Today is the full moon.
Give your monthly preventatives!
Note: If you have another way to remember to give your preventatives, that’s okay too! Do what works for you. I thought it might be fun for us to all give it together.
I am writing this as I return from going to see my son, Carter, at University of Maine. There is a lot of traffic. We did the driving to Maine on Friday night after appointments and spent the night in Portland. Today (Sunday) we are driving five hours to arrive home all in one trip. We picked Carter up Saturday morning and went to the farmers market, then we walked around campus and watched a football game. It was Friends and Family weekend. University of Maine won in a nail biter ending. This morning we took Carter to breakfast and now Mark and I are on our way home. I learned Carter is going to class and seems to be doing fine and settling in at college. I made him pose in his “natural environment” where he tells me he goes to study in the library. Carter tells me this is where Stephen King penned many of his early novels. Carter is majoring in computer science.
Dr Mack is leaving us at the end of October. She has a new grandchild and is going to spend some time there. It is possible that she will return for one day a week next spring. She is taking some time to decide. I am thanking her for all of her help, congratulating her on her retirement, and wishing her all the best!
In the clinic I have had several cases of Cushing’s disease diagnosed. Cushing’s disease is an overproduction of the hormone cortisol. It is produced by the adrenal glands. Adrenal just means “near the kidney” Most of the time Cushing’s disease (hyperadrenal corticism) happens as the results of a benign tumor on the pituitary gland which is in the brain. This tumor doesn’t typically cause neurologic problems but it does signal the adrenal glands to produce too much cortisol. Rarely, Cushing’s disease is caused by a malignant tumor of one of the adrenal glands. An abdominal ultrasound can help differentiate the two. Cortisol is a “fight or flight” hormone produced in times of stress (or if you have Cushing’s disease overproduced all the time). It makes dogs drink and pee more than normal. They are more hungry than normal, develop thin skin and bilateral hair loss, and sometimes get more skin and urinary tract infections than normal. It makes dogs look old before their time. It is exceedingly rare in cats. It is usually diagnosed when dogs are old. It doesn’t HAVE to be treated, but when we do the dogs look and feel better and younger. Treatment consists of a pill given once to twice a day that slows the production of cortisol. It does require extensive testing to diagnose and then to monitor because suppressing cortisol too much can cause life threatening problems. The LINK is a short film (53 seconds) produced by the company that makes the pill that treats Cushing’s.
Our garden has been really bountiful. I have been eating tomato sandwiches. My dahlias have been going nuts! I am enjoying picking them and giving them away – both the dahlias and the tomatoes.
Here is a podcast I can recommend (link is below) It is produced by Kate Bowler, a divinity professor and public theologian who survived stage four colon cancer. It is called Everything Happens… because she does NOT believe everything happens for a reason. This particular podcast is titled: What makes life worth living? Atul Gawande on Mortality, Medicine, and Meaning.
This is a discussion of global medicine and end of life care. I could make parallels with the end of life care discussions that I often have with pet owners. Including asking, what does a good day look like? Is your pet still able to enjoy eating? Does she greet you when you arrive home? It is a thought provoking listen.
Spread the word!
Dr Mo is still seeing exotic pets!
Happy Fall!
Happy full moon gazing!
Remember your monthly heartworm and/or flea and tick prevention!