Pet Success Stories

On 11-09-2022, two French Bulldogs, Boomer and Bella, presented at our clinic with probable snake bites; unfortunately, Bella succumbed to her injuries shortly after arrival. We began treating Boomer aggressively with antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and anti-nausea medicines. We placed an IV catheter and began pushing fluids to assist in clearing the venom from his system. We ran bloodwork, urinalysis, and used the sonogram to look for fluid in the abdomen, but were struggling to stabilize him as he continued to vomit blood. We had no anti-venin and gained control of Boomer’s clotting and vomiting issues. Boomer was a hard fighter, and after a couple of days of being hospitalized, he was able to go home. A week later, Boomer returned for a checkup and, although his face was still swollen, he was in great spirits. Boomer is a very lucky dog.

Please be aware of snakes and the areas in which they live; monitor your pets around those areas in particular. Most veterinary clinics do not keep anti-venin in stock as it has a very short shelf life and is expensive. At Whitehouse Veterinary Hospital, we carry the rattlesnake vaccine, which is helpful for pit viper and other common snake bites. While most snake bites are not as serious as the ones sustained by Boomer and Bella, it is always a good idea to consult your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns.

Gizmo first came to see Dr. Ochoa for issues with his hind legs and back. Dr. Ochoa suspected that our ferret friend had injured his back somehow and recommended an X-ray to make sure that there wasn’t anything more serious going on. To our surprise, the X-ray showed that Gizmo had a large bladder stone along with a back injury. We first started Gizmo on medication and strict cage rest to let his back injury heal. After he had recovered from his back injury, Dr. Ochoa performed surgery to remove the large stone from his bladder. Gizmo has now recovered from his surgery and is living the best life with his parents and other ferret friends.

Meet Taz! Taz is a two-year-old orange tabby cat whose owner became very concerned about him when she noticed that Taz had stopped eating, was acting very lethargic, and had a bloated abdomen. Taz’s concerned owner made an appointment to bring him to see Dr. Ochoa right away. Upon physical exam, Dr. Ochoa noticed Taz seemed depressed and lethargic, his gums were extremely pale, and he had a pendulous, bloated abdomen. That made Dr. Ochoa suspicious that Taz had a large amount of fluid in his abdomen.

Dr. Ochoa quickly realized there was something serious going on and that his life was in danger. Taz’s owner was willing to let us do whatever we could to save her beloved pet, so we started with bloodwork and an abdominal ultrasound for diagnostic testing. Taz’s bloodwork showed that he had extremely elevated liver enzymes that were almost ten times the normal level and that he was dangerously anemic — meaning his red blood cell count was dangerously low. This let Dr. Ochoa know that Taz needed a blood transfusion immediately, or we could lose him at any moment. We then performed an abdominal ultrasound, which revealed a large mass on his liver and a large amount of free-floating fluid in his abdomen. Dr. Ochoa extracted some of the fluid from Taz’s abdomen, only to discover that all the fluid was blood. It all made sense now. At only two years old, Taz had a mass on his liver that was causing him to bleed out internally. Dr. Ochoa explained to Taz’s concerned owner that without a blood transfusion and immediate surgery, he would not survive much longer. Taz’s owner wanted us to try everything we could in an attempt to save his life, so we immediately started to give him a blood transfusion with blood donated from an employee’s own cat.

Once in surgery, Dr. Ochoa suctioned out almost two liters of blood, allowing her to see the mass on his liver that was the size of a grapefruit, and that this mass was also attached to his vena cava, which is the largest artery in the body. Dr. Ochoa understood that if this artery had even a small nick or puncture, then Taz could bleed out and die in a matter of seconds. She wisely asked Dr. Reese to assist her with trying to remove the mass without harming the vena cava. Dr. Ochoa and Dr. Reese worked together to very carefully dissect the mass off of the vena cava and remove it from the liver, remarkably leaving Taz’s entire liver and vena cava intact. To everyone’s relief, Taz recovered from surgery and started eating again that same evening.

In the following days, he continued to eat and improve. Dr. Ochoa and Dr. Reese sent off the mass to a diagnostic lab to be biopsied. Although Taz was doing great, our doctors were still concerned that the large fluid-filled mass was potentially cancerous. Taz’s owner and our entire staff were elated to find out a few days later that the mass was just a benign fluid-filled cyst and that Taz did not have cancer!

Thanks to the entire Whitehouse Veterinary staff and Taz’s owner for never giving up. It is now several months later, and Taz is living a happy and healthy life like any normal two-year-old cat should!

Meet Wonder, a two-year-old German Shepherd who has been a beloved member of her family since she was a young puppy. Wonder has been a happy and healthy dog until recently, when she started to present chronic GI symptoms and weight loss. Her owners took her to their local veterinarian in Dallas, where they live. She had an examination and general testing to hopefully explain her symptoms and rapid weight loss.

