BVSC The Animal Hospital in Albany Creek, Queensland, Australia | Veterinary surgeon

BVSC The Animal Hospital

Locality: Albany Creek, Queensland, Australia

Phone: +61 7 3264 9400

Address: Corner of Old Northern Road and Keong Road 4035 Albany Creek, QLD, Australia

Website: http://www.bvsc.com.au/

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25.01.2022 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Curtis!! This lovely and handsome boy just celebrated his 9th birthday in style with his family and they sent us these absolutely amazing photos from his party, complete with homemade PUP-cakes! Curtis remains in remission following surgery and radiation therapy at BVSC for an apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma, a common malignant tumour of the anal gland in dogs. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy as well to help prevent any spread of the tumour internally, and we could not be more thrilled to see how well and happy he has been through it all!

25.01.2022 Ollie is a beautiful 4 year old Rottweiler who was referred to BVSC by Greencross Vets Teneriffe in July after she was diagnosed with multicentric lymphoma. Ollie's family had some serious logistical challenges to overcome because at the same time as Ollie's diagnosis her owner had to move temporarily to Hervey Bay for work! It was a real family effort getting Ollie here for chemotherapy each week and her family are a testament to what can be achieved with incredible commitme...nt. Dr Hannah Kwong said that Ollie finished her chemotherapy last week and has been an absolute delight to have in hospital. She is in remission from her lymphoma and is pictured with Ollie's fur-mum in the BVSC Christmas photobooth. Ollie is celebrating the end of chemotherapy and Christmas! Her owner has also just moved back to Brisbane - great timing! We love you, Ollie! Stay well! See more

24.01.2022 Lily is a mini-fox terrier who is getting close to a big birthday! She is going to turn 10 in a few weeks. Lily was referred by Salisbury Veterinary Surgery after being diagnosed with multicentric Lymphoma. This is one of the most common types of cancer diagnosed in dogs. This type of cancer affects the lymph nodes, and in the majority of cases, the main clinical manifestation is the rapid enlargement of the lymph nodes. Lily received a chemotherapy course and underwent ...half-body irradiation as part of her treatment for lymphoma. She has been a superstar throughout her treatments and been a very good girl for Dr Gemma Birnie, Dr Hannah Kwong from the medicine department and Dr Elias Gumpel in radiation therapy. Lily is pictured receiving her BVSC bandana for completing her chemotherapy/radiation therapy and of course many cuddles from nurse Allisha. See more

24.01.2022 Well done handsome Charlie.... you are amazing!

24.01.2022 BVSC are offering our pet owners a choice of Telehealth Consultations, or for one pet owner to attend In-Person Consultations. At BVSC your pets care is our top priority. BVSC is an essential service and we have continued to treat our patients throughout COVID-19. Your health and our staffs health are also our priority. Having a Telehealth Consultation enables social distancing and avoids our pet owners having to congregate in our reception. You will be able to drop ...off your pet and be greeted by one of our dedicated staff who will ensure your pet receives our specialist care with compassion. Our clinicians will then contact you via phone or on your computer/device for a Telehealth Consultation. Telehealth Consultations also enable us to keep our valued team safe so that we can continue treating your precious pets. Or you can choose to have an In-Person Consultation. An In-Person Consultation enables one pet owner, per patient, into the hospital at any time. We ask that you be aware of social distancing before, during and after your consultation. We may also ask you to have a temperature check if entering the hospital and recommend you upload the COVIDSafe Application. For more details go to the BVSC website www.bvsc.com.au To make an appointment please call our friendly client service team on 07 3264 9400. Thank-you for your understanding and support.

24.01.2022 Grizzly is a 10 year old Cattle Dog with a truly remarkable story to tell. He presented to our Brisbane Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Service (BVECCS) colleagues on a Sunday in early May this year after having had a suspected seizure at home. Since seizures can be caused by either intracranial or extracranial conditions, the first step is to try and rule out extracranial causes if physical exam findings dont help to rule out either of them, as was the case with Gri...zzly. The BVECCS team ran blood work on Sunday, and the results did not show evidence of any extracranial causes for the seizure. BVSCs internal medicine team continued the work-up the next day which consisted of a brain CT scan, and this gave us the answer we were looking for Grizzly had a mass in his brain consistent with a brain tumour. In the vast majority of cases such as these, radiation therapy would be the preferred treatment option since very few brain tumours in dogs are amenable to surgerybut the location of Grizzlys tumour gave us the option to do a craniotomy (brain surgery) first to remove as much of the tumour as possible, and then follow with radiation therapy with the goal of killing the remaining tumour cells the surgery could not remove. Dr Rod Straw and Dr Harvey Saunders performed the surgery and Grizzlys recovery both went very well and about 3 weeks later he began the 18 dose radiotherapy protocol with BVSCs Dr Elias and the Radiation Team, which he completed successfully on August 27th. He has remained neurologically normal with no further seizures noted, and we celebrated Grizzly and his accomplishment with these amazing cupcakes and a beautiful card presented to us by his incredibly committed owners! Well done, Grizzly!!

23.01.2022 Diddy was referred to Dr Hannah Kwong at BVSC from #WarnerVets after developing a fever that persisted for a few weeks despite treatment with antibiotics and pain relief. Fever or pyrexia unknown origin (PUO) is a common medical mystery and often requires many diagnostics tests before an underlying cause of the fever is found. There are also rare occasions where a cause is never identified. Diddy underwent blood tests, urine testing, abdominal ultrasound, chest X-rays, a spin...al tap and joint taps to determine the cause of her fever. Her spinal fluid analysis came back with an increased number of white blood cells. This indicated she had a condition called Meningitis of Unknown Origin (MUO). MUO is an autoimmune condition where the bodys immune system attacks the nervous system for an unknown reason. It can cause various clinical signs ranging from tremors and seizures to blindness and behavioural/mentation changes. Thankfully, there are treatment options available for MUO which consist of medications aiming to suppress the immune system Diddy has been on immunosuppressive medications and continues to be in remission from her MUO. We love seeing Diddy and her googly eyes at BVSC. Diddy is pictured here with her favourite nurse, Laura (secondary medicine nurse) at her latest revisit appointment.

