1. If your dog is pulling, stop walking and stand still. Wait until your dog stops pulling, and then begin walking again. In this exercise, walking again is the reward. You may also find yourself doing this several times in a short period of time.

2. Teach your dog a command that teaches him/her to focus on you such as an eye contact or hand target command. Then, use these commands to keep your dog at your side and reward him/her with treats and attention for following the commands. You can use this method to teach your dog to “heel”.

3. Walk forward with your dog on leash. Before he/she has the chance to pull call him/her back to you and give a reward. Repeat this, extending the time before you call him/her back to you (but before pulling occurs).

   Pick one of the techniques and be consistent. Set your dog up to succeed by starting inside in a non-distracting environment, such as your home. Then, add distractions in the house before working with your dog outside. A head collar can also be a useful tool to help with leash pulling as long as your dog does not have neck problems. The leash attaches under the chin, so when your dog pulls, the leash pulls their head to the side.

Here is a great video for introducing the head collar so that your dog likes (or at least tolerates) it:

Another useful tool that gives you some control, but not as much control as a head collar, is a harness that the leash attaches in the front (Easy Walk HarnessTM or SENSE-ation ® Harness).

Easy Walk Harness TM

If you feel that you and your dog would do better with a one-on-one personal treatment plan that would be customized to you and your life style, please feel free to give us a call and schedule a Behavior Consultation appointment: (925) 937-5000

- Dr. Meredith Stepita, Dipl. ACVB

    Here at Encina Veterinary Hospital we recommend dental cleanings to our patients which require full anesthesia so that our Doctors and Technicians can do a safe and thorough job of fully examining, evaluating, cleaning and polishing your pet’s teeth. There are many places out there now that advertise non-anesthetic dental cleanings for very little money, who also convince/put the fear in pet owners that this is a safer technique than general anesthesia cleanings performed by licensed professionals like registered veterinary assistants and veterinarians. The problem lies in the fact that they may not be cleaning and polishing all the teeth properly. If teeth aren’t polished after scaling, bacteria can work its way deeper into the tooth cavity and create abscesses and many more (expensive) problems. It may seem like an easy and inexpensive alternative, but if not done correctly can be both expensive to your wallet, painful to your pet and even deadly.

    I know I have enough trouble trying to brush my dog’s teeth on the outside, never mind getting in all those nooks and crannies on the inside! And she certainly wouldn’t allow me to spend time scraping tartar off any of her back teeth and then polishing out the microscratches that the scraping leaves behind. The California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) opposed a bill (AB 2304) recently which would allow unlicensed individuals to scale pet’s teeth as long as it is with an unmotorized instrument without veterinary supervision. There are companies and websites out there touting the benefits of non-anesthetic cleaning, which are ill informed and send the wrong message to owners. They leave owners scared of veterinarians and general anesthesia, while subjecting your pets to harmful and scary improper dental cleanings. While cleanings here Encina Vet Hospital may be more expensive than the “cleanings” at your groomers, we have your pet’s best health and care in mind; we always treat your pets as if they are our own and we don’t lie to our clients to make a buck. Aren’t your pets worth doing what is right for them?

- Meg Davies, RVT

Here is an excerpt from Dr. Jill Christofferson’s advice article in the Contra Costa Times regarding anesthesia free dental cleanings:

When an animal is anesthetized, the area under the gum line can be properly cleaned using ultrasonic or sonic instruments and any pockets can be assessed and treated properly. The teeth are then polished. Dental X-rays and oral surgery can also be performed when needed. Many pet owners are frightened by anesthesia and think that having the teeth cleaned without it will be safer for their pet.

Anesthetic deaths do occur, and almost every veterinarian can tell of a death that occurred under their care. These deaths are rare, however, and the anesthetic agents currently used in veterinary medicine are considered very safe.

