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EmilyFukuzato, DVM

Emily Fukuzato, DVM

Biography

After graduating from Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, I spent an additional year of rigorous internship training in emergency medicine and surgery at the Animal Surgical and Emergency Center in West Los Angeles, CA. Over the years I have practiced in both emergency medicine and general practice in Southern CA and Western WA. I have special interests in toxicology, kidney disease, ultrasonography, and endoscopy, in which I have taken extra training courses. I am an active member of VECCS (Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society) and WSVMA (Washington State Veterinary Medical Association). I thoroughly enjoy the interaction with my clients both during a regular healthy pet exam as well as during an unfortunate emergency. In both circumstances, taking the time to focus on the client's needs and desired goals for their pet(s) is my main focus and allows us to build a bond to work together to achieve whatever those goals may be. PetCoach allows me to help create this bond with so many other people that I may not be able to see in my exam room. We can work together as a team to create the best plan for you and your family pet.
Questions Answered by Emily Fukuzato, DVM
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My cat, a feral stray, is not eating... well. He tries but will cock his head side ways, ear down after every attempted bite. He is obviously uncomfortable and in bad shape. Any ideas?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Pet Coach. The way he is chewing sounds like it could be tooth/dental or jaw pain. And it sounds painful. I would recommend to feed him soft food ONLY at this time until he can get into a vet for pain medication and evaluation. If he usually eats dry food, wet it with water and let soak until it is soft. Otherwise it is ideal for him to eat canned food only at this time. If he has a tooth infection he will need pain meds and antibiotics until it can be taken care of. Best of luck and hope he is feeling better very soon.

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Hello, ive got a pug chihuahua about 3 years old and he seemed to develop a lump on his chin seemingly over night. It hasn’t effected his eating, mood or anything and it doesnt seem to hurt him. I dont know if he hit anything or was bit but its scaring us. Any information will help, thank you, Andrew.

Hello, I can understand your concern about this. There is a short list of things this may be and I would recommend having it looked at right away if you are able to. It MAY be: enlarged lymphnode (usually to the right or left behind the jaw, not directly center under the chin), a sialocele (blocked salivary duct), abscess (directly related to a puncture or bite would that may have been too small to notice) - if he had been playing with or in direct contact with another dog in the past few days this may be the most likely cause. If it is nonpainful, he can eat, swallow, drink water without any problems, and seems otherwise perfectly normal than waiting until tomorrow seems reasonable. however, if he is having difficulty eating, swallowing, seems painful, or even lethargic (could be related to a fever), he should be looked at today if possible.

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Several dogs in my area have died from the parvovirus including my Belgian Malinois / GSD mix (Kyra). Stephanie survived the parvo with little to no veterinary effort. Would Stephanie continually be getting infected or would she be immune at this age of over 1yr and 2 months old?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Pet Coach. I am sorry about Kyra. Stephanie was exposed to parvo, and survived. She should have a strong immune system to fight off any future infections at this age. She should be immune to parvo. I hope she continues to do well.

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Hi, I was bitten by a dog about 45 days back and dog was quarantined for 10 days and came out healthy and alive but the rabies vaccine was not current. I did not take anti rabies shot. Should I worry if the dog is doing fine after 10 days quarantine? The dog is still doing fine after 45 days.

Thank you for reaching out to pet coach. Most likely you have nothing to worry about, however it is absolutely best to consult with an MD about the bite wound, the situation in which it occurred. Telling you that you have absolutley nothing to worry about would not be correct, an MD can only give this advice to you and that is the safest thing for you to do in this situation. Most likely there is no concern, but please consult with an MD to get the answers that you need to rest easy. Thank you.

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Male neutered 160lbs 3-4years old X-ray of right front leg What is wrong with my dog’s leg?

Hello and thank you for reaching out about your dog. These xrays are very concerning for either a fungal infection (very much dependent on where you are living) or a bone cancer (osteosarcoma). These xrays I am sure have also been evaluated by your veterinarian and hopefully a radiologist as well. I would recommend chest xrays to look for cancer metastasis or diffuse fungal infection and you may need to have your veterinarian perform a bone core biopsy for a diagnosis. This is usually very painful and your dog should be on good pain meds and rest during this time. Treatment options are very different for bone cancer vs. fungal infection so a proper diagnosis is extremely important. Best of luck!

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