When testing didn’t provide an answer for her symptoms, she was prescribed medication to treat her symptoms in hopes that her issues would resolve, and she would quickly recover. Unfortunately, Wonder continued to lose weight, was vomiting, and had diarrhea. Her owners became increasingly concerned, and she was referred to a specialist in the area. Wonder and her owners visited the specialist, where several tests were performed, including blood panels, urinalysis, fecal testing, and physical examination. Although there were slight abnormalities in Wonder’s bloodwork results, there was still no clear answer as to what was making her sick.

With the bill getting increasingly higher, the choice was made to try a new regimen of medication prescribed by the specialist in hopes that it would cure her illness. After some time on the new medicine, Wonder continued to suffer from chronic GI symptoms and weight loss. Her owners were incredibly worried now and reached out to a family friend who is a technician here at Whitehouse Veterinary Hospital to get a personal opinion. After looking over the lab results and considering her symptoms, he reached out to Dr. Ochoa and asked her to review the results, as it seemed to be a very complicated case.

After reviewing the test results, she requested that Wonder’s owners make the trip from Dallas to Whitehouse so she could do a workup of her own, as she had some suspicions as to the cause of her symptoms. Wonder’s owners agreed, and they set up an appointment. Luckily, Dr. Ochoa had just taken part in an education meeting with a veterinary GI specialist and, armed with the most current information on GI illness, Dr. Ochoa decided to run specialized tests. Wonders’ owners were desperate for an answer and agreed.

A few days later, we received results from the lab confirming Dr. Ochoa’s suspicions and diagnosing Wonder with a disease called exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, also known as EPI. Epi is a condition where the pancreas does not secrete enough digestive enzymes to properly break down and digest food. This results in the inability to digest and absorb nutrients, causing GI symptoms and weight loss, often in young animals.

Elated that we have a diagnosis, Dr. Ochoa prescribed the proper medications and supplements to treat EPI. Although EPI is a chronic and incurable disease, it is easily manageable, and with the proper care, Wonder can go on to live a long, happy, and healthy life.

Just two months after Wonder’s visit with Whitehouse Veterinary Hospital, her relieved owners reported that she had gained 15 lbs and was no longer experiencing GI symptoms. Thanks to Dr. Ochoa, the staff at Whitehouse Veterinary Hospital, and Wonder’s caring owners, she is now well on her way to recovery.

Westley is a six-year-old Dachshund mix who came in to see us in June of 2018 with back issues. He was having trouble getting up and around every few days and was starting to eat less than usual. Dr. Ochoa recommended radiographs so she could determine what the problem was. After radiographs showed inflammation in his joints, Dr. Ochoa prescribed muscle relaxers and pain medication, along with strict cage rest, to hopefully allow him to recover over a few weeks.

Unfortunately, though he did initially seem to respond to treatment, he had a setback a couple of months after. In August, he was brought back in for weakness, weight loss, and loss of appetite. It was recommended that he stay on his muscle relaxers and limit his movement. Unfortunately, as time passed, our doctors saw that Westley wasn’t responding to medications, and further tests were needed to determine the cause of his symptoms.

He returned again in December with the same issues and dehydration. Dr. Reese recommended bloodwork and some additional tests, but the results were unremarkable, which led the doctors to suspect that a tick-borne disease might be the cause. They prescribed a round of steroids and antibiotics, which tick-borne diseases respond to, and sent him home.

After beginning the medicine, Westley started showing improvement! We had high hopes that this was the answer to Westley’s problems. We rechecked him after being on the medication for two weeks, and he was still improving, so we planned to let him finish with the current round and slowly wean off the steroids. As he was finishing the steroids, he started the decline in health once more. This brought the doctors to suspect that instead of a tick-borne disease, they were dealing with a disease called Immune-Mediated Polyarthritis. This is a condition where the body’s white blood cells start attacking the joints, causing inflammation and pain. This is generally treated with steroids, which Dr. Reese prescribed again, and Westley responded well!

Over the next several months, Westley underwent steroid therapy and has been steadily improving. With this particular issue, steroids may possibly be a lifelong treatment used to alleviate the symptoms and give Westley the best quality of life. We wish Westley and his family the best and are happy that he is in such good hands!

Meet Icharis Biddle! Icharis is an 8-year-old short-haired cat who came to see us because he had had trouble with vomiting. It had been on and off for a few months, and after first trying to get him better at home with medication and low-fat food, Icharis came in when he started vomiting multiple times a day. The poor guy was not feeling well and needed some special help.

Dr. Redding decided we needed a better look at what was going on with Icharis and suggested a blood panel. The panel showed that Icharis was fighting a slight infection and was a little dehydrated. He went home with more medication and a new special diet to try to alleviate the symptoms. That night, he became very sick and went to the emergency clinic for treatment. He was transported to our hospital the next morning where Dr. Redding performed radiographs and ultrasound.

