Veterinary Specialist Services in Underwood | Medical centre

Veterinary Specialist Services

Locality: Underwood

Phone: +61 7 3841 7011

Address: Shop 14 Springwood Hometown Cnr Lexington and Logan Rds Shop 14 4119 Underwood, QLD, Australia

Website: https://www.vss.net.au

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23.01.2022 Full-Time position in Brisbane QLD We are looking for a full-time Emergency Veterinarian to work with our Specialist small animal clinicians. This will be a client-facing role and responsible for initial management and client communication with urgent referrals. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work with our Specialists, Residents and Registrars to manage referral cases in our busy hospital. We have a strong team culture and high level of care provided ...by our excellent nursing team. The Underwood practice of Veterinary Specialist Services sees clinical cases in the areas of Small Animal Medicine, Feline Medicine, Surgery, Cardiology, Oncology, Dentistry, Physiotherapy, Ophthalmology, and Dermatology. The Pet ICU provides ICU support for critically ill patients. After hours and weekend Emergency services are managed by the Animal Emergency Service. We are equipped with ultrasound, endoscopy, blood gas analysis, a 64 slice CT, MRI, digital radiology, fluoroscopy and more. VSS has consistent internal continuing education and promotes ongoing professional development of its staff. See more

22.01.2022 At Veterinary Specialist Services, we believe that amazing outcomes can be achieved when everyone works together. Mikey is one excellent example where our patients owner, their primary care veterinarian and the staff at VSS worked together as a team. Mikey, a then 8-month-old kitten, was seriously injured one weekend in a car accident in NSW. The wonderful team of veterinarians and nurses at Lismore Veterinary Clinic took great care of Mikey with incredible dedication to Mi...keys comfort level, as well as monitoring of his neurological and urination status over the weekend. Mikey was then carefully transported to Veterinary Specialist Services at Carrara by his dedicated owners. A CT scan revealed an array of severe injuries, involving a severely comminuted right femoral fracture, a fracture of his growth plate in the left femur, a comminuted fracture in his pelvis and also his spine. Due to the extent of the injuries, Mikeys surgeries were staged. He went through three different surgeries across four days, to repair all of the fractures. A minimally invasive osteosynthesis technique was used to repair 3 of Mikeys fractures. All of his surgeries went very well and he was expected to have good limb function as damage to any major nerves had been ruled out. Following his recovery, a follow-up X-ray was performed to assess his healing. To everyones relief, the X-ray showed excellent bone growth activity at all of the fracture sites. Mikey was also recovering very well, using his legs independently and comfortably. He is now fully recovered from his injuries, his rest and confinement period is over and he is back to jumping around the house like a kitten.

21.01.2022 Mother Cat here is the matriarch in her home and at Veterinary Specialist Services hospital as well. She makes sure that we are all in line, but at that ripe old age of 20 years we think that should be allowed! We first met Mother Cat back in December 2018 when she presented to the Underwood Specialist Internal Medicine Department, with a history of being generally unwell with lack of appetite and gastrointestinal upset. She is currently being monitored by our Internal Medi...cine team, receiving treatment for management of her gastrointestinal upsets, along with chronic kidney disease, mast cell neoplasia and hypertension. Mother cat had a number of diagnostics run including bloods, ultrasound and cytology. Her dad is quite devoted and diligently gives her all the necessary medication as well as driving her around to all of her required appointments. He always pulls into Mother Cats designated carpark, greets the team in reception with a smile and a simple Shes here then sits in Mother Cats same seat in reception. She may not stick around for cuddles after her appointment, but we love to see her cheeky personality and enjoying her life as a VIP (very important pussycat). See more

21.01.2022 Meet Rebel and Neo! True to their gentle Collie nature, these two have rescued many patients at Veterinary Specialist Services by donating blood. When theyre not busy saving lives Rebel and Neo enjoy long walks along the beach, participating in a variety of dog sports and being the best boys. Their donations along with those of other well behaved dogs mean we can keep a blood bank in clinic, and provide lifesaving transfusions to patients immediately when required. Just one... donation can go on to save up to 3 lives. Recently just 12mls of Rebels packed red blood cells saved a young puppy! While needles are scary for some, for Neo and Rebel they find its all worth it when they get a tasty treat after their donation and some cuddles from their Mum. Theyre always so happy to be in the hospital showing off their good behaviour and glamorous coats. If your dog is between the ages of 1 and 7, healthy, well-behaved and weighs more than 25kg they too may be eligible to donate blood.

20.01.2022 Meet Frida! Frida is one lucky lady who got to go home to her family after being bitten by an Eastern Brown snake. Her owners found her in the yard at home, collapsed and unable to stand. They rushed her to their regular veterinary clinic, who referred her to Veterinary Specialist Services for emergency supportive care. Frida had many signs of snake envenomation, including collapse, weakness/paralysis, bleeding disorder, and muscle pain. Blood tests revealed that Frida was un...able to clot her own blood, and that one of her muscle enzymes (creatine kinase - CK) was 11 900 (normal range 0-200)! The combination of these blood results and her clinical signs, indicated that it was highly likely Frida had been bitten by a brown snake. She recieved snake antivenom treatment, supportive medical therapy and ongoing nursing care, and made a great recovery. Frida was a perfect patient in hospital, and handled her frequent blood tests and checks very well, always sneaking a lick in when she could! She quickly stole the hearts of all the nurses in the ICU, and was discharged from hospital after 4 days in ICU.

19.01.2022 Well doesn't time fly by!! We're celebrating our Birthday this weekend to mark 3 years since our Grand Opening weekend back in July 2017. We've seen a lot of patients, met a lot of new clients and made plenty of new friends in that time and we're all really proud of the positive impact we've made on the families of western Brisbane, their pets and their local vets.... We couldn't have done it without you so we want to say a big THANK YOU! We look forward to serving this great community for many more years to come.

