BACK TO BLOGGING

Sorry about the big pause.

I have been dealing with low level depression signs, just kinda feeling blah, and not writing at all.

I am hoping to get back to writing, because I love it - and you! I will probably post twice a week, including the comic, instead of daily.

I am doing better, and Luna is doing great! She goes back for her next chemotherapy session next week.

art by Abby

In other news...

Happy anniversary Finch! 22 years : )

I will be going part time in August! I will be able to be home when my kids get home from school most days! I plan on seeing as many surgery and medical patients as before, just in a shorter amount of time, so don't worry about availability.

A second client said I should not even be on the team since I don't see cats. For such a sensitive person, I would have thought that would bother me, but it amuses me. Thank you again for keeping me Dr. Bashara! And thank you Doctor Friends for seeing all the beautiful cats!

On an opposite note, one of my very favorite cat client couples adopted another cat. I will celebrate with them from afar <3

Yesterday I accidentally wrote in a medical record that a panting dog was painting excessively, and it made me giggle the rest of the day.

I hope you are having a good week! It is good to be back. Thanks for not giving up on me!

POST FROM TWO YEARS AGO

JUNE 28, 2016

WELL DONE

URINARY STONES

For those of you with a weak stomach or no interest in the ins and outs of surgery...or both...skip this post!

Those of you who like the weird and the gross, read on.

One of the coolest surgeries we do is stone removal surgery from the urinary bladder.

Stones can be quite pretty. These look like roses to me.

We take stones out for two reasons - they hurt and they can obstruct the urinary system, especially in males.

Before surgery, we do a physical exam and blood work. When we have patients undergoing anesthesia, we - of course - want it to be as safe as possible.

The day of surgery, the pet is fasted. He or she is sedated and anesthetized. An IV catheter is in and anesthesia monitoring equipment is hooked up. 

The pet is placed on their back on the surgery table in the surgery room. Lights are aimed at their belly.

Warning! Here is the gross/cool part...An incision is made into the abdomen and the urinary bladder. The stones are scooped out - I am not making this up - with a tiny measuring spoon. We have three. They say "smidge," "sprinkle" and "pinch." I use the "smidge" spoon, the smallest one.

The bladder incision and the abdominal wall incision are sewn back up and x-rays are taken to make sure all of the stones are out. The stones are sent to a lab for analysis. 

And the pet lives happily ever after, hopefully forever stone free.

WAITING FOR THE POWER TO COME BACK ON, STORY 1

The power was out. There was nothing we could do but wait. I wrote in my notebook. I comforted the dogs when they whined.

The cats didn't care. They had their sunlight.

It was quiet. We settled into the dark, the dogs and I. Maybe I needed the pause to be reminded how important writing and comforting are to my well-being. Subtly, so slowly I almost missed the transition, I shifted from waiting for the power to come back on to just being.

ONE YEAR AGO

THE KURTENBACH SERIES, PART 1 - MARCEL

TWO YEARS AGO

CAN YOUR DOG DO THAT?

AFTER CHRISTMAS AT NEBRASKA HUMANE SOCIETY

Abby and friends made sure all the dogs and cats had a gift to open Christmas morning! Abby said it matched the picture in her head perfectly.

Thank you from Abby to...

Grandma Finch

Grandma Nelson

Jaime Williams and Ross Nelson

Dr. Adrienne Kanne

Penny and Scott Bell

Kathi Ortmeier

Dr. Pete Bashara

Racquet Corner

ONE YEAR AGO

SOPHIE IN THE SNOW

TWO YEARS AGO

ABBY AND ALLY ARE FRIENDS

REVIEWS DOT COM - DETERMINING THE BEST CAT FOOD

Reviews.com recently researched and published a list of recommended cat foods.

Reviews.com - The Best Cat Food: Safe and Healthy Formulas for Your Feline Friend

As you can probably guess, I have a lot of nutrition related opinions!

What I appreciate about this research project is the vast number of companies and cat foods that were considered, the criteria of having high quality ingredients and the focus on cats' well being. A large amount of time and effort was put into this project!

I would love to hear your opinions! What do you consider when feeding your cat (or dog)? Who do you go to for advice? What is most important to you?

The most important things to me in determining a cat food for a specific cat are nutritional needs of cats, nutritional needs of the individual cat, nutrients in the cat food (not necessarily ingredients) and how good it tastes to the cat. I gravitate towards companies that put their resources into longevity, nutritional and palatability (taste) studies and have well grounded scientific studies. I pay attention to food recalls and records of success over time.