During the procedure, she found that his stomach was quite enlarged. It was determined that Icharis needed exploratory surgery to see what this was and if it was causing him to continue to vomit and lose weight. During surgery a large mass was found and was removed along with a few inches of intestines. After this he was hospitalized for a few days while he recovered from his surgery until he started eating on his own and stopped vomiting. The mass was sent off to a lab to be tested and unfortunately was found to be cancerous.

For now, Icharis is being cared for at home and has a special regimen of medicine to help his nausea and to help decrease the size of the cancer cells. He’s also being fed a diet that is easy to digest so that he can continue to be comfortable. He seems to be doing well and being taken care of by his loving family.

Meet Brammer Newton! Weighing only 90 grams and measuring a few inches long, this tiny baby was minding his own business walking around at home when the family dog thought he had found a new toy! Unfortunately for Brammer, being as young as he is, his shell provided little protection against dog teeth when the pup tried to get him to squeak. He suffered a crack to his shell and a puncture wound and was very distressed by the entire ordeal. He drew himself inside his shell as much as possible and stayed there. When his owner rushed him to us, he was slightly cold and not willing to come out. Unfortunately, we can’t force him out of his shell, and it was a tough call at the time to tell if he was even alive. The best thing to do at the moment, since the bleeding had stopped and the bites weren’t too severe, was to have him placed under a heat lamp for a couple of hours and get him warmed up so we could work on him. Once he warmed up, he was willing to say hello to everyone, and we were able to get him started on antibiotics and work on repairing his shell.

The shell repair is important because the wounded area needs to be protected, as it takes a couple of years for it to completely heal. The repair is a two-part process, the first providing stabilization and protecting the wound from outside infection, and the second is a resin seal that waterproofs the area so when a turtle swims or a tortoise soaks, it won’t allow water to seep into their abdominal cavity. This repair will last them a long while, and as they grow, it will eventually fall off. Brammer was very patient with us with each visit and took all the handling and oral meds like a little champ. He’s doing well now and toddling around like nothing happened!

Dottie is a tortoise who was admitted to our office when her owners saw she wasn’t feeling well. She wasn’t eating and was open-mouth breathing. This is not normal behavior for a tortoise, as they typically breathe with their mouths closed. Open-mouth breathing was a sign that Dottie was having trouble getting enough oxygen in her lungs. Dottie’s mom was very concerned and agreed with Dr. Reese that radiographs were in order. The radiographs showed definite signs of pneumonia.

But what caused it? After taking a culture and sending it to a lab, we found that Dottie had developed an infection. A regimen of breathing treatments and oral antibiotics was started immediately.

Just one problem, though: Dottie did not want to eat at all. It was very important that we get Dottie to eat, so a feeding tube was surgically inserted into Dottie’s stomach. The surgery was difficult, but with the help of his highly trained technicians, it was a success. An incision was made in the side of the esophagus, and the tube was inserted down the esophagus into the stomach and was sutured into place so it could not be moved. Now Dottie would be fed from a syringe straight into her stomach until her strength and appetite returned.

It was a difficult task, but Dottie’s parents never gave up. They did an excellent job making sure Dottie got her breathing treatments and medications. Dottie’s feeding tube was finally removed when she started eating on her own and feeling better at home. Today, Dottie has grown and is doing very well thanks to the help of Dr. Reese and his staff.

If you have any questions about your exotic pet, please give us a call at Whitehouse Veterinary Hospital so we can help keep your pet happy and healthy!

Bunny is a very sweet four-year-old pet rabbit who was presented to Whitehouse Veterinary Hospital with a previously broken leg. Prior to coming to us, a splint was attempted on the leg with hopes that it would heal. The attempt to heal the fracture by means of the splint was unsuccessful, and Bunny had actually begun to self-mutilate the limb, which most likely had nerve damage, causing Bunny to have no feeling in the limb.

When Bunny came to us for her initial consultation with Dr. Reese, the bones of the lower part of the front leg were severely damaged beyond surgical repair, and there was a lack of healthy tissue and skin on the lower leg to make a surgical repair of the leg successful. After assessing the injury, Dr. Reese discussed the limited options we had that would give Bunny a good quality of life and prevent this injury and infected tissue from becoming potentially life-threatening. The decision was ultimately made to amputate the leg.

Dr. Reese and the Whitehouse Veterinary staff took Bunny to surgery, and while the staff closely monitored anesthesia, Dr. Reese was able to successfully perform the amputation of the front leg. Bunny was sent home with pain medicine, antibiotics, and instructions for the owners to follow, including complications to watch for.

We are happy to announce that Bunny healed nicely from surgery and has made a full recovery! Bunny is now enjoying life at home with his loving and devoted family and should continue to have a good quality of life for many years to come.

