Patient of The Month

for the month of April  2012

With 10,035 votes, 

Busta

is the April
Patient of the Month!

Busta is a 4year old Yorkshire Terrier. Dr. Stropes at Crossover Veterinary Clinic diagnosed him with a torn CCL and referred to Dr. Dew for surgery. Dr. Dew performed a TTA and MPL correction. His prognosis is good for healing, improved function and decreased progression of degenerative joint disease (arthritis). Nursing care, physical therapy, exercise restriction and the use of Glycoflex will play critical roles in an uncomplicated recovery and optimization of long term function.

Woah Busta! That’s a new Azzore record! Congrats!

Patient of The Month

for the month of March 2012

With 5,700 votes, 

Benz 

is the March
Patient of the Month!

Benz, the spunky 5yr old Shih Tzu referred by veterinarian Dr. Nelson at A  to Zebra is not only the Patient of the Month, but also the new Azzore Record Holder for receiving the most votes. Way to go Benz and gang! 

Benz had come to see Dr. Dew when, approximately 3 weeks before, he began to have a  hunched back; after initially responding to steroid therapy, the signs returned and for the past 10 days, he had been reluctant to move his head and was yelping in pain anytime he was moved. At his initial consultation appointment, Benz was very dorsoflexed in his lower back, cervical muscle spasms were visible; although he was walking, mild ataxia in all four limbs was evident.

Surgery was based on CT findings, which showed 2 areas of disc herniation, one in the lower spinal column and one on the upper spinal column.  Dr. Dew performed a ventral slot and hemilaminectomy to remove the affected disc material.

Benz’s prognosis is good for healing and improved neurological function.

Congrats Benz, Family, & Friends! 

Patient of the Month

for the month of February 2012

With 3502 votes, 

Clover is February’s
Patient of the Month!

Clover made the news:

http://couriernews.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Lucky+to+be+alive%20&id=17855407&instance=top_stories

Clover, the 2yr old American Pitbull
who was referred to Dr. Dew by
Dr. McCutcheon at Park Avenue Animal Hospital,
is February’s title winner!

Clover, who has been in to see Dr. Dew for total hip replacements
over the past several months, needed a revision to the cup
on her previous hip replacement.
Dr. Dew fixed her up and now she is good to go!

Congrats to our lucky dog Clover!

UPDATE 04/06/12:  Clover is comfortable and her owner is relieved. her incision has healed and ROM (Range of Motion) in the hip is good. Dr. Dew asked Clover’s owner to continue P/T (Physical Therapy) and have radiographs taken in 8 weeks to assess bone new bone formation from the graft.

Patient of the Month

for the month of January 2012

With 4826 votes, 

JULEP is January’s
Patient of the Month!

JULEP is a 62# 2yr 5mo old Golden Retriever.
Her veterinarian is Dr. Paul Seminara at Green Mountain Animal Hospital. Julep had an acute onset of right rear lameness. Dr. Seminara identified a CCL rupture. Dr. Dew discussed the TTA procedure with Julep’s owners, and they decided on surgery.

Julep set a new Azzore Record!!!

Congrats to all Julep’s fans!

A couple of really great items! First “Julep” is using her TTA limb very well and Ms. Ham is pleased with her recovery, and second “Julep” recieved over 4800 votes in our “Pet of the Week” contest!

UPDATE  02/01/12: The incision has healed and “Julep” tolerated PROM (Partial Range of Motion) without evidence of discomfort. I asked her owner to incrementally increase the length of the leash walks and to call with any questions or concerns.

Patient of the Month

for the Month of December 2011

Congratulations to Tinker!
with 1, 533 votes, you have earned the title of

“Azzore’s Patient of the Month”!

TINKER is a Yorkshire terrier. She is 10yrs old and weighs about 2.5#. Her veterinarian is Dr. Carol Entricken at Benton Veterinary Hospital. Tinker came to see Dr. Hodgson previously to get a diagnosis of bilateral cataracts. She came for surgery and had both of her eyes done. Dr. Hodgson removed the cataract lenses and replaced them with artificial ones. Tinker was given an Elizabethan collar as well as medications. She should be visual in just a few days.  The picture on the left is just before surgery, and the one on the right is just a couple of hours following surgery.

Woohoo! Tinker and friends!

UPDATE 01/06/12:  The eyes look great according to Dr. Hodgson, even though the Lateral canthotomy suture had ruptured at the lid margins on the right eye. Dr. H discussed correcting this at the next recheck appointment.