22.01.2022 Prince is a 5 year old greyhound who presented to the internal medicine team as a referral from #ThirdAvenueVeterinarySurgery. Prince was collapsed at presentation, had a fever of 41.5 degrees Celsius, as well as had severe spinal and abdominal pain. Blood tests were performed which identified severely elevated liver markers. An abdominal ultrasound showed an abnormal gall bladder. Prince underwent a CT of his spine, spinal fluid collection and ultrasound guided bile coll...ection. He was started on aggressive supportive therapy including intravenous antibiotics. He slowly improved and was able to be discharged four days later. His results returned and he was diagnosed with a severe bacterial infection of his gall bladder (cholecystitis). He has responded extremely well to antibiotics with his liver function improving over time. Prince is pictured here, looking very regal with Dr Mio and nurse Tamara at his final recheck appointment. See more

19.01.2022 Nurse Tam and her little rescue dog Mildred can’t wait for Christmas. Mildred has an array of clothes in her wardrobe, but she couldn’t wait to strut in her new Christmas outfit! P.S Tam has informed us quietly that Santa is bringing a new swim shirt along with a dog raft boat for Mildred this year.....a young lady needs to be sun safe this Christmas!

18.01.2022 Where would we be without our AWESOME BVSC Client Service Team - affectionately known by us as, The A-Team. Yesterday we celebrated International Receptionists Day! All of us at BVSC would like to take the opportunity to recognise the importance of our Client Service Team and the role they play each day. Our A-Team deliver exceptional service to our clients and to their colleagues at BVSC, delivering with passion, professionalism and pride, despite the challenging days t...hey sometimes experience. Dear A-Team We know how hard you all work. We know how stressful and busy it gets. We also know that you always strive for the best because you believe that pets are family and deserve the best care. And, you have continued to deliver this during this very challenging time throughout Covid-19. You have been resilient and ensured that our patients, pet owners and referring veterinarians continue to receive our gold standard level of care and service. We think you are AWESOME! Thank-you, from all of us at BVSC

18.01.2022 The wonderful team at BVSC + The Animal Hospital

18.01.2022 Dear little Molly, a 10 year old Maltese, loves coming into BVSC especially if she can bring her sister Daisy with her. When they were in recently they wanted to pop into our Christmas Photobooth with their dad Jimmy. Look how gorgeous they are looking at the camera, that’s because Ros, their mum was taking the photo. Merry Christmas Molly and Daisy and we hope you don’t stay up too late tonight enjoying New Year's Eve! xx Wishing a lovely & safe New Year's Eve to Everyone! Photo: Molly is on the right proudly wearing her christmas antlers, Daisy is on the left proudly wearing her christmas tree and Jimmy is in the middle being their proud dad.

17.01.2022 Honey wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas! Here she is at The Specialist Clinic for her recheck with Dr Rod. Honey was referred to BVSC by Petmania Vet Surgery. In January this year, Dr Rod and his team removed a nasty disease from under Honey’s tongue. The disease is called Progressive Angiomatosis which is a rare and difficult to treat invasive disease that can cause pain and bleeding. Honey has responded without complication to the resection where our Ligasure vessel sealing device was used. She is such a darling and now she can have a very Merry Christmas as there was no evidence of recurrence at this very happy recheck!

17.01.2022 This week we celebrated Brads birthday! Brad joined BVSC 16 years ago when the hospital doors first opened! He began his career as a BVSC nurse in ICU at 27 years young! Brad is a great colleague, he always delivers and can be relied on to crack a joke at any opportunity. Today, Brad is BVSCs Hospital Operations Manager and an integral part of our team. There really isnt enough words for us to express what a great person he is and very much liked and respected by us all. Happy Birthday Brad!

17.01.2022 Beautiful Dolly is a 9 year old Dachshund who made the long drive down from Boyne Tannum Vet Surgery near Gladstone to see our surgeons at BVSC when she lost the ability to use her hindlimbs. Dr Marvin Kung (pictured here) saw Dolly and performed a CT scan which confirmed intervertebral disc disease (IVDD). This is the most common cause of spinal disease in Dachshunds. Incidentally, after our careful evaluation of Dolly, we discovered a mass within the spleen. The good news ...is that Dr Marvin removed the splenic mass and it was benign. Following these great results she went on to have decompressive spinal surgery with Dr Katherine Steele (pictured here) to address the IVDD. Dolly regained the ability to walk a few days after surgery and has returned up north. Here she is with her two surgeons not quite the visit that anyone was expecting but we are so happy to have her recovering from both surgeries now!

16.01.2022 Meet Tink, a sweet 6 year old Bull Arab cross who was referred from Morayfield Vet Surgery with suspected pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). She was treated by both BVECCS and the internal medicine team at BVSC. An abdominal ultrasound was performed following referral which confirmed the suspected diagnosis of pancreatitis. On the ultrasound there was also evidence of increased fluid within the abdominal cavity itself indicating inflammation (peritonitis) and obstruction of the common bile duct which can occur in severe cases of pancreatitis. Tink was in hospital for 6 days receiving supportive therapy, during which time she slowly improved. This is Tink seen at her recheck appointment following discharge with Dr Mio and nurse Bridgette. Tink has been doing much better and is back to her bright, happy self at home.

16.01.2022 Recently, the team at BVSC celebrated our commitment, passion and love towards the veterinary industry and WHY we do what we do every day, day after day. This was important for us to come together as a team and reflect on WHY we chose to work in the veterinary field. The hours can be long, the patients may not have the outcome that we all worked so hard to achieve and sometimes our pet owners may need comforting from us, when we are also feeling the need to be comforted. H...owever, we can also feel completely elated when a patient in our care walks out of the hospital after perhaps a long and difficult surgery, a successful cancer treatment or a medical diagnosis that seemed incurable. Every patient that walks through our hospital doors are part of someone’s family and whilst they are in our care, they are part of our family. And, as part of our family we want them to have the best care possible. That is WHY we do what we do every day, day after day, because - ‘’We Believe Pets Are Family And Deserve The Best Care’’. Of course we invited our fur-babies to the BBQ so we could celebrate our WHY, with our fur-family.

