Little River Veterinary Hospital (2025)

07/06/2025

What did we learn this week?

1. Luckily in vet med we don’t see many burn victims. This week I did. She was helping her dad in the kitchen. Dad went to dump boiling potatoes, tripped over his helper, dumped it on his foot - 2nd degree burns. Luckily my patient wasn’t as badly injured. As I looked up any new treatment options I was shocked to see 3 of the first 4 hits on the veterinary boards were related to pet conures landing in pots of boiling water! Two were pots of boiling potatoes! Be warned as we come into potato salad season.
Wacky

2. I’ll try and keep this week’s post short. It won’t be a big beautiful blog. But an interesting partial byproduct of the current political climate is that I have been swamped by requests for people leaving the country. Three to the UK, one to Switzerland, one to Israel and one to Albania.
One client is taking BarkAir. Google this option while you drink your morning coffee.
(6k per dog one way, human free)
Another option is taking the Queen Mary cruise ship.
(1k per dog but humans must have a room 2-9k)
For the discerning canine.

3. Despite the high tick counts this year sick pets from tick borne diseases have been low. Kudos to everyone following current best practices - Lyme vaccines and oral tick prevention.
On the flip side allergies are starting to become frequent offenders.

4. Got a great email from the Maine veterinary office. Talking about the oral wildlife vaccine I mentioned a few ago:

“447,900 RABORAL V-RG® Oral Rabies Vaccines (ORV) were dispersed by air and ground methods over an approximately 7,000 km2 area in northeastern Maine. This targeted spring ORV drop focused on a rural area in Maine bordering Canada and will be followed up with another drop in August to ensure adequate immunization of wildlife is achieved in the area. The ORV used in this operation was coated in fish meal crumbs to attract wildlife. Inside this coating lies a sachet with a stable vaccine that is absorbed via the mucosal surface when bitten into. The ORV is safe to other wildlife, domestic pets, humans, and the environment. While most baits are consumed by wildlife within a few days of being dropped, the remaining baits dissolve in the environment, and the vaccine inactivates through exposure to air and sunlight. “
“ ORV is dispersed by fixed-wing aircraft in rural areas. In a typical flight, there’s a pilot following a pre-determined, non-overlapping, sweeping route, a navigator who keeps ORV dispersal in line with density calculations, and works closely with a crew member who places the baits on a conveyor belt to be released through a small opening at the bottom of the aircraft.
ORV is released through a conveyor belt system that is attached to a small, round opening in the bottom of the aircraft from about 500ft in the air. The rate at which the belt moves and the amount of ORV that is dispersed in the designated zones are planned out in advance of the operation and are in part determined by wildlife density and epidemiological data.”
In July they plan on trapping, drawing blood, releasing skunks and raccoons in the area to measure antibody/vaccination rates.
Thanks to them for all their hard work.

That’s enough info for now. Stay safe. Thanks for the funny comments yesterday on our post about ticks.

~”Bluebell”
9 week Labrador

06/06/2025

Raise your hand if you live with someone who crushes ticks on your clean kitchen sink, clean bathroom sink, clean counter.
Then leaves them there like some medieval castle with heads on pikes .
👋🏻

31/05/2025

What did we learn this week?

1. Short week with the holiday Monday but Tuesday made up for it! I think we had 8 fit-ins during the morning. In retrospect it was kind of funny.
It’s rained for the last 60 days. Monday was sunny and everyone goes hog wild and “stoves themselves up”!
Middle aged dogs with muscle spasms.
Many cuts and abrasions on the pads.
But 4 month wonder pup “Whiskey” took the prize for weirdest injury. Running through the woods at top speed he ran across a snowmobile bridge (heavy wood constructed bridge that has many slats, looks like an overbuilt pallet). The problem was he didn’t realize it had slats and one of his front legs went through and downwards while his body was moving forward. He catapulted end over end.
Like us, he has two bones from his elbow to his wrist. He broke one and put a 3/4 crack in the other. So earned himself a ridiculous soft splint/cast for the next 8 weeks.
Tough on him and his owners. Hopefully just a bump in the road to a long life.
Reminded me of an ER call I had when I was doing large animal work. Cold winter afternoon. Pager goes off. (No person on earth ever liked pagers- they were instruments of hell)(I never did, but boy they could be thrown incredible distances and never shut up)
Horse rider attempted to cross one of these snowmobile bridges in Unity. Same thing happened but at a slower speed. Horse slipped through and all 4 legs were caught. Horse was essentially laying on its belly with legs sticking through the bridge.
A team of people meet as the sun is going down. We hike in a mile or so. I sedate the horse and we rolled the horse upside down and spin it off the bridge. Wait for him to wake up and then trudge home.
I was too overworked and cranky back then to take pictures. Shame.