Animals who have had their teeth scaled without anesthesia can suffer from cuts to the gums, bruising of the skin due to excessive restraint, neck injuries, and even jaw fractures. I have known a few dogs who have had expensive and even life-threatening illnesses as a result of having their teeth cleaned in this manner.

The law in California states that performing dentistry on an animal constitutes the practice of veterinary medicine and needs to be done under the supervision of a veterinarian. The people performing anesthesia-free dental cleanings are not state-licensed or regulated and rarely work under a veterinarian’s supervision.

- Dr. Jill Christofferson

Here’s why we love Trupanion and what you should know:

Trupanion allows you to choose how much you would like to pay a month and how much of a deductible you would like.
     Example: Sally finds it easier to pay $56/month for her dog Rover, and has a deductible of $250 while John finds it harder for month to month payments so his monthly payment is only $35 with a deductible of $750.

Trupanion pays up to 90% of the bill back to you
     Here is a real claim from Trupanion:

Harmony the 5-year-old mixed-breed dog recently experienced some serious health complications. She was rushed to the emergency vet for lymphocytic/plasmacytic gastroenteritis, which is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Secondary issues with this condition were septicemia and bacterimia which are conditions in which the bloodstream becomes infected by bacteria and can be life-threatening.

Harmony was at the clinic for 6 days receiving surgery, medications, fluids, and regular monitoring. Harmony was released and we are wishing her a quick recovery.

Costs can quickly add up in an emergency situation as you will see below. It’s fortunate that Harmony’s owner had her insured so that she could take care of all the necessary veterinary treatment without cost concerns.

     Total claim amount: $12,216.99
     Deductible applied: $500.00
     Exam fees: -$149.00
     10% co-insurance: -$1159.80
     Trupanion repaid: $10,411.19

Trupanion allows you to add on extra services
     Reward for a lost pet, boarding for your pet should you be hospitalized, acupuncture, physical therapy, feline kidney transplants and more are available through Trupanion

NO LIMITS!!!
     Other pet insurances may give you a yearly or lifetime limit of how much they will pay out, but Trupanion doesn’t! If you’re unlucky enough to have a dog who eats everything or a cat with a chronic illness, you may find that other pet insurances will say, “ok we’ll cover you but only up until we have spent $5000; after that, you’re on your own!” but that is not the case with Trupanion.

1. Prescription Human Medications Nearly 14% of all calls last year to the ASPCA’s poison hotline were concerning prescription human medications. While most of the culprits were dogs, cats are known to knock a bottle or two over to play with. The most common medications reported were cardiac or ADHD medications which can both lead to an increased and dangerous heart beat in pets. To be safe, keep your medications up high in a cabinet where pets wont be able to get to them.

2. Insecticides With over 17,000 calls to the ASPCA in 2011, insecticides were quite the consumable item. While you may purchase products that are designed to kill the bugs in your garden or keep that pesky ant problem controlled, you didn’t think your furry friend would try to eat it! It’s important to remember that these are poisons that are typically designed to kill one thing or another. IF you’re concerned with your pet getting into these, store them away from where your pet can get to them or look for a pet-friendly and natural insecticide to use instead.

3. Over-The-Counter Human Medications Medications such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen can literally kill your pet. These medications were not designed with your pet’s metabolism in mind and it’s important that we keep them away from our pets. You can read more about common household medications in our blog from last month, Self Medicating Pets At Home: A Big “No-No!”.

4. People Food The ASPCA received over 7,600 calls on chocolate alone in 2011. Chocolate can cause vomiting, diarrhea, high heart rate and even seizures when ingested by pets. The second most common food reported was xylitol (a sugar substitute often found in sugarless gum and Tic Tacs); Xylitol is extremely toxic for dogs and can send them into acute (sudden) liver failure.

5. Random Household Products Pets get into things and places we never imagined they would! Some of the calls the ASPCA took in 2011 included reports of fire logs and paint. If your pet is overly curious or enjoys tearing up just about anything, consider confining him or her to a safe room or space while you are unable to keep an eye on him or her to help reduce the chance of them injuring themselves (and destroying your stuff!).

