Today we answer the 5 most common questions we hear from our clients. Anesthesia Most pet owners are concerned about anesthesia. Even though there is always a risk, it’s fortunately very low. The risk of dying under anesthesia is around 0.25% across all cats and dogs,...

Didder, a beautiful 2 year old indoor/outdoor cat, was found limping. During a visit to the vet, X-rays were taken. The results were concerning… His femur (thigh bone) was absolutely shattered (see preop pictures). How many pieces can you count?Preop X-ray of the...

Signs of pain are not always obvious in dogs. Part of the reason has to do with their evolution. In the wild, sick animals often get eaten. So we believe that dogs have learned to hide pain and sickness in order to survive. Sadly that doesn’t always make our job easy!...

What really happens after your pet is admitted for surgery? We are all pet lovers, and we’ve all had pets who needed surgery, so we know that a pet having surgery can be a very stressful experience.  Today, we share our secrets and take you behind the doors at HRVSS....

This is a follow-up to a previous blog with the same title: Sometimes, we remove a mass that was believed to be cancer, but the biopsy shows that it was perfectly benign. Here 2 more actual patients we recently treated. Delilah and the evil skin masses Delilah, a 12...

Oliver, an 8 year old terrier, was in trouble. Pooping became more and more difficult. He would go outside and squat multiple times, straining, whining and in obvious pain. Yet not much would come out… sometimes, nothing at all… He had swelling on the side of his anus...

Starr, an incredibly cute 3 month old Pug, was the runt of her litter. She was not thriving and was not eating properly. So she had to be bottle-fed, every 2-3 hours, round the clock, by her amazingly dedicated owner! When her siblings were transitioned to solid food,...

“I recommend amputating your pet’s leg.” No pet owner ever wants to hear these terrible words. Sadly, it’s a common situation family vets and surgeons are in. At HRVSS, we perform a significant number of leg amputations – front or back – in cats and dogs. And almost...

“I am rushing Everly to the emergency clinic. Her breathing is labored. She is vomiting foam. And her lips and gums are blue.” This was the panicked call Everly’s owner received from the manager of a boarding facility in Pennsylvania, where her dog had been dropped...

Thor, a 2-year-old, 100 lb Great Dane, was in a tough and strange situation. He had a condition called paraphimosis. This means that being intact (i.e. not neutered), he got a bit excited with his female Great Dane buddy, and could not get his penis back in his...