Meet Spartacus, the tough-as-nails bearded dragon who first came to us in February 2016 in bad shape. He had been rescued from poor conditions that left him extremely underweight, missing a hind foot, part of his tail, and with the possibility that one of his front feet would be lost as well. He was a small kid and had been placed inside a terrarium with a much bigger bearded dragon that had not only been keeping him from eating well, but had been viciously beating up on him, causing him to lose his foot. Spartacus was a very lucky guy to have found a new family that was ready to do everything they had to in order to get him back in shape.

Once Dr. Reese examined Spartacus, he determined that radiographs would need to be taken, as one of his front feet was very infected and the leg was possibly broken. Sure enough, a fracture was found, and Spartacus had to have a splint applied to help him heal. Spartacus received some antibiotic injections, and the new owners, the Dickens, were carefully instructed on how to care for him at home while he healed. There wasn’t much else to do at the time, as he was in a delicate state.

After the first two weeks, when the owners were very careful in syringe feeding him a blended diet and giving him antibiotics, he came back to us a little stronger and had put on some weight. Dr. Reese decided that he needed to keep the splint on a little longer and issued him some more medicine and further instructions for at-home care. After another visit two weeks later, Spartacus was doing even better and starting to show more life at home, and attempting to eat on his own. The splint was removed, and after examining Spartacus, Dr. Reese said the leg needed more time to heal, but the foot was still questionable. There was a very real possibility that it might not be able to be saved after being mutilated so badly.

The Dickenses were determined to do all they needed to, as Spartacus was fighting to get better. They made sure he had the best care possible and learned how to perform hydrotherapy on his foot to try and increase blood flow to the area to try and revitalize the tissue. One more exam two weeks later, and the foot was improved! It was looking much better, but at that stage, it would never be completely normal. Spartacus didn’t care, though, and is now living life to the fullest with his loving family!

Duke is an awesome, fun-loving American Bulldog who belongs to our very own Stacia. One evening, his owners woke to Duke collapsing on the floor of their kitchen, and shortly after, he started having seizures. After staying up with him a few hours until morning, she brought him in to be seen by Dr. Reese. On the physical exam, Dr. Reese thought he felt something unusual in Duke’s abdomen and recommended blood work, which gave abnormal results. The next step was to confirm what was felt on the exam, and thanks to our new ultrasound capabilities, Dr. Reese was able to find and diagnose a mass on Duke’s spleen.

The next course of action was surgery to remove the mass. After a very painstaking surgery, Duke’s entire spleen had to be removed in order to remove two large masses inside of it. Duke did very well in recovery and soon was feeling much better. He slowly began to eat and wanted to walk around outside.

The mass was sent off to a lab, and unfortunately, it was found to be cancerous. He was given medication to make him more comfortable at home, where he gets to be with his family a little while longer and is feeling much better and loving life.

It’s the little things that make us love our furry family members so much, so the next time your little furry friend isn’t feeling well, give us a call. Dr. Reese and his friendly staff are always here to help keep your pet happy and healthy.

Meet our brave pet of the month, Buster Luke! Buster Luke is a sweet black lab that came to us not feeling well at all. He had been vomiting and having irregular bowel movements. After careful examination, Dr. Reese believed he had palpated something in Buster’s abdomen. With Dr. Reese’s recommendation, Buster’s parents gladly agreed that radiographs were in order. It was immediately apparent that Buster had swallowed three very large stones, about the size of golf balls. It was obvious that the stones had no intention of passing all on their own, and with Buster’s health already declining, immediate surgery was recommended. Without a second thought, Buster’s parents agreed to the surgery.

Once under anesthesia, Dr. Reese was able to make his incision in the abdominal area to expose the intestines. There, he had to manually palpate the intestines to find the exact location of the stones. After careful and tedious searching, two stones were located in the intestines, with one left in the stomach. An incision was made in the intestine to remove the two stones, one of which was stuck to the intestinal wall, causing a great amount of irritation. After closing the first incision, another was made in the stomach to remove the final stone. With help from his skilled technicians who constantly monitored Buster’s vitals and assisted in the surgery itself, all three stones were successfully removed.

Buster made a brilliant recovery and is now happy to be at home with his family, who love him dearly. Our pets mean a great deal to us all, and we at Whitehouse Veterinary Hospital are proud to help keep your pet happy and healthy.

We’d like to introduce a wonderful cat that has surprised us with his stellar attitude and the tremendous amount of patience he has shown during treatment here at the hospital. Meet Mr. Kitty Burns, an orange tabby who’s a whole lot of awesome. Mr. Kitty first came to us in May with two abscesses, one on his back and another on his side. Dr. Reese recommended that they be lance and flushed so they could begin to heal, as well as a culture to be taken and sent to a laboratory called TVMDL to see what kind of bacteria caused the infection.

