Cornell University Veterinary Specialists

Hi Suzanne. Hard to give firm answer without seeing him, but we certainly do anesthesia on old (or sick) patients daily. It sounds like it would make sense to have him evaluated by a veterinary dentist/maxillofacial surgeon who can assess the lesion, and his overall health, and advise on the best approach. At his age, one would mainly want to ascertain the health of his heart and kidneys with respect to anesthesia and, if a surgery is deemed necessary, best to do it at a facility that can manage such patients. I suggest you speak to your vet about a referral, and schedule an appointment with our Dentistry & Maxillofacial Surgery Service. Dr. Geddes will assess your cat and then, based on what you and he feel is best, involve other specialists as needed (likely including our anesthesiologist). Hoping we can help him.

Hi Tina. Unfortunately, there is no straightforward answer because it varies a lot. Whether surgery is indicated, and what type of surgery, depends on numerous factors, including whether there is compromise to the pelvic canal and whether the fractures are in weight-bearing parts of the pelvis. It is important that you consult a veterinarian who will take X-rays (and, in some cases, recommend consultation with a veterinary surgeon specialist). We strongly suggest you do this asap, not least of all because this is very painful and your cat will definitely need good pain management. Good luck.

Hi Carmela. "Goose Cough" describes the way a cough sounds in some dogs (like the honk of a goose). We most frequently hear this in dogs with collapsing trachea. Collapsing trachea is a condition seen most commonly in older small breed dogs (e.g., Yorkshire terrier, maltese, etc). The first step is to confirm that this is indeed a collapsing trachea and, if so, to prescribe appropriate medications. If the dog is overweight, weight loss is also recommended. If these steps are unable to control the cough, then further intervention is indicated. We no longer do surgery on these dogs, but may recommend a less invasive procedure in which we place a stent into the trachea to try to keep it open. In order to best ascertain what is the best approach for your dog, we recommend you consult with a specialist (ideally a board-certified internal medicine specialist). S/he will know if/when a procedure is indicated, and can perform the procedure or refer you to a facility that can. Good luck!

We have a pharmacy, but we are not a pharmacy. That is, we dispense medications only for our patients, since we have a veterinarian-patient-client relationship. We do not, and cannot, dispense medications in any other scenario. Thanks.

No appointment needed. Call ahead before coming, but the emergency room should be able to scan for microchips, if needed.

Hi Suzie, we suggest speaking with your primary care veterinarian about this because you must be sure to never feed your dog foods that are toxic to them. These include chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, avocados, walnuts and macadamia nuts.

You would have to have him examined by 1 of the Drs. at Cornell in order for them to answer this for you. Maybe even 2 -Internal Medicine & Oncology. They would need his full history to know what is going on completely & to physically examine him themselves to see where he is now.

Pretty expensive