by Nancy Gallimore
In my not-so-professional opinion, my
dog Bruce is suffering from a case of
“ADR.” In layman’s terms, that means he
Ain’t Doing Right. Although there is nothing dramatically wrong with Bruce, my
gut feeling is stuck on that ADR diagnosis
for a few reasons.
Bruce is an older guy, likely about 12
years give or take, and some sort of bully
breed or mix. At his peak, he was possibly a bit intimidating in appearance. But now with a face sprinkled in soft gray highlights and a gait that has slowed from charge to saunter, he is taking on the appearance of an old man who still wants to come across as gruff, but the years have rendered him undeniably sweet instead. Bruce’s once muscular nearly 80-pound
physique now tips the scales just under 70 pounds, and his ribs are a bit too prominent for my liking.
In addition to weight loss, Bruce’s appetite is a bit off, and he has thrown up a few times here and there recently. Again, nothing seems consistent or profound but is certainly cause for investigation. So my first step was to head off to the vet for a checkup and blood work. I’m a firm believer that a dog, especially a senior, should have routine blood work at least once a year to be sure the dog is aging well and doesn’t need an adjustment in diet or medication to stay healthy and comfortable in those golden years.
With Bruce’s symptoms, my years of experience caring for dogs made me a little suspect of his kidney function. The results of his blood work, however, thankfully discounted my amateur D.V.M. suspicions. The veterinarian with the actual degree and credibility reported that Bruce’s results were blissfully normal. And yet there was still that nagging ADR poking at me every time I looked at him.
It might be easy to brush his mild symptoms off and tell myself to stop being such a worrywart. But blood work provides only one piece of the puzzle when dealing with animals who have no good way to tell us where it hurts. Oftentimes, you need to take a few more steps to ensure their well-being.
With no clear answers, I think Bruce needs a little closer look, and I know my veterinarian will agree that ultrasound is a logical next step. So why leap to what some might consider an extreme measure? Why not just do normal X-rays?
Patrick Grogan, D.V.M., medical director at VCA Woodland East Animal Hospital, has been one of my go-to vets for ultrasound technology. So I asked him about standard X-rays verses the benefits of ultrasound imaging.
Ultrasound is a completely noninvasive technique that uses sound waves to produce a picture within the body in real time, allowing the veterinarian to assess the condition of organs and soft issues in a manner that X-rays can’t. Basically, Grogan explained, X-rays capture single images of anatomy and are beneficial for assessing bones or for looking at air-filled organs such as lungs. For soft tissue or tissue-dense organs such as kidneys and livers, an X-ray will show the outline of the organ, but an ultrasound serves as a window to see inside the tissue.
Ultrasound allows veterinarians to look at the size and texture of organs. It can reveal abnormalities on the surface of organs as well as changes within those organs. Grogan also explained that ultrasound might detect a mass when it is only centimeters in size but might not be visible by X-ray until it is much larger.
There are many reasons a veterinarian might prescribe an ultrasound. Maybe, as with Bruce, a dog is experiencing unexplained weight loss, lack of appetite, vomiting, or diarrhea. Maybe he has fluid in the abdomen or a mass found during an exam that needs a closer look. An ultrasound would also be indicated in helping to diagnose an intestinal obstruction. Ultrasound imaging can provide valuable information to aid in deciding whether a condition requires surgery, biopsies, more specific blood tests, or medications.
Grogan suggests that in addition to senior pets, breeds of dog that experience a higher rate of cancer — including Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers, and Bernese Mountain dogs, to name a few — could benefit from ultrasound screening for early detection and treatment. Grogan also uses ultrasound to track dogs with heart murmurs because the technology offers a detailed image of changes taking place within the heart.
This is just a small overview of the many benefits available to pet owners through ultrasound technology, but the message is simple. If your veterinarian recommends that an ultrasound is warranted, it can save you time and money in the long run, get you a quicker diagnosis, and either save your pet from unnecessary surgery or, more important, get him lifesaving surgery more quickly.
The latter scenario has come into play for my pets on more than one occasion. In one instance several years ago, my partner Jim and I noticed that our cattle dog, Boog, was acting odd. Our normally raring-to-go boy seemed extremely lethargic and not interested in food at all. We also noticed that his gums were pale, and his abdomen seemed to be a bit tight and distended. Rather than play the wait-andsee game, Jim and I decided to be proactive. Boog was a nine-year-old dog, and his symptoms suggested that something serious could be brewing.
The emergency veterinarian agreed that an immediate ultrasound was required. Within moments, a splenic tumor was revealed, and our boy was whisked away for lifesaving surgery. If we had waited even a few hours, the tumor would likely have completely ruptured, and Boog would not have survived.
Those types of tumors can be asymptomatic, often not making their presence known until the pet’s condition is critical. All too often, they are discovered too late to save the animal. Because of this experience, routine ultrasounds have become part of our senior dogs’ health routines. It’s an easy process, relatively inexpensive, and requires no sedation. Within minutes, you have a live window into your dog’s vital organs. The only inconvenience is that the hair on your dog’s stomach does need to be shaved for the procedure. But watching a bad haircut grow out for a couple of months is a small price to pay for a little peace of mind.
As for Bruce, I don’t want to waste valuable time trying to guess what might be causing his “ain’t doing right” condition. He will head for his ultrasound-inspired bad haircut next week — I think he’ll wear it well. And we’ll get a valuable insight that will hopefully help turn Bruce’s ADR into more years of “DJF”— doing just fine.
