Dr. Krissy Bussmann joined Mt. Tabor Vet Care in April 2009 and loves her job! For more information, check out her bio on our website.

I can’t count how many times in my veterinary career, especially in emergency medicine, I’ve had the responsibility of taking care of my injured or ill patients and also have to reassure my clients and guide them through their options in a stressful situation. But I never thought about how I might react when the injury was in my own dog and I was called on to be not only his mom but also his veterinarian.
 
Two weeks ago my dog Tommy broke his tail. He’s a whippet with a long skinny tail, and it got in the way of the car door. I was on the opposite side of the car when the door slammed, and I couldn’t see what was happening. He started screaming and my first thought was that he was being murdered. Thankfully only his tail had gotten caught in the door and he is healing with it all wrapped up with a tongue depressor as a splint. He still breaks my heart when he looks sad or whimpers despite his pain medication.

This is an X-ray of Tommy's broken tail. We found an old, healed fracture just past the new fracture!

Fortunately, neither of my dogs have ever been seriously ill. But Tommy is a senior dog at 13 and he has early kidney insufficiency. What makes it so hard to make major decisions for our pets is that they can’t speak for themselves. My two dogs, like your own pets, completely trust that we will provide for them and protect them, and I feel a huge responsibility (as you must) to be their guardian and safe-keeper.

Here is Tommy modeling his tail splint. There is a tongue depressor wrapped up in there for stabilization!

Honestly, if I had to make a huge medical decision for them, I don’t think I would be able to do it on my own. My knowledge as a doctor would fly out the window and I would panic. There is no way that I can both be my dogs’ mom and their doctor at the same time, and that is clearly demonstrated by the blind, sheer panic I felt when the tip of Tommy’s tail broke. I would need and want a trusted medical professional team to help me work through my options, hold my hand and support me through the difficult situation.  

Both Kristin and I have experienced medical issues with our own pets and we are grateful to have a community of supportive veterinary friends to let us be the moms while taking excellent care of our pets. We both feel that this is what makes the veterinary care we offer so special – we know what it’s like to be worried about our companions and we understand the overwhelming responsibility of making the best decisions for our pets.

An the Centennial Celebration we had a contest...guess what breed Benny is! It was a lot of fun. Benny's mom, Laura Mazy (a wonderful local photographer and art director) made the cutest poster with some breed choices.

Anyone that guessed one of Benny's breeds correctly made it into the drawing to win a Wisdom Panel MX Mixed-Breed Analysis. There were many excellent guesses and we have our winner who was notified last week - we can't wait to see who he brings in!

So...do you want to guess?

Benny's panel came back with only 2 intermediate level breeds - Labrador and Schipperke! The rest is undetectable but he's all Benny to us!

 

**Special Event!!** Join me Thursday night 8/20 for a glass of wine and a talk about Pets and Money at Oscar Albert from 6pm-8pm. Attorney Amy Davidson will be discussing Pet Trusts, Financial Planner Mackenzie Martin will teach you how to Budget for Pet Care and I will be discussing Wellness Care and Pet Insurance.  Pets are welcome!

Many of you know that chocolate is toxic in dogs and some of you even know about the dangers of grapes and raisins, but salmon? Many of us share our cooked Salmon with our pets and even buy dog food with the main ingredient being salmon. We offer salmon oil for skin diseases and arthritis and offer salmon skin treats. So what is this about Salmon Poisoning?

Mojo slyly chewing on a salmon

Actually Salmon Poisoning is an infection (and not a toxin at all) that dogs get from eating raw Salmon or Trout. There have been a rash of cases in Oregon recently. I received an email from the Public Health Veterinarian talking about the increase in cases reported by Oregon Veterinarians. At Mt. Tabor Veterinary Care we have seen 3 cases of Salmon Poisoning and the latest was our own Indy (the sweet puppy that was looking for a home that Melissa kept). Indy was out at a lake a week ago where Melissa, her boyfriend Jake and friends were camping and fishing. She didn’t see Indy get into any fish but they had cleaned the fish near the campsite at the water. Another one of our patients, Juniper had been out fishing with her family and friends on the Deschutes a week before she was diagnosed and was given a small fish to play with. They didn’t think she ate it. And our 3rd patient took off from her family one evening at the beach and came back the next morning smelling foul – a week later she was depressed, not eating, lethargic and had a fever – the same symptoms Indy and Juniper had.