2. Allergy season came back this week. Many hot spots. Itchy ears. If you have a pet on Zenrelia or Apoquel you may need to watch your pet. They may need increased doses as the pollens are high.

3. At my home I am having an epic bird year. Dr Sarah and I are seeing more species than ever. If you want a harmless non dramatic movie and you like birds, watch The Big Year. Jack Black and Owen Wilson.
Read a neat article about how hummingbird feeders have changed one species. A California variety, Anna’s hummingbird has evolved a longer tongue and beak to feed on the human offerings. This has allowed them to expand their range from southern Cali up into Canada.
The article link in the comments explains how they figured it out. Neat history of the feeders.
TLDR they became common after WW2

4. Heard Dr Dave Cloutier is hanging up the stethoscope. One of the founding Drs of Veazie vet, Dave has been a great mentor both as a vet and a business man. I was lucky to learn a few things from him. He will be hard to replace. He is one of the good guys.
Best wishes to him.

All for now. It’s raining - so it must be Saturday. Back in the office Monday.

~ “Deeks”
10 week Chunky Monkey Terrier

25/05/2025

Sunday fun day.
Please share any funny pic of your dog or cat. Give it a Title for extra credit.

“The Doodle, The Mud and The Dr”

24/05/2025

What did we learn this week?

1. The weather has been tough on everyone’s moods. The eternal muddy paw season.

2. Allergy and tick calls have been at bay a bit. I think the damp cold has mitigated them. The unopened tree buds and prospect of heat and sun next week will
likely cause an explosion of bad ears, itchy bums and hotspots. In the pets too.

3. Reminder. If you get a puppy don’t let it lick your face. Or your child’s face. Just don’t. Let’s get some dewormers into the new friend first. Although kissing a pet is a low risk for acquiring parasites it’s not zero.
Most human infections of dog roundworms (the spaghetti ones) are through infected soil.
When I was a child in the 1700s the play grounds were all sand. Perfect set up. Nice soft landing under the monkey bars.
But.
It was a giant cat litter box.
Huge exposure to microscopic parasite eggs. Hands get dirty. You run in when mom called for lunch. Eat a ham sandwich without cleaning…boom you’ve got eggs (read like AOL “you’ve got mail”)
Most new community playgrounds use wood chips or plastic substrates. Minimizes risk.
In this country 14% of adults have antibodies to dog roundworms. Meaning 1 out of 10 have had exposure.
It’s a reason we recommend heart worm meds in Maine. Yes the risk for heart worm is low but every month your dog is getting dewormed also against GI worms. Keeping you and your family healthy.

4. Had a mystery case last week. Young dog acted odd etc.
(spoiler it was cannabis)
Working through potential causes I skipped over mushrooms. But this week on my walks in the woods I came across a new fungi germinating. Using Google lens I found it belonged to a family called Gyromitra. Known as a false morel.
“The name Gyromitra comes from gyro meaning convoluted and mitra meaning turban.”
Can be fatal if eaten raw. Usual symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea.
Picture in comments

All I got. Long weekend is much appreciated. All of us at LRVH need to recharge. Have a great holiday!

~ “Cookie”
NS duck tolling retriever
Looking incredibly cute. Not a care in the world. Our first patient Monday morning.
Curiously the next quill dog was “Pizza Boy”.
Must be a food theme week?

23/05/2025

Running a few minutes late
Need to find my sweaters and corduroy pants

$savednotusingsunscreen

17/05/2025

What did we learn this week?