16.01.2022 Meet Lucy! Lucy is a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel originally referred by Veterinary Specialist Services and Bulimba Veterinary Surgery to see Dr Elias, BVSC’s Radiation Oncology Specialist. Lucy was treated 3 years ago at BVSC with radiation treatment for a suspected tumour of the trigeminal nerve root. She initially was given a few months, but here she is, 3 years later! Her parents tell us she is living a full and happy life and they are so lucky to have her as part of t...heir family. Lucy is in great health and is now eleven and even more bossy than ever! And, we are told that she isn’t spoilt at all! Jason and Stephen said that they wanted to share this with others that may be going through a difficult time. Thanks for sharing!

16.01.2022 Lily is a very cute 18 month old Shih Tzu who presented to the BVSC ophthalmology team, after being referred from #AspleyVeterinaryPractice Vetwell, for a condition called Medial Caruncle Trichiasis. Our ophthalmologist, Dr Anna Deykin and Dr Sarah Richardson say this is a condition we see commonly in Shih Tzus where hair grows across from the inner cornea of the eye and is in constant contact with the cornea causing irritation. Over time, this can lead to scarring which aff...ects vision. In Lilys case, the hairs were extremely long and she already had some scarring. She also had very wide eyelid openings which meant her corneas were very exposed (you could see the whites of her eyes all the way round). We performed surgery to close down the inner corners of Lilys eyes which had the double effect of removing the troublesome hair and also reducing the exposure of her corneas. Her eyes are now much better protected and are much less prone to scarring and injury in the future. This surgery is called a permanent medial tarsorrhaphy and is also recommended in pugs who have very prominent eyes and pigment scarring of their cornea. See more

16.01.2022 Thank-you Timmy for sending us your Christmas photo, you look so smart. We hear that you have been a very good boy this year and very brave. Timmy remains on oral Palladia chemotherapy tablets to help him continue to fight his nasal cancer, and he finished radiation therapy 6 months ago here at BVSC. We are all so happy to see him look so good and enjoy this festive season with his family!

15.01.2022 Tomorrow is World Veterinary Day, an annual event to promote and highlight the lifesaving work performed by the approximate 1.8 million veterinarians around the world. It is impossible to put into words what we witness here at BVSC each-and-every day from our veterinarians. They tirelessly strive to deliver the highest standard of care to their patients and at the same time devote the much-needed empathy and warmth to their clients. To witness them fight so hard to save a... patient and then lose the fight is heart-aching, but thankfully there are so many rewarding moments. To fight for those without a voice, to offer a shoulder for their clients to cry on, to work tirelessly on the computer after a long day. Why do they do it? Because they are a special group of people. Huge hearts, high standards, a desire to make life better for our companion animals and with the belief that pets are family and deserve the best care. That is what they have dedicated their lives to do, and that is what makes them come through our hospital doors each day to do it again and again. #WorldVeterinaryDay

15.01.2022 This is Roxie, a 9 year old Staffordshire Bullterrier who presented to the surgical department at BVSC in April following a diagnosis of mast cell tumours at her regular veterinary clinic, Windaroo Veterinary Surgery Animal Hospital. There was a tumour on her vulva and several others in close proximity which made the excision much more challenging. Thankfully, surgery was successful and the tumours were able to be completely excised. Roxie recovered extremely well from t...he procedure. Due to the location of the mast cell tumours, there was concern that they may be associated with more aggressive disease. So once the surgery site healed, Roxie commenced chemotherapy. She was managed by the internal medicine department at BVSC. Roxie was an excellent patient for her chemotherapy and she recently received her final dose. Here Roxie is pictured with Dr Mio and Dr Sigrid at her final chemotherapy appointment. Well done Roxie! See more

15.01.2022 Meet Monte who was treated at BVSC with a combination of radiation therapy and Palladia (a type of anti-cancer drug used in dogs) for a nasal tumour in December 2018 by Dr Elias Gumpel and the RT team. Multiple repeat CT scans since have shown that the tumour has completely responded, and he was able to resume competing in nose-work competitions! He was also diagnosed with a urinary bladder mass and underwent another course of radiation therapy to this tumour, along with a di...fferent, low-dose oral chemotherapy drug in February 2020, which have all helped to keep this tumour stable. Monte is a true champ in every sense of the word and we all wish him a VERY happy 13th birthday! Thanks to his lovely Mum who sent us some photos and a very nice message: "I just wanted to let you know that Monstar turns 13 today 13 has been our unspoken goal since he first started getting sick it just seemed like a fair age, officially elderly. It also seemed like a pipedream! Because we absolutely could not have reached this milestone without you . We are lucky enough to have access to so many specialists and practitioners that are helping to keep him with us longer, and more comfortable and we are so very grateful for all of you. These are all photos from today on his morning birthday amble, waiting for and eating! - his celebratory birthday popcorn (this might also be what is keeping him alive; held together by sugar), and telling me he has found the hidden odour (anise!) on the van while playing at his birthday Nosework. My heartfelt thanks for the gift of the Monstar - you are a medical rockstar! "

15.01.2022 This is handsome Bretski whom we first met 3 years ago when he was referred to BVSC from Clontarf Veterinary Practice after being diagnosed with a bone tumour affecting his right hind leg called osteosarcoma (a highly aggressive cancer which left untreated is fatal). At the time Dr Marvin Kung, BVSC’s specialist surgeon, performed a right hindlimb amputation to remove the tumour. Bretski was subsequently treated with a course of chemotherapy which was managed by Dr Hannah Kwong, our Internal Medicine Registrar. Over the past 3 years, Bretski has been coming in for regular check-ups. Most recently, he came in for repeat scans which shows he continues to be in remission from his osteosarcoma! He is pictured here with Dr Hannah Kwong in his party hat, celebrating 3 years of being cancer-free! What a super star... congratulations Bretski!