Poor Indy getting iv fluids for salmon poisoning

Salmon Poisoning has a very interesting life cycle. The dog eats raw salmon or trout which contains the parasite Nanophyetus salmonicola, a liver fluke. Encysted inside of this fluke is the rikettsia (or bacteria), Neorickettsia helminthoeca, that causes the actual symptoms of the disease. The fish get the fluke from living in the same water as the intermediate host, the snail.  Once the fluke is in the intestines of the dog, it releases the rickettsia which spreads in the bloodstream. Symptoms occur about a week after ingestion of the raw fish and include fever, lethargy, depression, not eating, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, nasal and ocular discharge. This disease can be fatal. I have seen prolonged cases need to be hospitalized in intensive care and receive multiple plasma transfusions. In all of our cases, the clients noticed the profound changes in their pet’s behavior and brought them in right away.

The disease is diagnosed through a fecal sample looking for the fluke eggs. Treatment is with antibiotics and supportive care, keeping the patient well hydrated and monitoring the protein levels which can be lost through the inflamed intestine. We also deworm for the liver flukes. Indy, our latest case, felt better within 24 hours of treatment.

Juniper at the Deschutes River

The great news about this condition is that once a patient is cured of Salmon Poisoning, they are likely immune to the condition. There have been cases of fisherman actually giving their dogs raw salmon or trout to eat so they can get the disease! It's almost like a vaccine. In the same way parents send their children over to play with kids with chicken pox, these fisherman control the exposure of their dogs to Salmon Poisoning.

Please keep this condition in mind as you spend time outside with your dog at the bountiful lakes and rivers (and even the coast) the Northwest has to offer. If you and your dogs spend any time near water and come down with these profound symptoms of illness, please seek veterinary attention right away and be sure to bring a fecal sample in with you!
  

It’s been awhile since you’ve heard about Mojo. No wonder really, she’s a teenager now and like most parents of teenage children we don’t really want to talk about it. You see, our perfect angel is testing boundaries and has been a little embarrassing on walks, which truly reflects poorly on the neighborhood veterinarian (and I thought dragging my sad 3-legged puppy down the street looked bad). The good news is that the teenage years last only a few short months, she never asks to borrow the car and she isn’t dating any questionable men. She is also the cutest thing at night snuggled in bed – nothing could be sweeter.

Two months ago Mojo finished her Back on Track physical therapy for the year. She had so much fun. She enjoyed her plethora of snacks and went into her usual relaxed trance while Dr. Shaw worked on her back. Then came the fun part – pool time! Mojo loves to splash in the underwater treadmill and went out with a bang on this session. She only seemed bothered by us stopping her to make her walk on the treadmill – sigh…work. There was plenty of cheating going on with her standing on the edge and she took every opportunity to splash! She will look forward to going back in February after her 1st birthday.

We also began an intense training program where both DeeDee and Mojo had to work for every piece of kibble. They loved it and it really helped focus DeeDee. Mojo learned a lot too and just like with her exercises she picked up the commands right away. Then it was out into the real world and things went bad. Pulling, lunging and barking at people, other dogs and the neighborhood crows. There was no focusing her outside. So finally I spoke with a trainer. Tamela Cantor had offered to come out and give a demonstration so I took her and her colleague Paige Allison from My Dog Walker up on the offer and they came out for a lesson. I was impressed by how well trained our dogs actually are. Paige helped by having us use a Gentle Leader on Mojo – a miracle! And it was also so helpful to have someone watch us train. Really Mojo doesn’t need to be trained – we needed a refresher on how to train her.

This is an awesome movie put together by my dad back during our trip to Northern California in July. Mojo's really come a long way since then!

So, we are far from perfect but we’ve had some successful walks down Hawthorne with a lot of “leave it” commands and very few freak outs on Mojo’s part (we’re not counting the episode of the squealing child running by). She’ll greet people that want to say hi and will walk by those that don’t. I do think she’s getting it. Once we are at 90% success we’ll try walking the dogs together – that’s where things get tricky. I’m guessing that Mojo gets protective when DeeDee’s around and DeeDee is great at setting off a bark fest!