19.01.2022 Meet Princess! Princess was initially feeling quite unwell when she first presented to Veterinary Specialist Services. She was gradually going off her food to the point of not eating at all, as well as having high temperatures, mild dehydration and lethargy. After being assessed by one of our Internal Medicine Specialists and running initial diagnostics, it was found that on ultrasound Princess had an enlarged, thickened and hyperechoic gallbladder. Hyperechoic means that t...he image of the gallbladder during the ultrasound was brighter than normal which can be suggestive of inflammation. As well as this a splenic mass was identified, however this was thought to be an incidental finding as it was not yet causing Princess any discomfort. These findings, along with her previous blood work, were consistent with Cholangitis (inflammation of the liver bile duct) and Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder). After consulting with our Specialist Surgeons, it was decided that because of how unwell Princess was along with the high chance of rupture, it was best to proceed with a Cholecystectomy at the same time as a Splenectomy. This is the surgical removal of both the gallbladder and the spleen. As both of these procedures are quite involved and due to the high level of care that Princess required post operatively, she was transferred to the Pet ICU department upon recovery where she could be supported and continually monitored. Princess remained in the Pet ICU for four days but continued to make small improvements every day until she was discharged back home. She is now recovering well with her loving family back at home. See more

18.01.2022 Meet Mando, a three months old puppy was settling in to his new home but with lots of new things to discover he found himself in trouble. He had been playing outside when his family noticed that he had developed some breathing difficulties. Between his coughing and wheezing Mando vomited producing a few leaves. His loving family immediately sought veterinary attention and his regular vet decided that referral to the Internal Medicine Specialists at Veterinary Specialist Ser...vices was necessary. On arrival Mando was taken straight into our hospital where he was stabilised and assessed. His chest radiographs revealed a foreign object was seen in his trachea. As the object showed no sign of moving on its own and Mando was clearly uncomfortable, our team had to undertake a procedure to retrieve it. Mando was anaesthetised then a Foley catheter (a flexible tube with an inflatable balloon on the end) was passed down the trachea and beyond the foreign body. The balloon was then inflated with air and then withdrawn, pulling the foreign body out towards the larynx where it could then be grasped with a long pair of flexible forceps. Once removed we discovered the foreign body was in fact a small tree nut! Because Mandos post procedure x-rays showed some mild lung changes we were concerned about pneumonia so he stayed overnight to allow us to monitor his breathing and he was started on a course of antibiotics. After a repeat x-ray in the morning our Internal Medicine Specialists were happy with his recovery and he was able to return home where we found he now has a few less trees to play with. Thanks for being such a superstar Mando leave those trees alone! See more

18.01.2022 Little Boston here is known to almost all the staff in the VSS Underwood hospital, not only because he has visited both the medical and surgical departments as well as the intensive care unit but also because you would always here him coming, trademarked by his signature honking cough! Boston was originally seen by our internal medicine department after his owner expressed concerns about his exercise intolerance and persistent cough. Following his initial consultation there ...were concerns that Bostons upper airway sound was most consistent with dynamic airway collapse. To establish where Bostons airway was collapsing, thoracic radiographs, bronchoscopy (an endoscopic technique of visualizing the inside of the airways) and fluoroscopy (an x-ray technique that produces real-time video images) were performed. These tests allowed us to see his airways and helped to clarify that the honking cough Boston was experiencing was in fact to his trachea collapsing. This is caused by the cartilage rings of the trachea (windpipe) becoming weak and collapsing and obstructing the passing of air, in Bostons case it was as he was trying to take a breath in. Once this had been established Boston was transferred to the surgical department where he was measured for a tracheal stent. A stent is a small mesh tube that holds open passages in the body such as blocked blood vessel or again in Bostons case his collapsing trachea. VSS pioneered the use of tracheal stents in Australia and we have over 15 years experience with them. Boston had his tracheal stent placed only a week ago and the progress he has made has been remarkable. The difference post operatively was immediately noticeable, and we couldnt be happy for him and his family. You can tell in these videos that his breathing is much more comfortable and the only vocalisation that you can hear is Bostons way of saying he can see his mum and he is ready to go home ! It was lovely to help Boston and have him recover so nicely, and although his cough will not be missed, we will have to get used to him sneaking up on us from this point on! See more

17.01.2022 GDV (gastric dilation volvulus) is a life-threatening condition resulting from the stomach dilating then twisting within the abdomen. When the stomach is torsed (twisted), serious consequences result such as cardiovascular shock, necrosis of the stomach wall and eventual death. Some breeds of dogs are more prone to GDV and these tend to be deep-chested breeds such as Great Danes, Weimeraners, Gordon Setters, Irish Setters, St Bernards, Standard poodles and Bassett hounds Bai...leys owners did not want to take the risk she would develop a GDV. This is how she came to present to our surgeons at Veterinary Specialist Services. At Veterinary Specialist Services we offer minimally invasive laparoscopic prophylactic gastropexy. This is a relatively quick and low morbidity procedure utilising a small camera and a mini incision. It is preventative for GDV because sutures are placed between the stomach wall and abdominal wall which prevents future torsion. When her Mum asked whos grateful for their pexy she did not skip a beat and put her paw straight up in celebration! What a cutie!

17.01.2022 AN UPDATE ON BORDER CROSSING RESTRICTIONS: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, entry to Queensland is temporarily restricted by the Chief Health Officer under the Border Restrictions Direction. From 1am on Saturday 8th August, NSW residents will only be allowed to enter Queensland if they are an exempt person or have been granted an exemption from Queenslands Chief Health Officer AND you have a Queensland Border Declaration Pass AND you live within the designated border co...mmunities. If you are traveling across the NSW border for an appointment with VSS from a designated border community, we will send you an email to explain your need to visit Veterinary Specialist Services. Please take a copy of this information to support your requirement to cross the border. Please also register for a QLD Border Declaration Pass. You can find relevant information relating to crossing the NSW border into QLD and; how to register for a border pass at the link below. For our clients living in NSW but outside the designated border communities, you will not be permitted to cross the QLD border. When booking an appointment with VSS, please speak to our client services team about options for transporting your patient across the border to us.

15.01.2022 Dash here is a 3 year old border collie who is a very active member of his family. Dash first presented to our internal medicine department as an emergency referral from his normal General Practice after he had started having seizures. Dash had gone from a completely normal happy dog to having six seizure episodes in a 24 hour period. ... As Dashs seizures were appearing in what is called clusters (3 or more in 24hrs) our Internal Medicine Specialists decided the priority was to gain control of the seizures by using anti-seizure medication and then process with further diagnostics. In order to gain a further understanding on what was happening in Dashs central nervous system we advised that an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and CSF tap (Cerebrospinal Fluid Tap) be performed. Thankfully, there was no evidence of space occupying or inflammatory intracranial disease. This along with the symptoms Dash showed during his seizures were highly suggestive of a diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy. Dashs was hospitalised until his seizure activity had resolved and he was up to his old tricks of making lots of friends. As you can see from the attached image, he even helped us with his data entry. Dash will continue to be monitored over the coming weeks and month but for now he is able to return to his normal life and is slowly easing back into his daily runs with his owner and will be back to his normal 40-50km per week in no time!

