Our lives are touched every day by the animals we treat and the clients we work with. We would love to hear how we've touched yours. If you would like to share your pet story with us, please submit your story and picture to tracey@webvets.com.

Brownie Today Brownie After Bite

Brownie We would like to thank you and your dedicated staff for the treatment and care you gave Brownie after being bitten by a rattlesnake.  The staff was most impressive in their professionalism and the affection they displayed while attending her.  We also appreciate that you allowed us to stay with her for most of the day and into the night. It's obvious by the affection given her, while showing the same for the many other animals they were caring for at the same time, that your staff truly loves animals and are committed to providing the best care and comfort possible. Thanks to Dr. Gilman and all the staff who cared for her for pulling her through a potentially fatal situation. Also, thanks to the reception staff up front for taking our call and notifying your Emergency Care staff that we were coming in. We'd also like to add that you've taken care of our pets for years; and on several occasions while they were being cared for, your doctors have made follow-up calls inquiring about their status -- our own personal physicians don't even do that. Ron & Sue Locatelli Castro Valley, CA

Cat with Rare Blood-Type Saves 4-Month Old Kitten. Tristan, a 4 month old kitten has used up nearly all of his 9 lives in a very short period. The stray kitten who was rescued from the Contra Costa Animal Services in Martinez by the SafeCat Foundation had three broken legs when he came into the shelter. Thought to have been hit by a car, this kitten suffered a broken leg in the front and both back legs. After numerous surgeries and thousands of dollars later, Tristan's rear leg was amputated as his injuries were too severe.  Doing well and even walking without his back leg, Tristan went back into foster care only to develop a Seroma (A seroma is a pocket of clear serous fluid that sometimes develops in the body after surgery) on his neck from the pin in his front leg, which later ruptured and caused the kitten to bleed out from a vessel in his neck.   Deanna Stradford, the foster and veterinary technician at Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center & Urgent Care rushed him to the hospital for emergency care. Tristan had lost so much blood that he was nearly dead. A blood transfusion was his only hope and Tristan has Type-B blood, which is extremely rare (97% - 99% of cats are type A).  Fortunately, Vinnie, a part of Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center's Blood Donor program, (also adopted from Safe Cat Foundation) belonging to Margaret Urquhart, the hospital's administrator, was a match and was rushed to the hospital to give blood. Type-B blood is extremely rare and is usually only found in exotic cats, it is even more uncommon that both Vinnie  --a domestic orange tabby -- and Tristan, a domestic gray Russian Blue -- both were Type-B blood.   Today, Tristan is still hospitalized, but he is much better. His values are up, his color is back and he is eating and drinking. It is expected he will go home later this week.   SafeCat foundation is looking for donations to help cover Tristan's medical bills. While the doctors and staff donated their time and services to his care, there are still costs involved with hospitalization, medication, anesthesia, etc. Donations can be made on Tristan's behalf at Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center & Urgent Care at 925-866-8387 or by donating on-line at www.safecatfoundation.org.

Guide Dogs Give Back The Shakes family have been clients at Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center since we opened in 2000 and dogs have always been a part of their lives. Since 2007, however, they have been opening their home and hearts to puppies from Guide Dogs for the Blind as part of the Service Dog Puppy Project through their participation in the 4H club. Their first was an energetic and adorable yellow female lab puppy named Chaya, who lived with the Shakes for a little over a year before returning to Guide Dogs for the Blind to receive 2-3 months of formal training. The Shakes are proud to report that Chaya made it through her formal training and is now a working guide dog, a priceless companion in someone's life. Being a volunteer puppy raiser involves a large amount of time and commitment. The Shakes are members of the Tri Valley Guide Dog Puppy Raisers Club, which meets weekly for classes, and they take their puppy everywhere, including daily errands and formal dinner events. There are certain activities, like fetch, that are not allowed, and the puppies, ideally, should not be soliciting attention from the people around them. Shelley Shakes reports that it has been a hugely rewarding experience, but it has been very difficult to part with the puppies when they head back for their formal training and final placement. If the dog fails to make it all the way through formal training, the puppy raiser has the opportunity to adopt the dog or can make the decision to place it in another training program. Many dogs that cannot make it through the rigorous Guide Dog program, still make amazing companion dogs for other programs such as hearing impaired, pet therapy, etc. The Shakes are now raising Brita, their 4th guide dog puppy. If you should see a puppy or dog in a Guide Dog coat with a badge, please remember that although they are adorable, they are on the job, so please ask for permission to pet them and try to keep a calm voice and demeanor around them. They are learning to concentrate even in exciting situations. If you are interested in becoming a puppy raiser or the programs that Guide Dog for the Blind offers, please visit guidedogs.com. They have an amazing program and any vision impaired person can qualify for a guide dog free of charge. They are always in need of volunteers and donations.