The surgery went very well, and Mr. Kitty was sent home with medication and a treatment plan that called for the abscesses to be flushed and treated several times a day. Unfortunately, he did not respond to the medication and flushing as we had hoped, and when the culture results came back, we found out why. There was a type of bacteria called Actinomyces that is hard to kill and was the cause of his downturn in treatment. This called for a more aggressive plan, and the owners opted to hospitalize Mr. Kitty so he could receive proper care.

Mr. Kitty’s new plan called for antibiotic injections, a sterile flush of the abscesses, hydrotherapy, oral medication, and topical treatments. The flushing and hydrotherapy allowed the large amount of pus that was building up each day to be washed away and help the infection from spreading further, while the tissue around the wound that was already infected died and sloughed away. Eventually, the tissue that died created a large open area about the size of an adult hand, on his side, belly, and down his leg. Throughout his entire stay, he allowed us to inject, flush, wipe, and hold him under a faucet, and complained very little. This was a huge deal because he ended up having to have this done twice a day for nearly two months!

The plan worked, and the infection was eventually brought under control and stopped affecting the tissue. To be sure, we sent off another culture, and the results confirmed that the infection was finally gone. This allowed him to start healing, which would be a slow process. Dr. Reese consulted an internal medicine specialist who suggested that we use a wrap called Calcium Alginate that would accelerate the healing process. This wrap was changed twice weekly and did wonders for the wound. It got smaller and smaller and then finally fully healed. Thanks for all your patience and trust, Mr. Kitty!

Dakota Lindenmuth is a happy, never-met-a-stranger 10-year-old lab with Lymphoma. He came to see Dr. Reese in February with multiple large swellings (lumps) in various places on his body. Dr. Reese performed a cytology on several of the lumps to determine the cause. A cytology is where a needle is inserted into the mass and cells are sucked out and placed on a slide, which is then stained and looked at under a microscope. Dr. Reese found lymphosarcoma cells in the sample. We then sent the slides for confirmation to Texas A&M. After tests, they sent back a diagnosis — it was lymphosarcoma. Dr. Reese then called an Oncologist and discussed treatment protocol.

Dakota has spent the last 21 weeks going through treatment — 4 weeks of three different Chemotherapy drugs, and then 1 week off to rest. During the entire treatment, Dakota has been a joy to have as a patient, always happy to see us with a wagging tail and a doggy grin. Dakota will have to return to see Dr. Reese for regular rechecks to monitor his health and to make sure we keep his lymphoma sarcoma under control. We’re sure he’ll continue to be a joy to have and be the trooper he has always been.

Maggie Tees is a 10-year-old female Boxer who lives in Arp, Texas, with her owner, Mr. Al Tees. Maggie loves to play with her running mate, a chocolate Lab called Jayne. Mr. Tees brought Maggie into our office after noticing that she was eating healthy amounts of food, but was losing weight. We began with blood work and X-rays and discovered a mass (growth) in the abdomen.

To study the mass further, Maggie was taken to Shelley Drive Animal Clinic, where an ultrasound was performed. A suspicious mass was noted during the ultrasound exam. Dr Reese performed exploratory surgery and found that mass near the end of her stomach. A surgical biopsy was taken, which diagnosed Maggie with a muscular tumor of the stomach. Maggie was then referred to a Veterinary Surgery Specialist in Dallas in an attempt to remove the tumor.

During surgery, it was determined that the tumor could not be safely removed. Due to Maggie’s age and health, the doctors decided that it would be best not to pursue treatment. The specialist felt that she could lead a good life with a diet catered to her specific needs. Now she eats all she wants of a high-protein, fatty diet, and is gaining weight again and doing well.

Baby Girl (Stinky) is a 10-year-old Maltese mix who has been a long-time patient here at Whitehouse Veterinary Hospital. In February 2007, she came in for her semi-annual check-up that we recommend for every patient. During this visit, Dr. Reese discovered that she had a low-grade heart murmur. It was not severe enough to warrant immediate medical attention, but regular monitoring was needed.

In late November, Stinky came in coughing and was diagnosed with tracheobronchitis and the early stages of pneumonia. We did a series of nebulizing treatments and sent her home with antibiotics and steroids. We had a follow-up appointment where Dr. Reese also discovered that Stinky was in congestive heart failure, or CHF. CHF is a failure of the heart to advance blood at a sufficient rate to meet the metabolic needs of the patient or to prevent blood from pooling within the pulmonary venous circulation.

We will continue to monitor this condition until it worsens. At that point, Stinky will be placed on a diuretic and a blood pressure prescription. This will help Stinky live a longer, happier life. CHF is not a curable condition; however, with proper monitoring and treatment, canines with CHF can live a high quality of life for several years.