14.01.2022 Bliss here would like to share her story with you, but it is another two-part journey so keep your eyes out for the rest of her story in the coming days. Part one Bliss first visited Veterinary Specialist Services at Underwood in February this year, after her local GP vet noted she was lethargic, had exercise intolerance, an increased respiratory rate, abnormal bloodwork and muffled heart sounds. Once admitted into our hospital Bliss had several diagnostic tests run which... included, blood & urine tests, echocardiogram (cardiac ultrasound) and radiographs. It was found Bliss had an alarmingly low level of platelets and an abnormal buildup of fluid in the cavity surrounding the heart known as a pericardial effusion. Unfortunately, the cause of Blisss symptoms could not be identified. It was decided that Bliss needed immediate and intensive care. The fluid around her heart required to be drained, however due to her low platelet count it was not possible to proceed as she was at risk of hemorrhaging during the procedure. Instead Bliss was transferred to our Pet Intensive Care Unit and started on vitamin K treatment, iv fluid therapy and had a Fresh Frozen Plasma Transfusion. To ensure that she was now clotting appropriately a test known as an APTT (activated partial thromboplastin time) was run. Fortunately, Bliss had responded well to her transfusion and her APTT came back within normal limits and we were now able to proceed with draining the fluid build up around her heart. This procedure is called pericardiocentesis, where a needle is inserted through the chest wall and into the sac around the heart. It is guided into place with the help of an echocardiogram. Once the needle is inside the pericardium a catheter is inserted and is used to drain the excess fluid. This procedure went well, and Bliss recovered rapidly, being able to return home the very next day! Since then Bliss has remained under the watchful eye of our medical and cardio departments and has continued with regular checkups. In the most part she has been doing well however she did have to return to our hospital again recently for a surgical procedure stand by for part two of Blisss tale coming soon. See more

14.01.2022 Little 8wk old Ace here was missing his family whist in hospital, so we decided he needed a few friends to help him sleep... looks like it did the trick! Ace visited our Internal Medicine Department at our Underwood hospital after an altercation with a much larger dog. The exact details of the event are not known but Ace presented with quite a painful puncture wound on his head as well as possible thoracic trauma. After being examined it was found that Ace had multiple neuro...logical symptoms including, dulled reflexes, left optical blindness, sensation deficiencies, and an altered mentation. Because of this our team performed head and chest radiographs to further investigate a reason behind these symptoms, you can see these X-rays attached. It was now strongly suspected that Ace had multiple skull fractures, bruising and a possible concussion. It was decided that Ace was best to stay in hospital, under the watchful eyes of our vets and nurses, for pain relief, fluid therapy and to monitor him for any further deterioration. The main concern at this stage was that he may begin to seizure (due to excessive swelling on the brain). Luckily, Ace recovered reasonably quickly and after being started on a long course of oral pain relief and antibiotics he was able to be discharged home the following day. We recently saw Ace for his follow up visit, and we are glad to report that he has been doing great at home and is back to being his normal puppy self. His vision and reflexes have returned, and he is even gaining weight! It was lovely to see him fitting in and growing up with his human family. We wish you all the best in the future Ace from the VSS Family. See more

14.01.2022 Meet dear little Honey, she was helping her new family in the garden on the weekend when she got too excited and ran into a step and hurt her leg. Her family rushed her to the Animal Emergency Service where she had x-rays. These revealed that unfortunately she fractured her humerus a very nasty fracture called a Slater-Harris type IV fracture which went right through her elbow joint. The AES gave her pain relief and stabilised her before she was transferred to our Specialis...t Surgical team at Veterinary Specialist Services. This type of fracture must be repaired very accurately, or long-term lameness and osteoarthritis can develop. Our Specialist Surgeon Dr Cook assisted by Surgical Resident Cormac OBrolchain assessed the fracture and took little Honey to surgery. The repair was very difficult and took quite a while but the outcome was perfect. Honey is a beautiful little dog and found a special place in everyones heart while she was in hospital. She is now at home with her owners and being kept very quiet while her fracture heals. We will give everyone an update when her fracture has healed get well soon Honey. See more

14.01.2022 Bro is a young male King penguin from SeaWorld, who recently became a father to a baby girl. He had been spending a lot of time sitting on his nest with his chick, and he started limping occasionally when he stood up. The Veterinary team from SeaWorld brought Bro to Veterinary Specialist Services at Carrara, where we performed a CT scan of his whole body, to see if we could find the cause of his uncomfortable new waddle. It is beneficial to the exotic veterinary community to... image the entire body of these animals when we have the opportunity, so that we can learn as much as possible about the anatomy of these unique species. On the CT images, we found a lesion on one of the tiny bones in one of his toes. Samples were collected of the lesion for interpretation at a laboratory. Bro is doing much better now, with a change in his pain relief medications, and is back waddling normally with the rest of his penguin pals!

14.01.2022 Jilly presented to VSS following bite wounds from a dog. She presented to VSS recumbent and unable to stand, with puncture wounds to either side of her neck and was in shock, with obvious pain surrounding her neck where the bite wounds we seen. After initial presentation to the emergency clinic at our Jindalee hospital, and stabilisation with IV fluids and pain relief, ultrasound to assess for evidence of internal injuries, which are common following bite wounds from a large...r animal to a small one, like a cat. Luckily, she did not have any obvious evidence of organ injury, and she was transferred to the care of the surgical team at Jindalee VSS where she underwent further investigation with radiographs and wound treatment for the bite wounds on her neck. Thankfully for Jilly, radiographs (x-rays) were able to clear her of any bony injuries to the spine in her neck, and exploration of the wounds did not demonstrate any obvious deeper injury. By this time she was also showing signs of willingness and ability to stand unaided and further neurological examination revealed no obvious deficits to her spinal function. After a further two nights in hospital with pain relief, antibiotics and intravenous fluids, she was starting to return to her usual perky and friendly self. Her movement was normal and the puncture wounds appeared to be improving with the swelling and wound discharge diminished. Jilly is one lucky little kitty to have escaped more serious injuries from her ordeal, but she certainly won our hearts over here at VSS with her smooches and personality. We will still need to monitor the wound sites for a little longer to ensure that no delayed tissue damage becomes evident, but we are hopeful that this will not occur and she should be able to return back to her normal life soon (although hopefully avoiding grumpy dogs!!).

14.01.2022 Well doesnt time fly by!! Were celebrating our Birthday this weekend to mark 3 years since our Grand Opening weekend back in July 2017. Weve seen a lot of patients, met a lot of new clients and made plenty of new friends in that time and were all really proud of the positive impact weve made on the families of western Brisbane, their pets and their local vets.... We couldnt have done it without you so we want to say a big THANK YOU! We look forward to serving this great community for many more years to come.

12.01.2022 We are excited to let you know that we have launched the new, revamped VSS Conference website for 2021. Here you will find all the information you need for our forthcoming conference and where to purchase your tickets. Click on the link below; https://www.vssconference.com/ and we'll see you soon!

