Freckles and her bad neighbors

Working in the vet clinic one day we all were shocked when this couple brought in a dog that they'd found wandering around loose. The animal had no hair and was covered in scabs. Upon inspection the animal was found to be female and very malnourished and infected with Sarcoptic mange.

This isn't "Freckles" but unfortunately this is what she looked like when we first saw her.


The Dr.s recommendation was turpentine dips, one every week until better. The people who found her didn't want another dog but they didn't want to leave her like that so they took her in and agreed to pay for the treatment of the dog (who was extremely shy and cowardly)until she was better and then she would be placed up for adoption. They named the dog, Freckles.

So the treatment began, every week Freckles had to be loaded into the car, drove to the clinic, stay for a few hours while she was bathed and dipped and placed in a kennel to dry (can't use blow dryers with turpentine dips), then drug out to the car for the ride home. This went on for months. Eventually Freckles got to the point where she didn't have to be dragged, then soon she walked instead of slinked, after a few months she even wagged her tail and looked delighted when patted. With the change in attitude can a change in her body. She had turpentine dips for about 6 months. At the end of the 6 months the only scabs that remained were a few small ones on her head. All her fur was growing back nicely too. She looked like a new dog. It was decided by the new "owners" that after spending hundreds of their own money to fix this dog that she would be going up for adoption the following week.

The day after Freckles left the hospital with the adoption pending declaration the owners rushed in. They were carrying a limp Freckles. The top of her scalp was sliced open and she was unconscious. The story was that she had been found on the other side of a hole under the fence laying in the neighbors yard. We rushed her into the treatment area and gave her what treatment we could, which included several stitches to the top part of her head and supportive therapy among other things. The "owners" left that night not knowing if she'd survive.

Freckles had come around by morning but was showing slight signs of brain damage. She was disoriented, couldn't see or walk straight, couldn't stand without support, couldn't even hardly eat or drink. The "owners" were back that day with more of what had happened. The neighbor said that he had seen his horse kick Freckles while she was chasing it. Of course the "owners" were very upset, the neighbor had openly admitted to seeing her get "kicked" so why had he just left her lie there? How had a horse's hoof sliced Freckles head open so cleanly?? They left that day with more questions than answers and it was still not sure that Freckles would survive. She was having to be force fed every meal and have regular doses of IV fluids and meds.

We treated Freckles for several days and the "owners" were back every day still searching for answers and still finding none. It finally got to a point where we were able to tell them that she would survive but we weren't sure what kind of dog she would be now and what she would be able to do. Would she ever run again? She was starting to be able to stagger out to the bathroom on her own. Would she ever gulp down her food and look greedily for more?? She was licking some water. This treatment went on for weeks and hundreds more were spent.

Then, at last, it was decided that Freckles was ready to leave the hospital, she had treatments to do at home still but intense therapy was no longer necessary she would fully recover and be a normal dog again. The day before Freckles was discharged from the hospital the owners came into the clinic to visit, as they always did. They finally had a few answers, and new questions. The neighbor, after having a police call threatened, admitted that his horse hadn't kicked Freckles. The neighbor said that she had been chasing his chickens happily around the yard and he had gone out with a shovel and hit her on the head. That horrifying revelation led to more questions, why hadn't he simply taken her home, she hadn't hurt anything? Freckles was still a timid dog, why hadn't he yelled at her, she would have lit for home? Why was she standing close enough to be hit, did he call her over? We had noticed a regression in her behavior and attitude at the hospital but had assumed that it was because of the injury, not because of what lead up to the injury.

The story does have a good ending though, although a bit sad. The owners had decided that this was the final straw, Freckles was theirs for good and had her home. They also decided that they couldn't live next to someone like their neighbor and were searching for a new location to live. Freckles went home the next day to a permanent home with people that loved her but not a permanent location. She would never walk through our clinic doors again.

