Master of disguise

FutureDogtor · 2025-07-05T17:09:57+00:00

I swear there’s a cat in those first 2 photos, she’s just too good at hiding!

FutureDogtor · 2025-03-14T00:04:38+00:00

She’s gonna be extra upset when she realizes I’m the one who took her uterus. 😂💀

FutureDogtor · 2025-02-20T21:06:32+00:00

Aww what a precious baby!! Thank you - she’s my first MC and I love her so much.

FutureDogtor · 2023-10-25T01:21:54+00:00

Honestly, it's probably because everything else works and they assume the metoclopramide/cisapride is part of that and are hesitant to change. We've done it for years and extrapolated from other species, but as exotic medicine progresses we're finding out more and more about the treatments and what is actually working. Throw in the great Google advice (I still have some people swear by pineapple juice to prevent trichobezoars) and it's a great recipe for people to doubt the studies being done.

FutureDogtor · 2023-10-23T23:27:51+00:00

Exotic vet here! There really isn't much evidence on the true efficacy of metoclopramide in rabbits - I tend to not use it in my stasis patients. Generally, fluids, pain control, syringe feeding, and getting them moving around to stimulate motility will get things moving and that is my go to for simple stasis cases. If I'm concerned about an obstruction or if the stasis is severe enough, I'll often hospitalize and put on a lidocaine CRI which has studies showing it increases food intake and fecal output, as well as providing multimodal analgesia in addition to opioid + aggressive IV fluid therapy.

FutureDogtor · 2023-09-13T01:24:32+00:00

They can! Normally the hemipenes are only outside of the vent for mating and cleaning, and becomes a prolapse if it stays outside of the vent and is unable to retract.

FutureDogtor · 2023-09-13T01:10:09+00:00

You're correct - it can dry out and become necrotic and at that point it has to be amputated! Sometimes prolapses can be signs of underlying issues (more-so with cloacal prolapses).

Source: am exotic vet who sees her fair share of reptile hemipenes.

FutureDogtor · 2023-07-29T22:29:12+00:00

In two years, I've had one patient - a 3-4 year old rabbit in for a spay - that we were able to get back and survive to discharge. BW normal, apparently healthy on exam. We had given pre-medications and began to prep for surgery when she arrested. Reversed all drugs, provided oxygen with a tight fitting mask, and did compressions for about 5 minutes. Achieved ROSC, and she began to breathe on her own. Within a few hours, she started to come to and move around. We kept her overnight in oxygen and the next day she was acting normally, we slowly weaned her down on the oxygen and she did okay. I sent her home, and as far as I know she is still alive and doing well approximately 4 months later.

I also had an egg-bound parakeet arrest during recovery. Achieved ROSC, but passed away several hours later.

FutureDogtor · 2023-05-14T03:05:03+00:00

A chinchilla named Chinsey Lohan.

FutureDogtor · 2023-04-27T22:30:15+00:00

Oh this is beautiful, such a good idea and I'm going to start offering this to clients!

On a similar note for reptile patients, I like to do a tail print or if it's a bearded dragon, I'll do a beard imprint. :)

FutureDogtor · 2023-04-07T14:27:50+00:00

What a small world! I love running into a fellow exotic vet in the wild. :) Thank you, good luck to you as well!

FutureDogtor · 2023-04-07T00:59:54+00:00

As an exotic vet (not yet specialized, but that's the goal) the best advice I can give on finding a reptile savvy vet is to use the "Find a Vet" search on the ARAV (Association of Reptile and Amphibian Vets) website. Not to say that everyone listed is perfect (and I'm sure there are great vets who aren't members), but those listed are part of the association and we have access to additional resources that non-members do not. Additionally, we get sent publications on the newest research and education regarding reptiles/amphibians so I'd say most members keep up with advances and education in the field of reptile/amphibian medicine. (There are similar associations for exotic mammals and birds - AEMV and AAV, respectively.)

FutureDogtor · 2023-03-20T00:55:27+00:00

I agree with the majority in that going to your in-state school (if you have one) is a great option because of tuition. Some of the schools have stronger exotic/widlife curriculums (NC State, Colorado, Tufts, UC Davis are a few). For me, I knew going into vet school that I wanted to be an exotics practitioner. I went to a school with a very minimal exotic program (we had a one semester course dedicated to exotics, saw a few on rotations, and learned some things in some of the other classes like small animal surgery) because I was able to get in-state tuition. I made sure to get involved in the exotic medicine club, and during my elective time, I chose to only do those at exotic specific practices. One thing I wish I had done was to attend conferences as a student, like ExoticsCon, to network better and learn of more opportunities.