My favorite brands of cat food are Hill's Science Diet and Royal Canin, followed by Iams/Eukanuba and Purina. I have occassional use for Fancy Feast and other foods. The list from Reviews.com has given me several other foods to look into that I know have high quality ingredients and have been well researched. 

Thank you to Reviews.com for this excellent project!

ONE YEAR AGO

PETER THE DACHSHUND

TWO YEARS AGO

HOW GORGEOUS IS THIS CAT?

CHEWY DOT COM - CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL - MY CAT'S LIFE

Chicken Soup for the Soul - My Cat's Life - 101 Stories about all the Ages and Stages of Our Feline Family Members

Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Jennifer Quasha

"Another cat? Perhaps. For love there is also a season; its seeds must be resown. But a family cat is not replaceable like a worn out coat or a set of tires. Each new kitten becomes its own cat, and none is repeated. I am four cats old, measuring out my life in friends that have succeeded but not replaced one another. -Irving Townsend. page 319.

What's that in the upper left hand corner? Another product to review next week perhaps?

When I was choosing products to receive and review from  Chewy.com for the first time, my very first choice was a Chicken Soup book. I love these! 

Chewy.com is letting me choose two items to review free of charge every month. If there is a product you would like me to review, please let me know!

Of the Chicken Soup books, I chose a cat book because I still miss our Max the Cat and I miss all of my feline patients I can no longer see because of my allergies. 

My Cat's Life - 10/10 - would read again.

I loved these stories you guys. I took off my judgy pants (there were quite a few outdoor cats and cats giving birth and delayed veterinary care and rehomed cats) and put on my jammie pants and settled in for what turned out to be a very enjoyable time.

I love the individuality and nuances and beauty of cats. All of these traits are here in abundance. I love very old cats the most. They were here too. My favorite story is #79 - The Ingredients of Happiness, by Saralee Perel, because it explores living in the moment with your pet. I also likes that it takes place in a veterinary hospital.

It was intriguing to hear how families interpreted information from their veterinary teams as relayed in the stories. It was heartening to realize most families absorb and interpret medical information accurately, even in stressful times.

This book is calming, like the presence of a cat is calming.

If you would like to read this book, please let me know. I will write a list of names inside the front cover, and we can pass it around. When I get it back, I plan to read it again!                             

ONE YEAR AGO

PET SAFETY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

TWO YEARS AGO

SENSING A THEME

KITTY CLAWS...

WUZZY THE CAT

A kind coworker sent me this picture of Wuzzy the Cat from her wellness care visit this year.

Because of my allergies, I can no longer see cats on a routine basis (sob), so I missed seeing Wuzzy this year.

Wuzzy and her friend Fuzzy were named after our hairless rats by the Nebraska Humane Society EIGHT YEARS AGO. They were adopted together as kittens.

Fuzzy ran away and has not been found, which is very sad. I still hope she is found some day.

Wuzzy still is with her family and is doing very well.

...

Post from one year ago today...

March 29, 2016

I LOVE OUR BOARDERS!

THE KURTENBACH SERIES FINALE - MORE DOGS AND SOME CATS!

I hope you have enjoyed this series!

Do you want to see MORE pictures and hear MORE stories from Dan in the future?

Do YOU have a story to tell?

THE KURTENBACH SERIES, PART 1 - MARCEL

THE KURTENBACH SERIES, PART 2 - GAMBLER

THE KURTENBACH SERIES, PART 3 - THE FOUNTAIN CREEK GENERAL STORE

THE KURTENBACH SERIES, PART 4 - THE FLOWERS

THE KURTENBACH SERIES, PART 5 - AZLYNN GRACE

THE KURTENBACH SERIES, PART 6, LEATHERWORK

THE KURTENBACH SERIES FINALE - MORE DOGS AND SOME CATS...

Here are some great pictures of other dogs and cats Dan has known...

Gus and Dan on the North Shore of Lake Superior.

Gus in the Yard

Happy Old Gus

Gus - to his chagrin, a kitty magnet  —— Gus with Rocket

Gus with Harvey

Gus with Little Bit

Wolfie in the Yard

...

Post from one year ago today...

February 12, 2016

OLD SCHOOL MEDICINE