It’s one day at a time with them and it just makes me appreciate all of our clients that have puppies and what they go through. In the end it is so worth it to have a friendly, well trained and well socialized dog that you can share your life with. We love Mojo – even when we don’t love what she’s doing – and are so lucky to have her in our lives. I remember that every night when she’s snoring next to me with her nose in my eye.

Over the last 5 months as Client Care Coordinator at mt. tabor veterinary care, I have gotten to know many of you well. During your visits, I have had the opportunity to share a lot about my sweet kitty Ruffles, who has spent the last two months courageously fighting lymphoma. Because so many of you have expressed concern about us, I wanted to share his story and the sad news that on September 22^nd he wearied of his battle and passed on surrounded by his family.

Ruffles, short for Rutherford, came into our lives in early 2004. I had been working for Cat Adoption Team for almost a year and had fallen in love with my fair share of homeless kitties. I missed out on adopting one adorable long-haired boy, so when my boyfriend said he had found a sweet orange-haired boy while volunteering at the Tigard Petsmart outreach location, I rushed over to meet him. His name was Tony, and he was a serious, wise looking, long-haired orange tabby. He had only been at the shelter for a couple of days after he and his two companions were relinquished when their owner passed away. He was quiet and handsome, and immediately hopped into the refuge on any loving lap he could find. Needless to say, he came home with us that day.  

Ruffles looking handsome

Because the name Tony represented a previous life for this boy, we decided to find him a new name to represent his new beginning. After a few failed naming attempts, we settled on Rutherford, which had its simple pun-like roots in the fact that he often had ruffled fur. Over time, he often went by a number of different names, including Ruffles, Ruffle-Roo, and BooBoo. We quickly realized that the somber, quiet personality we had originally met was not the real Ruffles. Within days he became a loving, bossy, loud-mouthed boy who wanted to be the center of everything. And that is how the love affair began.

The last three years with Ruffles have been incomparable. We spent so much time wondering how a cat could be so consistently snuggly and co-dependent—now I wonder if he knew his time was short and he needed to make the most of it. Most days would begin with a 6AM wake-up call for wet food. If we did not respond, we would get increasingly harsh taps on the face to remind us of his request. Evenings after work included a more snuggle time, and many naps with a soft, warm cat on our chests. Our picture album includes hundreds of pictures of Ruffles on one of our chests,  us passed out asleep instead of doing whatever productive task we had initially had in mind.  

Ruffles helping Daniela take a break

Of course, Ruffles did have his quirks. The constant harassment of his companion kitty, Tiger Lily, who he felt was there for the sole purpose of slapping and chasing around the house. The scratching of furniture when a post was right next to him. Unexpectedly slapping while being petted, and purring all the while.  Worst of all were the inappropriate peeing issues when we developed too close of a relationship with the neighbor kitties several years ago. Ruffles was our boy, and through thick or thin, we loved him.  I think he was meant to be with us, and we wouldn't trade it for the world. 

Enjoying the sunshine

In May of 2008, Ruffles lost his oh-so-unique voice. I had just started working for Dr. Sulis, and she helped me take great care of him. We did diagnostics, and though my heart feared the worst, all that showed at that time were some inflammatory issues. We treated with food trials and steroids. Then one day, a couple of weeks after my partner Geoff had flown to Prague for a month of film school, I came home to Ruffles incessantly demanding to be petted. When I rubbed under his chin, I found a very swollen lymph node. My heart sank. We did an aspirate and soon found it to be what I feared—lymphoma. Ruffles and I went through over a month of weekly visits to the Dr. Cyman's office for chemotherapy treatment and, despite developing a slight heart issue, he did great! Geoff came back from Prague and we were cautiously optimistic.  

A robust Ruffles and his scratching post

Sadly, Ruffles' lymphoma had not disappeared as I we'd hoped, and it quickly moved into his central nervous system. He lost use of one side of his face and had  trouble walking. We were all on an emotional roller coaster, and because the prognosis was so bad we opted for simple treatment to keep him comfortable. We believed that quality of life outweighed quantity, and looking back, we have no regrets about that choice.  