6. Veterinary Medications Over the years, giving your pet a medication or two has gotten easier, thanks to flavoring! With medications flavored to chicken, beef, salmon and more, it’s easy to see why our pets love to eat them. Pet medications are safe when they are given at a specific dosage, but too much of something can be fatal. Like other medications, keep these away from your pet’s reach to avoid any mishaps.

7. Rodenticides Rat bait consumption is no joke (see out blog on Peanut the Miracle Cat to read about a patient of ours who beat the odds after ingesting rat bait). Often times, ingestion of rat bait by cats or dogs, can lead to internal bleeding, kidney failure, seizures and death. Never underestimate your pet and where they can and can’t get into; we suggest you try using a rat trap instead of rat bait to help protect your pets.

8. Plants While your plants are beautiful, they can also be deadly to pets. Lilies can cause liver failure and even death in cats, while aloe plants can cause your dog to have diarrhea and vomiting which can lead to dehydration. We suggest you cross check your plant collection with the ASPCA database to see what is safe and what isn’t for your pets: ASPCA Toxic and Non Toxic Plants

9. Lawn and Garden Products That spray you purchased to help your roses stay healthy and bloom all year long, may be laced with ingredients that are not safe for pets. Some fertilizers contain dried blood, poultry manure and bone meal – all of which are very attractive to pets. Do some research when purchasing lawn and garden products to see if they are safe for your pets, before you bring home danger for your pets.

10. Automotive Products Anti-freeze and brake fluid can be life-threatening for pets if ingested. However the ASPCA is happy to report that because more and more pet owners are keeping their pets indoors, the number of animals exposed to these hazards has dropped!

Her furparents put together a beautiful video dedicated to the celebration that was Maggie. And even if you never met Maggie, we hope you take a moment to remember the wonderful times you’ve had with your furkids who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge and are now another star in the sky shining over us:

    The most common problem I see in my dog and cat behavior practice is aggression. Aggression can be directed at other animals, people or objects (I.E. vehicles). In dogs aggression can include lunging, barking, growling, snarling, lip lifting, snapping and biting. Cats can sometimes show more subtle signs of aggression such as staring as well as more overt signs including hissing, scratching and biting. Most of the time aggression is a normal behavior (your dog growling is equivalent to you as a human raising your voice), but not acceptable in our human society.

    The most common reason for underlying aggression is fear. Other reasons may include territoriality, possessiveness (over a particular type of item such as food or a toy), hierarchical/ social status aggression between two animals, dominance, play aggression, medical or pain-induced, maternal and re-directed aggression (when aggression is directed not at the primary target, but a closer target or a target that interacts with the animal when they are in an aggressive state). In cats another form of aggression is called petting-induced aggression. It is important to determine the reason for the pet’s aggression in order to determine the most appropriate treatment plan.

    Aggression is usually not cured, rather it is a problem we manage to decrease the chance of the behavior occurring. Prevention of behavior problems, including aggression, is the best medicine and this is why we recommend socialization for puppies 8-16 weeks of age (a week after an initial parvo/distemper vaccination and deworming). Puppies should meet new people and healthy, vaccinated dogs on a daily basis during this time. They should be exposed to anything else they could encounter later in life (I.E. vacuums, stairs, rain, people in uniform, men with beards, etc) to help minimize the chance of fear and aggression later in life. It is important to take precautions and not take puppies to places highly trafficked by dogs of unknown health or vaccination status (I.E. parks, streets, dog parks or pet stores).

    The first step in treating aggression is having your pet examined by your primary care veterinarian, since any underlying medical problem can lead to irritability and aggression. It is also recommended to avoid all situations in which the pet is aggressive so they do not continue to practice the behavior and learn that it works. For example, if your dog looks out the window and barks and growls at strangers passing the house, then close the blinds or put up wallpaper for windows.