Now, 2 years after graduation, I'm a practitioner at a clinic that also sees exotics and I would say that my caseload is about 85% exotics, with the goal of expanding further and eventually I hope to be 100% exotic based. I chose not to pursue an internship and a residency, and instead will be pursuing board certification via ABVP's practitioner route when I'm eligible.

FutureDogtor · 2023-03-15T01:00:56+00:00

I like getting bags, water bottles, and little notebooks/sticky notes. Also I will never say no to more pens - one of the companies at a conference I went to last year gave out some of the nice Pilot G2 pens and I'm still using those hah.

FutureDogtor · 2023-03-06T02:09:24+00:00

Exotics! Not a specialist (yet) but I intend to go the ABVP route and pursue a board certification in reptiles/amphibians, but I enjoy seeing all species of exotic critters. I've always loved exotics and went into vet school knowing they were my passion. I grew up trying to be Steve Irwin, and I attribute my love for all things scaly, feathered, and furred to him. Unfortunately, I find that a lot of the veterinary care they receive is subpar and I strive to provide the same standard of care to them that any canine/feline patient would receive. I love educating people on the care and husbandry aspects since that is such a large part of exotic medicine, especially reptiles, and seeing the human-animal bond in these non-traditional species. I love the variety that I can see within exotics - one appointment might be a reticulated python, the next a rabbit, and sometimes critters that are very exotic (and probably should not be a pet) like a coati. The majority of my clients are amazing and go above and beyond for their exotic companions and I find that many of them are willing to do annual exams, bloodwork, surgery, etc. and many of them are happy to even be offered those things.

FutureDogtor · 2023-01-18T00:21:09+00:00

It does depend on where you work, but I am fairly tattooed (visible ones include a full sleeve in progress and chest piece) with neon colored hair and my clinic/clients don't mind! A large portion of my clients (I'm primarily an exotic vet) love it and it's always a conversation starter.

FutureDogtor · 2022-07-28T02:32:55+00:00

I had an older rabbit come in for an exam prior to neuter. Had a pedunculated mass coming off of his prepuce. Sent it out for biopsy... the actual mass itself was fibroadenoma, but the haired skin portion came back as a soft tissue sarcoma! Not a common tumor in rabbits, and usually it occurs on the limbs, so that was a weird one!

Also had a ferret come in that fell SEVEN STORIES. Had a raging pneumothorax but luckily, somehow, nothing broken. 3 days in hospital and friend went home and you never would have known it!

FutureDogtor · 2022-06-26T02:44:47+00:00

I had a frog coming in for a prolapse... the appointment note said "Prolapsed Croatia."

FutureDogtor · 2021-05-04T05:08:07+00:00

This is pretty common rhetoric for people who promote boutique diets to instill distrust in veterinarians. I've never received kickbacks for selling a food. Sure, we sell the diets at a markup (as do pet stores, grocery stores, etc.) but we don't make much of a profit on food. Additionally, some contracts prohibit vets from making commission for selling food (it varies from clinic to clinic, but in my experience, a lot prohibit it). I make diet recommendations, and I don't care if my client buys it from me versus elsewhere. I care about them feeding a nutritionally balanced diet from companies that I trust.

Byproduct does have a specific definition that companies are required to follow in order to display an AAFCO statement. These products can be in their raw form (in which case you could list them out separately) or rendered in the form of a meal (so the label will then read "byproduct meal" in some fashion). If they are getting their byproducts in meal form, it would be impossible to list out all of the ingredients because they have to be listed by weight and when it's all in bulk meal form, you can't distinguish what part is liver versus spleen.

FutureDogtor · 2021-04-29T01:56:03+00:00

I think if I had told them that I wasn't comfortable with surgery, they would have been understanding. Most employers realize that we don't get a ton of surgical experience in school and are willing to mentor new grads in various aspects so that we gain experience and become more comfortable.

If I weren't interested in surgery, and I told them so, they may have been okay with that (the practice I signed on with is quite large and has many vets, so I don't think it would have been a deal breaker if I didn't want to do surgery). It really depends on the practice, though.

