Pets

What can my dog and I expect at our first Neurology appointment?

What to Expect at Your Dog's First Neurology Appointment

So the question is, what can my dog and I expect at our first neurology appointment? The answer to that is that it should be very similar to any vet appointment that you've been to in that you will come into the waiting room with your dog, provide the information that the customer service representative needs to check you in, and then you'll be placed into an exam room and the technician or assistant will take your dog's vital signs and ask you usually a more detailed history potentially than what you're used to at your general practitioner. For that reason, it can be really helpful when you're seeing a specialist to have all of your dog's or cat's medical history easily accessible and in a really organized fashion. So it's helpful to keep a diary of events. If your dog has seizures, it's helpful to know exactly when those seizures happened and maybe what happened before them so that we can start to pinpoint what the triggers are. All of those kinds of details that maybe felt a little bit too much for your GP are things that the neurologist may want to know. When the neurologist comes in, they're going to do a full neurologic exam that includes checking your dog's reflexes, conscious proprioception, which is how they place their limbs in space, cranial nerve function, which is how they blink or how they grimace, how they pant. Those sorts of things will all be checked thoroughly by the neurologist and that will feel a little bit different. And then I think probably very similar to your general practitioner, someone, whether it's the neurologist or a technician or assistant, will come back in and present you with a treatment plan and that might include diagnostics like MR or CT or they may suggest medication.

At a neurology appointment for your dog, you will check in and the technician or assistant will take your dogs vital signs, ask you more detailed questions than you are used to at a general practitioner appointment. The neurologist will do a full neurologic exam, which includes checking reflexes, conscious proprioception, cranial nerve function, etc. They may suggest diagnostic tests or medication, and provide you with a treatment plan.

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At your first neurology appointment for your dog, you can expect a process similar to a regular vet appointment. You'll enter the waiting room, provide necessary information to the customer service representative, and then be taken to an exam room. A technician or assistant will check your dog's vital signs and gather a detailed medical history, which may require more information than a general practitioner visit.

To make the most of the appointment, it's helpful to have your dog's medical history easily accessible and well-organized. Keeping a diary of events, especially if your dog has seizures, can provide valuable information about triggers and timing.

When the neurologist arrives, they will conduct a thorough neurological examination. This includes assessing reflexes, conscious proprioception (limb placement in space), and cranial nerve function (blinking, grimacing, panting). This part of the exam may feel different from a regular vet visit.

After the examination, either the neurologist or a technician/assistant will return to discuss a treatment plan. This may involve further diagnostics such as MR or CT scans, or they may recommend medication.

Overall, the first neurology appointment for your dog will involve gathering detailed information, a comprehensive neurological examination, and the development of a treatment plan tailored to your dog's needs.

In your opinion, what’s the coolest animal you’ve worked on?

Orangutan Echo: The Coolest Animal I've Ever Worked On!

So the question is, what is the coolest animal that you have worked on? And I didn't have to think long about this one because definitely the coolest animal I've ever worked on was an orangutan at the zoo. And we were doing echoes on this patient in order to check heart function. And this orangutan was much larger than I would have predicted. And the most surprising thing about the orangutan was this hand that you can see, my hand lying within the orangutan's hand. And the nails on this animal's hand were huge. It was a hand that just looked so human with these huge nails and probably twice the size of mine. I'll never forget the experience.

The coolest animal I ever worked on was an orangutan at the zoo where we were doing Echoes to check heart function. The most surprising thing about the orangutan was its huge hand with nails twice the size of mine.

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The coolest animal I've ever worked on, in my opinion, was an orangutan at the zoo. We were conducting echoes to assess its heart function. I was amazed by the size of the orangutan, which was much larger than I had anticipated. However, the most surprising aspect was its hand. When I placed my hand within the orangutan's hand, I noticed its huge nails. They were incredibly large, resembling human nails but about twice the size of mine. It was a memorable experience that I will never forget.

Raw Salmon: A Potential Danger for Dogs

The question is, is it safe to feed your dog raw salmon? And the answer is probably not. I would avoid it. The more nuanced answer is that geographically in the Pacific Northwest, there's a disease called salmon poisoning, which is caused by a rickettsial organism. This is the same kind of organism that causes Lyme disease or other tick-borne diseases. It lives in snails, and then weirdly in the flesh of salmon. And if dogs eat raw salmon frequently, they can contract salmon poisoning, which is caused by this rickettsial organism. Salmon poisoning causes severe gastrointestinal distress, yellow, often yellowy, sort of slimy diarrhea, inappetence, severe dehydration, and sometimes vomiting. It is treatable, but without treatment, it often causes death. So it's a very severe illness. And it can be a little bit tricky to diagnose, especially for people that don't see it every day. So it isn't uncommon for folks to go on vacation into a river valley or somewhere where there's access to raw salmon, come back home, and their vet is a little bit stumped by the symptoms and the disease, and that's because they don't see it often in their geographic area. Because we don't know where our food comes from often, and things are imported and exported, I just don't recommend feeding your dog raw salmon. There's too much risk. Hope that helps.

It is not safe to feed your dog raw salmon due to the risk of contracting salmon poisoning, which can cause severe gastrointestinal distress, dehydration, and even death.

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Feeding your dog raw salmon is generally not safe and should be avoided. In the Pacific Northwest, there is a disease called salmon poisoning caused by a rickettsial organism. This organism lives in snails and can be found in the flesh of salmon. If dogs frequently consume raw salmon, they can contract salmon poisoning, which leads to severe gastrointestinal distress, yellow diarrhea, loss of appetite, dehydration, and vomiting. Without treatment, it can be fatal.

Diagnosing salmon poisoning can be challenging, especially for veterinarians who are not familiar with the disease in their geographic area. Since the origin of our food is often unknown and there are risks associated with imported and exported products, it is best to err on the side of caution and avoid feeding your dog raw salmon.

It's important to prioritize your dog's health and well-being, so it's recommended to choose safer alternatives for their diet.

How long after getting kennel cough will my dog start to show symptoms?

Kennel cough: Symptoms can appear within days

So the question is how long after getting kennel cough will my dogs start to show symptoms? And the answer to that is usually they start to show symptoms within just a few days. So two to three days is typical. That can vary a little bit and the reason is that kennel cough can be caused by a number of different organisms. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, sometimes a combination of the two. So depending on what is causing the disease, you may have a longer incubation period or time until they show symptoms. In the veterinary world, kennel cough has been renamed canine infectious respiratory disease complex, so CIRDC. And that speaks to how many different organisms can be involved in these symptoms that they have. It's very similar to a human cold. So the answer to your question is approximately two to three days, but that can vary up to a few weeks.

The typical time until a dog starts to show symptoms of kennel cough is 2-3 days, but it can vary up to a few weeks depending on the cause.

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After getting kennel cough, dogs typically start showing symptoms within a few days, usually around two to three days. However, the exact timing can vary depending on the specific organism causing the disease. Kennel cough, now known as canine infectious respiratory disease complex (CIRDC), can be caused by various viruses, bacteria, or a combination of both. The wide range of organisms involved in CIRDC explains why the incubation period and time until symptoms appear can vary. It's important to note that CIRDC is similar to a human cold. So, while the average timeframe is two to three days, it's possible for symptoms to manifest up to a few weeks after exposure.

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Veterinarian with masters degree and advanced training in animal behavior. Special interest in diagnostic imaging (ultrasound/radiography). 

Neither AnyQuestion nor its Experts provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment or otherwise provide professional healthcare services.

Elizabeth Gray