14.01.2022 Thank-you Frank and his fur-mummy for the delicious biscuits! They look just like you Frank, very handsome. Frank is a very cute (and handsome) 6 year old Bassett Hound, who was referred to us by our colleagues at Companion Vet Care - Vet Clinic North Lakes. He was diagnosed with B-cell multicentric lymphoma after his owner noticed that he had some neck and oral pain, and all of his peripheral lymph nodes were very enlarged. Dr Hannah Lobegeier has been treating Frank with... chemotherapy and he also received radiation therapy at BVSC with Dr Elias. Frank has been a superstar the whole way through his treatment. He has been such a joy to have in the hospital, with big happy licks and crash tackles for everyone each week! We are so happy that Frank will finish his chemotherapy this week, and the best news is that he is in complete remission from his lymphoma! Thank-you Louisa, for the amazing treats for our team, they were delicious! Stay well Frank, you are SUCH a good boy!

14.01.2022 Tamara Boucaut-Calvert (Rotating Nurse) with Mack

14.01.2022 Happy Birthday Finn! That is such great news that Finn is doing so well after being diagnosed with Lymphoma and was treated with chemotherapy and half body irradiation . What a champion! Thanks for sharing!

14.01.2022 Coco is your typical happy, playful staffy referred to the surgery service at BVSC from our friends Happy Pets Family Vet. Back in July 2019, they removed a mast cell tumour from her left hind leg with good margins and it was thought that this was the end of that tumour. In March they discovered a new mast cell tumour on her belly as well as evidence of cancer spread to the lymph node near the original site of the tumour. Coco first underwent some staging tests at BVSC to sho...w there was no evidence of cancer elsewhere in her body, followed by surgery with Dr Waylon Wiseman to remove the metastatic lymph node and new mast cell tumours using a surgical skin flap. Once this all healed well, Coco commenced a 3 week course of radiation therapy to the tumour bed to prevent any further regrowth of cancer with Dr Elias Gumpel and the BVSC RT Team. Coco was also treated with 6 doses of Vinblastine chemotherapy to give Coco the best chance at beating this cancer. She recently received the final chemotherapy dose and we were able to show there was no evidence of metastatic disease on her restaging abdominal ultrasound, so she celebrated in style with her fancy BVSC bandana!

13.01.2022 Luca is a very sweet and enthusiastic 8 year old Cocker Spaniel who was referred to Dr Darren Fry at BVSC at the beginning of the year by Dr Astrid Wilkinson of Bulimba Vet Surgery. Luca had enlarged lymph nodes and Dr Astrid promptly diagnosed a B-cell lymphoma. This is one of the most common cancers that we treat at BVSC. Without treatment it is sadly rapidly progressive but with chemotherapy, most dogs can achieve remission. Long term (greater than 2 year) remission is unc...ommon with chemotherapy alone. BVSC has however been using a new type of treatment together with chemotherapy (half body irradiation). Half body irradiation has been shown in overseas studies to significantly improve the chances of long term remission. BVSC, together with the Australian Animal Cancer Foundation (www.animalcancer.com.au) have been studying this treatment in a long term trial at BVSC and the results are similarly very promising. Luca came through the treatment very well and is pictured having cuddles from Primary Internal Medicine Nurse, Emily, on the day of his last treatment. He is in complete remission. Dr Astrid will continue to monitor him monthly and we are hoping that we will be able to eventually post a 2 year update for Luca!!

13.01.2022 Meet Pablo, a very cute Miniature Dachshund puppy. Pablo initially presented to Brisbane Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Service during the night, for sudden lethargy and hypersalivation. Pablo’s owners said that, ‘’Pablo is generally a quiet puppy but lately has appeared restless and will pace around the house at night after dinner’’. The emergency team performed bloodwork and the results made them suspicious of a portosystemic shunt. Pablo was then seen by BVSC’s Dr... Gemma, Internal Medicine Specialist, who performed an abdominal ultrasound which revealed a suspected extrahepatic shunting vessel between the portal vein and the vena cava. Portosystemic shunt (PSS) is a condition which is caused by developmental error where an abnormal shunt vessel is present between the portal vein (the main vein that collects all the blood drained from the gastrointestinal tract) and the caudal vena cava (the main vein draining the back half of the body). In a heathy dog, the portal vein runs to the liver and the healthy liver filters a large amount of neurotoxic substances that are absorbed across the gastrointestinal tract. In dogs with PSS , this does not occur appropriately, and a large amount of these substances enter the systemic circulation. The liver function is also impaired. Pablo was then stabilised with an alteration in his diet, along with medications. He responded very well to this and we were delighted to hear that he was a changed puppy at home! Surgical treatment is recommended to close the shunt so Pablo was then seen by Dr Marvin Kung, BVSC’s Small Animal Surgery Specialist. The surgery performed involved the placement of a cellophane band around the vessel to allow the vessel to slowly close over time. Gorgeous has Pablo recovered very well from his surgery and recently saw Dr Gemma for a recheck. He was no longer on any medications, and his liver function tests were completely back to normal! He is back to his cheeky, normal self now and no longer needs a special diet. Here he is pictured with Dr Gemma and Dr Marvin.