Daniela and Ruffles enjoying some snuggle time

One round of brain radiation and increased steroids gave us another valuable month with our boy. We started to go outside for visits in the front yard, which Ruffles adored. Up until two days before he passed, he would roll around in ecstasy on the cement outside our front door. Ruffles quickly decided that our dank, dark basement would be a great place for snuggling, and our morning and evening routine began to involve time there just being with each other. As so many of us do with our animal family members, I tried to explain what was going on to him and what we could do to try and help him. I think some part of him understood, and he was brave and loving throughout, even when he couldn't  do the things he used to be able to.  

Majestic Ruffles enjoying some outside time

On September 22, we knew in our hearts that our boy was ready to go. He had had trouble swallowing, eating, and pottying for a couple of days, and he seemed very tired. He slept the morning away while we cried and looked at old pictures of him in his glory days. When Kristin and Katie showed up at our house, he unexpectedly hopped up, jumped into Geoff's lap purring and made happy muffins towards me. That was good-bye. We went outside and helped him pass on—he went to sleep peacefully. His body was too tired to go on. Going through this has been more painful than anything, but it was worth the amazing, loving relationship we got to have with our boy.  

Ruffles tired from his fight with lymphoma

I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to so many people for helping me through this. For Kristin, who was compassionate and supportive at every step of the way, and who went above and beyond, as she so often does, to help make everything easier. To my mother, for offering so much support while Geoff was in Prague, accompanying me to every chemotherapy session and helping me think straight to do what we needed to for Ruffles. To Geoff for devoting weeks of his time to staying home and providing a comfortable situation for Ruffles to feel completely loved in his last weeks. And our nurses, Katie and Melissa, for showing patience and caring both towards myself and towards Ruffles. We were so lucky to have the support of everyone at Dr. Cyman's office, Portland Veterinary Oncology Center, as I felt we got nothing but the best and most loving care. During Ruffles last visit to see Dr. Cyman, he spent the first part of his appointment head-butting her and asking for pets. There are more friends on my list to thank, but this is already too long, so I will have to settle for doing it in person.

I do want to thank all of you too, for taking the time to read this and letting me share this important experience with you.  There is nothing deeper than the love we get from our animal companions—we must all be grateful for that and share that love as much as we can.

Ruffles enjoying a snooze on the couch

 

      

On Saturday I met Salvadore. He is a cat that makes an impression - all eye contact and friendly seriousness. He was adopted over six months ago and his new family took him from skin and bones to a healthy cat with a great haircoat and physique. Not only did they share the tale of his adoption and their great love for him but the very sad fact that they would need to find him a home. You see, his new family is moving to Europe and will not be settling down for awhile. They don't think it's fair for Salvadore to have his whole world distrupted day to day after his miraculous recovery and would love to find him a stable loving home. All of the cat shelters are full, they are exploring all options from nursing homes to families. Joseph and Sandra are leaving at the end of next week. He is overall in good shape but does have some ongoing health issues. If anyone has any leads or interest please contact us at the clinic 503.200.5555.

 

Salvadore lounging on a pillow

Here is some information from Joseph and Sandra:

Salvadore has been a part of our home for the last seven months and he
has proved to be an adorable and affectionate companion.  He's an 11
year-old brown tabby.  He has a calm demeanor and a great personality.
He is very big on eye contact and is sure to win over your heart as
soon as you meet him.  To top it off, all of his shots are up to date.
No Fleas.  Teeth are in great shape.  Recent blood work has tested
negative for parasites and FIV.
We really love him and hope that we can help him find another home, as
we are planning on leaving the country and will not be able to take him
along with us.  We cannot keep him past the end of October as we must
vacate our apartment, so time is short.
He comes with his own scratching pole, litter boxes and cat carrier.

 

It's been a litle while since the last Mojo update, and I know she's everyone's favorite three-legged mutt puppy, so sorry to keep you waiting!

Last weekend I was up at the cabin again on a 2-day software retreat (thanks for letting us use it Steve and Karen!). On Saturday, the weather was hot, but the cabin stayed nice and cool (it's very shaded) - still, I thought a hike with Mojo would be nice, so we hiked a trail along the Salmon Creek.

We've never really attempted to see what her endurance is, so I was fully prepared to carry her back if I had to. We brought plenty of water and snacks, and she did pretty well for the first half-mile. The next half-mile she slowed down considerably, and needed a few breaks. The third half mile was really pushing it... we had to stop every 100 yards or so to take a break, she'd lay down in the shade and recover.