How to draw your own blood

First of all you will need an appropriate blood tube or clot tube for the test you will be performing or taking the blood in for (will cover blood tubes and tests more extensively another post). Some tests will need the blood seperated and should not be drawn without a vet unless you have a centrifuge to seperate at the appropriate time, contact vet or lab to ensure that whole, non-seperated, blood may be sent) You will also need a needle (20-22 ga. X 1") or vacutainer (large amounts of blood) and sterile syringe (Size depends on amount needed, most only need 3 cc, call vet or lab and ask amount when in doubt). You may also need a clipper for shaving the hair off close if not experienced (I would advise having someone show you in person how to do this at least once). You should have an alcohol swab (or chlorahexidine, or Iodine) and cotton balls as well. You should also have a black pen available and should write the animal's ID on the blood tube as soon as possible, especially when doing more than one animal. Most often at least two people are needed for blood draws, one for restraint and one for drawing the blood. It is also advised to wear gloves.

You will need to restrain the animal properly. For a milking goat this may be as simple as the milking stand with head secured and eating. For a cow it can be done in a stanchion. Some dogs will need fully restrained some will just need securely held. (will also cover proper restraining methods in future posts) Please stay tuned and learn more about performing these holds BEFORE attempting.

The site for the blood collection depends on the species of animal. Most large animals and small ruminants (cows, horses, sheep, goats) are drawn from the neck. Dogs can be drawn from the neck or foreleg. Cats can be drawn from the neck, foreleg, or interior hind but are difficult to do. I would recommend a large animal for your first veinupuncture as they are the easiest to restrain and the easiest to draw from.

To locate the vein in the neck you can imagine a line directly down from the center of thier eye down their neck. Have the restraint person tip the animals muzzle upwards and away from you and hold it securely there. There should be a valley or furrow in the neck. The vein is located within this furrow. Apply pressure about 3/4 of the way down the neck where the furrow is the deepest. You should see the vein bulge outwards above your hand within the furrow. Congratulations you found your vein. It can be found on either side of the neck. If needed shave the area to be able to visualize the vein better, if you don't want to shave wetting down the area with alcohol may also help. Animals that are overweight may have veins that are harder to locate due to excess fat.The restraint person does not hold pressure for you.

The other main vein that is used is the cephalic. It is in the forearm. Restrain the animal by holding one arm under the neck and the other arm over the body. The arm that is held over the body also will be used to put pressure on the vein. The restraint person holds the pressure (you may also use a tourniquet). To hold pressure on the vein place hand over arm of animal with thumb pointing towards the inside and belly and fingers pointing outwards and down. Grasp top of leg firmly and roll outward.This will make the vein bulge slightly lower down the arm.This bulge is the location for the blood draw.

Syringe and Needle Method: Remove the cap from the needle. The plunger of the syringe can be operated by using the thumb, forefinger and the middle of the hand. Before inserting the needle, pull the plunger back to break the seal on the syringe, and then depress completely to remove the air. Use the thumb of one hand to place pressure on the vein as described above. Hold the syringe in the other hand and guide the needle towards the bulging vein. Insert slightly and gently pull back on the plunger using the ring and pinky fingers of the hand holding the syringe. If blood appears in the syringe, continue filling the syringe until the desired amount is obtained. If no blood is seen, the needle may be parallel to the vein or it may have gone through the vein. Light movements of the syringe can be used to try to locate the vein. If the vein cannot be found withdraw the needle and start again on the other side or slightly above the first puncture after applying pressure to first side with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol for several minutes. Once the sample has been taken, remove the pressure from your thumb on the vein, withdraw the needle and apply pressure to the site until all bleeding stops.

Vacutainer Method: With the thumb of one hand hold off the vein which should be easy to see and feel. Aim for the center of the vessel. Inserting the needle does not require a lot of force- apply just enough pressure to break through the skin and enter the vessel. Once the needle is in place, apply pressure to the tube so it is pushed up onto the vacutainer needle. If the needle is in the vein, blood should flow into the tube. If this does not happen, gently move the needle out of the vessel (while still on the tube), but not out of the skin (or the vacuum will be lost) and redirect the needle until blood enters the tube. When the tube has filled with the desired amount, release the pressure from your thumb on the vein, remove the tube from the needle and then remove the needle from the skin. Apply pressure until all bleeding has stopped.