12.01.2022 BVECCS - Emergency & Critical Care WILL BE OPEN OVER THE ANZAC WEEKEND Call 3264 9400 - Open 24/7 Our BVSC Specialists are ON CALL for Emergencies... BVSC + The Specialist Clinic will be CLOSED ANZAC DAY, this Saturday 25th April They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old, Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn, At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We shall remember them

11.01.2022 We first met Leia when she was 12 weeks old. She had been with her new family for only three days when they noticed that she was coughing, had increased breathing effort and was not being very playful for a Burmese kitten. Chest X-rays were performed at Aspley Veterinary Practice which identified severe lung disease. She was referred to BVSC for further investigations. At the time, Leia weighed only 930grams which made her procedures and diagnostics very delicate! To determin...e the cause of her illness, Dr Hannah Kwong, internal medicine registrar, with the assistance of secondary medicine nurses Karyn (pictured here with Leia) and Laura performed both blood tests and a procedure called a bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). This procedure involves passing a small amount of fluid into the lungs, via the airways, and then suctioning it back to allow for examination and testing. After testing the fluid obtained from her lungs, she was diagnosed with pneumonia from a bacteria called Mycoplasma felis. Thankfully, this is a treatable disease and after a few weeks course of antibiotics, Leia is back to her cheeky playful self! See more

11.01.2022 Viper has come a LONG way, both figuratively and literally! This sweet and very handsome gentle giant is an Irish Wolfhound referred from High Street Veterinary Practice in Rockhampton and travelled all the way to us at Brisbane Veterinary Specialist Centre. Viper was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma (OSA) of the right tibia. Fortunately for Viper, there were some favourable prognostic indicators including a low grade tumour, a normal ALKP liver enzyme level, and no visible evid...ence of metastatic disease. This very painful bone tumour was removed by amputation of the right hind leg by our surgeons Dr Marvin Kung and Dr Harvey Saunders and Viper hasnt skipped a beat since surgery back in March! He recently came back from Rocky to receive the 4th and final Carboplatin chemotherapy dose. Dr Elias Gumpel, BVSCs Radiation Oncology Specialist, reports there is no evidence of tumour spread on his chest radiographs. We are all keeping our fingers crossed that Vipers cancer never shows up again, and he will continue to have repeat chest radiographs every three months to make sure of this. Way to go, Viper! See more

11.01.2022 Meet beautiful 11 and a half year old Lazlo. His owners noticed he was becoming wobbly, would occasionally fall over and his behaviour was off as well. The veterinary teams at The Cat Clinic and QVS revealed the shocking diagnosis of brain tumour. Lazlo, in the middle of Corona Virus lockdown in April 2020, was referred to BVSC where Dr Rod was able to give the hopeful news that the tumour looked resectable. Dr Harvey assisted Dr Rod and the whole surgery team perform th...is very delicate procedure which was a great success. He was back to his usual self, playing with his toys, and no longer having any wobbliness in his limbs very soon after the surgery. His cancer is called meningioma which is the most common brain tumour affecting older cats. Surgery can be curative. Here is Lazlo at his 6 month recheck with Dr Harvey and Primary Surgery Nurse Paige who are thrilled to report to his owners that the repeat CT scan confirmed complete remission. Great work Lazlo! See more

10.01.2022 This is what truly brings a smile to our faces at BVSC. Dr Rod Straw, Small Animal Surgery (Oncology) Specialist is having a zoom consultation with Bonnies family. We are all social distancing but BVSC have implemented Telemedicine Consultations so our Pet Owners can see their furbaby during the consult and have other members of their family join in also. It may be a trying time for all of us, but it is so rewarding to us that we can still care for our patients as well as... caring for our Pet Owners by visual consults. Gorgeous little 10 year old Cavoodle, Bonnie presented to Mcdowall Veterinary Practice for a left forelimb mass earlier this month. After consultation with QVS, the Pet Owners were then referred to BVSC for a marginal resection with adjuvant fractionated external beam radiation therapy. Bonnie happily went into hospital with Dr Sigrid, Small Animal Surgery Resident, whilst receiving lots of cuddles.

10.01.2022 Gorgeous Ginger and her Mum popped into the BVSC Xmas photo booth. This was taken on Ginger’s last day of chemo! We wish you a very Merry Christmas!

09.01.2022 Lazlo is a beautiful, 10 year old domestic short haired cat. Back in April he became wobbly in his legs and painful when he was picked up. He was not himself and his behaviour changed. His veterinary team included Peninsula Veterinary Surgery, The Cat Clinic in Clayfield and Queensland Veterinary Specialists. Ultimately an MRI performed at QVS revealed the problem. Lazlo was diagnosed with a brain tumour. On the MRI image, the brain tumour is indicated by the arrows a...nd the red shading. One of the brain tumours we see in cats is meningioma and that is what this tumour looked like. Lazlo was taken to surgery by Dr Straw and the team at BVSC. The tumour was a low grade meningioma and was completely excised and Lazlo improved very quickly. Lazlo is pictured here a bit over 2 months later and he is able to jump and navigate the cat climbing wall in our cat-friendly room at The Specialist Clinic. BVSC has gold standard cat friendly accreditation and so Lazlo had the very best of care with great results. What a wonderful boy he is! See more

09.01.2022 Meet Patsy, a lovely little dog! Her owners noticed a lump on the back of her thigh so they asked their vet Greencross Vets who quickly diagnosed Mast Cell Tumour using a technique called Fine Needle Aspirate Cytology and referred Patsy for treatment at BVSC. Dr Rod and the team did tests to ensure the cancer was nowhere else and to determine how far the cancer had invaded in the leg. An abdominal ultrasound and a contrast enhanced CT were performed. This is called stagi...ng and with this information the surgical team was able to remove all the cancer. Patsy required some special reconstructive surgery using a vascularised tissue flap from her abdomen. To help the flap survive the transposition into the wound bed, Patsy was placed into the Hyperbaric Oxygen chamber after surgery. This did the trick and here she is with Dr Joy, one of our Surgical Interns who commented on her beautiful skin flap! At her post op recheck there was 100% take of the flap: full marks! Her path results indicated a good prognosis too. Well done Patsy! See more