But then... the river! When we got there, she flopped down in the sand along the bank, totally exhausted, and the sand (a little wet and shaded) was nice and cool. Then I tried to get her interested in the water... at first she was nervous and skeptical, but then suddenly she remembered (from the treadmill at Back on Track, I think) that she LOVES water, and she FREAKED OUT. I've never seen her go so completely crazy, it was insanity. She was snapping at the water, jumping in then out, then sprinting away from it, then sprinting back at it. She would stop at the shore, dig into the sand with her paw, and when the water started to fill up the hole she'd smash her paw down on it and bite it. At one point she was running on the sand and she sort of flipped over on her side, but like a bug her legs just kept cranking in the air like she was still running.

When she finally calmed down, I found a good spot with some shallow water she could stand in, with a sharp drop-off. I waded out into the deep part (brrr that stuff was SNOW just a few hours earlier) and held onto her harness to pull her out towards me, and she started swimming! Even with just the one front paw (going double-time) and her lean build, she was keeping her head up. Okay I was giving her a *little* bit of lift occasionally, but not much!

Next time we're headed out, we'll have some flotation for her (a little doggy PFD!) to help keep her front end up higher, and I think she'll REALLY love the water.

Unfortunately, I had my hands full, so between her, the water, and the sand, I couldn't really get the camera out for any "crazy dog" shots. Maybe next time.

Oh, and the sad pathetic puppy coming down the trail needing a rest, was magically transformed into a ball of energy on the way back. She was going so fast I was jogging with her, uphill, for about half a mile!
 

I recently wrote the story of Mojo (our 3-legged puppy) for the Animal Rescue and Care Fund Newsletter. I seemed to keep mentioning how much everybody loves Mojo. People stop on the street to pet her. They smile at her while she licks their toes. There is something so resilient and amazing in her demeanor but it turns out she isn't the only one with an amazing story of triumph! A few weeks ago I met Dottie when she came into the clinic with her kitty brother, Pullo for wellness care. She is such a sweet dog - a pit bull no less - and so very happy. She, like Mojo, brings out the best in people as they find this great desire to help her. It's no wonder she wags her tail so much - check out this story written by her mom, Amie:

Dottie

According to the 'Must Love Dogs NW', the rescue group Dottie came from, she had a pretty rough start in life. Apparently she was on her way to the Vancouver H.S. after her family became homeless. For some reason, the family stopped at a used tire yard, where the owner offered to take Dottie to avoid going to the H.S. ( A much worse fate!). For the next 2 and a half years, the owner of the tire lot chained her to a tire with no shelter and very little food. The only shelter Dottie had was to crawl amongst (and in) the tires. In the summer time, she would burn the pads of her paws due to the heat and in the winter time, she would make a bed out of rat carcasses. (I assume she was hunting them)

Dottie in the Tire Yard - what a fierce watch dog!

Eventually, an elderly gentleman took a liking to her and made it his mission to be her caretaker. (It is unclear exactly how he came to know her).  Everyday, the man would take Dottie off of her chain and walk her around the neighborhood and to the local elementary school. Before long he had the entire community rallying around her. People chipped in to buy her a harness, the pizza parlor nearby would give her pizza scraps and the elderly man would scrap together enough money to buy her dog food. (I've been told that she was eating 'Ol Roy'. Yuck!)  Eventually the elderly man, who apparently had beginning alzheimers or dementia, was forced to go into assisted living and could no longer care for Dottie. That is when 'Must Love Dogs NW' became involved and talked the tire lot owner into letting them take Dottie.

Before we got Dottie she spent 3 months in a fabulous foster home with 4 other dogs. The first time we met her at an outreach event, we knelt down and she was so sweet, she just melted right into us. Even though we had another dog to see that day, we pretty much knew that Dottie was our girl right then.

Dottie relaxing with her dad

 

 

Dottie now lives in a loving home with Amie and Mark (who are getting married next week!) and her kitty brother, Pullo. She loves to snuggle under the covers when it's cold and eagerly awaits her regular run with her mom. She loves cats, kids and most dogs. Dottie's favorite things include running long distances or curling up and watching t.v., as long as it includes hanging out with her people.