Cinnamon Corbitt is a 9-year-old blonde Cocker Spaniel who belongs to Mr. and Mrs. Corbitt of Tyler, Texas. Cinnamon has been coming to visit us for years. She was diagnosed with Hyperadrenocorticism (HAC), commonly known as Cushing’s Disease, in 2002. HAC is a disorder caused by excessive production of cortisol by the adrenal glands. Some common symptoms can include increased amount of water intake, frequent urination, thin skin, and blackheads on the stomach region.

Cinnamon takes a daily prescription known as Anipryl and has regular check-ups and blood work, known as a Low-dose Dexamethasone Suppression Test. Cinnamon has been living with HAC for 5 years now and is doing fine.

Koko McGuire Obannon was presented to our hospital back in December of 2006 with vomiting and lethargy that had been going on for two days. During Koko’s exam, Dr. Reese noticed that he was very tender on the abdominal palpation. After running blood work and other tests, we found that Koko had pancreatitis. We hospitalized him and and he was kept on IV fluids and several medications. After not seeing much improvement over a few days, we decided to perform a barium series. A barium series is where a thick fluid is ingested that can be seen on an X-ray. Several minutes after ingestion, a series of radiographs is started, which are taken every 2 hours for a 4-6 hour period depending on the speed of the barium movement. If the barium stops without passing through, then most likely there is a blockage of the intestines or stomach. We noticed on Koko’s radiographs that the barium had stopped in his small intestines.

We then emailed the films to Dr. Robert Barstad of the Dallas Surgical Center for review. After reviewing the X-rays, he recommended that Dr. Reese perform an exploratory surgery. And exploratory surgery is where Dr. Reese surgically opens the abdominal area and explores the abdominal cavity for any abnormalities.

Luckily for Koko, we were able to find what had caused the blockage. There was an object lodged in his small intestine, and after making a surgical incision, Dr. Reese discovered that the culprit was a Christmas sock that he had swallowed. Dr. Reese removed the sock and closed the incision. He was put on a regimen of antibiotics, pain medication, and an intestinal diet called I/D for several weeks until he healed. He is doing very well and is glad to be back home.

Midge is a 150lb, 31-year-old Chimpanzee who resides at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch with many other exotic friends. Midge came to us in late 2006 after an accident that resulted in a fracture of his right fibula and tibia. The only way this fracture would be able to heal properly was if he were to undergo surgery. On the day of the surgery, Dr. Reese had two orthopedic specialists from Texas A&M University come in. They used two stainless steel surgical plates on the tibia to bring the bone together. Several surgical-grade stainless steel screws were used to keep these in place.

The surgery itself took nearly two and a half hours, and at the end, the doctors were all pleased with the results. Afterwards, after being taken back home, Midge was kept in a small unit to keep him from moving too much and re-injuring himself. The staff at Black Beauty helped him with his rehabilitation, and over the course of a month and a half, he was gradually allowed to move more freely. Soon, he was allowed back into his regular enclosure with his two female companions and was ready to play. Midge is doing well today and living life to the fullest!

Lila Holloway is a 3-year-old long-haired dachshund who belongs to the loving owners of Brenda and Basil Holloway. They have three children: Trey, Katie, and Courtney, who treat Lila as their own sibling. They have raised Lila since she was six weeks old.

Lila came to us in November of 2005 in a comatose state. She was extremely cold, very shocked, and near death. Although at the time, Lila’s future seemed bleak, emergency and shock treatment were initiated. Lila’s early lab work showed that she was anemic, had very low clotting capabilities, and had severe liver inflammation. Several things could be the cause of the above-mentioned lab abnormalities, such as poison, some tick-borne diseases, and leptospirosis. Initial treatment of IV fluids, corticosteroids, oxygen therapy, antibiotics, and warming of Lila started to improve her condition. Symptomatic treatment for rat poisoning, leptospirosis, and immune-mediated anemia was also started.

After a day or two of treatment, Lila was conscious and able to move around, but her liver was still inflamed, her anemia had worsened, and her blood would still not clot. Her owners allowed a blood transfusion and a liver biopsy. The blood transfusion immediately improved Lila’s condition. The liver biopsy demonstrated that 60% of her liver had died. As more testing results were known, Lila’s disease was narrowed down to hepatic necrosis, most likely secondary to leptospirosis.

Leptospirosis is caused by a spirochete organism, which often causes kidney or liver disease in dogs. It’s often spread by water contaminated with urine and rodents, which can also carry the disease. It is not very common here, but it has been reported to be increasing in numbers. We do vaccinate for most types of leptospirosis here at Whitehouse Veterinary Hospital.

Fortunately, Lila slowly responded to treatment for leptospirosis, her blood clotting regularly, and the inflammation in her liver decreased, leading to her full recovery. Lila is the Pet of the Month because she has demonstrated a very will to live against the odds. The other important aspect of her case is that it demonstrates the importance of laboratory testing in unusual cases. Without performing the liver biopsy and tests to rule in or out possible causes of Lila’s disease, we would not have been able to treat her successfully.

