The poor little girl Just wanted her beloved dog treated.

The little girl just wanted her dog treated but had no money!

Many years ago, a little girl was sad because she could not afford to pay the veterinarian's excessive fees in order to treat her dog's chronic seizures for the previous five years.

The VET (veterinarian) first wanted to perform a film of the abdomen in order to see if the liver was enlarged. It was an absurd approach since an x-ray/film of the abdomen would yield the least data. The clinical approach is to perform an ultrasound of the liver.

The VET made her feel bad for not "allowing him" to properly evaluate and treat her pet. The VET then said he might have to do x-rays of her dog's head. The blood and urine tests that were being recommended cost hundreds of dollars.

I decided to examine and treat her little dog, Charlie, for free. If a patient presents today with a new onset of seizures, a head CT scan would be appropriate. If a patient presents with a recurrent but stable (non-progressive) history of seizures for 5 years, the diagnostic work-up, though profitable, would yield very little.

Charlie had exertional seizures (epilepsy) but was otherwise well. The physical exam was normal and the liver did not appear clinically enlarged. I did simple tests and a urine analysis. The tests were normal. Charlie's weight was appropriate for a dog of his kind.

Based on these data, I put Charlie on Phenytoin (Dilantin®) at a 5 mg/kg/24 dose that was to be given once per day. Since he weighed 10 pounds, this translated to 4.5 kilograms. Thus, I dosed him at 5 mg X 4.5 kg = 22.5mg. Since it is readily available as a suspension, 30 mg/5 ml, I simply had Charlie take a teaspoon of Phenytoin per day. I asked the little girl to keep an eye on Charlie and to let me know if he "walked funny" or if his eyes moved about strangely and to let me know if the gums grew too much. He did well and lived seven more years.

Later, while in high school, the same girl came to say hello and said to me, "Guess what? I am going to college to be a doctor just like you." What I did for this little girl (now a woman) and her little dog, Charlie, was rewarding and no amount of money can surpass the personal satisfaction I derived from helping them.

For those that wish to enter medicine, you must learn the following information. We know that a kilogram (kg) is equal to 2.2 pounds. Since Charlie required an average dose of Phenytoin of 5 mg/kg, and he weighed 4.5 kilograms, I simply multiplied 4.5 kg X 5 mg/kg = 22.5 mg. In the latter equation kg divided by kg cancels out this unit and you end up with the mg dose as written. Since the medicine comes in 30 mg per 5 ml (per teaspoon) suspension, I simple increased the dose to 30 mg per day, which is still well within the normal dosing range.

Am I qualified to do Pet Medicine? While in college, I learned to do complex brain surgeries on rats. You must realize that genetically we are not that different from a dog. For instance, a mouse and human have in common 90% of our genetic material (DNA). The difference between you and me is only .l%. Nature is magic and it doesn't reinvent itself as it evolves into higher forms (i.e. humans). A Medical Degree acquired in the United States is the highest cognitive degree one can attain.

About my dog, Corny, I have been his doctor for a long time. Once, Corny had a tumor over his neck (pictures will be shown later), and I excised it under local anesthesia. I cleaned up the tissue so that no hairs would be apparent and sent the specimen to a regular medical lab to be analyzed. The MD pathologist declared the tumor as benign and never figured out that it had come from a dog.

When you seek care through a VET, you can buy your medicines at a regular discount drug store at a fraction of the cost. In addition, a chemistry panel, CBC, thyroid panel and urinalysis should not exceed $70.

I look forward to the day when doctors are made to post their fees, and pet owners can take their pets, for blood tests, to an independent laboratory or imaging center, and not pay the excessive fees often charged by VETS.

This shall apply to dentists. We have more dentists than we need, but they simply keep inventing new procedures in order to make a living at our expense. Dentists too, must be made to post their prices as well as how much insurances pay them. Before you get all of your wisdom teeth taken out or "another root canal," you must ask yourself if you really need to have this done.

We as Americans are facing tough times. We need to protect the little money we may have.

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