  

Mojo had her 4th physical therapy appointment at Back on Track yesterday. She has definitely gotten used to the idea of going there and looks for new friends to meet (both human and dog) and loves Dr. Shaw. Dr. Shaw works with Mojo, giving her treats and teaching her new "tricks" (they are really new exercises). She also works on limb and spine manipulation which Mojo believes is her massage time. Sometimes Mojo gets fussy with the range of motion palpation that Dr. Shaw does, but with some petting distraction from one of the techs she settles right down. This time Alicia helped out and did a great job keeping Mojo focused.

We learned some new exercises that Mojo, of course, is picking up quickly. We are now working on strengthening and providing flexibility to her hocks (ankles). She has to do a complicated sit pretty to stand (balanced - no cheating) and then down to a sit. The Cheez Whiz works great at home! She is also learning to back up, stepping one leg at a time. This often times turns into a couple of sits but she is getting it. She's got her ramp exercises down and even the uphill sit is good with minimal spotting from us. Michael does the best with her with her obstacle course. We are using the frame from our bed (did I tell you we took it out so she could get up on her own?) and it's the perfect height for her. I usually just have her walk through, which she does quite well, but Michael has her turning and going over one foot at a time. She's a star and will be ready for agility any day now!

The last part of physical therapy is the underwater treadmill. The first time she did it she really didn't get it (or like it) and by the last time she was having fun playing in the water. She'll walk on the treadmill (without cheating) as long as there are treats in front of her. The funniest thing is that she'll walk, take the treat and ride the treadmill while she chews and then walk forward again (double time) to get the next treat. During breaktime it was attack the water playtime again and she was having a blast. Michael was there to document the event and Mojo was glad to show off. We even got pictures of her playing with a squeaky fish which was pretty funny. She did get some exercise and found some time to workout a little. If only we could have so much fun at the gym!

Next appointment August 18th.

   

Mojo had her 3rd physical therapy appointment with Dr. Shaw last week at Back on Track. She really is improving well and we've given up the funny orange band for her legs and are now focusing on her core strength. She had her third round in the underwater treadmill which is always an adventure. This time she was not terrified. In fact, in her I-love-life kind of way, she decided it was actually really fun (but she was not really into the walking part). You see, we discovered on our trip to Northern California that Mojo loves tiny movements. In fact they make her crazy! On the beach she would watch the little rocks (sand) move when she jumped forward and she would try to "get" it. And then she'd jump again and more sand would move and again and again until she was running like a crazy dog! The water wasn't much different. One splash and water droplets and bubbles would appear and she would try to "get" them. Then she would splash more and there would be more to get until soon she is living it up in the water completely ignoring the fact that she is supposed to be walking. Well, at least she wasn't bored and trying to ride the treadmill backwards instead.

sitting pretty, to develop her back legs

sitting downhill on her ramp

Her new exercises are more of a challenge for her. We have an obstacle course and she plays "bull in the china shop" and knocks stuff over but she tries. If things are spaced out far enough she does better. She also has to do inclined sit-stands which she is more than happy to do facing downhill but uphill she has trouble. All of the sit commands in the world just can't convince her that she's supposed to really sit! She does better with some spotting and I think we are getting somewhere on that front.

Walking to work has been a bit of a challenge as well. It's a little embarrassing to be seen "dragging" my poor 3-legged puppy down the street. (Yeah, these people didn't see her running crazy on the beach!) We live on a busy street and starting off is tough for her. I think she may be really worried about the cars judging by her injuries and her being found running down 82nd Avenue. So it goes like this. We get down the driveway and she sees the first car. She sits and watches it go by. She gets praise and asked to walk again which she does and then the next car comes (after a few steps) which she has to stop and watch. Sigh...it can take awhile to walk a block. Once we get into the neighborhood things are good and she moves more freely as long as there are no people. Even if she sees people on the opposite side of the street she is convinced that they want to come see her so we must wait and watch them until they pass!

She is a lot of fun and even DeeDee is starting to like playing with her sometimes. DeeDee certainly does enjoy it when Mojo has to do exercises because she also participates in the cookie handouts. Mojo is also an Olympic snuggler. Her favorite thing to do is sleep and she is even starting to respect personal space just a little bit and keep her nose out of my eye but lounging across my body is still fair game. Her latest schedule is: Wake up. Go outside to potty. Do exercises. Eat breakfast. Go potty and then it's back to bed for a snuggle with Michael until he gets up. She does have it rough.