1. If you know what's good for you or your pet, never read the package insert.

2. Had an interesting challenge for our lab machines last week. Pet was in for a variety of concerns. Owner mentioned an animal communicator had told her the dog was having liver inflammation. In screening tests our results showed that the liver was in good shape. So either the $30K machine and IDEXX is wrong or maybe the communicator was not understanding what the dog was saying.

3. Canada travel. It's that time of year where many people head up to the maritimes with Fido. As of now, to return from Canada into the US, the pet must be over 6 months of age, have a microchip and a completed CDC Dog Import Form. (Google it to find the fillable form) From the CDC site, "...the one form you will need is the CDC Dog Import Form, which should take a few minutes to complete."
The FREE form needs to be done for every dog and can be printed ahead of time and is good for 6 months.
Ironically, there is no way to record or mention that your dog needs a current rabies vaccine!
You will need to show rabies vaccine proof crossing the Canadian Border.
These rules MAY change on August 1st. If they do and they require a USDA vet health certificate this will not be free, cheap or easy to get.

4. Any day now the state will be dropping oral rabies vaccines for wildlife in the northern part of the state. Interesting type of vaccine. It is a modified live vaccine but only carries a few genes of the real rabies virus.
IT CANNOT CAUSE RABIES
An older version of this vaccine that was used in Europe did unfortunately have the potential to cause rabies.
Current model is a plastic pouch with a liquid interior that needs to be punctured and eaten. Has been flavored with fish protein.
Safe if a dog eats them.

5. Super tragic accident this week and reminder that car interiors can get too hot these days. Please try to remember to not leave pets inside.

All for now. Back in the office Monday.

~ "Chicken" 9 mo old female DSH

This week I came across a curious writing allegedly from a Japanese emperor. With some minimal fact checking it appears to come from The "Kanpyō Gyoki. It is the oldest existing Japanese court diary " written by Emperor Uda, who was 23.
I think it is pretty special and remarkable how today's cat owners still feel the same way.

March 11, 889.
Now that I have a few spare moments I shall write a description of my cat. This black cat of mine had previously been given to the former Emperor (his father) by Minamoto no Suguru (Assistant General).
The color of my cat's fur is rare and exceptional. Unlike the other cats which are dark grey, the color of my cat's fur is beautiful deep black, like black ink. It resembles Kanro (Kanro is the famous black hunting dog of Han, or China).
Its length is 1 shaku 5 sun (45cm/18"), and its height is 6 sun (18cm/7", however this measurement is likely not correct). When he curls up he is very small, looking like a millet, but when he stretches out he is long, resembling a drawn bow.
The pupils of his eyes sparkle, dazzlingly bright like shiny needles reflected by light, while the points of his ears stick straight up, unwaveringly, looking like the bowl of a spoon.
When he is lying down, he does not show his legs and tail, and he is like a round black jewel. When he walks, he walks quietly and makes no sound, like a black dragon on top of a cloud.
By nature he has a preference for Daoyin (Taoist health practice) and instinctively follows the “five-animal exercise” (Wuqinxi, the traditional Taoist exercise regimen of moving like a tiger/deer/bear/monkey/bird). He always keeps his head and tail low against the ground, but when he arches his back, he extends some two shaku (60cm/2') in height. His fur is lustrous, perhaps on account of his Taoist health practices. He can catch mice quicker than the other cats.
The former Emperor (his father) had been enjoying this cat for a few days, and he had given him to me. I've been caring for this cat for 5 years now, feeding him milk gruel (some kind of fermented milk, like yoghurt) every morning.
It's not just because the cat is superior, but since he was given to me by the former Emperor, no matter how small of a creature he is, I've been treasuring and caring for him.
I said to the cat, "Since you possess the forces of yin and yang (=a mind) and a body, you must be able to understand me, right?" Then the cat sighed and kept staring up at me. He looked like as if he was full of feelings, but he couldn't say anything with his mouth.

10/05/2025

What did we learn this week?

1. Had a new question this week. It isn't uncommon for people to ask what to do with pets in the household when one of the pack passes. Sometimes they bring housemates to end of life visits and allow the dog to see their friend who has passed. Does it mean anything? Hard telling. Above my pay grade. But it seems to make everyone feel better. Some form of closure perhaps.
Well this week I was asked if an OWNER passes away should they allow their dog to see the body. I don't see why not. Again, I admire your faith in me but that's a big question.
I had a dairy farm client years ago. "B**g" Ward. When he passed he was buried in a cemetery not too far from the farm. His son told me his Border Collie would run to the grave site, lay down and cry.
Wild stuff.