09.01.2022 If you think you know the true story of the infamous Bonnie & Clydethink again, because this adorable duo will steal your heart instead of your money! Bonnie, on the right with Dr Elias, is a 10 year old Maltese cross who was referred to our internal medicine service from our good friends at Aspley Veterinary Practice in early September after she began acting quite unwell in herself and she needed advanced testing and imaging to find the cause. Incidentally, an ultrasound sc...an at the Aspley vets revealed some nodules in her spleen, and she also had a heart murmur. The BVSC Internal Medicine team performed an ultrasound of her heart and a CT scan of her head, as there was a reasonable suspicion that her symptoms were due to intracranial disease. The CT scan gave us the answer there was a mass in Bonnie’s brain, consistent with a brain tumour. The ultrasound of her heart confirmed early stage valvular heart disease, but based on the very mild changes thus far, we could conclude that her heart is still functioning well without additional treatment being needed yet. We also found that the splenic nodules were benign, so the biggest concern clinically was the brain tumour. In a perfect example of how we surround the patient with our team approach, Bonnie was then internally referred to the BVSC Radiation Oncology service and she has just completed the 18 dose radiation therapy protocol, together with her brother Clyde, here for moral support! Bonnie is as tough as they come, having handled all her treatments like a champ and she is now back to her usual cheeky self with no more neurologic symptoms! Photo - RT Team from left, Nathan, Kim, Dr Elias and Julia. Clyde left and Bonnie on the right.

09.01.2022 HAPPY VET NURSE DAY! - Today we celebrate a very special day at BVSC ! Our veterinary community are celebrating VETERINARY NURSE DAY! We appreciate everything our BVSC nurses do each and every day. But, today is our opportunity to acknowledge the important role the Vet Nurses and Technicians play in the care of our patients and the tremendous support they display to our veterinarians. It is the Vet Nurse that stays beside our patients, day and night, ensuring that the pati...ent is comfortable and receiving the best possible care that the patient deserves. The BVSC Specialists, Registrar and Residents have been baking and cooking up a storm to show their appreciation to our nurses for the professionalism and commitment they bring to their role. Veterinary nurses are highly skilled, have ever increasing responsibilities and play a valuable role, whether in surgery, medicine, oncology, radiation or practice administration. So, today we give our nurses the recognition they deserve. A celebratory morning tea feast and gift! This year BVSC chose a gift that also supports a great cause, The Australian Koala Foundation. The Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) is dedicated to the effective management and conservation of the Koala and its habitat. www.savethekoala.com Happy Vet Nurse Day to all Vet Nurses at BVSC and around the world! xx

09.01.2022 Mojo is an 11 year old Ridgeback Cross who was referred to the Internal Medicine team at BVSC by Supervets Manly West & Hendra after her owners noticed enlargement of her lymph nodes. Mojo was diagnosed with multicentric large cell lymphoma which affected her lymph nodes and had spread throughout her body. Abnormal lymphocytes were able to be visualised in her blood on microscopic examination. Mojo commenced chemotherapy straight away and quickly went into remission. This me...ant that her lymph nodes shrunk back to normal and she continued to be her usual happy self. She also received Half Body Irradiation as part of the treatment for her lymphoma to hopefully improve her survival time. This is a rare photo of gorgeous Mojo staying still with Dr Gemma Birnie and Primary Internal Medicine Nurse, Emily! Mojo has been the happiest chemotherapy patient and is always wagging her tail (and half her body!) when we see her. She loves coming to the clinic for cuddles and treats. Her owners have been incredibly kind and trusting throughout her treatment. We first met Mojos parents via videoconferencing during COVID 19 lockdown and have enjoyed getting to know her family over the last 3 months as restrictions have eased. Mojo received her final dose of chemotherapy last week and was still in remission. We will monitor Mojo closely and hope she remains well for a very long time. See more

08.01.2022 + IMPORTANT MESSAGE + BVSC Brisbane Veterinary Specialist Centre... is OPEN Friday 14th August Please contact us on 07 3264 9400 [email protected] to make an appointment.

07.01.2022 Back in July 2015, Cleo presented to BVSC for radiation therapy treatment after she was diagnosed with nasal lymphoma, the most common type of nasal tumour in cats. Fortunately, this form of cancer is highly treatable with radiation therapy. We recently received this lovely email from Cleos owners with an update on this beautiful little girl which absolutely warmed our hearts. Hi Elias,... You may remember Cleo the Burmese you treated for nasal cavity lymphoma back in 2015. As you can see the treatment was very successful for she has just celebrated her 16th birthday. Since you last saw her she has flown to Launceston, lived by the beautiful Tamar River for two years, has endured the introduction to the family home of two new kittens, one a Burmese of course, and flown back to Brisbane to take up residence in Samford Valley. Sadly her frequent flyer points are now worthless! She is now an old puss, has not much sight but manages quite nicely, and is a bit doolally but still very much Cleo. I hope you are enjoying very good health and continue to give people like me extended time with their much loved pets. Thanks again to you and all the wonderful team at BVSC. Your fame has spread down to Tasmania and everyone that has seen Cleo has been told her story. Cheers from Tim, Marjerie and Cleo.

07.01.2022 Rocco is a handsome 3 year old Bernese Mountain dog who tried to protect his family home from a large Eastern Brown snake and won the fight! He came to see Dr Amandine and the medicine team at BVSC as we and his owner suspected that he had been bitten due to how close hed been interacting with the snake. However he was not showing any signs of envenomation. We ran a snake venom detection kit on Roccos urine which was negative. We ran another detection kit a few hours later... which was still negative. Rocco remained well within himself and did not show any signs of envenomation. He did not require antivenin treatment. He had managed to control the snake without being bitten! Please remain vigilant for snakes. It is currently mating season for many snake species which means the males are wandering around looking for a mate. If you have any concerns about your pet potentially being bitten by or having been in contact with a snake, do not hesitate to contact your veterinarian immediately as often tests can be done to check if envenomation occurred and if treatment is necessary.

07.01.2022 + IMPORTANT MESSAGE + EKKA PUBLIC HOLIDAYS BVSC will be closed Monday 10th August... however, BVECCS is OPEN all day for emergencies! Please contact us on 07 3264 9400 ++++++++++++++++++ BVSC will be OPEN Friday 14th August and operating as normal. Please contact us on 07 3264 9400 or [email protected] to make an appointment.