11.01.2022 Jessie presented to Veterinary Specialist Services after her owners noticed that she was having trouble walking. This had started in her back legs and progressed rapidly to the forelegs. Jessie had also regurgitated at home and by the time she presented to the clinic was having breathing difficulty and was dehydrated. After clipping and an extensive search a large paralysis tick ixodes holocyclus was found on the front of her body. Jessie was treated with IV fluids to re-h...ydrate her, sedation to reduce stress (stress increases her body's oxygen requirements) and tick anti-serum. Over the next 24h Jessie's breathing improved. Although her legs remained weak she was able to walk and started to eat. She was discharged the following day. This was an excellent outcome but unfortunately not every dog with tick paralysis will recover this well. Chewable products such as Nexgard, Bravecto and Simparaca and Seresto collars can dramatically reduce the risk of your dog picking up a paralysis tick and developing paralysis but no product is 100% effective and daily tick searches and monitoring for clinical signs (weakness, lethargy, vomiting/regurgitation and breathing difficulty are vital). If you are seeing any of these signs or you find a tick on your dog or cat please contact your vet immediately as prompt treatment dramatically increases the likelihood of a good outcome! See more

11.01.2022 Bert and Ernie presented to Veterinary Specialist Services Internal Medicine Specialists for being naughty little Elves who got into their parents Christmas chocolates while mum and dad were out getting Christmas presents. They were rushed to VSS for treatment for chocolate toxicity where they were given Apomorphine (a vomit inducing drug) and their vitals were checked. Luckily for Bert and Ernie all tests were normal and they did not develop symptoms of chocolate toxicity. They required no further treatment - (expect for a strict NO chocolate diet)! Sadly not all dogs are this lucky with severe cases of chocolate toxicity experiencing seizures and even heart failure and death. Please keep the chocolate away from our fur babies this Christmas!

10.01.2022 Russell, the 1.5-year-old Jack Russell Terrier, was diagnosed with hip dysplasia in both of his hip joints at he was six-month-old. It was evident on the x-ray that his hip joints were developed abnormally, leading to general instability and extra movement at the hips. Most dogs with mild to moderate hip dysplasia will improve with non-surgical management including pain relief medications, exercise modification and physiotherapy. Most of these patients may never require surgi...cal intervention. Unfortunately, Russell did not respond to medical treatment and he was so uncomfortable that his thigh muscles were wasting away from the lack of use. Based on the severity of his hip dysplasia and the lack of improvement with medical treatments, a total hip replacement was recommended to remove the source of pain, restore his athletic function and quality of life. But then the unthinkable happened, Russell fell off a buggy just before his hip replacement surgery and dislocated his left hip. His hip dysplasia was more severe at his right hip and the initial plan was to operate on his right hip first. However, his accident caused him to be in a lot of pain and forced us to perform the total hip replacement on the left side first. Fortunately at VSS Carrara, we have the privilege of being one of the two clinics in Australia that have access to a new total hip replacement system with implants specifically designed for very small dogs and cats. Russells surgery went very well, a very small cup and stem were placed at his left hip to substitute his dysplastic and dislocated hip. He is now walking very well and is pain-free at his left hip, but his right hip is still causing him to limp regularly. The plan is for us to operate on Russells right hip once he is fully recovered from his first surgery. Veterinary Specialist Services is one of the pioneers of hip replacement surgery in Australia. With over 20 years experience with a variety of different hip replacement systems we are able to help all different sized dogs. If you have any questions please contact one of the surgeons at VSS. See more

10.01.2022 We are excited to announce our Annual Veterinary Conference will be taking place as a one day event on the 13th March 2021 at the Hilton in Brisbane. With 48 talks from leading experts in surgery, medicine, nursing and feline, join us for a day of learning while meeting your fellow peers. Put the date in your diaries and we will shortly announce when tickets to this event are released.

10.01.2022 Remember Chico from last week? Well its time for part two In April, only two months after his medical conditions began to improve Chico became lame on his hind left leg. He first presented to the emergency department over the weekend before being transferred to our specialist surgical department at our Underwood hospital. During his examination it was found that Chico had dislocated his hip, this is when the ball of the hip joint is pushed out of its socket. Radiographs wer...e performed and multiple attempts were made to reduce Chicos hip back into place but due to the severity of his dislocation these were unsuccessful. Unfortunately, the longer a hip remains out of place the poorer prognosis it has and the less likely it is to regain normal function. Chico was quite uncomfortable in this condition, so the decision was made to proceed with a Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO). This is a surgical procedure that removes the femoral head (the ball of the hip joint) from the femur and uses the muscles to create more stable and pain free joint. Post operatively Chico recovered well and began his recovery journey with our physiotherapy team, where he was given a combination of strength stability and flexibility exercises. You can see him practicing these moves in one of the images attached! Chico still remains under the ongoing care of our medicine and physio department but is making improvements with every visit! Its always a pleasure to see you Chico we always love our cuddles!

10.01.2022 Photos like this warm our hearts - this was also the last day of Neros chemotherapy treatment. Nero presented to our surgical department when he became lame on his right forelimb. Radiographic examination raised suspicion for an osteolytic lesion (a weakened area of bone) on his humerus. In order to obtain an accurate diagnosis Nero had a CT scanning and a bone biopsy. Unfortunately, these results came back showing that Nero had an osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. Due t...o the extent and type of cancer Nero had our specialists decided that the best form of treatment was to amputate the effected limb and begin chemotherapy. Over the following three and a half months Nero had five intravenous chemotherapy sessions, which were adjusted each visit to meet his specific needs. He was always a good boy and made sure to be on his best behaviour (although we think the fact he was given lots of yummy treat may have had something to do with this!) Nero has recently had his final recheck and is doing well. Seeing the smile on both his and his familys faces always makes all we do worthwhile. See more

10.01.2022 Lenny is a bouncy little guy, who loves to run and play, and specializes in fetch! He was out on a walk, and as he stepped onto the driveway of his home, he started to limp a little. His owners took him to their local vet, thinking he might have ruptured his cruciate ligament, and would require surgery. They opted for referral to Veterinary Specialist Services at that point, and he was admitted for a thorough orthopaedic examination and radiographs of his back legs. Surprisin...gly, considering the history that there was no real trauma, and that he was barely showing pain in his leg, the radiographs revealed that he had fractured his fibula! The fibula is a tiny bone at the back of the hind leg, joined to the tibia. Luckily for Lenny, this meant he didn’t require surgery at all, but he did need to be cage-rested for at least 6 weeks. He wasn’t very keen on the idea of sitting still and not playing fetch for 6 weeks, but he took it all in his stride, and when we repeated radiographs at the end of the rest period, there was a large amount of bony remodeling evident, the fracture was healing well and he was given the all clear to start going for short walks again! See you soon Lenny!!