    Other behavior modification techniques will be prescribed based on the type of aggression and situations in which the aggression occurs. These techniques may include creating more structure and predictability for the pet, learning new commands such eye contact or hand target, in dogs introducing a head collar for better control and using pheromones (AdaptilTM for dogs and Feliway ® for cats). Often these steps are in preparation to begin a desensitization and counter-conditioning program, the primary technique we use to change your pet’s emotional response to triggers of fear and aggression. In addition, sometimes anti-anxiety medications are recommended; however medications are generally not a first line treatment and should not be used without concurrent behavior modification.

- Meredith Stepita, DVM, DACVB

    As we all know, our lives change day-to-day, and often are not even remotely predictable. Events occur in an instant that can completely alter the course and thrust the most well meaning and responsible travelers on that familiar road into a fork, and an unmarked one at that. Life doesn’t come with an ‘‘instruction manual’’, and choices have to be made daily, hourly, minutely, and even second by second. Any one choice can be the wrong choice, and the devil of it is, you almost never find out until it’s too late to select ‘‘reverse’’.

    Living with an animal companion can be a very worthwhile and rewarding experience. Unfortunately, every reward carries it’s own distinct and definite risk. Illness is a very powerful force against those of us who have the fortune to be alive, and just because we love someone or something very much, doesn’t always protect the subject of our respect and our well-wishes. Love can help a great deal, but modern medicine is the only real foe for illness. The claws of medicine are instruments, it’s gaze is one of knowledge. The skill and strategy of medicine lies in the learned, and articulation and agility is empowered and enforced by scholars. To have all four in one place is certainly remarkable, and that is exactly what I found at Encina Veterinary Hospital. I traveled over a thousand miles to challenge my expectations, and when I arrived, I found them distinctly defined, and most certainly exceeded. Quantity is almost never an acceptable substitute for quality, whether it is in a book or a play, in a relationship, or even with veterinarians, quality pays for itself.

    My limits of attention were tested one evening, as I went into the backyard to work on one of my many projects. My dog followed me outside into the yard with which I share with a neighbor, and although I had asked her to keep the gate latched and shut, one way or the other it was left open by mistake, and my dog quickly exited to her delight, as to prowl and ponder the neighbors bushes and lawn. It couldn’t have been more then a minute from when I walked outside and from when I decided that it would be a good idea to check that the yard was secure and everything was OK before I set to continue construction on my home air purifier project. I let the dog out several times a day, and I try to always check that the yard is secure, but it is easier said then done, because the yard is long and the gate is around a blind corner. The dog has gotten out before, for this very same reason, so I was well aware of the danger of the risk of my neighbor leaving the gate unlatched. I had drawn up plans for a supplementary positive latch for the gate, but soon became conditioned after finding the gate closed several hundred times in a row.

