What is a veterinary specialist? | Dr. Justine Lee
When people find out I’m a veterinarian, they often say to me “I used to want to be a veterinarian, but I wouldn’t be able to deal with euthanizing animals.” Well, if you must know, that actually annoys us. It’s not like we like euthanizing animals either, but sometimes it just comes with the job. Much to these people’s surprise, euthanizing animals isn’t the reason why we wanted to become veterinarians either. Seriously. What people do really want to know (and we’re happier...
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Can I make my cat a vegetarian? | Dr. Justine Lee
About 15 years ago, I treated a young, 15 month-old cat for congestive heart failure secondary to a severe, rare type of heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). This cat had a 6/6 heart murmur (We grade heart murmurs on a scale of 1-6, with 6 being the worst!), and it was all due to its diet. Turns out, this young cat developed the heart disease because his pet owner made him a vegetarian since he was a young kitten. Thankfully, we don’t see this type of heart disease as much as we...
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For love of dog… How much would you pay for your dog? | Dr. Justine Lee
Any dog lovers out there read my book It’s a Dog’s Life… but It’s Your Carpet? In it, you meet the my last pit bull – the best dog ever – JP. JP was my main squeeze for the past decade plus. JP has been my loyal companion and “Justine-supporter” through many a move, transition, job, residency, and boyfriend. JP is named after Jamaica Plain, an up-and-coming (i.e., ghetto) subdivision of Boston where I used to live (This is on the infamous “other” side of the...
Read MorePet Hoarders: How many cats are too many? | Dr. Justine Lee
Do I really need to answer this question? (And yes, I realize this blog will piss off people who own more than 6 cats!) Unfortunately, I do. Years ago, I had two women who brought in their cat into the emergency room at University of Pennsylvania. Both women reeked so badly of cat urine, I couldn’t even close the exam door due to my eyes burning from the ammonia smell. When I asked these women some questions about the cat’s environment, they couldn’t answer how many cats they had (I...
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Canine Influenza Virus in Twin Cities | Dr. Justine Lee
Earlier this week, the first reported case of Canine Influenza Virus (CIV) was identified in the Twin Cities (specifically St. Paul, Minnesota). Canine Influenza Virus has been previously reported in Detroit Lakes, MN, when a dog had traveled to Illinois around the time of the Midwest CIV outbreak (in March 2015). Toga, a Shar-Pei mixed breed dog who was adopted from the Como Park St. Paul Animal Humane Society on June 14, 2015, was confirmed to test positive for canine influenza...
Read MoreInternet rumor on Bravecto, the oral flea and tick killer? | Dr. Justine Lee
FYI, just saw this PDF circulating from Merck Animal Health, makers of Bravecto. Hopefully this will help answer some of your comments and queries! What experience have you had with this oral flea and tick medication for dogs? Bravecto customer letter – final Update 9/20/2018: New FDA info released on oral flea and tick medications...
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