North Portland Veterinary Hospital
Serving the Greater Portland Community for Over 39 years

Interesting Medical Case — Squirrel

There are lots on fascinating things going on in veterinary medicine all the time!  We are starting a new monthly feature — Interesting Medical Cases. Mainly from your very own, North Portland Veterinary Hospital. But there are amazing veterinary happenings all over too!
Without further ado, here is Squirrel’s story…

An unsuspecting feline, Squirrel, came in for a routine annual exam a few months ago. She came in as healthy as can be, but it was recommended, due to her age, to run some blood work. At the time of obtaining urine Dr. Barnes put an ultrasound on her abdomen and saw what appeared to be a stone in her bladder!

Squirrel's stone was a bit camera shy, but this one looks strikingly similar!

Squirrel had not presented with the common symptoms from urinary stones, such as blood in urine or straining to urinate. After a radiograph was taken, for confirmation of the stone, surgery (a cystotomy) was scheduled for the next day to have it removed. Squirrel also had her teeth cleaned and some teeth extracted while she was under anesthesia and has since recovered well.

Not only were the circumstances of finding the stone unusual but so was the stone. They tend to be soft and round, rather than pointy and prickly (ouch!). Animals are masters of disguise, whether sneaking food or hiding pain, they truly are amazing.

-Megan T., CVT

Recognizing February as Pet Dental Health Month

You may have seen signs around advertising that February is Pet Dental Health Month. At North Portland Veterinary Hospital, we honor Pet Dental Month all year long. When you bring in your pet for their wellness check-up, our doctors assess their dental health. Sometimes we recommend an anesthetic dental cleaning, sometimes we simply talk to you about what you can do at home to improve your pet’s dental health. If an anesthetic dental cleaning is recommended, we give you a coupon for $50 off that procedure if it is performed in the next 3 months. We even are able to make payment arrangements in most cases. These deals are available all year long, you just have to follow your veterinarian’s recommendations!

Dental health is important!
Bacteria in the mouth is part of what makes bites so dangerous.
Bacteria build up turns to plaque and than to calculus. Each stage is more difficult to remove from teeth than the last.
Did you know that your pet can get cavities?
Gum inflammation (any chronic inflammation) can lead to heart disease.

Did you know that the best thing that you can do for your pets teeth is to brush them every day?!
(Please don’t sting me up, I’m just the messenger!)  We know that this is a hard task to accomplish. Developing good habits takes time, yes. But overall, you should be able to reach a point where brushing your pets teeth takes less time than brushing your own.

Need help getting started?
Give us a call, we can schedule appointments with the technicians for demos, or with your veterinarian for an oral check up. We also have goodie bags that take you through the steps to brush on your own.

Or you could check out these links:
The American Veterinary Medical Association has a great video on brushing. Cornell University also has a great video on Brushing Cat Teeth, and how to get your cat to like it!

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3000 N Lombard St. Portland, OR 97217 ph: 503.285.0462 fax: 503.285.7316 - vetcare@northportlandvet.com
Mon - Fri: 7a - 7p, Sat: 8a - 5p, Sun: Closed
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