Duke Animal Clinic

12/30/2025

From the department of
"You Can't Make This Stuff Up".

Yesterday a Labrador Retriever was admitted with a large rusty nail embedded in her foot. Sedation, brief anesthesia, x-rays and the nail was removed. She came in on three legs and walked out on all 4 that afternoon with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication.
There is a dilapidated fence behind their house and apparently
she ran through some debris full speed and engaged the stray nail.

12/21/2025

The President of the American Veterinary Medical Association with a story for Christmas.

Being AVMA president certainly has its perks, including the title of Santa's official veterinarian. Gather 'round as AVMA President Dr. Michael Bailey…

12/15/2025

🎅🎄We will be closed this Wednesday from 12:00p to 2:00p for our annual Christmas Lunch. 🎄🎅

12/10/2025

You can't make this stuff up.

Officials are reminding pet owners to consider fire safety when decorating for the holidays, especially when leaving animals home alone.

12/05/2025

We were recently presented with a 17 month old neutered male cat that had been chewing on a long shoe lace. The owner recovered 8 inches of the lace, but she had measured the matching lace and it was found to be 50 inches long.
The cat was not feeling well and did not have an appetite. Hairball laxative was tried for the first night, but the patient grew more lethargic. Barium liquid was given to the cat by mouth and an x-ray taken 15 minutes later. Iit showed the "Accordion Sign" with the intestines knotting up like the bellows of an accordion. Pretty much diagnostic for a linear foreign body.
Surgery yielded 31 inches of the shoe lace taken from the intestines. Where are the other 9 inches? They were never found, but it can be reported that the cat is thriving and back to his obnoxious self.

11/25/2025

The holiday season has begun. How do we know? The first case of pet dietary indiscretion. A bag of Reeses Pieces was left out. The Doberman could not resist it. 108 unwrapped minis came in the bag. The owner estimates that the dog consumed half the bag. About 50 pieces. Presented at our clinic within 20 minutes and vomiting was induced. That was a lot of chocolate and peanut butter. Enlarge to appreciate the volume. Happy Thanksgiving.

10/30/2025

It's that time of year. The pumpkin decorating contest at Duke Animal Clinic! Three teams from our staff use their creative talents for a great show. Although we do appreciate all of your jolly comments.......please vote. The team that wins will choose an animal charity for our annual donation.
Below are 1) Candy Apple
2) SpongeBob Jellyfish
3) Pumpkin Cat in ICU

10/29/2025

Last Friday afternoon a new client brought in one of their backyard chickens. She thought it had "sour crop". After a through examination it was determined that the crop was not "sour", but was distended to the size of a regulation softball. The decision was made to open the crop surgically and get whatever was in there out and let the crop shrink back to near normal size. The crop contained a pretty much a normal bunch of cracked corn, straw, and seeds. The primary seed was large an oval. I did not recognize it as a common seed crop.
Saturday morning the chicken went home after her crop had been sutured closed and it was business as normal. Further communication with the owner revealed that she had fed pumpkin sprouts to her flock. Final diagnosis: Crop impaction due to pumpkin seeds. The second image is of pumpkin seeds from a "Jack-o-Lantern" I made with my two youngest grandsons on Sunday. A match.
Takeaway: If you have friends with chickens....easy go on the plethora of pumpkin seeds.
Tip: Take a leftover pumpkin and cut numerous holes in the orange outer layer. The chickens will peck a hole through it and enlarge it.......slowly allowing them access to the inner goodies. Enjoy

10/03/2025

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” You may have noticed the sign on the clinic door that read “caterpillar crossing. Please don’t squish us!” This year DAC had an abundance of monarch butterflies. We’ve all reveled in the life cycle of the caterpillar/cacoon/butterflies. Below are some photos the staff has taken.

08/31/2025

Dauphin Island claims the title "Sunset Capital of Alabama". The picture below is from last Sunday afternoon while I was tending some oysters with my grandson, Silas.
About 7:15 pm. Young people where there with engagement photos. About 10 vehicles showed up like a parade to share in the sunset. You may have time to get there tonight, but the weather looks as if will repeat tomorrow evening.
Two objects on the horizon. On the left is a natural gas well platform. On the right is an Inter-coastal Waterway navigation tower that hosts a weather station managed by the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Check it out to see the water conditions at the Katrina Cut of the Mississippi sound. disl.edu/arcos

08/19/2025

We are proud to announce that Sierra Killeen has done academic work, clinical skills and passed the exam to be designated as an Approved Veterinary Assistant. (AVA). This program is endorsed by the North American Veterinary Technicians Association as a gateway to becoming a licensed veterinary technician.
Next month, Sierra we will be celebrating her 5th anniversary with us. She is an excellent animal care-giver, team leader and huge asset to our veterinary staff.

08/01/2025

It is hot out there. It can be fatal. Two weeks ago a dog was presented at Duke Animal Clinic limp and almost lifeless. He had been out in a yard with shade provided. It was a very challenging case. His re**al temperature topped out with the thermometer at 112 degrees!
Our team really came together. Oxygen therapy, IV catheter with fluids chilled through a water bath and assistants pouring ice water over his body. In 35 minutes his re**al temperature was normal and at 40 minutes he sat up and began complaining.
He went home 4 hours later, wagging his tail.