Flowertown Animal Hospital is a small animal medical and surgery practice in Summerville, S.C. Flowertown is housed in a quaint older home nestled under a majestic Angel oak. There are two doctors on staff here, providing a personal and approachable quality of service for its clients and patients. Flowertown has no boarding
facility or grooming salon. We stick with providing for the health and well-being of our
patients. That's why we're here. Thank you for visiting our website and we hope to see you
soon.
Medical Topics
NASAL ASPERGILLOSIS IN THE DOG - The above video is taken during an endoscopic (rhinoscopy) examination of the nasal cavity of a 3 year-old Labrador Retriever Mix, named Usher. He was presented to our clinic for nasal discharge and nose bleeds coming from only one nostril. A course of routine oral antibiotics had no benefit and he was scheduled for the rhinoscopy.
On endoscopy of the left side of his nasal cavity, a thick, "goopy," bloody discharge was noted adhered to the nasal membranes. In addition, as you can see on the video and the still image, there was a whitish plaque nestled in the back of his nasal cavity. Biopsy of the whitish plaque revealed Aspergillus sp. fungus.
Aspergillosis is a fungal infection, in this case, affecting the membranes of the nasal cavity causing inflammation, swelling of the membranes, ulceration, and hemorrhage. Aspergillus is a common fungus or mold found in the environment. It is found in the soil, on walls - mildew, and a contaminant of starchy foods - bread. Aspergillus sp. is important in the production of many natural products and medications we use every day (antibiotics). However, it can be a tricky source of infection and difficult to get rid of.
In this dog's case, oral anti-fungal agents were not successful in eliminating the infection. Although not pictured, he was anesthetized and catheters with balloon tips were placed into the nasal cavity. The balloons were expanded so that fluids could not leak out. Another catheter was placed and an anti-fungal drug suspension was infused in to the nasal cavity. This medication, then, bathed the fungal plaque for 30 minutes, killing the fungal organisms.
Usher recovered from anesthesia and although he required another treatment, he is doing well and has had no recurrences of his nose bleeds.
Laryngeal Paralysis - a common disease of the aging large breed dog
(Labrador Retrievers, Great Danes, etc) that starts, initially, as only a
change in your pet's voice character. As the disease progresses, there can be
significant interference with your pet's ability to take in sufficient air into
their lungs. Breathing becomes much more "noisy" and, in some instances, is
quite loud.
Otic (ear) Polyps - Polyps in the ear canals of dogs and cats can originate from a variety of
sources and tissues. These polyps can grow quite large causing obstruction and
trapping of the normal waxy secretions of the ear canals. Obstruction or
interference with normal wax migration generally leads to secondary infections,
both bacterial and yeast.