Tiger Hale is a handsome and loving male orange tabby. He lives with Mrs. Hale, who rescued him from living a life on the streets in Troup, TX. Tiger was diagnosed with FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) in January of 2004. FIV is a retrovirus that causes an immunodeficiency in cats. FIV is otherwise known as feline AIDS.

Tiger takes human recombinant alpha interferon medication to help prolong his life. Because Mrs. Hale has other cats that Tiger can spread FIV to, he lives in the bathroom of the Hale home. Mrs. Hale hopes to have a protected outdoor enclosure built for Tiger so he can spend time outside on nice days. Currently, he watches the birds and other wildlife from the window. When his enclosure is complete, he will feel much closer to the outside world. At this time, Tiger is doing great, and we hope he continues to do well for years to come.

Lady is a 9-year-old black Cocker Spaniel who resides in Whitehouse with owner Catherine Ferguson. Ms. Ferguson owns and operates Momma’s House, a local day care center. Ms. Ferguson has 3 other dogs: Gus, Hank, and Mickey. Mickey is Lady’s favorite, and they go everywhere and do everything together.

Lady is being treated by Dr. Reese for Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca, which is the drying and inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva. Ms. Ferguson applies an ointment to Lady’s eyes at least twice daily to keep them moist. What Ms. Ferguson loves most about Lady is that she is very lovable and likes to cuddle. Lady is a very special dog; as blind as she is, she still loves to run and chase cats and can still grab treats from your hand.

Last Valentine’s Day, Lady got out. Ms. Ferguson thought she would be run over because she cannot see. It had snowed all day and all night, but a special lady called to tell her that she saw Lady in the pasture among the cows and brought her home. Ms. Ferguson says it is wonderful to have her.

Meet Murphy, a 9-year-old West Highland terrier who has been a patient of ours since he was a puppy. Murphy is a typical Westie and is a spunky, happy little dog. He rules the roost at home, keeping several German short-hairs in line.

Unfortunately, he was accidentally run over following his owners’ car too closely in the driveway. It was after-hours, and we were already closed, so they took him to the Tyler Animal Emergency Clinic. They performed X-rays and found Murphy to have a fractured pelvis. The ER clinic treated Murphy for shock, and the owners transferred him to our hospital the next morning. Overall, he was doing well despite his injuries. Sometimes a fractured pelvis can heal on its own with just cage rest and time, but Murphy’s fractures were more extensive and required surgery to heal.

We forwarded Murphy’s X-rays to Dr. Ballow for review. Dr. Ballow is an excellent traveling orthopedic surgeon who works in East Texas. Dr. Ballow said he indeed could perform the surgical repair on Murphy’s fracture and stabilize his pelvis with a screw.

Since his surgery on April 6th, Murphy is doing well and beginning to use all four legs, but is still on restricted activity. He should be back to bossing his other dogs around in no time with just a little more swing in his gait. His prognosis is good, though he will probably have to take arthritis supplements in the future. We are thankful to Dr. Ballow for helping us help one of our favorite patients back on the road to recovery. Get well soon, Murphy!

And for our second shining star, we applaud Jade Willard for a speedy recovery after extensive surgery to remove foreign materials from her stomach and small intestine.

The Willards brought Jade to us in early December with gastrointestinal problems. She had stopped eating, was vomiting, and had diarrhea. Upon examination, Dr. Reese found Jade’s abdomen to be painful, and he recommended blood work that could rule in or out any gastrointestinal infection or inflammation. With the completion of the blood work, pancreatitis, a common disease in canines, was confirmed. Jade was kept overnight for observation and specific Pancreatic treatments that consisted of IV fluids, anti-diarrheal/anti-nausea medication, as well as broad-spectrum antibiotics. The next day, she was fed small meals to make sure she could eat without vomiting, and with the consent of her owners, Dr. Reese prescribed medications to treat the symptoms of pancreatitis, and she was sent home.

Jade did well that night, but was inactive the next morning and steadily declined throughout the next day. She did not eat that evening and was vomiting the next morning. She was brought back in and re-examined, at which time Dr. Reese recommended x-rays to look for possible foreign objects since pancreatic symptoms were not subsiding. X-rays indicated a possible gastrointestinal foreign object, and Dr. Reese recommended surgery, to which the owner agreed. During surgery, a cloth material was found in her stomach, and upon palpation of the small intestine, another piece of foreign matter was found.

After surgery, our staff kept her under observation for a few days and then sent her home. With weekly re-checks and the loving support of her family, she has made a full recovery and is back to living life to the fullest!