2. We take a vested interest in our clients. After decades of back and forth you kinda get attached! Well this past week some of my senior clients were in and reported some tough times. Two had facial surgery to remove cancer. One pretty radical. Another was passing kidney stones while her daughter was in for back surgery...then when she got home and was recouping her husband had a snafu with a table saw, cut off 2.5 fingers, wrapped it up, walks out the door saying, "Cut my fingers off, driving down to the hospital!"
From the old cop show Hill Street Blues, "Hey, let's be careful out there."

3. Phantom tick season is in full swing. I tried finding the report I heard last year with no luck (maybe I am making this up?) But I heard skin cancer docs in areas with heavy tick populations are reporting higher rates of cancer diagnosis because people are busy looking for ticks and they are finding new moles that turn out to be cancer. A silver lining!
Along this line. No mow May?
C'mon. Who is putting this out? The Tick armies? I'm cutting my grass short. I plant plenty of beneficial food sources for pollinators.

4. Bird nerds unite! This weekend will be peak bird spotting. The leaves haven’t opened and tons of warblers et al are looking for partners. I watched a pair of a golden crowned kinglets for a solid 15 minutes trying to catch a picture. Bouncing off branches, chattering, strutting their stuff. They could care less as I inched closer. Few pics in the comments.
Our feeders have been busy.

All for now. Allergies are picking up. Spoil your puppers.

~”Murphy”
9 year old Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen (PBGV)
An old hound breed designed for rabbit hunting originating in France. Friendly and energetic they tend to get along with other dogs as they were bred to work as a pack.
Petit - small
Basset - low
Griffon - rough or shaggy coat
Vendewn - region of France

03/05/2025

Next weeks top call:
A: No
Q: Does anyone know why dogs eat grass?

03/05/2025

What did we learn this week?

1. We've been having a run on diarrhea (yukyuk). I know this because we were out of our varsity level probiotics, which we usually keep well stocked in our fridge. My gut feeling (!) is that these dogs are cleaning up the winter-killed dead citters in the grass.
We did have one known causative agent. We received a call last Friday afternoon about a 5 month old lab who had countersurfed and managed to get some Country Crock margarine. He was 50 pounds. The tub was 4 pounds. It had the predicted effect. But for one glorious moment he was over 7% margarine by weight!
(This is a great life achievement that kids can shoot for. When my oldest was 99 pounds he ate a pound of cheese pizza, making him 1% Pizza. My youngest was once 1% Pancake.)

2. I wonder if we are in the Golden Age of Veterinary Medicine? Seriously. The medicines we have are incredible. The ability to diagnose in rapid time while clients wait is also shocking. Lyme disease is a thing of the past.
Fleas? We have young techs who have barely seen a flea! Mange is a "gather round" moment.
We are close to being able to predict some types of cancer by a blood test before symptoms show.
My concern is that we may be peaking on the high tech care front and heading down due to the cost.
Ten years ago a weiner dog with a bad disk in its back could go to Portland for an MRI and surgery for 4 grand. Last I checked it was over 12. Insurance plans have allowed the specialists to charge exorbitant prices. As a result most do not go for care. (There are workarounds)
Do I recommend insurance - no. It is a minor part of the vet economy and I hope it stays that way. I don't look at our human "healthcare" as a model for us.

3. First for me. Saw an ill cat from Isleboro that tested positive for BOTH lyme and anaplasmosis. Jury still out that it was ill because of the exposures but it's the first time I saw the co-infection in a cat. Common in dogs.
Not to be outdone, I saw an old spaniel that tested positive for lyme, anaplasmosis and ehrlichia. A first, seeing all 3 on one test...no the dog was not on any preventive care.

