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Success Stories: Duffy
His "Best-Case Scenario" for a Long, Healthy Life
Just before relocating from the Washington DC suburbs to the Miami Florida area, Kim Wanderley took Duffy, then a 7 year old West Highland White Terrier, in for a routine physical. His results were anything but. When Duffy's kidney function tests showed some abnormalities, this astute doctor determined a potentially serious problem and made a very wise recommendation "Get Duffy to an ACVIM specialist as soon as you can after you move."
Soon after relocating to Florida, Kim took Duffy to see Dr. Jeff Toll, an ACVIM small animal internist in the Miami region. Dr. Toll ran several tests on Duffy, but there were still questions in his mind and some tests he was unable to run because he lacked the necessary equipment. Kim and Duffy then made a 400-mile roundtrip to Maitland, Florida, to consult with another ACVIM small animal internist, Dr. Lynda Melendez. As Duffy's diagnosis turned out, he has diabetes insipidus, a relatively rare endocrine disorder that's easily treatable.
"Duffy's diagnosis and treatment turned out to be the best-case scenario," Kim Wanderley says. She couldn't be happier about her decision to take her Westie to one, and then another, ACVIM specialist. Duffy's disease, diabetes insipdus, is caused by the inability of the kidneys to conserve water, which leads to frequent urination and pronounced thirst. Thanks to the insights of his ACVIM specialists, Duffy's diagnosis came relatively quickly. Now nine years old and on medication, Duffy has every chance of leading a long, healthy life. His owner puts it this way: "Dr. Toll is the best of the best. By all means, take your pet to a specialist if your vet recommends it."
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