​Sara Bell, a 9 year old Boston Terrier, came for an exam in early February with the chief complaint of cloudy, painful eyes with excessive tears. On exam, we found significant inflammation in the part of the eye in front of the iris/pupil and conjunctivitis. She was in a lot of pain and didn't want to open her eyes.
We tried to treat with drops and oral pain relief, but two weeks later she had conreal ulcers and the pain continued. Now the intra-ocular pressures were very high. Glaucoma had developed. We sent Sara Bell to Dallas the next week (3/16) for an ophthalmic consult and their diagnosis was the same, but included dislocation of both lenses. Prognosis was very poor. Their suggestion was bilateral enucleation (eye removal). She was already blind in both eyes with no hope of medical improvement.

Every week we have clients who bring in their pet due to lameness, respiratory issues, or abdominal pain. These patients often require radiographic imaging to “see” what is inside. Radiographs give us an opportunity to look beneath the skin to examine underlying tissues and determine the root of whatever is causing the patient’s issue. Obviously, fractures of bones are easily visible but we can also see many soft tissue abnormalities and even the occasional foreign body (like the magnets the kids knocked off the refrigerator or maybe your keys…..we’ve even seen a superball!). Technology in the veterinary industry is continuously evolving. At Westridge, we like to keep up with all of the state-of-the-art equipment available to better diagnose and treat your pet. One of the most valuable pieces of equipment that we use daily is our digital radiology system.

"Doctor, why does Fido's breath smell so bad, has he eaten something dead?" How many times do we have this question asked daily? It is TNTC (doctor acronym meaning too numerous to count). February was National Pet Dental Health Month and we celebrated it at Westridge by performing over 40 prophys (cleanings) complete with digital radiographs, ultrasonic scaling and polishing (and quite a number of extractions!!!). We commend you all who are still taking advantage of the 10% discount we always extend on dentals during February (and continue on into March in order to finish!!) each year. There are a bunch of happy dogs and cats that have a sparkling smile now and more than a few that feel so much better now that one or more bad teeth have been removed.