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How the Florida greyhound ban can be bad | Dr. Justine Lee, DACVECC, DABT
Posted by justinelee on Nov 11, 2018 in Blog | 4 comments
Just this week, Florida voters decided to ban greyhound racing over the next few years in their vote of 69 to 31%. Amendment 13 bans greyhound racing effective January 1, 2021 and will slowly phase it out over the next few years. What’s the problem with this? The dogs. What happens to the these incredible dogs? First, let me state that I know greyhounds really well. As the former Director of the Blood Donor program when I was on faculty at University of Minnesota, I had several foster greyhounds that I took care of (they also helped save...
read moreWhat’s a veterinary specialist? | Dr. Justine Lee, DACVECC, DABT, Board-certified Veterinary Specialist
Posted by justinelee on Nov 8, 2018 in Blog, Pet Health | 2 comments
I often get asked what that “alphabet soup” behind my name is. More importantly, as a pet owner, why should you care? Those extra letters behind a veterinarian’s name means that they are a veterinary specialist (e.g., Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC, DABT). These letters stand for something – for me, it’s “Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency Critical Care” (DACVECC) and “Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology” (DABT). So, what does that mean? It means we went through a whole lot of extra advanced...
read moreHow to feed your cat | Dr. Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC, DABT, Board-Certified Veterinary Specialist
Posted by justinelee on Oct 30, 2018 in Blog, Pet Health | 1 comment
Are you feeding your cat correctly? Believe it or not, there are specific ways you are supposed to be feeding your cat. A recent Consensus Statement, “Feline Feeding Programs: Addressing Behavioral Needs to Improve Feline Health and Wellbeing” just came out from the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP). In this statement, the authors focuses on “how to feed” while addressing behavioral needs. This statement was written by the experts in the feline world: Tammy Sadek, DVM, DABVP (Feline); Beth Hamper, DVM,...
read moreWhy does cat pee stink worse than dog pee? | Dr. Justine Lee, DACVECC, DABT, Board-certified Veterinary Specialist
Posted by justinelee on Oct 18, 2018 in Animal Safety, Blog, Fun Stuff, Pet Health | 4 comments
For those of you who have ever fostered a tomcat or had an alley cat in your backyard, you can attest to the fact that cat pee reeks way more than dog pee! But why? Cats have much stronger concentrated urine than dogs. The normal concentration of urine is based on specific gravity (often abbreviated “sp. gr.” or “spgr,” for those really lazy vets, such as myself), which measures the density of a liquid (i.e., how concentrated that liquid is). Using a simple tool called a refractometer, your veterinarian can check the concentration of...
read moreDoes it hurt if my cat’s whiskers get cut? | Dr. Justine Lee, DACVECC, DABT, Board-certified Veterinary Specialist
Posted by justinelee on Oct 11, 2018 in Animal Safety, Blog | 4 comments
If you just accidentally cut your cat’s whiskers, don’t worry too much. No, you won’t hurt your cat’s whiskers, or vibrissae, if they get accidentally cut. The whisker itself has no nerves or blood vessels but is firmly attached to a hair follicle and sinus, which has nerve innervation. (Ever accidentally yank out your nose hair? Ouch!) Your cat uses his whiskers as a sensing mechanism and air movement or vibrations allow him to “feel” where he is. You may notice your cat’s whiskers are the width of your cat (or your...
read moreWoman who sheltered dogs & cats during Hurricane Florence charged | Dr. Justine Lee, DACVECC, DABT, Board-certified Veterinary Specialist
Posted by justinelee on Sep 25, 2018 in Animal Safety, Blog | 1 comment
Earlier this week, Tammie Hedges, the founder of Crazy’s Claws N Paws animal rescue, was arrested and charged with several counts of illegally “practicing veterinary medicine.” Animal Control Officers in North Carolina confiscated 27 dogs and cats from her, where she was attempting to provide temporary shelter during the recent Hurricane Florence affecting North Carolina. You can find the original article here. Tammie Hedges was released on a $10,000 bond and charged with practicing veterinary medicine without a license. She was...
read moreSepsis in dogs and cats | Dr. Justine Lee, DACVECC, DABT, Board-certified Veterinary Specialist
Posted by justinelee on Sep 5, 2018 in Animal Safety, Blog | 0 comments
What is sepsis? If your dog or cat was just diagnosed with sepsis, it’s a life-threatening infection that you must be aware of. Sepsis is one of the leading causes of death in human – and likely veterinary – intensive care units. The term sepsis is defined as an overwhelming infection is the body, typically where bacteria has spread to the blood stream. The body responds to sepsis by triggering its inflammatory system, where inflammatory mediators and cytokines are released. Unfortunately, sepsis can result in inappropriate, severe...
read moreMy dog was just diagnosed with gastroenteritis | Dr. Justine Lee, DACVECC, DABT, Board-certified Veterinary Specialist
Posted by justinelee on Aug 9, 2018 in Blog, Pet Health | 0 comments
Was your dog (or cat) just diagnosed with gastroenteritis? What is gastroenteritis in dogs and cats? Gastroenteritis is an acute inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, and typically causes common presenting clinical signs of vomiting and diarrhea. This is a frequent cause for presentation to the emergency room in both dogs and cats. There are numerous causes of gastroenteritis including:* • Bacterial infections (e.g., Clostridium overgrowth) • Viral infections (e.g., parvovirus, etc.) • Parasitic infections (e.g., hookworms,...
read moreConnection between Grain free dog food diet and heart disease Dilated Cardiomyopathy in dogs | Dr. Justine Lee, DACVECC, DABT, Board-certified Veterinary Specialist
Posted by justinelee on Aug 1, 2018 in Animal Safety, Blog, Pet Health, Pet Help | 4 comments
Recently, a grain-free dog food containing legumes was found to be associated with a terrible type of heart disease in dogs – called Dilated Cardiomyopathy. There are ongoing studies about this at UC Davis. Below is the press release from the FDA also. Please check with your veterinarian when feeding a new diet! I discussed this in my radio show on Pet Life Radio #ER VET. You can find some great informative blog links here: A broken heart: risk of heart disease in boutique or grain-free diets and exotic ingredients It’s not just...
read moreDisaster preparation for your pet | Dr. Justine Lee, DACVECC, DABT, Board-certified Veterinary Specialist
Posted by justinelee on Jul 20, 2018 in Animal Safety, Blog, Pet Health | 0 comments
With the recent California mud slides and fires, along with the devastating hurricanes within the past few years, it’s important that you know how to disaster plan for you and your four-legged family (and two-legged also!). Most pet owners, shelters, and government facilities are not prepared for disaster management when it comes to pets. Thankfully, new changes have made it easier for you to take your pet with you during a disaster. There are some key steps at home that you can take to be prepared in case of an emergency that may help...
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