Grady and His Guardian Angels At Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center, we believe that part of our role in the community is lending a helping hand to animals in need. We work with several rescue groups to provide medical services for their foster pets. PROS pug rescue has been a part of our family at BRVC for several years and is a group that is very near and dear to my heart. This group is led locally by Gena Austin and Jan Grover, and is comprised of a team of volunteers, who open their hearts and homes to pugs of all ages and levels of needs. All their rescue dogs have their medical conditions addressed, big or small. We routinely perform dental procedures, palate surgeries, knee surgeries, and ear/eye/skin treatments on their foster pugs in addition to routine services like vaccines and heartworm tests. If they have an older pug with multiple health problems or a special needs pug that is difficult to place in a permanent home, PROS pug rescue will place it in a permanent foster hospice home so that he/she can spend his/her final years in the comfort of a real family. It seems there is nothing they won't do to alleviate the discomfort of a foster dog, and their compassion and dedication knows no bounds. In May of 2009, Grady, a 3 year old pug, came to me, barely able to lift his head or move. He was dehydrated, vomiting, and had painful abdomen. I knew from his history that he was born with a liver shunt, an abnormal blood vessel that allows blood that has not been filtered to bypass the liver and go straight back into the general circulation, but he had been doing well living with this condition. The owner reported that he had been getting increasingly ill over the last 2-3 days, that he couldn't urinate, and that he may have eaten some q-tips. She, unfortunately, could not afford any testing or treatment, and he was critically ill. The owner had already been in contact with PROS pug rescue, and without hesitation, Jan Grover told me to do whatever was necessary, no matter the cost. Jan assured me that they would foster him once he had recovered.   Testing showed he had several bladder stones. One had lodged in his urethra and blocked his ability to urinate, causing severe pain, risk of bladder rupture, and insult to his kidneys. X-rays revealed he had indeed eaten a large amount of q-tips that had lodged in his stomach, and ofcourse, he still had the liver shunt he was born with. We were able to push the urethral stone back into his bladder and place a urinary cathether to empty his bladder. Grady was started on fluids, pain medications, and antibiotics, and started to feel a little better. In a stroke of luck, a surgeon was available later in the day and performed 3 different procedures on this tough little pug. In a 2 hour procedure, he had the bladder stones removed, the q-tips taken out of the stomach, and the liver shunt closed. Grady is a fighter and made an amazing recovery and was eating, urinating, and wagging his tail 48 hours later and was discharged from the hospital into the care of a foster home. Grady has had multiple follow up visits since then. His liver shunt appears to be resolved, his kidneys normal, and he has not eaten any other foreign material. He did, unfortunately, develop bladder stones again in September 2009 and needed another bladder surgery. As always, he did very well with a wagging tail through all of it. We appear to have figured out the reason for his recurrent disease and are hoping that future bladder problems with be avoidable. Despite all Grady has been through, he has wonderful personality and finally, a clean bill of health. He has been with a dedicated foster, but is finally ready for his forever home. If you are interested in adopting him, please see the PROS pug website www.pugpros.org/available.html and check out Grady. Both the surgeon and BRVC extended significant discounts for Grady's surgeries and care, but his medical costs still came to approximately $4,600. Like many rescue groups, PROS pug rescue suffered a difficult year in 2009. If you are able to help with a donation for his medical care, please see the website www.pugpros.org/donate.html to make a donation. Every little bit counts.   The love and dedication of these volunteers and the boundless joy of each foster pug never ceases to amaze me. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank them all for letting me be a part of their efforts to help one of my favorite patients find his forever home.   Shann Ikezawa, DVM