08.01.2022 Tick The Season Miss Ruby Blue Tuesday presented to the Internal Medicine Specialists at Veterinary Specialist Services after being transported by an Animal Ambulance from her regular vet. Her vet had treated her with tick anti-serum and oxygen but sadly she had continued to deteriorate. At presentation at VSS she was extremely weak and had significant breathing difficulty. As a result she had high carbon dioxide and critically low oxygen saturation in her blood. She was im...mediately anaesthetised, a tube was placed into her trachea and she was and placed onto a ventilator to take over the role of her weakened respiratory muscles. She was also started on antibiotics for pneumonia which is a common complication of tick paralysis. Ruby remained stable on the ventilator but unfortunately, numerous attempts to wean her off proved unsuccessful. Finally, 6 days after presentation, Ruby Blue was weaned off the ventilator and began breathing for herself. Following a further 24h with oxygen support, Ruby was well enough to start eating and went home 9d after her initial presentation much to the joy of her mum, dad, grandmum and the rest of the family!! Ruby was a little fighter with very dedicated owners and we are so happy to have them both re-united! Tick paralysis is a devastating disease and prompt and aggressive treatment is vital in minimising the risk of life-threatening complications! Although there are effective prevention products available, no product is 100% effective and animals on tick prevention can still pick up a tick and develop paralysis. Daily tick searches are vital and given approximately 70-80% of ticks are found from the shoulders forward you should start by focusing on this area initially. Ticks can, however, attach anywhere and it is important to search the whole body (between the toes, under the tail, on the legs etc) if your initial search of the head, ears, neck and shoulders is unsuccessful. Similarly, while most animals have only one tick approximately 20-30% have more than one tick and so even if you find one tick you should keep searching. If you find a tick on your pet or notice they are wobbly on their legs, has breathing difficulty, is not blinking one of their eyes or is bringing up foamy fluid please contact your vet immediately There are two videos of Ruby seeing her family after waking up posted separately

08.01.2022 Santa took the time out of his very busy schedule to stop in at Veterinary Specialist Services and spread some festive cheer. How cute are this year’s little helpers? Show us how your pets celebrate! Merry Christmas from our family to yours! From the VSS Team. ... Photos: Peter Felton See more

07.01.2022 Tilly is a 4 year old cross cattle dog, she was referred to the Specialist Surgeons at Veterinary Specialist Services due to a recurring abscess in her neck. She had been prescribed multiple courses of antibiotics and the abscess would initially resolve when she was on her medication but once the antibiotics course had finished the problem would lapse once again. Her vet thought that advanced imaging was required and she came to VSS. Our surgeons decided that in order to hav...e a better understanding of what was going on inside Tillys neck it was decided that she would require CT (Computed Tomography), which uses narrow x-ray beams and a complex program to create a high quality cross-sectional picture. VSS is fortunate to have CT installed at all our hospitals. On CT we found a large foreign body. Tilly was then taken to theatre where a 3.5cm stick was removed from her neck. We also found an old healing wound under Tillys tongue that is presumed to be the entry site for the foreign body. Tilly recovered well and after a few days in hospital, under the watchful eyes of our nursing team, she was reunited with her family. We will continue to check in on Tilly but for now it was lovely to see her comfortable once again and of course back to normal life as a lap dog!

07.01.2022 TICK PARALYSIS WARNING Over the past 2 weeks, a significant number of dogs and cats presented to Veterinary Specialist Services after being affected by tick paralysis. Ixodes holocyclus, more commonly known as the Australian paralysis tick, can produce and inject a neurotoxin, causing life-threatening paralysis to our beloved pets. Australian native wildlife such as possums and bandicoots are relatively immune to the toxin therefore act as a reservoir host for the paralysis t...Continue reading

07.01.2022 Cassidy bit off more than she could chew when she took on a big bone and it got stuck in her oesophagus. The 2 year old Bull Mastiff was given a beef knuckle bone, which she has had many times before without a problem. Her owner realised something was wrong when she was very lethargic and not wanting to eat her breakfast the following morning. Upon presentation to Veterinary Specialist Services, an X-ray revealed a large single piece of bone was lodged in her oesophagus, unab...le to move into the stomach. She was promptly anaesthetised and the wedged bone was successfully retrieved via endoscopy, avoiding the potential open chest surgery. She had a speedy recovery after her quick, non-invasive procedure and was able to be discharged home the same night with some gut protectants and anti-nausea medications. She has recovered well but her case is a warning to everyone about being careful when feeding bones to your dog.

06.01.2022 Bella first presented to our Internal Medicine Specialist’s back at the end of August, as an emergency transfer after visiting her GP vet for lethargy, inappetence and vomiting. After initial diagnostics it was confirmed that Bella had a large liver mass with an associated haemabdomen (the presence of fresh blood in the abdominal cavity). This meant that the mass was actively bleeding, causing Bella to become critically anaemic. At this stage it was likely that without inter...vention the mass would continue to bleed, so it was decided that for Bella to receive the best possible outcome she must be transferred to our Surgical Specialist’s who were to perform a liver lobectomy. During the procedure a large friable haemorrhaging mass was identified arising from the right lateral liver lobe and was found to be wrapping around the caudal vena cava, the largest vein in the abdomen returning deoxygenated blood to the heart. The tumour was removed successfully but required removing part of the wall of this large vein. Due to the large amount of blood loss Bella had sustained, she received a total of three typed packed red blood cell transfusions throughout her surgery! Then, on recovery she was moved to our ICU department, run by the Pet ICU Team, where she received another transfusion! But this time it was fresh frozen plasma, supplied by the same amazing doggy donor as the packed red blood cells she received earlier. Plasma is the part of the blood that contains the clotting factors. Bella remained in hospital for almost a week, during her time here she slowly started showing signs of improvement. She was now regenerating her own new blood cells as well as regaining her appetite and energy levels and once we had confirmed there was no abdominal free fluid or pleural effusion Bella was discharged home and reunited with her family. Bella's histopathology was consistent with a hepatocellular adenoma. While this is excellent news that the mass is benign, we will still have to monitor her closely for recurrence given the intimate association with the vena cava. We saw Bella again recently and she is getting better day by day. It was heart-warming to see her as her normal bright and bouncy self. Bella may become quite a regular with her frequent check ups but for now she will return to her life of leisure and routine napping!