06.01.2022 At BVSC, we’re in need of towels. If you have any that you could donate to our precious patients, please bring them to BVSC + The Animal Hospital at the corner of Old Northern and Keong Road (53 Old Northern Road), Albany Creek. Thanks so much to everyone who has donated in the past. So if do have towels to donate, our patients would really appreciate it!

06.01.2022 Meet Chi, a super sweet and loveable 8 year old female Labradoodle, referred to us by our good friends and colleagues at #MountainViewVeterinarySurgery. Chis diligent owners noticed a mass on her right hind leg that appeared relatively suddenly over a couple of weeks but it was not causing Chi any troubles. Dr Greg Mahon at Mountain View Vets assessed the mass and discovered that it was quite firm and seemed to be very adhered to the underlying connective tissues. A fine nee...dle aspirate of the mass was attempted to try and help diagnose what it might be, but the cells just did not exfoliate well into the needle and ultimately a biopsy would be needed. Due to the invasive nature of the mass, there was concern it could be growing into the underlying tendons making surgical removal a very delicate procedure. Our BVSC surgery team was up to the task though! After some staging tests to make sure there was no evidence of cancer elsewhere, Chis surgery went very well and our surgery team was able to remove the bulky tumour without impacting the function of the leg. The biopsy revealed a low grade soft tissue sarcoma (STS) but as we expected, there was some microscopic tumour left behind at the surgical site since there was no way to get wide margins. This is where Dr Elias and the radiation oncology team at BVSC can have excellent results though. Chi is now in her 2nd week of a 19 dose radiation therapy protocol that should give her a 90% chance or better of preventing the tumour from regrowing. She is always up for cuddles so she gets plenty of them every day when she comes in for her treatments! See more

06.01.2022 Meet Rosko, an 8-year-old Labrador retriever who came to BVSC in late June to see Dr Darren Fry for an outpatient abdominal ultrasound from Anvet Kedron Veterinary Surgery following a history of vomiting and diarrhoea. Dr Darren discovered a mass affecting the intestine. It was then that Dr Rod Straw and Dr Harvey Saunders (pictured) performed surgery to successfully remove the mass. After a short stay in hospital, Rosko went home and has been making leaps and bounds. His tumour was a rare type known as a plasma cell tumour, which is normally found in the bone marrow. Rosko has just finished having his bone marrow biopsy with Dr Hannah Kwong (pictured with Rosko) and he will likely undergo some chemotherapy to keep him well. We wish you all the best Rosko!

06.01.2022 Meet Kobe, an adorable 6-month-old French Bulldog puppy. We first met Kobe when he was only 14 weeks old. He was referred from Albion Vet Surgery to see Dr Hannah Kwong, our internal medicine registrar, as he had been vomiting, regurgitating and not eating. After a few days of hospitalisation, he became critically ill. He developed electrolyte derangements (low sodium and high blood sugar levels), mental dullness and seizures. After various diagnostic tests were performed, h...e was diagnosed with meningitis of unknown origin (MUO). MUO is an autoimmune disorder where the bodys immune system attacks the brain lining and nervous system for an unknown reason. After 12 days of intensive care which included a carefully tailored fluid therapy and a surgically placed feeding tube straight into his intestine to help with nutrition (jejunostomy tube), he was well enough to go home. Since starting treatment for his MUO, Kobe has had no further regurgitation, vomiting or seizures. He has eaten like a champ! His sodium and glucose parameters returned to normal. Kobe recently returned to see Dr Katherine Steele, our specialist surgeon,for airway surgery. This is Kobe pictured here with Dr Hannah Kwong at his latest revisit appointment, back to his normal cheeky self!

06.01.2022 BVECCS - Emergency & Critical Care WILL BE OPEN ON LABOUR DAY Call 3264 9400 - Open 24/7 Our BVSC Specialists are ON CALL for Emergencies

05.01.2022 Bridgette Goldsmith (Rotating Nurse) with Hamlet

05.01.2022 Meet Dash, a lovely 6 year old Golden Retriever who was referred from Dr Tess at Mitchelton Veterinary Practice to BVSC with an oral mass an Acanthomatous Ameloblastoma. This diagnosis is a mouthful to say, but luckily, this is a benign oral tumour that can be cured with surgical removal. Wide surgical margins are needed to prevent regrowth so part of the upper jaw along with 4 teeth were removed (a maxillectomy) by Dr Katherine Steele, pictured here with Dash just one day after his procedure. Pathology confirmed complete removal of the tumour and Dash has recovered beautifully!

04.01.2022 This is Marely! He wasn’t so sure about the photobooth at first, but was quite happy to get in there with his grandma in the end. You have a great Christmas Marley!

04.01.2022 Last Friday BVSC celebrated World Radiography Week! It was a great opportunity for us to recognise our amazing BVSC radiographers! The week marks the anniversary of the discovery of x-radiation by Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895. The team at BVSC enjoy celebrating this week and honour our dedicated , passionate and highly skilled BVSC radiographers Julia Cathie and Nathan Ellemor. We also invited Michelle Oppelaar, a much respected past BVSC Radiographer to come in and celebrate... with us. Julia, is BVSC’s Lead Veterinary Radiation Therapist and works alongside Nathan (Veterinary Radiation Therapist). Both came to BVSC after working with human patients with cancer. They are highly trained experts in radiography, radiotherapy and operating the powerful linear accelerator and our GE Optima CT Scanner. They deliver the BVSC specialist care with compassion to each and every patient. They are an integral part of BVSC, applying their knowledge to plan and deliver daily radiation therapy treatments to BVSC patients and producing complex and important advanced imaging studies. This week was not only a time to increase public awareness of diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy but also an opportunity to thank Julia & Nathan and all of the BVSC team for their consistent dedication and meticulous care to all our patients.

