Dear Dr. Khuly,
This could have been a much different story if the owners of Snowflake registered her microchip. On a cold night, Nov 29, 2009, my dad's cat, Pusscat went ballistic. She was growling, hissing, slamming herself at the door and my curiosity had to be satisfied. There sitting near the railing was a white cat. I got Pusscat away from the door and opened it. The kitty came right up to the door and mewed pitifully. Daddy said, "Don't let it in", but since when did I take that advice re a stray cat! The cat let me pick her up and purred constantly, I showed her to the litter box, then I fed her. She was emaciated. I took her to the vet and had her examined. Her pads were calloused, so she had walked a long way. She had three deer ticks removed (a fourth one must have dropped off at home). She got wormed, checked for other parasites, and sent home to recover. The vet told us that, yes Snowflake was chipped and offered to take her from us. No way!!! I bonded the first night. It was an anxious two weeks waiting to find the owner. Since the chip was not registered, the original adoptive owners could not be located. Hurray, she's my cat now and forever, and she's registered. This all white cat, with her one blue eye and one yellow-green eye, and fluffy tail is now a healthy cat who has become a great playmate for Pusscat. Their antics are wonderful to watch and have us laughing. She's a good mouser. Also, I am teaching her a few tricks.
Snowflake is about a year old now and has a good home in the Coast Range near Mary's Peak in Oregon. At 93, my dad wasn't keen on another cat, but he enjoys her. I am 70 and am as enthusiastic as the little nine year old who brought home a black kitted loaded with fleas in 1949. This story could have ended quite differently had Snowflake not found our porch. Most likely she would have died. If her owners had registered her, they could have had her returned (to my great sorrow). Thank God, this story has a happy ending.

Thank you for letting me share my story.

Gini

We adopted a Brittany a year ago. He's now about 9 years old. Absolutely lovely in the house, but outside, his nose just takes over & he doesn't even know I'm there. Any suggestions? We're fenced in but he tried to get out and will only come in when he's ready. I had no idea that this was "bird dog" behavior.

The only problem I have is some wierd characters that don't display properly like :
"first blog — starting circa December 2005. DailyVet"
and :
Â
There are a lot of them in some DailyVets and a few in others.

One of my adoptees, a (formerly) intact male Shep X, about 5 years old, came into my home with what I thought was a bad case of the shizzles from having been on the street and in a shelter. Turns out he has perianal fistulas, which cause him all kinds of pain and me, poopy mayhem to clean up. It subsides with Pred and antibiotics, but invariably returns to its angry state.

I find no definitive wisdom on diet, meds and surgery, which I'm about to try-- Dr. Khuly, what knowledge can you share?

I agree that too many blogs are way too much-just one blog for you and everyone else. Yes, it's a lot of work for just ONE blog. You have done the job since your first blog post- entertained us and enlightened us-keep up the good work!
looking forward to much more!
Thanks for all your work!

I just lost my second Golden Retriever male, Justin, at 8 years of age (we lost Andy 8 years ago to the same disease). Could you please blog about this awful cancer and the breeds most affected. I'm sure people with (or considering) Goldens, Standard Poodles and Goldendoodles would appreciate it.

Will continue to issue the DailyVet blog?

Thank you so much for your blogging efforts. I am an animal lover and owner and I have worked in a nonchain (not petsmart) pet store for 11 years. I make no comparison between working at the store and what you do however we are often called upon to act as vets for people who can't afford or are to cheap to go to the vet. We do the best we can with what we know and can sell a customer but we are not vets and people just don't get that. So thank you for your blog it is often a good source of a smile at the end of the day. Keep up the great work.

hi ihave 2 newfoundlands, and 1 mutt,, 1 of my newfs developed hot spots,went to the vet steroid shots, benadryl,then 3 weeks later my other newf came down with the same thing?they were eating iams now there on nutro lamb and rice,only for a week now,also fih oil pills,my mutt golden ret and sheperd,has NOproblems??the hot spots are less and less frequent,thak god! but there hair is thinning? and have some reddish skin,,should my vet look for mites? but ithink if it was mites the other dog would have it?? thanks for anyhelp! this has gone on to long i love my newfs and dont want to see them suffer!!!! steve

http://www.columbusdogconnection.com/BlackTongueDebate.htm
here it is! I have a black-tongued dog and I always wondered what's her relation to Chow-Chow, but I finally got an explanation through this site ;)