Posts highlighting some non-specific information about veterinary specialty medicine
At some point in a pet’s life, s/he will benefit from receiving fluid under the skin or subcutaneous fluid. This type of therapeutic intervention is prescribed to help treat mild dehydration or to prevent dehydration in at-risk patients. For some parents, the thought of administering subcutaneous fluid can be downright scary, so I’m writing this … [Read more…]
Vital signs (i.e.: heart rate, respiratory rate and body temperature) are non-invasive clinical measurements used to assess the state of a patient’s essential body functions. Clinical board-certified veterinary specialists consider blood pressure (BP) to be the fourth vital sign, but sadly the prevalence of appropriate blood pressure monitoring in veterinary medicine is low compared to … [Read more…]
When a beloved pet becomes sick, a veterinarian may recommend administration of special fluids to help make her/him feel better. Fluid therapy is principally important for specific patient populations, particularly those: Undergoing general anesthesia With persistent diarrhea and/or vomiting Who have ingested toxins Coping with dysfunction of major organ systems like the liver and/or kidneys Why is … [Read more…]
Board-certified veterinary specialists thrive on the opportunity to partner with pet parents and primary care doctors in an effort to make animals feel better. There are very few feelings that are more satisfying than that of successfully discharging a healed (or even cured) patient home to his/her family. However in my line of work, the … [Read more…]
On an almost daily basis I have the privilege of consulting with families whose dog or cat isn’t eating well (or at all). Sometimes the pet is also vomiting, but often the only concern for the family is the pet’s lack of appetite. When I obtain a complete patient history, families report they have tried … [Read more…]
Both primary care veterinarians and board-certified veterinary specialists often need to perform non-invasive blood and imaging tests in an attempt to determine why a pet is sick. In most scenarios, properly fasting an animal is truly instrumental in ensuring results are accurate. If I’m going to ask your pet to go through the testing process … [Read more…]
I’ve wanted to write this post for a while now, but have been hesitant to do so because the content is likely provocative. Some of my points may make your heart rate accelerate or may even anger you. Please know my intention is not to be divisive but rather to highlight for pet parents some … [Read more…]
No one wants his/her pet to become ill, and certainly no one wants to have his/her pet hospitalized for medical care. Yet the truth of the matter is most fur babies will need to spend at least one night away from home in a hospital at some point in their lives. This can be an … [Read more…]
Bringing your pet to the emergency is always stressful. Your animal is sick. You are scared and your stress level skyrockets. A trip to the emergency room with a distressed fur baby is simply never fun. Just as parents must always be prepared with children, so too must pet parents always be ready to make … [Read more…]
It never hurts to get a second opinion! Veterinarians are human, and we can all make mistakes or be presented with challenging patients. There is nothing lost by visiting another veterinarian just to make sure your family veterinarian’s opinion is correct, and I would argue seeking a second opinion with a board-certified veterinary specialist can … [Read more…]