Casey Webber is a sweet, lovable mixed-breed dog. In August, she was involved in a terrible dog attack. We initially treated Casey for shock and trauma with IV fluids, several different antibiotics, and pain medications. Her x-rays revealed no internal injuries, but the attack left Casey with several lacerations and nerve damage to her left front leg. Dr. Reese cleaned, sutured, and stapled Casey’s multiple wounds. She was very uncomfortable for several days, but every day brought improvement. She went home with pain medication and antibiotics to guard against infection.

Her human mom, Mrs. Webber, put in many hours taking care of Casey while she was recovering, and that really kept Casey’s morale up. With much hard work from everyone, Casey was even able to regain some use of her damaged leg. Several months later, our dear Casey was doing great and nearly back to normal!

Balthazar Reese is a good ol’ 9-year-old Basset Hound who happily lives with Pete and Jackie Reese here in Whitehouse. Balthazar shares his home with two other siblings: Cisero, an orange cat, and Ophelia, another adorable Basset. Balthazar came into the clinic in December with a small, inflamed granulation wound on his tail head. It was clipped down and treated at home for a couple of weeks.

Three months later, the wound was still present, and surgery was recommended to remove the inflamed tissue. Surgery was performed at the end of February, and the tissue was sent in for histopathology. Lab results confirmed the tissue to be cancerous, but with the removal, the risk of it spreading was minimal. Balthazar is quite the happy camper to this day!

This time, we have two very special patients we’d like to feature. Chester Russel is a 10-year-old chihuahua, and Harpo Horton is a 3-year-old Cabashon (sort of like a Bichon). Both came in a few months ago with similar symptoms of rear leg paralysis and back pain.

After examination and X-rays, Dr. Reese determined both to be suffering from Invertebral Disc Disease or I.V.D.D. This is usually caused by acute trauma to the spinal cord, causing disc herniation and spinal cord compression. Treatment can vary depending on the severity of the disc extrusion. Conservative treatment can include steroid therapy, strict confinement, and physical therapy. The best option for a paralyzed pet is surgery.

Both Chester and Harpo were referred to the Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center for treatment and surgery. Both are doing well and are able to walk normally.

On many weekends, you can find Ringo boarding at our hospital when his owner is out of town. Not because he gets into mischief at home, but because he requires twice-daily insulin injections. Ringo is a 14-year-old, neutered black cat. He was brought to us on August 21, 2008, with significant weight loss, increased thirst, loss of appetite, increased dandruff, and dehydration. Dr. Reese did a full physical exam with a complete CBC/Chemistry panel. While waiting on the blood results, we placed an IV catheter to help with the dehydration and hospitalized Ringo for the night.

The next day, his blood results showed a very elevated blood glucose, and glucose was even found in his urine. Dr. Reese diagnosed Ringo with Diabetes Mellitus. There are two types of DM, one caused by an insulin deficiency and the other is where the body produces enough insulin but is not responding to it. We immediately started Ringo on insulin twice a day and a special diet. His owner had to start giving injections at home.

Since his diagnosis, we have been rechecking his blood glucose regularly to make sure he is getting the appropriate amount of insulin. Now his weight is up, his coat is healthy, and he is a very happy kitty.

Meet Jack, a three-year-old hound mix who was rushed into Whitehouse Veterinary Hospital by a kind-hearted police officer who found him after being hit by a car. Jack arrived in critical condition and was quickly examined by Dr. Reese to evaluate the extent of his injuries.

Upon physical exam, it was apparent that Jack was in shock and had several superficial lacerations, severe bruising, and suspected broken bones as a result of the trauma. Further diagnostics were also needed at this time to rule out potentially life-threatening internal injuries. The Whitehouse Veterinary Hospital staff immediately began treating Jack with IV fluids and injectable drugs to help bring him out of shock, followed by an ultrasound scan of his chest and abdominal cavities, which, to everyone’s relief, showed Jack did not have internal bleeding in his chest or abdomen.

Once Jack was out of shock and in a more stable condition a few hours later, he was then sedated so his lacerations could be sutured closed and X-rays could be performed without him feeling any discomfort. As suspected, the X-rays revealed that Jack had several fractured bones in his paw, as well as a fractured elbow and fractures to his pelvis in three different places.

By this time, Jack’s concerned owners had already been identified and contacted, and the decision was made to splint and stabilize Jack’s front leg so that the fractures in his paw and elbow could heal. The fractures in his pelvis would heal with time and strict cage rest. Jack was also prescribed pain medicine to help keep him comfortable and antibiotics to help prevent infection. It was evident that Jack had a long road to recovery, but with diligent care from his owners and the Whitehouse Veterinary Staff, he is now on the mend and doing well a few months later.

Special thanks are given to the police officer who played a major role in saving Jack’s life by finding him and rushing him into our hospital for emergency care. The heroic officer continues to stop in from time to time to get updates on how Jack’s recovery is going, and we are all glad to know that Jack is doing well and is happy at home with his loving family.