For Referring Veterinarians

(Adapted from the 2019 Proceedings of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona)   A silent crisis is at hand in veterinary medicine. Veterinarians are increasingly struggling with their “dream” job choice, taking on a higher educational debt load than ever before, and unable to balance their desire to enhance the lives of animals with their own life. A recent study demonstrated that 33% of veterinarians surveyed stated they would choose…

Heat stroke in dogs is a common disorder with life-threatening consequences. This article will review the causes of hyperthermia and the negative impact of high temperatures on organ function. Causes of Hyperthermia in Dogs Hyperthermia is an abnormally high body temperature, and in dogs, it is typically observed between 104.9F – 109.4F. There are two forms of hyperthermia: pyrogenic and non-pyrogenic. With pyrogenic hyperthermia, the body is presented with pyrogens (ex – substances produced from…

There are several reasons we take thoracic radiographs. These include a noted heart murmur, screening for metastatic disease, evaluating for clinical problems such as a fever of unknown origin or most commonly, for the evaluation of a patient coughing or having respiratory distress. In this article, we will review lung patterns and distributions of common pulmonary diseases while putting the clinical picture together. Radiographic Lung Patterns in Dogs and Cats  Lung patterns are simply the…