Jinx the Rescue Cat Jinx was found laying on the side of the road on a busy street in Livermore. Shelley Renner, a Livermore resident noticed him and thought he was dead until she saw him lift his head as she slowly drove by. Livermore Animal Services arrived shortly thereafter and took him to an emergency hospital in Dublin. It was determined that Jinx had two broken back legs and was in extreme pain. He had no microchip identification or collar. Jinx would be euthanized in the morning if no one claimed him or accepted financial responsibility for his veterinary care. Knowing he would be euthanized in the morning, Shelley emailed all her friends trying desperately to save him. Her email was forwarded on to SafeCat Foundation, a non-profit rescue group in San Ramon. A member of Safe Cat Foundation agreed to rescue him and take him into their foster program. Jinx was taken to Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center where it was determined that his legs might be saved, but he needed surgery immediately. Dr. Taylor and Dr. Utchen graciously donated their time for his surgery, and after 7 long hours Jinx still had both his legs. Today, Jinx is standing and starting to walk again. He is now in foster care and recovering slowly. It will take nearly 4 months to recover from his injuries. Despite all he has been through, Jinx has always been sweet and gentle. He loves attention and constantly purrs and rolls on his back for belly rubs. He is truly a miracle cat. Many people were involved in saving Jinx's life... he is lucky to be alive today. Safe Cat Foundation is currently collecting donations to help pay for his surgery...while the doctors at Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center graciously donated their time, there were still medical costs involved in saving him. If you would like to contribute to Jinx's care, please go to: www.safecatfoundation.org to make a donation. Jinx Before Surgery Jinx Before Surgery Jinx After Surgery Jinx After Surgery

Phoenix Marr When my husband and I got married, I decided to leave Phoenix at my parent’s house.  After all, Phoenix loves running around outside with the dogs, Jack rabbits and deer. Unfortunately, last June Phoenix was hit by a car in front of my parent’s home.  Luckily, instead of running away and hiding, Phoenix jumped over the fence and waited for help in our backyard.  My parents found him the next morning with his back right leg swollen and open exposing his tendon. They immediately took him to Bishop Ranch Veterinary hospital where he was seen by Dr. Delano.  Phoenix’s leg was so swollen that Dr. Delano wanted to make him as comfortable as possible and wait for the swelling to go down before he tried to close the wound.  It was not until later that day, I found out Phoenix was hit by a car.  As soon as I found out, my husband and I went to see him at Bishop Ranch.  It seemed like he was going to be okay, but then I received a call on Sunday stating Phoenix was not improving.  On Sunday, Dr. Delano had called my dad to let him know that Phoenix’s leg was not looking any better and that we might have to amputate his leg.  Phoenix is just as active as any dog, so I was faced with the decision to amputate or possibly euthanize him, since I knew he would be miserable not being able to run around and play. On Monday, I decided to visit him before work.  Phoenix had stood up on his injured leg on Sunday night, so Dr. Delano decided that he was going to perform surgery.  The soft tissue surgery that Dr. Delano performed was successful at first.  Unfortunately because we had kept his leg bandaged for ten days without giving the wound exposure to the air, the skin started to die which in turn made his wound bigger.  Because of this, Dr. Delano had to approach this soft tissue wound in a different way.  The new game plan was for me to drop off Phoenix every morning at Bishop Ranch where they would uncover his leg and monitor him.  Phoenix had to wear a large E-collar, have his tail and the majority of his body wrapped up when his bandage was not on his leg so that none of his hair could get to the wound.  Every night Dr. Delano would bandage is leg and I would pick him up and take him home.  The most amazing thing to me is that after Dr. Delano’s son’s graduation, he still came by the hospital, to check on Phoenix’s leg and personally wrap it.  I do not know many people that would take time out of their personal lives to bandage a cat’s leg when he could have had another veterinarian or a technician do it. Dr. Delano’s aggressive treatment was working.  As the months past, we began taking Phoenix to see Dr. Delano a few times a week and then once a week.  I started to be able to change the bandages at home because his skin was finally growing back. It has been almost a year now since Phoenix’s accident and I am happy to say he is fully recovered and as active as ever.  He no longer goes outside and Phoenix now lives with my husband and me in our home in Dublin.  Every time I think of Phoenix’s accident and the intense recovery, I think to myself Dr. Delano was at Bishop Ranch that day for a reason.  I think of Dr. Delano as Phoenix’s Guardian Angel.  He went above and beyond for me and Phoenix for such a long time and no matter how busy he was, he was always there for us.  He is truly one of the most remarkable people I have ever met and he will always have a special place in my heart. Janae (Marr) Blotzer