Insert needle directly into top of blood tube and allow vacuum to suck blood from syringe into tube (do not forcefully depress plunger, if blood tube was not opened prior to this there should be a vacuum within it) Never handle blood roughly, do not shake, inject forcefully, or anything else that could damage blood cells. This will cause your results to be skewed or unusable.

CAUTION: Never allow air to be injected into a vein, always ensure that the syringe is empty of air before beginning. When needle is under the skin of the animal and no blood comes out there should always be pressure pulling on the syringe plunger if plunger is pulled on. If there is no pressure on the plunger and plunger is not flush with the front of syringe there is air in the syringe and the needle should be withdrawn from the animal immediately without depressing the plunger.

It is always a good idea to contact vet or testing lab before starting for blood handling instructions. Place blood tube carefully into the refrigerator if required. After 5 hours or so you can send it to the lab for testing. If it is warm outside you may need to put a small cold pack in with it when you mail it.

Some animals should only be done with experience. Below are a few odds and ends animals.
Swine Blood Draws
Alpaca Blood Draws
Rabbit Blood Draws

Here are a few laboratories that may be able to process your blood sample. If there is not one listed in your area, try calling the one that is nearest to you. They probably know of another lab that is closer.

California Veterinary Diagnostic Lab System
West Health Sciences Drive
University of California - Davis
Davis, Calif. 95616
(916)752-7577

National Animal Disease Center
PO Box 70
Ames, Iowa 50010

Pan American Veterinary Laboratories
3921 Steck Ave
Austin, Texas 78759
(512)794-9657 Fax
(800)856-9655

Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories
University of Minnesota
College of Veterinary Medicine
Carter and Gortner Aves.
St Paul, Minnesota 55108

Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
College of Veterinary Medicine
Washington State University
PO Box 2037
College Station/Bustad Hall, Rm 155-N
Pullman, Washington 99165-2037
(509)335-7424 Fax
(509)335-9696

Diagnostic Laboratory
Cornell University
College of Veterinary Medicine
Ithaca, New York 14853

Chewed door knobs?

In the vet hospital that I worked at all the door handles bore the marks of another great escape. Curious, I asked the head vet and owner why all the handles were chewed. This is the story she related to me. The vet got here one morning to find a dog loose in the front room and gnawing away at the front door. There were no clips on the door latches of the runs at that time to hold them securely in place. The dog had jumped at the gate in the middle of the night and popped the latch up and open. He then started on the kennel door and chewed the knob of the door until it was no longer smooth and could be turned. He then grasped it with his teeth turned the knob and pulled. When through that door he then picked another and started chewing again. Door by door he made his way out to the front room. I guess he figured he was going to find his master and go home. Then when no master appeared in the front room he worked on the front door. If the head vet hadn't arrived when she did who knows how long it would have taken the dog to figure out the front deadbolt.

Roxy the Great Dane

Jumping escapes are common enough and I’ve heard many other stories from different vet offices that have these stories; it’s a hazard of kennels everywhere. There have been some creative breakouts though. Another dog that escaped the kennel was Roxy the Great Dane. Roxy thankfully had a home and was just there for routine work. There was no problems taking her to the kennel and she promptly lay down and relaxed on the blanket provided. There was another dog in the kennel beside her that contained a dog at the time that was having some back problems and the animal had to be hospitalized for a time. The owner of this dog came that day to visit and I showed her in. I had to do something up front and was gone out of the kennel for about 2 minutes, in this time frame Roxy decided she’d had enough of the cramped quarters and it was time to go. When I walked back into the kennel she was sitting quietly in a far corner looking extremely pleased with herself and for the entire world like she was saying “think camouflage”. Needless to say, it’s not difficult to spot a 175 lb Great Dane relaxing where there isn’t any kennels. Taking her collar in hand I walked around the corner. The visiting woman was petting her dog and she looked up at me with an amused expression. Lying between the runs and the wall was the door of the kennel. The latch and clip hung mockingly, securing nothing. The client had been petting her dog and talking with him, when all of a sudden there was a crash and Roxy came trotting on past. She had simply pried her paws under the kennel door and used them as levers to lift the entire gate off its hinges. We had to bring in the tools and reverse one of the hinges to keep her in.