06.01.2022 Lucy is a 2.5 year old Airedale who has been a frequent visitor of Veterinary Specialist Services. As a 6 month old pup, she was diagnosed with Immune Mediated Haemolytic Anaemia (IMHA) which is a disease where her immune system is destroying her own red blood cells. She was hospitalised for over 2 weeks, in a very critical state, requiring multiple blood transfusions, special immune therapies, corticosteroids and other immuno-suppressive medications. Red blood cells are resp...onsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body, and carry carbon dioxide to the lungs, which makes them very important! A normal percentage of red blood cells in dog blood is 35-55%. When Lucy initially presented to our Internal Medicine team, her percentage of red blood cells was 8%, which is dangerously low and required immediate transfusion! Lucy remained very unwell and critical after her initial treatment and transfusion. She was later diagnosed with another disease called Red Cell Aplasia, where the bone marrow fails to produce new red blood cells. This meant that she had one disease process which was breaking down her red blood cells, and another disease process which meant she was unable to create new red blood cells to replace them. This combination resulted in severe anaemia (low red blood cell levels), causing her to require many blood transfusions. Other severe IMHA patients may only require a few days of hospitalisation, and 1 to 2 blood transfusions. Lucy however, had issues with both destruction and production, and as a result she required much more intensive treatment, and received 14 blood transfusions! Lucy was a lovely, brave patient throughout all of her hospital stays in the Intensive Care Unit, and we regularly see her back for recheck and follow-up appointments. Patients like Lucy are only able to be appropriately treated thanks to the generous donations of blood and plasma from our lovely canine blood donors.

05.01.2022 Miss Ruby here is sporting her new purple bandanna for a very important reason, this was her very last chemo. Ruby was first admitted to our surgical department as an emergency transfer after she became lame on her front left leg. Radiographs were performed that showed an aggressive bone lesion with pathological fractures on her humerus. Given the radiographic appearance, location and signalment it was strongly suspected that Rubys lesion was an aggressive type of bone cance...r knows as an osteosarcoma. At this stage the radiographs did not show any evidence of spread however, osteosarcoma is an inherently aggressive tumour and most dogs have microscopic metastatic disease (spread) at the time of diagnosis. Because of this, any treatment regime needs to take into account both the primary tumour (on the leg) and the likely metastatic disease present elsewhere in Rubys body (lungs or other bones - even though we cannot see any on x-rays). Due to the aggressive nature of Rubys cancer the best course of action included amputation followed by chemotherapy. Amputation is the best form of pain relief we can offer dogs with osteosarcoma. Removal of the tumour eliminates the pain associated with it. It also has the added benefit of removing the tumour itself and thus limiting further spread occurring. Post operatively Ruby healed well and adapted to her new way of life even better! She was then transferred to our internal medical department and begun her chemotherapy treatment. Our Internal Medical Specialists at Veterinary Specialist Services pioneered the use of chemotherapy in animals in Australia. Throughout this time Ruby was closely monitored with regular check-ups and blood tests to check her platelet, red and white blood cell count were remaining at a safe level. This week, after 3 long months Ruby finished her chemo protocol and resumed her day to day life back at home with her loving family. All throughout Rubys time here at VSS she kept a smile on not just her face but our whole teams faces! She was never shy to let us know she had arrived and made sure to greet every single person as she went on by. Thanks for being such a good girl Ruby The VSS Team

05.01.2022 This is Solly a 4 year old male koala. Sadly Solly was injured and suffered a nasty fracture to his right elbow. He was taken to VSS where Prof Moses, Dr OBrolchain and the VSS team were able to repair his fracture. He will need several months of rehabilitation and his implants will need to be removed before he is released. As part of our ongoing work to help support and save our native marsupials VSS is proud to contribute our time and experience pro bono. VSS has worked to save koalas for the past 20 years and this is of particular necessity following the 2019 fires which have pushed these wonderful animals to the endangered species list. The koala is our state animal and we must all do everything we can to ensure their survival.

04.01.2022 Ned here is such a determined little man! He first presented to the Specialist Surgical team at Veterinary Specialist Services as an emergency in September. He had been playing with his family in the back yard when he suddenly yelped out in pain and lost the function of both his hind legs. Suspecting that Ned had injured his spine a diagnostic CT was performed confirming that he had ruptured the intervertebral disc between T13 and L1 leading to the disc compressing his spin...al cord in the spinal canal. After discussion with the owners our surgeons proceeded to theatre, a hemilaminectomy and fenestration were performed where the extruded disc material is removed from the spinal canal and any remaining material is also removed to prevent recurrence. Ned recovered well in hospital and was back at home five days later. He commenced physiotherapy immediately, which helped Ned and his owner learn the techniques to support him as at this stage he had no obvious movement in his hind limbs and needed assistance to both sit and stand. As his recovery progressed he could not be stopped! 13 days after his injury he started his underwater treadmill and 19 days after that, although not back to normal, he was walking independently again! Ned still frequently visits the hospital for ongoing physio and treadmill sessions with the Animal Physiotherapy Solutions team as well as regular assessments with our Surgeons. At one of his most recent visits, we celebrated with a Christmas gift, to say we could not wipe the smile off his face would be an understatement! Thanks for being such a champion, see you again soon. See more

04.01.2022 Meet Brutus he was usually a bright and happy boy however his gait changed when he was just over 12 months of age and he began showing signs of discomfort. He was referred to the Specialist Surgeons at Veterinary Specialist Services for further investigation and after an initial assessment, radiographs were performed. The X rays showed that Brutus was suffering from hip dysplasia and severe osteoarthritis in both of his hips. These findings were quite interesting as it is ...much less common to have hip dysplasia in cats than it is dogs. Medical management and physiotherapy helped keep Brutus comfortable while his musculoskeletal system finished maturing, but a revisit with his specialist earlier this year determined that due to the severity of Brutus’s disease, a femoral head excision (FHO) was needed to alleviate his pain. This is a surgical procedure that aims to restore pain-free mobility to the hip by removing the damaged head and neck of the femur. This removes the ball of the ‘ball and socket’ joint, leaving just an empty socket, meaning that the muscles will initially hold the femur in place but overtime scar tissue will form to create a ‘false’ joint. As Brutus’s disease is bilateral, meaning that both hips were affected, the surgical procedure would need to be performed twice. Brutus’s left leg was most severely affected and was causing him the most pain, so this surgery was done first. Brutus is now rehabilitating with the help of our physio team and is working on building strength in this limb so it will be in the best possible condition to tolerate the extra load it will need to take on when the right hip is done. Although he still has quite a while to go, and is already scheduled for his second FHO, Brutus remains his cheeky and loving self while his family continue to support him on his road to recovery, which as you can tell includes a fun photoshoot or two!