Zaha Last Thanksgiving day our family drove up to Lake Tahoe with our 2 corgis in tow to spend a few days. By Thursday evening Zaha did not seem like herself. She refused to eat dinner. She went to bed early and woke up at 1am and vomited quite a few times. She stayed up for the next few hours vomiting and running outside with horrible diarrhea. We were very worried about our girl, but there was not a 24-hour vet anywhere close by. We waited until the next morning and brought her to a vet in Lake Tahoe. Luckily he was able to see her right away-did blood work and xrays and diagnosed her with acute pancreatitis. He said she would require an overnight hospital stay. I asked if they had 24-hour staff to stay with her throughout the night. He said no-she would be on her own during the night. This was not acceptable to us. If our baby was sick enough to stay in the hospital-someone better be there to watch her. We asked the vet to get her started on an IV and we decided to drive her to Bishop Ranch that day. I knew that you had 24-hour staff-and that was the only way we felt comfortable leaving our girl overnight. We called your office that morning and told them that we would be coming later in the day. We arrived that afternoon and your staff was completely ready for us. Dr. Montoya was assigned to our case. She was wonderful! She spent a lot of time talking with us and reviewing the other vet's notes to get the complete picture of the case. She was very thorough and agreed that Zaha should stay the night. A few hours after we left Zaha, Dr. Montoya called us to let us know that Zaha was doing well, and that she was leaving for the night. She told us that we were welcome to call the hospital at any hour of the night to speak to the tech and check on Zaha. This call really put my mind at ease. Just knowing that I could call at any time was just the piece of mind I needed. Pancreatitis can be fatal. Dr. Montoya called the next morning to let us know that Zaha was doing great. She spent a lot of time on the phone with me answering my questions. She wanted to keep her for a few more hours, but we were able to pick her up later that day. Zaha was back to her sassy self when we came to get her. She looked great. Dr. Montoya called us the day after we got Zaha home to see how she was doing. I really appreciate that kind of follow-up. I felt like she really cared about Zaha. We completely trust your facility to give our babies the best of care. Sybil Slavin

