pet left in the yard without any shade on a hot day is also quite susceptible.

If you think your pet has heat stroke, use cool water (NOT ice water) to hose him down completely, and get your pet into the shade. Then call your vet.

If you are able to take your pet’s rectal temperature, do so. Any body temperature over 102.6 is considered a fever. Any body temperature over 105.0 can cause metabolic and brain damage. Being able to relay your pet’s temperature to the veterinarian will help him decide if your pet needs medical attention. If your veterinarian decides that going into the hospital is not necessary, it is a good idea to take your pet’s temperature every half hour to make sure it is remains in the normal range, 99.8 to 102.6.

Excessive heat can cause metabolic changes in your pet that can lead to death if not caught early enough. As is usual, we advocate that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

You took your dog out for a fabulous hike and now he is squinting at you with one eye. Nope, he has not learned the cool trick of winking at you. He probably has something in his eye.

The most common presentation of an eye injury is a dog that squints one eye. He may or may not have discharge from the eye. In either case, a squinty eye is a really good reason to go to the veterinarian’s office soon. Many times we find that when Fido was out frolicking in the hills he ran past a plant too fast and some of the plant material embeds in the eye, or the cornea can be scratched. A dog’s eye has not only an eyeball, and conjunctiva (the white part) and eyelid that can be damaged, but he also has a third eyelid that loves to hide foxtails, thorns and small pieces of grass which then rub or penetrate the cornea. A scratch or puncture of the cornea is painful. A full puncture of the cornea can lead to loss of the eyeball if not treated immediately.

Eye injuries of any kind should not be left to see if they get better on their own; an abrasion on the cornea can lead to infection or a thickness in the cornea which greatly reduces your dog’s vision if left untreated. In addition, typically it is quite easy for your veterinarian to remove a foreign body from your dog’s eye without general anesthesia; in most cases a topical anesthetic can be used instead. The benefit of an early treatment with a relatively inexpensive antibiotic far outweighs the potentially costly need for corneal surgery and several follow-up office visits.

So, check your dog over after every hike for ticks and foxtails, and don’t forget to check the face. If you see your pal winking back at you, give your veterinarian a call.

Amy Hutchinson has been an amazing MPH client for over 20 years. She is a true animal lover, and has many pets, including horses, cats and dogs. Amy currently has three cocker spaniels, Mimi, Eddy and Charley all of whom have made numerous visits to our hospital for a variety of reasons. Both Charley and Eddy have had ACL surgeries because they tore their anterior cruciate ligaments. Surgery is never a simple task and the recovery for these surgeries is extensive. In addition to his ACL surgery, Eddy has also had

Hutch with Eddy, Charley and Mimi

surgery to repair a cherry eye. Amy is now a pro at animal rehabilitation! It’s clear that her animals are a very important part of her life. She always comes in with a smile and is ready and willing to do whatever needs to be done to ensure their best care. We love you Amy, thanks for being such a wonderful client!

Maria and Charlie Miner

Maria Miner has been a Marin Pet Hospital client for approximately five years now. She is very well known around here for her two adorable bull dogs, Charlie and Summer-Posey. Both dogs are wonderfully sweet and incredibly charming. Summer-Posey, a true MPH favorite,  unfortunately died earlier this year after a brave battle with heart failure.  

Charlie has a true survivor’s tale. Maria brought him in for an exam at the end of June because he was panting and had a decreased appetite. On his exam, we felt a mass in his abdomen. X-Rays and an ultrasound showed that the mass was in his spleen. After a thorough work up, we had no evidence that the mass had spread anywhere else in Charlie’s body so Maria elected to go to surgery to remove the spleen. We were all hoping that the mass was benign, as in these cases, surgery is curative.

Charlie the miracle dog

When Charlie came in for surgery, he had a heart arrhythmia caused by the mass in his spleen. This makes surgery and anesthesia much riskier. Making matters worse, it was discovered that the mass was also attached to his abdominal wall and intestine, so it had to be carefully removed from all its attachments. During surgery, the mass started bleeding and Charlie lost a lot of blood. Charlie needed medication for the arrhythmia and a blood transfusion for the blood loss. Charlie recovered extremely well and went home the next day. A few days later, the biopsy results came back, and to our (and Maria’s) delight, the mass was benign! Thanks to the amazing, loving care Maria provided during his recovery, Charlie is now prospering! He is such an amazing little guy with so much heart. We are so happy to have Maria as a client and we hope that Charlie stays happy and healthy for many more years to come!

Stephanie Weiss with Bailey and Cody

Stephanie Weiss has been a client of Marin Pet Hospital for close to 15 years. Her previous dog, Bailey was a service dog and came to Marin Pet Hospital from the time he was a very young puppy. One of our favorite stories to tell people is how Bailey was so excited to see us each time he came in, that he nearly jumped over the counter to visit with the staff. Unfortunately, Bailey passed away a couple years ago from cancer. We miss him dearly.  Now we frequently see the rest of Stephanie’s brood, including her adorable Pomeranian, Cody and her cats, Dinkus, Garfunkle, Nala, Maddie, Pippy and Tigger. Cody has recently been diagnosed with Cushings Disease. He should do well with careful monitoring and some TLC from Stephanie. This shouldn’t be a problem, as no one takes better care of their pets than Stephanie! Luckily, her cats have all been fairly healthy and have only had to come in for routine exams and vaccinations. Stephanie always walks through our door with a smile on her face and this is why she is one of our favorite clients! We are truly lucky to have her as part of the Marin Pet Hospital family.

Jeff and Patty with "Journey" and "J.J"

Jeff and Patty Taylor have been clients of ours for over 20 years.   The Taylors are two of the kindest, most compassionate people we have ever known.  Patty has a heart of gold and will never say no to an animal that needs help.  She has been known to come to the aid of any animal, large or small, and because of that, this couple has ended up with a house packed with rescues.  Mother and son duo “Journey” and “JJ” were rescued from the Marin Humane Society after they were taken from a hoarder in Arizona.  These two lucky dogs hit the lottery when Jeff and Patty adopted them!  Whether we are treating their cats “Dodger” for thyroid disease or “Blossom” for chronic skin trouble, Jeff and Patty always visit with a smile on their faces.  Many of their animals have very particular medical needs and Jeff and Patty give personalized love and attention to each of them.  We couldn’t be happier to have the Taylors as clients and we hope to continue to serve them for many more years to come.