Our Blogs

Feline Squamous Cell Carcinoma

April 13, 2021

A 13-year-old female spayed black domestic long hair presented to The Oncology Service for evaluation after an acute history of blood tinged hyper-salivation and decreased grooming. Her primary veterinarian had noted a granulomatous mass attached to the lingual frenulum and recommended euthanasia.

Canine Anaphylaxis: Diagnosis and Treatment of Hemoabdomen

April 2, 2021

Over the past decade, ultrasound has been slowly integrated into the veterinary industry. As a result, ultrasonography has allowed veterinarians to detect other soft tissue changes and free fluid that would otherwise be missed.

Port City Critical Care Spotlight: Hi-Flow Oxygen Therapy

March 30, 2021

Oxygen therapy in veterinary medicine has remained unchanged for decades. Traditional methods of oxygen supplementation, such as flow-by, nasal prongs/cannulas, and oxygen hoods/cages, have been the mainstay for patients suffering from respiratory distress. Though these methods can deliver oxygen concentrations ranging from 20-80%, they suffer from a variety of shortcomings that can lead to treatment

The Veterinary Forensic Process

February 23, 2021

In veterinary medicine, cases of animal neglect, cruelty, or abandonment can be an unfortunate part of our careers. However, it is inevitable that these cases will cross our paths. Forensic investigation of animal cruelty cases involves collecting evidence for law enforcement. These cases are part medical and part legal. The veterinary medical forensic investigation is

Human Chemotherapeutic Agent, Fluorouracil (5-FU) is Deadly to Pets

October 5, 2020

If you or someone you know is taking this medication to treat your own condition, please be aware that it is extremely toxic, even in very small amounts, to our family pets. Please keep your medication and the application site out of reach of pets at all times.

Consideration of a Veterinarian-based Outpatient Protocol for Treatment of Canine Parvoviral Enteritis

September 28, 2020

The gold standard of Parvovirus treatment involves continuous, round-the-clock supportive care in an ICU setting. For those patients who are deemed a good candidate for Outpatient (OP) care, and those clients who are dedicated to the task of returning their pets to the clinic twice daily for several days for veterinarian-based OP care, an OP protocol can be a viable alternative to hospitalization.

Nasogastric Tube Placement

March 5, 2020

Nasogastric tube placement may be one of the more underutilized tools in treating our hospitalized veterinary patients.

Gastric Stasis: When to Refer and When to Send Them Home

March 2, 2020

Gastric stasis is one of the most common medical problems seen with small herbivores. Like many other common medical issues, it’s not a single issue, but a set of clinical signs that can have a variety of underlying problems. Think of stasis in the same way as thinking of colic in a horse or like

Really Cool Anatomy and Physiology: Avian Respiratory Systems

January 17, 2020

I hope that you find this fun to read. If it’s as fun for me to write and for you to read, then I plan to make this a periodic format for the website, so please send feedback to let me know if you are interested. Let’s start the first episode with a doozy: the

Delayed Zinc Toxicosis in a Starved Dog

December 19, 2019

The below case illustrates a rapid onset of critical illness in a severely malnourished stray dog. After initial support turned this too-weak-to-walk stray into a bouncing puppy and he regained his appetite, he rapidly deteriorated in our ICU due to zinc toxicity from pennies that presumptively had been in his empty stomach for some time.

Interventional Analgesia Part II

November 19, 2019

As veterinary pain management becomes more like human pain management in offering patients a broader range of strategies for the treatment of acute and chronic pain, the interventional strategies and the techniques described below will become more commonplace.

Interventional Analgesia: Part I

November 19, 2019

Interventional pain management in animals is an application of image-guided procedures which benefit veterinary patients with both acute and chronic pain.