Buddy I had looked at each puppy cage with care but the puppy eyes staring out at me had yet to melt my heart. That is until I came to the cage of one sad looking pup. His eyes told a story of sorrow and I reached out to his cage, opened it, and stuck my hand in. Instantly I was met with one exuberant puppy; he was licking my arms, wagging his tail and I soon found him in my arms. He was the one. Three days later, Christmas Day, in fact, the one puppy that stole my heart was soon breaking it. Buddy had parvo and his outlook was not very good. After a week in ICU at the first vet hospital we could find, Buddy recovered, though it was not easy sailing after that. Countless visits followed; mites, allergies, yeast infections, chronic ear infections. Fed up with our (then) current vet who only seemed to want to pump more chemicals that were already not working into Buddy, I began my search for a new vet. Unsuspecting Dr. Gilman was the first doctor we saw at Bishop Ranch and boy did he have his work cut out for him. He listened to our rants and raves and walked along with us on our journey. We tried different medicines and approaches and also began to see Dr. Utchen when Dr. Gilman wasn’t available. He too, listened to our long list of woes. Finding ourselves still frustrated at the lack of results, but certainly not with the doctors that were actually listening to us (as no longer were steroids being pushed, and not only did my husband and I want a solution, but so did the doctors which was a welcome relief itself). I started to do more research and then made an appointment to see Dr. Easton. By this time I had begun a small list of holistic regimens, such as a raw diet, in the hopes of aiding Buddy on his road to health. With the advocacy of Dr. Easton and support of Dr. Utchenwe began a new regimen that included Traditional Chinese Medicine. There were many questions that arose along the way, but I am happy to report that Buddy has never been healthier or happier. Check-ups with both doctors end on happy notes and both doctors remain supportive and patient, as my questions have surely not stopped. People often ask why we travel “so far” to see our vet, and maybe sometimes they think “oh those crazy dog people.” Honestly, I really do not see any other option. We are treated like family at Bishop and it is because of the hard work and patience of Dr. Gilman, Dr. Utchen, and Dr. Easton that we have a happy, healthy dog- we couldn’t ask for more and the Kelly clan is forever grateful. Nicole Kelly

Cody Each time I take one of my three Yorkies to the Bishop Ranch Vet Center it is always a positive experience. The front desk staff and the doctors are always friendly and helpful. One experience I had with Cody, my little 6 lb. boy, was a traumatic one, but Dr. Pogrel helped Cody and me through it to turn a bad accident into a successful recovery.               When Cody was 8 months old he jumped out of arms. He landed on the carpet at home, but he broke both of his front legs. He cried out in so much pain that I screamed too. Of course this happened late at night around 10pm so my husband and I drove Cody to the emergency vet center in Concord. Early the next morning we picked Cody up and brought him home. The emergency doctors had set his bones and casted his legs from his toes up to his shoulders. That day I brought Cody in to see Dr. Pogrel. He scheduled Cody for surgery and gave us a few options, one of which was fastening metal rods with pins to Cody’s leg bones. Cody’s surgery went very well and I brought him home to heal for a month. At his check-up Dr. Pogrel was concerned that Cody’s legs were depending too much on the metal rods rather than healing strong. He explained that normally the metal rods would be removed after the bones healed. In Cody’s case he recommended that the rods stay in permanently holding the bones together with 4 pins instead of 8. That would allow Cody’s bones to become stronger and rely less on the metal rods. Cody then had another surgery to remove the 4 pins from each leg and casts were put from his toes to his elbows allowing him to walk around and bend his legs.   Dr. Pogrel, the staff and the surgeons helped my little guy through a very traumatic experience and I’m grateful to all of them for their skill, dedication to caring for animals, and most of all their kindness. Cody may have been scared while at the vet center, but I know he was well cared for during his stay. He is now 5 years old and is doing extraordinarily well after all that he has been through. Cody is a happy little Yorkie with very strong legs! He is “The Bionic Dog”! Cindy Bennett

Tasha My husband and I have been going to Bishop Ranch in San Ramon since 1999. We moved to Brentwood five years ago, so we continue to drive an hour "over the hill" to get their compassionate, caring health care. A few years ago our Tasha was expecting a litter of pups. We were using a system to monitor the fetal heartbeats of her puppies. At 10:00 p.m. one of the pups heart rate started to go down. We discovered that the Emergency Clinic in Concord would be closing by the time we got there. Fearing that our girl might start delivering, we put a call into the Bishop Ranch Dr. on call system. After a tense five-minute wait, we got a call saying one of the partners would be happy to come in and help us out! Tasha had a C-Section and delivered eight healthy pups. The care that the Staff gave us was awesome! We can't say enough about the care and attention that we all received and continue to receive at Bishop Ranch. We love the hours and days that they are open. Is it worth driving an hour to get to? You bet! Kathy and Manny Andrew Brentwood, CA