    I found the dog right outside, about 20 feet from the gate, and I was quite relieved that I had found her quickly. As I got closer however, something was immediately apparent. My dog was sneezing quite violently, which is something I wasn’t accustomed to. My dog Oak was standing smack in the center of a Foxtail weed thicket, and as I looked closely, I could see that one of the crisp, lightly colored seeds had entered her little black nose. I told her to stop sneezing (a lot of good that did…) and attempted to prise the seed free with one of my fingernails. I have plenty of tools, and I even carry a select general few with me (knife, disposable lighter, ball point pen), but in the short seconds I had to attempt to fasten onto the seed and recover it, my attempts proved vain, and quite hampered by the fact that the animal was having a sneezing fit, and with each sneeze, the seed traveled further and further into the nose. A few sneezes later, it was too late, the seed had entirely disappeared into her nose, and I had to make a decision about what to do next. With my dog continuing to sneeze, I became on the verge of a panic. I figured that the seed could most certainly lodge in the throat of my dog and prevent breathing, (something that may have been entirely incorrect), and feeling totally helpless, I decided to seek assistance at the local emergency clinic. I called on the way to the clinic and was greeted coolly and not-quite-so cordially. Upon arrival, I found only that my helplessness was furthered, after waiting 8 hours for my dog to be sedated and examined with only the short stub of an otoscope, which I could have likely produced myself in that amount of time, and with a far lesser charge. The clinic was dirty, it smelled bad, and the nurses assistant acted like she had gotten in to the medicine cabinet and gave herself a little ‘‘treatment’’. I didn’t have a good feeling, but I couldn’t just change the plan now and give up! Not surprisingly, no seed was located or recovered, and I found myself wondering what to do with the rest of my weekend. Over the course of the weekend my dog continued to sneeze, and so I brought her to my usual general veterinary practitioner. This time, we held Oak to a metal table and again the vet used an otoscope to observe the immediate area local to the opening of the nostril. With the same result of no seed being observed, I again began to wonder about what to do next, as the vet had instructed me to ‘‘wait and see what happens’’. Several days passed, and my dog continued to sneeze and choke, and she became more and more out of character, as she layed around and seemed to be in somewhat of an agony. In my spare time, I researched foxtail seeds and the prognosis. I found that generally, acute foxtail inhalation usually was treated as an emergency, and that it wasn’t so unusual for the seed to enter one of the lungs and cause pneumonia, or pass through the lungs into a blood vessel and end up in the heart or brain and cause death that way. The seed could of course just remain local, and cause infection to the sinus cavity, or it could be expelled or swallowed.

    I’m not the kind of person who just sits by idly, likes to be told what to do, or even does what other people think I should be doing! I just feel better making proactive decisions that change the course of my life the way I feel it should be going. I decided that I again would seek professional assistance to fight illness, and this time I would take the most decidedly extreme approach I could afford or even design. I find that usually if you throw everything you’ve got at a problem and give it your full attention, it has a tendency to wither and disappear, and quickly. I called Denver, Phoenix, Ft Collins, and Santa Fe. In addition, I called every clinic that anybody that had a recommendation had, and still I found that I was either treated queerly and coldly, I was never given a return call, or most importantly, the equipment to look inside of the nasal cavity was not available. I must have called over ten DVMs in all. The stand-out was Dr. Köhler at Encina. I found the clinic while researching. Not only did he actually call me back and took the time out of his busy schedule to answer every question I had (I had plenty), he recommended that I see somebody closer to New Mexico. That was the silver bullet. I knew that someone who would recommend another’s services instead of himself had indeed the character of true responsibility. I again called around Denver and was told that ‘‘no information can be given without an examination of the animal.’’ That’s a nice rule to follow, but rules aren’t always the most practical items.

    My friend helped me drive to make the appointment at 9:15 am in California. We left Albuquerque. at around 2pm and drove through the night to arrive at Encina Veterinary Hospital at 9:10 am. Driving is not the safest of tasks, and my friend and I took quite the risk doing it. If you have one problem, you will be stuck on the side of the road with a sick animal, possibly in severe desert heat. We had no major problems getting to the clinic, but that could have certainly been different. I did have mechanical trouble (wheel alignment) that prevented me from leaving San Fransisco immediately. So take this medicine with a pinched nose, and be sure to explore all the information you have before making a decision.

    Using fiber-optics, there was a determination made that irritation was most certainly present in the side of the nostril that I saw the seed enter. No seed was found however, which indicates that it had become mobile and exited the body or located itself in another part of the body. It could most definitely have been swallowed, and since the chest radiograms were clear, and Oak is no longer sneezing or showing any symptoms, I may never find the seed, and I hope I never do

A thousand thanks from New Mexico,
Kyle C.

Kyle has sent us an updated picture of Oakum and has shared with us that he has trained her to now respond to a hand-bell so she comes inside to a pleasant sound!

