Dr. Phil Zeltzman’s Blog
Real stories about actual HRVSS patients.
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Everly From Suffocating To Breathing Well
“I am rushing Everly to the emergency clinic. Her breathing is labored. She is vomiting foam. And her lips and gums are blue.” This was the panicked call Everly’s owner received from the manager of a boarding facility in Pennsylvania, where her dog had been dropped...
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Why did you remove Thor’s penis???
Thor, a 2-year-old, 100 lb Great Dane, was in a tough and strange situation. He had a condition called paraphimosis. This means that being intact (i.e. not neutered), he got a bit excited with his female Great Dane buddy, and could not get his penis back in his...
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Gibbs, My Biggest Surgical & Ethical Challenge In 2022
Gibbs, an 11 year old Samoyed, used to be a Grand Champion show dog. 5 years ago, he was adopted by his furever family. His owner recalls: “About a year ago, Gibbs started to have some irritation, swelling & bleeding in his back end. A number of treatments were...
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Extreme Makeover – Baby Girl’s Ear Mass
Baby Girl, a 10 year old kitty, had a small mass on the inside of her left ear. It grew larger, and seemed to find it’s way through the cartilage and started to grow on the outside of the ear. It was diagnosed as a “cyst.” This is word that is unfortunately often used...
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Why Would a Pet Need a Toe Amputation?
We amputate a significant number of toes in our patients. Did that ever cross your mind? We’ve performed a huge number of toe amputation, aka digit amputation, both in cats and dogs, and for a variety of reasons. When is a toe amputation needed? There are several...
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Oscar, From Miserable to Full of Energy (A Screw Tail Story)
“Oscar was miserable, depressed and uncomfortable. He hesitated to go outside to poop…”Oscar, a 10 year old Olde English Bulldog, had an itchy problem.And his owner drove 3 hours, all the way from Southern Maryland, to find a solution at Harrisburg Regional.A...
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5 Ways We Decrease Stress in Our Patients
It’s hard to deny that anesthesia and surgery are stressful. So we take it very seriously, and we do everything we can to decrease stress in our patients. Here are 5 ways we reduce stress. 1. We recommend preop medications Our canine patients receive a pain...
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Miracle Link, or Christmas in July
Link, an 8 year old Doxie, was in trouble. Externally, he was bright yellow (jaundiced), had been vomiting, and hadn’t eaten for a few days. Fortunately, instead of procrastinating, Link’s owner took him to his family vet, who ran blood work. It showed elevated liver...
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10 Ways We Keep Patients Comfortable Around Surgery
At Harrisburg Regional, we spend an insane amount of time and effort to prevent and treat pain in our patients. Let’s take the example of Tucker, a 9-year-old Lab, who had major knee surgery today – a TPLO - to address a torn ACL. And let’s count the ways we used to...
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Is My Pet Too Old for Surgery?
One very common question I hear from clients is "Is (s)he too old for this surgery?" or "Do you think surgery is worth it in a pet that old?" Mind you, the dog could be a 6-year-old Great Dane or a 10-year-old kitty. Invariably, and with a smile, my answer is "Age is...