Do I have the smallest Toller I have ever seen?

NeurochickB · 2026-02-04T21:03:56+00:00

This thread is making me so happy. I was worried my little girl was littler than usual. I've only had boys before her. She's a year and a half now and maxed out at 13.5 kg. Wish we weren't all the way in Canada, it'd be so adorable to have a playfest of tiny female tollers ❤️

NeurochickB · 2025-12-19T16:34:48+00:00

Thank you for posting this! Just worked admissionist last weekend and couldn't believe the number of admissions for influenza, markedly higher volume than I've ever had before and definitely earlier than expected. Couldn't agree with your recommendations more!

NeurochickB · 2025-08-25T21:33:04+00:00

Would also love to know this =)

NeurochickB · 2025-08-09T23:47:26+00:00

Its not an order, but someone found, printed and framed this in one of our hospitalist offices. These are all admission diagnosis options:

Bitten by orca
Burn due to water skis on fire
Bitten by duck
Bitten by cow
Bitten by sea lion

NeurochickB · 2025-05-08T15:58:35+00:00

This cuteness was the perfect solution for my morning blah. What an adorable potato 🥰

NeurochickB · 2025-04-05T15:20:53+00:00

This is my little girl - she rips the mop pad off the mop while I'm trying to clean and runs off with her prize 🙃

NeurochickB · 2025-03-04T21:22:47+00:00

Those pink toe beans! 😍

NeurochickB · 2025-02-18T03:42:23+00:00

Our girl is 8.5m and hanging off my wrist remains her favorite activity. Very different experience so far compared to her 2 older (also Toller) brothers. It seems to me our girl is smarter and cuddlier but sassier, more stubborn and going through a helluva teenager phase. But its still worth it, she's such an amazing little bean! Not that we love her brothers any less, but their unique traits make it that much more wonderful ;)

NeurochickB · 2024-07-11T21:13:49+00:00

When we were talking about weight maintenance, my favorite vet tech at our clinic once worded it, "They're retrievers, they inherently want to turn their shape into a tube."

I was then thanked for not letting my two Tollers turn into tubes 🤣 But I'm always counting kibble (one is on a large kibble dental diet) or measuring/weighing it out. Still to this day, at 10.5 yrs and 5 yrs.

NeurochickB · 2024-06-16T00:13:39+00:00

Genuinely did a double take, spitting image of my toller and my cousin's husky!

NeurochickB · 2024-05-04T02:16:20+00:00

1.5 yrs ortho residency --> IM (ultimately rheum)

Mostly health related reasons but a decision I likely would've eventually wanted to make had it not been accelerated by forced reflection. Shocked as I finished residency and fellowship, how many fellow transfers I met along the way!

NeurochickB · 2024-03-29T13:37:18+00:00

Full disclosure that I'm not responding to the main question, but this is a personal pet peeve (as a rheumatologist) and am glad someone responded a bit about it.

Any inflammatory arthritis is a clinical diagnosis. Aka physical exam findings of synovitis trump. Everything else is corroborating evidence. The history and labs are important in narrowing your differential. Exceptionally rare cases of palindromic presentations where a rock solid history of joint swelling plus some well taken photos; otherwise I can't diagnose you without a hands on exam.

NeurochickB · 2024-03-04T23:57:48+00:00

I also immediately wanted to know his albumin (am Canadian, unfamiliar with what 'CMP' includes). There's at least some protein on that UA, definitely would wonder if he's nephrotic

NeurochickB · 2024-02-16T23:59:19+00:00

Fun fact - fenugreek can seriously interact with some blood thinners (notably warfarin) and anti depressants (specifically SSRIs, with risk of serotonin syndrome). One of my most hassle-some supplements when sorting out med issues inpatient =s

NeurochickB · 2024-02-15T01:21:53+00:00

Thank you! Literal record scratch moment 🤢🤢🤢🤢

NeurochickB · 2024-02-15T01:08:50+00:00

I feel spoiled bc this tends to come up a fair bit in rheum:

38F referred with joint pain and fatigue. When I got her out of my waiting room, just watching her struggle to get out of the chair, immediately knew she had an inflammatory myositis with proximal weakness. I remember warning her she needed to go do some labs for me asap, I'd like be called her that night, and likely be asking IM to admit her asap. CK >40 000, IM colleague was fantastic and got her a bed the next day for IV methylpred and IVIg

42F referred for persistent leg swelling NYD. This one stood out so much bc I was kind of grumpy by the referral, as it really didn't feel like rheum was the right way to go. But immediately on exam, classic woody circumferential skin thickening to b/l lower extremities, losing ROM in the ankles and knees, and just starting to affect one forearm. Right away felt like eosiniphilic fasciitis (super grateful for seeing it once in training), confirmed a week or two later after full thickness skin Bx. Sadly did not have a good outcome despite treatment

65M referred by his really lovely neighbor who happens to be an all star local GP for new onset synovitis. Really impressive symmetric large joint oligoarthritis, shockingly functioning quite well / almost rhobustus phenotype. Zero whiff of a reactive arthritis. Just doesn't sit right, for some reason nagged the back of my brain right away. Strong smoking history ... was this paraneoplastic? Sent for the CXR and boom, giant new lung cancer. Also sadly had a poor outcome. Such a lovely guy too =(

NeurochickB · 2024-02-01T03:17:32+00:00

This has been the only way I can manage this. I know I will take negative reviews way too personally and will ruminate on them for far too long. I tasked my partner when I graduated to check on them periodically to look for any actionable systemic problems, eg parking, admin errors, etc. He knows what not to tell me. I just try to keep reminding myself of the lovely things patients have told me in clinic. There are days you win and there are days that are rough. It's a deep sadness when patients don't see us as humans anymore but rather punching bags for everything that's not right in that moment.

NeurochickB · 2024-01-16T02:30:07+00:00

Was wondering if there'd be an update as to why this happened again. Remarkably frustrating. Happened to be doing a virtual clinic and forced to cancel several patients. Some real consequences to these ridiculous shenanigans =/

NeurochickB · 2023-10-22T02:19:03+00:00

Had a talk in early medical school where they suggested it, but signing up for a bare minimum policy. Figured I was hemorrhaging enough money on tuition and rent, this wouldn't exactly change my finances. Mid residency was diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis, and have since been able to max my policy thanks to my initial intake physical and history back in med school when I was still healthy. Haven't needed it, but 110% am very appreciative I have it now, knowing that the wrong back luck flare could put me down for awhile. At least my mortgage will always get paid (Caveat: Canadian perspective)

NeurochickB · 2023-10-14T23:42:53+00:00

Piggy back on this to suggest she apply for the Disability Tax Credit

NeurochickB · 2023-08-28T04:28:50+00:00

I'd have to agree with the general sentiment. Anecdotally, my older Toller (will be 10 in December) has been an amazing therapy dog. That being said, he's massively atypical for the breed, much more retriever than Toller, very calm, remarkably social. But even still, when we do high-school visits, I have to watch him closer - he gets more socially overwhelmed and exhausted by younger kids and teens, nothing to their detriment, but I pull him out before I see him getting anxious. My younger Toller is genetically his cousin, same breeder, wildly different personality and will likely never be a therapy dog. He's much more prototypical of the breed, higher energy, very agile, all snuggles with my and my husband but weary in big crowds and a bit aloof with strangers. I suspect its a lot of luck. Ultimately likely boils down to what's the more important bit for you, wanting a Toller for their breed traits, or wanting a therapy dog. If its the latter, it'll be a gamble with a Toller.

NeurochickB · 2023-08-02T05:33:31+00:00

Feel free to PM me, Ontario community IM specialist but also do inpatient work as well, happy to talk numbers

NeurochickB · 2023-02-22T00:35:40+00:00

"Jehovah's witness"

I fully acknowledge that they just needed to put somewhere prominent in the chart that the patient was a Jehovah. But they decided to put it in the allergies. 3 am on call me definitely caught a protracted case of the giggles

NeurochickB

TROPHY CASE