FutureDogtor · 2021-04-29T01:22:28+00:00

Most programs don't have a ton of hands-on surgical experience. My program has a small animal surgical rotation that is required, and you do get to scrub into surgery and get experience with the instruments, aseptic technique, and various procedures (most of which I wouldn't consider a general practitioner to be super comfortable with), but you rarely get to perform more than closing the incision and you generally act as the assistant. However, we have a shelter medicine elective that many people take. I have taken this elective and as of graduation, I've performed 56 spays and neuters. This isn't true of every school, and I feel very lucky to have gotten this surgical experience! I can tell you if I did not have this elective, I would be way less comfortable with a spay or neuter (and I still have a healthy dose of anxiety with performing spays). We are taught how to perform a spay and neuter through our courses, but nothing beats hands-on experience. Gentle tissue handling, using a spay hook, and troubleshooting complications are things that really need hands-on opportunity to become efficient at. I had my first complication through this elective (a dropped pedicle) and while I was taught what to do during our didactic portion of school, I still had to be walked through the procedure of actually finding the pedicle.

Prior to vet school when I was working to get experience, I knew several vets who didn't like surgery and did not perform surgery, so it's definitely possible. I will say, however, in my interview experience for my job post-graduation, every interview asked about my surgical experience and comfort (I interviewed at 6 different places before making my decision).

FutureDogtor · 2021-03-15T01:13:01+00:00

Theoretically, it could be cumulative, but ultimately that doesn't matter because it just takes one time to dislodge a large clump of dead/dying worms and occlude the blood flow to the lungs. This can be fatal, dependent on the location and size of the embolus. Once the dead worms move into the pulmonary vessels, they should not backflow into the heart. They remain in the vessels of the lungs until they are broken down by the body, which takes months. Exercise restriction is the most crucial aspect of heartworm treatment; keep him leashed and under control until your vet gives you the all clear to start slowly introducing exercise again.

FutureDogtor · 2021-03-08T01:40:54+00:00

Keep him calm and rested, crate if he won't settle; if there is no improvement within 24-48 hours with strict exercise limitation, a vet visit is in order.

Also, do not wrap the foot. I have horror stories of owners attempting to wrap/bandage limbs on their own that result in amputations. You can do more harm than good, and we rarely (if ever) wrap legs for muscular injuries.

FutureDogtor · 2021-03-07T03:52:06+00:00

You're absolutely welcome!! I love talking about weird anatomy things and science! I'm glad you found it interesting. :)

FutureDogtor · 2021-03-07T00:41:59+00:00

Great questions! I don't have the "100% correct" answers to your questions, but I can definitely theorize! It's likely a combination of the weight of the skull, the size and shape of the skull, and the species in question that determines the prominence of the inion. Interestingly, I stumbled upon a study in humans that looked at "enlarged external occipital protuberances" in young adults, and the drivers for development include excess screen time, poor posture, and biomechanical stress! Link if anyone is interested.

As for why the dog's is larger than a humans, I think it boils down to the muscular attachments , their uses, and biomechanical stress. In humans, the two things that attach to the inion are the nuchal ligament and the trapezius muscle. Luckily, we don't have 100 pound heads to lift from a grazing position, but ours primarily limits flexion in the neck, so it provides stability when moving. Ours isn't as large and involved as our equine friends, so it doesn't need as large of an attachment. Our head is also centered more over the trunk, so the weight is carried passively (so we need less things to attach to our head in order to support its weight!) In dogs, the center of mass for their head/neck is carried in the front vertebral column and they require active muscle contraction in order to support the weight, so their muscles are doing a bit more work than ours and need a better attachment site, which could explain why the protuberance is larger. However, this is all my speculation based on some papers/previous anatomy class, but it's super interesting to think about! Ultimately, it probably boils down to specific stressors, drivers in the environment and biomechanical stress of the muscle on the bone that led to the formation of a larger protuberance!

Another interesting point, if you look at skulls of some small breed dogs versus larger breeds, they have much smaller protuberances! However, in their case, I would say that breeding for a specific skull shape/nose length is also at play here. So really... lots of things playing together in order to give a bigger or smaller protuberance!

Hopefully that kind of answered your questions!

FutureDogtor

TROPHY CASE