UPDATE 02/07/12: The eyes look normal for 8 weeks post cataract surgery. Tinker is released to annual rechecks!

Patient of the Month

for the month of November 2011

with 1,748 votes

Roxie secured the title of

Patient of the Month!

ROXIE
the 2yr old  Bullmastiff referred to us
by Dr. David Oates at Russellville Animal Clinic

Roxie came to see Dr. Dew due to rear limb lameness and a suspected Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture of her Right stifle. (In laymen’s terms, Roxie had blown her knee in the same fashion as a football player.) To correct the problem Dr. Dew performed a Tibial Tuberosity Advancement.

UPDATE 11/18/11: Roxie came in for her two week recheck, and a small seroma had formed. This should resolve without treatment and the owners were allowed to increase her activity level gradually.

Congratulations Roxie and Friends!

UPDATE 03/05/12:  16 weeks post right TTA, Roxie became acutely lame on the right rear. The lameness had improved 90% in the 12 hours between scheduling the appointment and the consultation. Palpation was well tolerated and considered normal post-TTA. Radiographs demonstrated a healed osteotomy, stable implants and a normal volume of joint fluid.

Dr. Dew dispensed 2 weeks of Previcox and asked that Roxie be restricted to leash walks.

UPDATE 03/28/12: Roxie was examined again because think her lameness on the right rear is worsening and they occassionally hear a “popping” noise when she is walking. Today she was walking on the limb. She tolerated PROM (partial range of motion) and Dr. Dew could not demonstrate a meniscal click. He did suspect a meniscal tear and discussed a menisctomy with the owners, and an arthrotomy would be indicated.

Patient of the Month

for October 2011

with 937 votes,

Lola wins the title of

October Patient of the Month!

LOLA
the baby Dachshund

Dr. Susan Belt at Benton Veterinary Hospital sent her to Dr. Dew due to suspicion of  a murmur consistent with a PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosus). Her radiographs (xrays) did not confirm or argue the presence of PDA.

Dr. Dew did a Doppler ultrasound prior to surgery which indicated a shunt originating above the valves. The surgery was performed, and Lola recovered well. Her prognosis is good for chest wall healing and resolution of the murmur.

CONGRATULATIONS SWEET LIL LOLA!!!

6 week UPDATE: It is great to see “Lola” gaining weight and growing. She does have a grade II/V systolic murmur with the PMI at the right apex. The murmur has changed from pre-op in that now it only has a systolic component. On Doppler Ultrasound a high septal defect was noted.

Dr. Dew discussed continuing to monitor with ultrasound every 6 months, and will consult with a cardiologist concerning when to begin medical therapy.

Patient of the Month

for the month of September 2011

We must have had a celebrity dog in our midst without even knowing it because we have yet another Azzore Patient of the Week voting record!

Either that, or we just have some competitive clients

Anyway you put it, the winner of the September 2011 Patient of the Month title deserves special recognition!

Congratulations to Malachi!

He raked in 4,758 votes in one week!

bow-wow! 

MALACHI

the 3yr old German shepherd referred to us by local veterinarian,  Dr. Heath Stump at Russellville Animal Clinic, originally for a cruciate injury. Malachi returned to see Dr. Dew 12 weeks after his left TTA surgery for a left medial joint capsule closure . He also had 2 small skin tags removed while Dr. Dew performed the TTA revision and MPL correction. We expect Malachi to return to normal function soon, given that exercise restrictions are followed.

Way to go Malachi and Mates!!!

Patient of the Month

for the month of August 2011

With 3730 Votes, SOPHIE wins!!

SOPHIE
the 2.5yr old 24# Cocker Spaniel.
Referred to us by Dr. Philip Brunck at Fianna Hills Pet Hospital
for back surgery is this month’s winner!!

Sophie had had an acute onset of rear limb paresis a couple of weeks ago before she came to see Dr. Dew. He performed a myelogram then hemilaminectomy in order to remove the affected disc material. Sophie’s prognosis was good for healing and improved neurologic function post surgical procedures.

11 days after her back surgery, Sophie can now support weight on both rear limbs, is beginning to wag  her tail and is aware of urinating. Due to these improvements Dr. Dew expects to see continued progress in the return to normal neurologic function.

Sophie is doing well and we will give an update on her progress at her 6 week recheck appointment coming up.

UPDATE 10/07/11:  6 weeks post back surgery Sophie is able to ambulate without support or discomfort. She is having no urinary or fecal incontinence. Dr. Dew released Sophie to full unrestricted activity.

And again we have a new Azzore Record!!!

Way to go gang!