The funny thing about animal work...

The funny thing about the animal profession is that you can’t ever predict the things that are possible and will happen. Working in the kennels even before becoming a veterinary technician taught me that. For example, you can never guarantee that a particular animal will still be in the cage that it was placed in five minutes later. There are a few that I remember specifically, the first was a boxer, about 6 years old, that was brought into the vet’s office by a rescue to be euthanized, they had saved her from a shelter and had housed her for several years. No one would ever consider adopting her, so the rescue had to make room to try and save a younger, more adoptable dog. This boxer was placed in a six foot tall run and after being secured there proceeded to follow me back into the next room. Brushing past me she raced to the door to be let outside. Puzzled I went to her and patting her placed a lead around her neck. Taking her back to the run I noticed three things: the door was closed, the latch was hooked, and the clip holding the latch was securely in place. I had indeed locked her in. There was only a foot of space between the top of the kennels and the ceiling, almost impossible for a dog of her size to squeeze through, not to mention the lack of room in the kennel to obtain a running start. Placing her back in the run I walked to the end of the hall and turned around to watch and wait. It wasn’t a long wait. Without even taking a step she jumped straight upward, grabbed into the chain link with her paws, clawed her way up the next three feet, oozed herself between the gate and ceiling, and dropped to the floor. She was thrilled. I wasn’t as happy however, all my enclosed cages that would be a comfortable size for her were full of patients and boarders. I ended up having to place her in a cramped fully enclosed kennel that we didn’t use much, these type of kennels were dark, and difficult to clean, and in order to clean them you had to be on your knees on the cold cement floor. She spent the next few hours there. I wish I could say that this brave happy dog found a home by showing her spirit but unfortunately not all stories can end with happy endings.

Skin mite Check

You will need a microscope, whether it be a cheap one from craigslist, a sophisticated one of your own, borrowing a vet's or schools scope, or in this case even a cheap kids scope will work. Get a few microscope slides and coverslips, they dont have to be fancy ones. You'll also need a small amount of mineral oil and a scalpel blade, both of these can be obtained at almost any feed store. Secure the animal you are doing the mite check on. For cattle or goats this might mean putting it in a stanchion, sheep you might set on their rear, Dogs you might have to have a buddy hold, cats you might need a cat bag (will cover cat bags in another post). Pick an area that hasn't been treated for the mite but is most likely to be infected, you will want to scrape the edges of an area since some mites do not like to live on the bare areas and will migrate to the edges. Put a drop of the mineral oil on the blade and gently pinch the area upwards between your fingers and scrape the area with the scalpel blade until it bleeds just a bit (surface bleeding not venous or arterial) then put a drop of mineral oil on the slide and stir whats on the blade around in it. Try to make it even height (not all the skin/debris piled up) and drop a coverslip on it. Then look at it under the microscope, 10X power. If there are mites there you will know, some look like weird shaped spiders others look like cigars...the different types look different but they all look like they don't belong with the rest of the stuff (skin cells, hair). The mites that burrow into the skin are harder to find and several scrapings may be required for those type of mites before you see them. The good news is that you can wash the coverslips and slide really carefully with soap and water and let them dry and can use them again and again. Cheyletidae, Chorioptes, and Psoroptes are all skin mites that live on the surface. Demodex and Sarcoptes burrow into the skin. Knemidokoptes is a burrowing mite resposible for scaly beaks in birds.