04.01.2022 For our New South Wales patients, please be reassured that we are still open for business and are monitoring the situation regarding the border crossing. We will update you as soon as we know more https://www.vss.net.au//update-regarding-qld-nsw-border-au

03.01.2022 Chico here may be small (2kg) but what he lacks in stature he makes up for in style! Read on for part of Chicos journey Part 1: We first met Chico back in December 2019 when he was referred to the Internal Medicine Department at Veterinary Specialist Services for multiple neurological abnormalities. He was ataxic (wobbly/abnormal gait), would walk in tight circles to one side and knuckled his hind paws over. These symptoms together strongly suggested an intracranial disea...se and certainly symptoms where to be taken very seriously. So, it was decided that we needed to take a further look at what was going on in his brain. Chicos initial diagnostics included blood tests, radiographs (X-rays), an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and a CSF Tap (Cerebrospinal Fluid). Fun fact, Chico was so small that he required a high-field MRI to obtain the highest quality diagnostic image. This meant that he had to visit the University of Queensland and have his MRI performed at the end of the day, after all the human patients had their scans! Chicos CSF sample was within normal limits however his MRI returned with two possible differential diagnoses; an inflammatory central nervous system disease or a vascular insult within his brain. With this result, Chico was started on a steroid medication called Prednisolone, to reduce the inflammation and suppress his immune system as well as an anti-thrombotic medication, Clopidogrel, to prevent any further potential clots or vascular insults. Chico is currently responding well to his treatment and by February had begun to regain his normal neurological function. He is still being managed by our Internal Medicine department whist we continue to monitor his progress and attempt to find his lowest effective combination of drugs. Its always a pleasure to see little Chico, stay tuned for part two of his journey (this time with our surgical department) in the near future See more

03.01.2022 Little Locky was only 2 months old when he sustained not just one, but two separate fractures to his tiny femur after a run-in with a car. Our surgeons Specialist Dr Peter Delisser and Senior Resident Dr Abbie Tipler were able to repair these the same day and he was very glad to be heading back to Mum and Dad just in time for Christmas. It may not be the beach running, Christmas tree destroying type of Christmas and New Year Locky had in mind, but he will still be able to receive lots of love and hugs from Mum and Dad. We will see you soon for your recheck little man thanks for being so brave!

03.01.2022 At Veterinary Specialist Services, we are very fortunate to have great working relationships with many animal organisations. Sea World Gold Coast is one of these organisations where we can provide specialist veterinary equipment when they require extensive diagnostic testing or surgical intervention. In January this year, an adult Green Sea Turtle, who was later named Norma Jean, was found behaving abnormally near the shore of Ballina NSW. She was soon rescued and brought int...o Sea World where she received veterinary care. Upon closer observation, it became obvious that she was having difficulty diving, she was floating at the surface of the water despite her multiple attempts to dive deeper into the water. She also had other signs or symptoms that suggested that she could have been unwell for a period of time. One of the major findings in her initial examination was a rather large defect on her shell which appeared to be old and fully healed. She received an array of tests and examinations at Sea World in order to understand her health issues, but unfortunately her inability to dive remained a mystery. After a few phone calls, Norma Jean was carefully transported by the Sea World Veterinary team to Veterinary Specialist Services at Carrara for a CT scan. This allowed the team to visualise her internal organs and the large wound on her shell. As you can see in these photos, she is one big lady and she only just fitted into the CT scanner! Thankfully, the CT scan provided us with some new information. There was a large amount of air in her chest cavity, but outside her lung (pneumothorax), and a partially collapsed section of the lungs. The pneumothorax needed to be drained so that the collapsed lung could expand again and Norma Jean could breathe normally. The air trapped in her chest cavity was the reason she was unable to dive, like a balloon floating at the surface. Further testing also determined that she had an infection in her chest, possibly causing the pneumothorax. She was placed onto a course of antibiotics, and once she was feeling better, her rehabilitation program began, and 5 months later she was able to swim normally and dive again! In June, Norma Jean was released back into the wild with a clean bill of health! It is incredible the intensive rehabilitation work that goes into caring for our Australian wildlife, and we are so lucky to be able to play a role in this incredible journey. Good luck Norma Jean!

03.01.2022 Molly here is a bright and happy girl who was playing with another fur-friend when she suddenly yelped and was unable to put any weight on one of her back legs. Her family took her straight into her local GP vet where they had a strong suspicion that Molly had ruptured her cruciate ligament. This is when one of the ligaments that connects the bones above and below the stifle (knee) and stabilises the joint, tears and causes lameness from a combination of pain and instability... of the joint. Molly was then referred to our surgical team at our Underwood hospital where radiographs along with an arthroscopy (keyhole joint inspection) were performed, this aided us in confirming that Molly had in fact ruptured her cruciate ligament. Due to the severity of Mollys injury it was determined that surgery was needed to repair her rupture and a TPLO (Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy) was performed. This surgery achieves stabilisation without replacing the cruciate ligament but rather by changing the biomechanics of the stifle joint. It involves cutting and rotating the tibia to change the angle of the bone and therefore the forces in the stifle to create a more stable joint, it is then held in place with a plate and a number or screws, as you can see on her x-ray. Once the bone is healed the implants are no longer necessary and, in some cases, where the plate starts to course irritation it can then be removed with a second procedure. For more information you can find our client handouts on our website at vss.net.au/client-information.html Molly is only on day one of her post operative recovery but is already doing well, she is bright and happy and was reunited with her family earlier today. Molly will continue to be monitored by our team and has a number of rechecks booked so that we can check in. Once her incision has healed nicely, she will also start physiotherapy with our dedicated physiotherapist here here at the Underwood hospital as this has been shown to improve the outcome after TPLO surgery. It was lovely to have been able to help you Molly, thanks for being such a good girl and we wish you a speedy recovery

02.01.2022 Archer visited Veterinary Specialist Services Underwood Hospital after he developed a persistent cough. Medication had been trailed at his local veterinary practice but unfortunately, he had not improved and was referred to the Internal Medicine Specialists at our Underwood hospital. Our team decided that we needed to assess his airways visually which meant performing a bronchoscopy. This is a procedure that allows our team to examine the airways by passing a flexible fibre...optic camera, through the nose and mouth and down into the throat and lungs. During Archers procedure our team discovered a little surprise that this cheeky boy had hiding away! Lodged in both his bronchus (the primary branch of the lungs) and his nasopharynx (the area at the back of the nasal passage) were blades of grass! Thankfully, our specialists were able to remove both blades of grass bodies with special forceps that can pass through the scope. It was suspected that Archer had also developed a secondary bronchopneumonia. Samples from the lungs were taken and sent to our external laboratory for a culture. Once these results have returned Archer will be started on another antibiotic to help fight the specific infection that he has, but in the meantime will remain on a broad-spectrum antibiotic. Archer recovered well after his procedure and was sure to check in with each member of our staff to ensure they have received a cuddle from him!