04.01.2022 Kelly Bliss (Casual Nurse) and Dixie

02.01.2022 Nurses Ashlee, Danielle and Paige and our BVSC team got to enjoy an EKKA tradition this week by making their own EKKA strawberry sundaes supporting The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation. Proceeds go towards medical research to improve patient outcomes, innovations in early detection, treatment and rehabilitation of heart, lung disease, dementia, arthritis and gut disease. (BVSC is open today (Friday) for the EKKA Public holiday.)

02.01.2022 This is Patrick, a very handsome 16-year-old tabby cat who was referred by Brighton Veterinary Surgery to BVSC with a suspected squamous cell carcinoma of the nose (nasal planum). The diagnosis was correct and you can see from the first picture that his cancer was ulcerating and deforming his nose. These cancers are caused by the sun and luckily Patrick was sent to us in the nick of time. Dr Straw and the surgery team removed the cancer. Studies have shown that the surgery, called nasal planectomy, is very effective and Patricks cancer was completely removed so his prognosis is excellent. This is Patrick six weeks after surgery and he is doing great! Way to go Patrick!

02.01.2022 Mandy is quite the superstar, and in these difficult times for all of us, a bit of good news is always welcome. She is one of the sweetest dogs you will ever meet and she certainly captured our hearts very quickly. After having a single seizure in early January, she was found to have a brain tumour on an MRI scan most consistent with a meningioma this is the most commonly diagnosed brain tumour in dogs. Fortunately for Mandy, her tumour was located in an area of her brain t...hat made surgery an option. Typically in dogs, most brain tumours can only be treated with radiation therapy, and while this treatment can have very good long-term outcomes, the patients that have the best chance at long-term survival are those that are able to undergo surgical removal of the tumour first, followed by radiotherapy to try and kill off any remaining tumour cells. You might recall seeing our previous post on Mandy just after surgery. Originally, Mandy was referred by Carindale Vet Surgery and VSS, now almost a month later, she has successfully completed an 18 dose radiotherapy protocol with flying colours (as you can see in her beautiful bandage made by our talented nurse, Dani!) We have very high hopes that the combination of surgery and radiotherapy will be able to prevent this tumour from regrowing so that Mandy can continue to bring so much light and joy to everyone she meets for years to come. We also hope that everyone out there is staying safe and healthy, and always remember to practice social distancing like Julia and Nathan, BVSCs incredible radiation therapists that treated Mandy are doing in the photo with her. We received this lovely message from Mandys Mum. Mandy and I would just like to say thank you for her ongoing treatment and care over these past few weeks. I found it an educational experience observing the comings and goings of owners, their dogs and the staff treating them during this difficult time. All the staff I met were very sincere and caring and Mandy and I really appreciated her bandana with all the messages. We were absolutely taken with the designer patches on the bandages created by the talented Dani. "

01.01.2022 Flann is a very handsome Irish Terrier referred from Clayfield Veterinary Clinic after being diagnosed with a mast cell tumour on his right shoulder. Mast cell tumours are a type of cancer of a blood cell that is normally involved with the bodys response to allergies and inflammation. Thoracic radiographs and abdominal ultrasound were performed to assess whether there was spread to other parts of the body. Thankfully, there was no evidence of spread of the tumour to distant ...organs and he was deemed suitable for surgery. Surgery was performed by Dr Nima Nakahara who removed the tumour from the right shoulder and also removed a local lymph node. He recovered very well from his surgery. Due to the aggressive nature of mast cell tumours, he then subsequently underwent chemotherapy to reduce the spread and potential for recurrence of his mast cell tumour. His chemotherapy was managed by Dr Hannah Kwong (internal medicine registrar). He has now completed his course of chemotherapy and has been a real gentleman throughout his treatment! Flann is pictured here with Dr Hannah Kwong celebrating his last day of treatment. We hope you stay well handsome Flann! See more

01.01.2022 Beautiful Maisie was referred to Dr Kat Steele from City Vet Waterford with a cancerous mass within her anal sac. Unfortunately, abdominal ultrasound revealed spread of the cancer to her local lymph nodes. Luckily we can still see extended survival times for this type of cancer (anal sac adenocarcinoma) with oncology treatments. Maisie had surgery performed to remove the anal sac and the enlarged lymph nodes in her abdomen. She recovered very well from the procedure, here she is pictured the day after surgery with surgery nurse Paige and surgery intern Joy. She will have adjuvant chemotherapy performed once she has recovered from surgery. Well done Maisie, you were so brave!

01.01.2022 This is one happy, nearly 9 year old Staffordshire bull terrier called Nate with his equally happy Dad. Two months ago Nate was referred to BVSC by his vets at Our Vet Virginia https://www.facebook.com/BestFriendsVirginia/ to have some cutaneous mast cell tumours removed. A large resection was required to successfully remove all the cancer. To reconstruct, Drs Rod and Harvey used a skin flap from Nates belly. It may be different coloured hair on the flap as you can see but he is proud of his badge of honour. Nothing stops him wagging!

01.01.2022 Congratulations, Karbo! Karbo is a very handsome 8 year old Shih-Tzu cross who was diagnosed with B-cell multicentric lymphoma in April 2020, after his owners noticed enlarged lymph nodes which were causing some excessive breathing noise. A biopsy was performed at Buderim Vet Surgery and confirmed the diagnosis. Karbo has been treated with weekly chemotherapy at BVSC for the past 4 months, and has been a champion throughout this time. His lymphoma quickly went into comple...te remission, and he has had very minimal side effects from his chemotherapy, which has been excellent to see. He is always excited to come and visit each week, and even though he was very nervous with car travel before his chemotherapy, he has become used to his weekly visits and now seems to enjoy car rides! We have had plenty of laughs with Karbo and the cute little backpack that he wears attached to his harness for all his visits. Karbo received his final dose of chemotherapy last week and his lovely family sent him with a celebratory balloon! Here he is pictured with Dr Hannah Lobegeier, one of BVSCs Internal Medicine Residents and Momoko, our Primary Chemotherapy nurse. Stay well, Karbo, we love you!