Author Archive

by Dr. Sara Rudwell

Do you ever notice your dog lift a rear leg off the ground as if they’ve just stepped on something painful or pulled a muscle, hop along on three legs for a few steps, and then just as suddenly return to a normal gait with all four legs on the ground?   If this is something that you see on a regular basis, your dog might have a luxating patella – or two!  Read the rest of this entry »

by Dr. David Lee

Tooth resorption is a disease process that affects more than 50% of adult cats.  This condition is also referred to as neck lesions, resorptive lesions, or FORL’s (feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions).  Tooth resorption causes defects in the crown and roots of the tooth similar to cavities in a human.  However, while human cavities are caused by decay, tooth resorption is due to the cat’s body attacking the teeth.   Read the rest of this entry »

by Noel Brunner (as told to Jenni)

Friends, I have surprising news… I know my dashing good looks make me appear to be a young pup of two years… three tops. But I am, in fact, almost 11 years old. Hard to believe, isn’t it?! And with age come some aches and pains. For example, my neck is often pretty sore in the mornings. The BRACstaff give me an anti-inflammatory drug called Rimadyl, which helps with the pain a lot, but I still need a little bit more help with the arthritis in my legs. And that’s where laser therapy comes in—which, from what I hear from the doctors at BRAC, releases endorphins and stimulates injured cells to heal at a faster rate. From my perspective, I get to wear cool sunglasses and it feels nice! Read the rest of this entry »

Today marks a very important day at Broad Ripple Animal Clinic and Wellness Center. It’s important because we have just launched our BRAChealth Plans! Why is THAT important, you ask? It’s important because the doctors and staff at Broad Ripple Animal Clinic and Wellness Center have created three plans that help you manage your adult pet’s health AND your wallet. Read the rest of this entry »

by Dr. Bill Neumann, Medical Director

There are many types of arthritis that can occur in people and in pets, but the type that most people are referring to when they use the word arthritis, is osteoarthritis.  This type of arthritis occurs over many months to years in response to some type of physical problem with that specific joint. In most cases, this physical problem is caused by acute trauma (think football ACL tear), prolonged repeated excessive strain on a joint, or some type of inherited joint malformation such as dog hip dysplasia.

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Deficiency in what?

Our pets have thyroid glands in their neck that function just as ours do!  Interestingly, dogs are prone thyroid problems that cause a deficiency of thyroid hormone, while cats are much more likely to get a benign growth on the thyroids, causing an increase of the hormone.  Decreases in the hormone can be related to immune system malfunctions, problems in the part of the brain that stimulates the thyroid gland, other concurrent diseases that decrease the concentration of circulating hormone, tumors in the thyroid gland, or it can be related to an unknown cause. Read the rest of this entry »

by Noel Brunner (as told to Jenni)

Hello, again! Noel Brunner, here. I hope you all are keeping cool out there in this heat! Thankfully, I get to rest inside in the air conditioning all day:)

In between naps last week, I overheard the BRACstaff talking about an on-call technician that would be available by phone (317-840-3241) from the time we close until 10:00pm Monday through Friday. I think it’s a great idea, but it’s missing something very important… Me! Read the rest of this entry »

by Dr. Christine Heinz

In veterinary school, I was told that roughly 70% of dogs that have ruptured one of their anterior cruciate ligaments (called a cranial cruciate ligament, or CCL, in a dog) will rupture the other one within a year.  Unfortunately, my dog, Staley fell right in line with that statistic.  While I was still studying to become a veterinarian, Staley tore his right CCL and had surgery to repair it.  Eight months later, we were repairing the left as well.  That personal experience with my own dog helped jumpstart my interest in CCL disease in dogs and orthopedic disease in general.

Common symptoms of a CCL injury are limping that worsens with exercise or over time, difficulty jumping or getting up, sitting with the injured leg out to the side, or stiffness in the injured leg.  If you suspect your dog has a CCL injury, your veterinarian will most likely look for swelling in the joint, pain or resistance on range of motion, positive tibial thrust or cranial drawer tests and possibly medial buttress.  Both the tibial thrust and cranial drawer tests demonstrate instability in the joint indicating that the CCL is not intact and holding the joint in place.  Medial buttress is scar tissue that forms on the inside of the knee in response to the instability as the body’s way of trying to hold the joint together.

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We initiated a survey near the end of March 2011, seeking your feedback on our services. We really appreciated each and every response we received, and have been working on ways to serve you and your pets’ needs even better!

As a direct result of many, many suggestions and requests to lengthen our hours and offer some level of emergency service, we are launching a new “Technician-On-Call” service beginning Tuesday, July 5, 2011. This new service is free to all our BRACpets and their families! We recognize that in many cases, you are unsure as to whether your pet needs to be seen at an emergency clinic, or if an issue can wait until the next morning. Our hope is to offer guidance and support to you in these cases, until 10:00pm most evenings.

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By Noel Brunner (as told to Jenni)

Hi, all! I’m Noel. I’m sure you’ve seen those signs around the Broad Ripple Animal Clinic lobby instructing you not to feed me. Kudos to you guys who have disregarded the signs and have fed me anyway. For those of you “rule-followers”… I will crack you with my cuteness soon enough!
 
I’m staying at Broad Ripple Animal Clinic while my mom and dad are in California. Now, I know what you’re thinking… Life doesn’t really get much better than soaking up some sun and burying some bones at the dog beach… Or does it? The way I see it is– I have it made! Let me walk you through my typical day here and you’ll see what I mean.
 
Mornings are great at Broad Ripple Animal Clinic–I get to meet all the other dogs and cats that are staying the day for various surgeries and procedures. Sometimes they’re a little nervous when they get here, but I let them know everything is going to be “A-ok.” Some aren’t allowed to eat breakfast that morning because they’re going under anesthesia, and I tell them I feel their pain… I’m on a strict diet, which always makes me a hungry, hungry hippo!
 
I usually nap on my little red bed in the reception area while the BRACstaff run around me for the majority of the day. It makes me tired just to watch them sometimes! In between naps, I like to get up and stretch my legs, which consists of scouring open exam rooms for treats left behind by other pets. Every now and then I victoriously discover a tasty treat or two, but that BRACstaff and those doctors are so good at cleaning up after appointments that by the time I make it to a room, any leftovers have disappeared!
 
What’s the best part of my day, you ask? Dinner time. No explanation needed.
 
After my belly is full of Honest Kitchen-goodness, I try to guess who will be taking me home with them for the night. Will it be Ryan, who gives me lots of treats (shhh… don’t tell anyone!)? Or is it Holly, whose dog, Aggie, is one of my best friends (I just love slumber parties!)?
 
Yep… Life is good here. I have no complaints:) Well… except that there should be an all-day buffet in the lobby.
 
…Until next time!
 
 Wags & wet kisses……Noel