First and foremost we’d like to state that we do not suggest you give your pet any medication unless under the direct treatment of a veterinarian. Many times you may believe the ailment in your pet is one thing, but the doctor finds it to be another, and the medication you were self medicating with prior to diagnosis ended up being more harmful than helpful.

Here’s what you need to know about human OTC (over the counter) medications and pets:

Acetaminophen (Tylenol®) Acetaminophen is a big-fat NO when it comes to pets. Acetaminophen can destroy red blood cells in pets and cause them to be anemic, as well as severe irreversible liver damage, and may lead to death if untreated. Acetaminophen is also more toxic to dogs and cats than people due to extensive recirculation of the drug within the blood.

Ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®) Ibuprofen has been used in dogs as an analgesic or to reduce a fever, only when directly under the care of a veterinarian. Dogs often can be allergic to ibuprofen, so it’s important that you don’t give this drug at home because you risk your dog developing an allergic reaction which may constrict his or her airway and eventually lead to a fatality. In addition, ibuprofen can be more toxic to dogs and cats than people due to extensive recirculation of the drug within the blood. It can also be linked with kidney failure and gastric ulcers. When it comes to dogs, ibuprofen is not used to treat pain or arthritis. When it comes to cats, there’s a big “no-no”; cats are never ever to receive ibuprofen under any conditions.

Bismuth Subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol®, Kaopectate®) Bismuth Subsalicylate is used to treat mild diarrhea and stomach inflammation in dogs under the care of a veterinarian. It often leaves the stool a very dark color which should not be alarming. There are no serious complications caused by giving Pepto-Bismol to dogs, although there is not complete agreement that it is helpful either. It is important to know that Pepto-Bismol contains aspirin so it should not be used in dogs that are sensitive to aspirin, those with a history of GI ulcers or bleeding disorders; to do so could cause a fatal bleeding episode. When it comes to cats, it’s best to steer clear because they are more susceptible to suffering from a fatal toxicity.

Famotidine (Pepcid®) Famotidine is used in the treatment and prevention of stomach (gastric) and intestinal ulcers. Another use is management of acid reflux disease )a condition similar to “heartburn” in people) and caused by movement of stomach acid into the lower part of the esophagus. Dogs and cats with mast cell tumors may be treated with famotidine or a related drug because these tumors can produce large amounts of histamine. While generally safe and effective when prescribed by a veterinarian, famotidine can cause side effects in some animals, such as an allergic reaction. Medication should never be dispensed without the direct care of a treating veterinarian. This medication should not be used on patients suffering from kidney or liver disease.

Tums® In veterinary medicine, Tums can be used as a calcium supplement for dogs. A blood panel should be done on your pet before giving him or her Tums as it may not be good for them. An overdose on Tums can cause gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea and constipation.

Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed®) Pseudoephedrine causes increased heart rate and blood pressure, and should never be given to dogs.

Diphenhydramine (Benadryl®) Diphenhydramine is often used to treat allergic reactions in humans and pets. Diphenhydramine is a great emergency drug for allergic reactions related to insect bites and stings. Relatively safe, diphenhydramine is administered at the first sign of an allergic reaction in pets, children and adults, when bit by an insect or stung. Although it is relatively safe, diphenhydramine is not for every pet. Patients with glaucoma, prostatic disease, cardiovascular disease, and hyperthyroid, among other conditions, should generally avoid diphenhydramine.

Loperamide (Imodium®) Often used to treat diarrhea but can cause vomiting or abdominal cramping at lower doses, which can lead to dehydration. High doses can cause neurological signs like depression and ataxia in pets. Some dogs have a genetic sensitivity to the drug (same gene as Ivermectin sensitivity), and will show neurological signs even at low doses. It’s best you don’t give this one at home and contact your veterinarian when your pet has an upset stomach instead.