02.01.2022 Hudson presented to Veterinary Specialist Services as a transfer from the Animal Emergency Service. He had not having eaten for two days, he had been vomiting and appeared to be in pain. Hudson was examined and found to have yellowing of his skin and the whites of his eyes (jaundice). He was also dehydrated and was very painful in his abdomen. Blood tests showed issues with the liver or gall bladder while ultrasound confirmed that Hudson had a biliary mucocoele and would need... to have his gall bladder removed surgically to give him a chance. A biliary mucocoele is a build up of semi-solid material within the gall bladder that can lead to necrosis of the gall bladder wall or gall bladder obstruction and subsequently surgery. Our specialist surgeons removed his gall bladder and cleared his blocked bile duct. They also placed a feeding tube. At VSS we routinely place feeding tubes at the time of gall bladder removal as these dogs will commonly take days and some weeks to start eating again! These tubes allow us to feed and administer medications and are generally very well tolerated by the animals. Fortunately, in Hudson's case he was eating by himself 72h post surgery. Following a couple more days of observation, Hudson was allowed to go home! He is doing very well at home. See more

02.01.2022 As part of our ongoing commitment to wildlife Veterinary Specialist Services frequently does pro bono work for wildlife charities. This little girl is named Heska, she was brought up to the surgeons at Veterinary Specialist Services Jindalee by Friends of the Koala a Lismore based Koala charity. Heska was hit by a car with a joey in her pouch, the joey was not injured and is being reared. Poor Heska suffered a dislocated hip and pelvic fractures. Today she was considered w...ell enough for surgery and had her dislocated hip repaired surgically. She has recovered well following surgery. Veterinary Specialist Services is proud to be able to help treat and rehabilitate injured wildlife especially Koalas. Koala numbers are very low especially following this years bushfires. Surgeons at Veterinary Specialist Services have been helping koalas for nearly 20 years and have won conservation awards for their efforts. It is a privilege to be able to help our wonderful native species. See more

01.01.2022 Tank first came to Veterinary Specialist Services at the end of May. He had lost weight and was very lethargic. Initial blood tests found that his white blood cell levels were lower than normal. Further extensive testing including samples being taken from the bone marrow in his pelvis found that despite being only three years of age, Tank had T-cell lymphoma. He began chemotherapy shortly after diagnosis and has been improving immensely since. He is much brighter and happier ...and his appetite has returned, as seen below with him enjoying some post-chemotherapy treats. Internal Medicine Specialists at Veterinary Specialist Services introduced chemotherapy for animals in Queensland over 20 years ago and we have many years of experience treating all types of cancer with chemotherapy. If you have any questions about the treatment of cancer in your pet please contact us. See more

01.01.2022 Meet Boston, no youre not seeing double its not the Boston that featured in our post last week, this little guy is a 4 year old Australian Shepherd and actually owned by one of our staff (as you can probably tell by the sneaky look his has whilst attempting to break out of his crate!). Boston has a long history of gastro upset first starting back in 2018, he presents with hemorrhagic diarrhoea and vomiting he also becomes inappetent, lethargic and when at his worst began... to lose weight. Since then he has had numerous diagnostic tests run both at his local GP clinic and here with our internal medicine department. These tests include bloods, urinalysis & ultrasound along with medication and food trials. Some of his multiple blood tests covered; extensive biochemistry and haematology, pancreatitis, pancreatic insufficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, multi-drug resistance gene, cushings and addisons disease. However, due to the nature of his upsets it was difficult to find an exact cause although it was strongly suspected that Boston had developed a diet responsive inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD is when an unusually high number of inflammatory cells develop in the lining of the gastrointestonal tract (stomach and intestines). Because of this, the lining of the digestive tract is impaired and cannot appropriately absorb the nutrients from passing food. To confirm this diagnosis our team performed an endoscopy of both the upper and lower gastrointestonal tract. Upon examination it was found that Boston did in fact have a moderate amount of inflammation in his duodenum (the first part of the small intestine just past the stomach). You can see this inflammation in the attached images. Multiple samples were taken from Bostons stomach, duodenum and colon, and were then sent to the external lab for further testing. These results came back as mild to marked lymphoplasmacytic and eosinophilic gastroenteritis. This, along with Bostons other symptoms and testing confirmed his diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease. Boston will now be managed on a specific single protein diet along with gut protectants and daily fibre supplements. However, when he has an acute upset the use of prednisolone may be added into his regime. We are so glad to see Boston back on your feet and with a smile on his face. We cannot wait to see you again, although lets do it outside of work this time!

01.01.2022 Bliss is back for part two! Would you believe that Bliss here was only three hours post op? And not just any operation, she was recovering from a cardiac surgery! As we explained earlier this week Bliss has a history of pericardial effusion of unknown origin from earlier this year. During which, she was found to be mildly coagulopathic, so a Fresh Frozen Plasma infusion was carried out followed by pericardiocentesis. Since then she has been doing well with no main concerns,... until recently where Bliss was noticed to have gained weight and again became lethargic and had an elevated respiratory rate and effort. A repeat echocardiogram was performed and although no obvious cardiac masses were identified it did confirm our teams suspicions, that Blisss pericardial effusion had once again returned. Due to the recurrent nature of Blisss condition it was decided that surgery was needed to address and correct the matter. Without surgery our teams main concern was that malignant transformation of the pericardium (double-walled sac containing the heart) and constrictive pericarditis (inflammation of the pericardium) may occur in the long run. After consulting with Blisss family we proceeded with a thoracoscopic pericardectomy and pericardioscopy. This is where a part or most of the pericardium is surgically removed (pericardectomy) to both relive the pressure and to biopsy the tissue for abnormalities. During this procedure, a camera is used to allow us direct visualisation of the heart for gross lesions, and histopathology of the pericardium (pericardioscopy). As you can see Bliss had another rapid recovery and within hours of her procedure was up and about and out on toilet walks. Since then the histopathology results have come back negative for any nasties and Bliss has had a number of post-operative revisits and is passing with flying colours. In her surgeons words Bliss has made a fantastic recovery from her thoracoscopic pericardectomy. We will see Bliss again for another cardio check up in a few months. This is to check for any evidence of effusion or masses that may have become more apparent in the past few months although we dont expect to find anything! Get well soon Miss Bliss, thanks for being such a star patient See more

01.01.2022 Introducing Maple ! She belongs to our Cardiologists and of course had to visit all her friends at our Underwood hospital to help celebrate her 1st Birthday (perks of being a staff pet!). Maple has made a few trips to our specialists team and frequently spends time at the local Doggie Daycare and is dropped back in at reception at the end of the day. Its always a pleasure to see her happy face and waggly tail. We hope you enjoyed your day Maple and cant wait to see you ...again soon xx The VSS team See more