4. Vets are sorta like grandparents. We spoil pets with treats, encourage bad behaviour like jumping and licking while we say "Hi" and then send them home to be reeducated. I have learned to always ask before giving treats and to be mindful of hunting dogs. Those owners really really don't like to encourage this stuff. Note taken.
Cool thing this week though. Super smart English setter was in. A pointing breed. When I asked "Sam" to sit for his treat, he understood - but would not do it. Dad said they don't like them to ever sit otherwise they will start sitting while pointing. An interference to their skill set.

5. I love coincidences. I especially love "happy accidents" (a la Bob Ross). When something unexpectedly good occurs from some bad inciting event. A famous example is an NFL cameraman working the sideline who was knocked to the ground by a player and hit his head. Rushed to the hospital for treatment they found he had a brain tumor - saved his life.
Well maybe not so dramatic but a close second was my date with "Waffles" the Pug. His mom called one morning when she noticed he was limping. He w̶a̶d̶d̶l̶e̶d̶ walked in and I could tell he had avulsed a front toe nail. He was a champ as I pulled it off. Problem solved. "Oh by the way he has this little bump that started bleeding on his shoulder". He has a 1cm red raised plaque that was just starting to crack and bleed. An aspirate told us it was a common skin cancer of dogs and that surgery is usually curative. A happy accident.
Reminds me of 1 of my two favorite quotes attributed to Abe Lincoln. "We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.". Meaning look on the bright side. Waffles may have lost a nail but lives to fight another day!
(My second favorite Lincoln quote is "Don't believe everything you read on the internet")

All for now, received some wonderful thank-yous and reviews. It makes everyone feel great and is much appreciated. Fill your hummingbird feeders. They are back.

~ "Muffy"
Six year old English Bulldog came to us by way of Las Vegas. She is one of many dogs loving her allergy medicines. Last fall when she came her life was miserable. Horrible allergies. One of the worst I have seen in the past year. Now she is a superstar!

26/04/2025

“Dog towel season”

How many do you have?

The Drs Tomalty have at any given moment 10+.
A doodle on a muddy farm doesn’t get approval from Martha Stewart Home and Design.

26/04/2025

What did we learn this week?

1. We currently employ 6 graduates of Belfast Area High School and it is so awesome to have them follow up with friends and family on patient care. We love seeing people interact in the lobby with friends when they come out of an exam room and bump into someone they know. Or get called through a window to come in and see their new pets - I'm looking at you "WonTon".
A wonderful feeling.

2. Being Spring Break we saw a bunch of educators this week. A thankless job. I wouldn't be here without the guidance of dozens of people over the years. With all the political upheaval please cut them a break.

3. Getting more chatter last 2 weeks for allergy help. Pollen is here and will get worse for the next month or so.
(I frequently tell people there are 3 MAGIC pills.
The oral tick meds
Pimobendan - a lifesaving cardiac drug
The allergy medicines Apoquel and Zenrelia.)
I saw an incredible case. Poor Kishke was a 9/10 itchy dog for the last 6 years. Hair Loss. Elephant skin. Yeast infections. Miserable. Apoquel, cyclosporine and prednisone didn't work. Four months ago Zenrelia came out and her owner reports that within 4 hours of taking her first pill she stopped itching for the first time he can remember. Now months later, with no other changes she looks like a different dog and has gained 15 pounds...the constant movement from itching was burning that many calories.
Incredible success.

4. We have had to say goodbye to some very long term patients lately. Cats. Dogs. It takes a toll. Even sadder is the senior client who loses a pet and will not get another. Or who moves away. As I have a̶g̶e̶d̶ matured, I know it's the good clients that make this such a wonderful profession. The pets are a bonus.

5. Ticks are out in full force. Don't buy fake meds from Ebay, Amazon or any dubious online retailers. If it's waaaay cheaper. It's fake.

That's all I got. Not a lot of extra fuel in the tank lately to write up a report. Hopeful things change with the season.

"Dexter and Tina" walked by Dr Sarah and her mom on the Belfast Rail Trail. Incredible resource for the area. Kudos to everyone for picking up after their dogs, despite the chatter on local FB pages. The route was clean, well manicured and all dogs behaved.

Little River Veterinary Hospital

07/06/2025

06/06/2025

31/05/2025

25/05/2025

24/05/2025

23/05/2025

17/05/2025

10/05/2025

03/05/2025

03/05/2025

26/04/2025

26/04/2025

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share