    I originally met Bernie the golden retriever a few years ago during an annual exam. I was immediately taken by two things, 1) Bernie’s exuberant personality (he was all wags and barks) and 2) how much his parents cared for him. My coworkers and I became steadfast fans of Bernie’s infectious outgoing energy, so you can imagine our dismay when our lovable golden friend’s health began to fail two winters ago. It began with a diagnosis of diabetes in early December of 2010. Bernie mysteriously stopped eating, a sure sign in most retrievers that something has gone awry. Dr. Peter Nurre started Bernie on Humulin insulin. Soon after his change in medication, Bernie came in feeling crummy, and Dr. Roger Johnson performed an abdominal ultrasound on Bernie to find that he had an infection in his abdomen. Surgery was necessary to search for the source of infection, which is typically a perforation (hole) somewhere within the bowel, but in Bernie’s case the source of infection was not a perforated bowel, and remained a mystery. Dr. Johnson cleaned the infection out of the abdomen as best he could and stitched Bernie back up.

    After surgery Bernie’s troubles were not over, as he had several mysterious post-operative infections in spite of being treated with a battery of antibiotics. Soon after surgery Bernie went blind from cataracts, a common problem for diabetics, but had lost so much weight that the corrective surgery could not be performed as a result of the fact that his eyes were sunken into his skull so much. When I caught up with Bernie in February of 2011 I was shocked to see that he had dropped from a robust 80 pounds down to a paltry 55 pounds. His tail still wagged, but he was so thin he was nearly unrecognizable. It is hard to admit, but I was starting to lose hope for my furry friend. However, Bernie’s dad Forrest was vigilant during the whole process. Utilizing the latest in iPad applications and spreadsheets to track Bernie’s blood glucose and insulin doses, Forrest communicated regularly with Dr. Johnson via e-mail in hopes of controlling the diabetes.

    Bernie’s health seemed to decline even further when his jaw seemed to stop working in March of 2011, as he was diagnosed with a condition known as trigeminal neuritis by Dr. Filippo Adamo, our neurologist. This rare condition effects the nerves that wrap around the face, which control the ability of the jaw to open and close normally as well as the blinking reflex of the eyes. The symptom Bernie experienced was that of a “dropped jaw,” in which the jaw cannot close properly. Forrest had to hand feed and water Bernie for six weeks until the condition spontaneously resolved. During Bernie’s bout with trigeminal neuritis he would often bleed profusely from his mouth because when he would drink water, he would take in such large amounts that he would rupture blood vessels near the back of his tongue.

    After the trigeminal neuritis resolved Bernie began to gain weight again, and he was able to have cataract surgery in June of 2011. Bernie’s parents were thrilled when he regained his sight the same day as the surgery, and according to Forrest, the golden retriever’s happiness returned with his vision. Forrest noted the intense eye medication regimen that followed surgery, but Bernie’s renewed sense of self made the process worthwhile. Bernie’s eating stabilized, and in July of 2011 Dr. Johnson wrote the phrase, “getting fat! ” in his chart.

    I caught Bernie and Forrest in the clinic a few months ago during a recheck visit to see Dr. Johnson, and I was thrilled when Bernie barked at me for attention as Forrest was showing me the latest blood glucose monitoring applications on his iPad. He looked like his normal Bernie self, and his wagging tail never stopped moving the whole time I was in the room. Dr. Johnson found some discrepancies within Bernie’s blood work recently (high tryglycerides and evidence of blood proteins), and he has since began a medication regimen to treat those conditions. Clinically, Bernie looked fabulous! I am happy to report that this past December the ten year old golden is once again at his fighting weight of 77.5 pounds. Dr. Johnson and the staff at Encina would like to commend Forrest for his vigilance in monitoring and caring for Bernie.

Please follow Bernie on Twitter @BernieLitke

A special thanks to Bernie’s dedicated father, Forrest Litke, for his contribution of information and pictures to this blog, and for allowing us to share Bernie’s story with everyone!