Lucy is a 12 year old spayed female mixed breed dog that presented to Dr. Maxwell Bush of the PVESC Surgery Department for treatment of a left-sided adrenal mass. She was previously evaluated by Dr. Adam Shoelson of the PVESC Internal Medicine Department. Dr. Shoelson diagnosed with Lucy with hyperadrenocorticism, likely secondary to her Read More

Cori, a 15yo FS mixed breed canine, was presented to the PVESC oncology service in October 2024 for consultation regarding an oral amelanotic melanoma (MI >100) diagnosed via excisional biopsy completed by her rDVM. The tumor recurred rapidly over the next few weeks before presenting to PVESC. Complete staging revealed a solitary soft tissue nodule Read More

  In light of the recent proposal LD 1220, An Act to Allow Chiropractors to Treat Canines and Equids, the following case example of a canine patient treated by a human chiropractor is being presented: A 5 year old spayed female Dachshund mix presented on an emergency basis for an acute onset of hind limb Read More

  Two canine cases of pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism are described below to highlight some valuable treatment considerations for this condition. Idiosyncratic, Trilostane-induced Adrenocortical Necrosis An eight year old castrated male French bulldog was evaluated at Portland Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Care for polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, and panting. An abdominal ultrasound showed bilateral adrenal gland enlargement. A Read More

  8yr Shetland Sheepdog presented to growth within the hard palate bone between the mouth and the nose. CT scan confirmed exact size and relationship to teeth and jaw structure. Figures 1 and 2: CT images pre-op Initial surgery involved completely removing the hard palate including PM2.3.4 bilaterally.  Bilateral advancement flap closure resulted in 75% Read More

  Oscar Kelley is an 8.5-year-old Boxer who presented to the PVESC Surgical Service for an oral plasmacytoma.  Oscar started with occasional bleeding from the mouth in August of 2024.  Proliferative tissue biopsied by his regular vet was consistent with an oral plasmacytoma.  He was referred to Dr. April Guille for further evaluation and treatment.  Read More

  An 8.5 yr MN Terrier Mix presented on appointment to our Neurology service for progressive pain. He was diagnosed with back pain by his primary veterinarian a month earlier. At that time was started on gabapentin and prednisone. The patient re-presented to his primary veterinarian a few weeks later persistently painful and with a Read More

Lucy was presented to our Oncology service for consultation following a diagnosis of large cell lymphoma by her primary care veterinarian. In June 2023, Lucy was presented to her primary care veterinarian for lethargy and left-sided facial swelling. The owner elected to treat empirically for an infectious/inflammatory process with antibiotics and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication. Read More

  Arlo is 2.5-year-old male neutered Barbet from Canada who presented to Dr. Meghan Sullivan of the PVESC Surgery Department. He was diagnosed at 10 months of age with severe hip dysplasia. His owners noted that he would not jump onto anything and that his hips clicked when he walked. Arlo made the trip to Read More

  Patient was a 13yr collie mix who has already undergone a splenectomy for a benign mass in 2022 and an adrenalectomy for an adenoma in 2023. She presented in the summer of 2024 for neck pain and difficulty walking.  After testing positive for tick borne bacterial diseases Lyme, Anaplasma, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Read More

  Milo is an 11-year old MN Pomeranian who presented to our Neurology service for an acute onset of seizure-like episodes. During the first episode, he began shaking, staring off, and holding up his right forelimb. He was then ataxic in all four limbs, quieter than normal for several minutes, and developed increased attention-seeking behavior Read More

  Lucy is a 12 year old spayed female mixed breed dog that presented to the PVESC Internal Medicine Service for additional evaluation of a left adrenal mass. Lucy developed clinical signs, including an increase in thirst and urination, in October 2023. Initial diagnostics were performed by the referring veterinarian. Lucy’s chemistry profile showed a mixed Read More

  Rolly is a 4-year-old SF Boston Terrier who presented to our Neurology service for progressive difficulty walking in her forelimbs. Case Summary: Rolly presented for a 2-month history of neck pain and weakness in her front left limb, which had significantly progressed over the past several days to her being unable to walk on Read More

  Lucy was presented to our Oncology service for consultation following a diagnosis of cutaneous epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma (CETL) via skin biopsies performed by her primary care veterinarian. In early August 2022, Lucy was presented to her primary care veterinarian for hair loss and seborrhea. Fungal culture yielded Microsporum vanbreuseghemii and bloodwork, which included T4, Read More

  Elvis was a 5 yr MN Great Dane who presented to our surgery service for a mass at the level of the right caudal chest. His owners reported that they first noticed the mass about three months ago and it had been rapidly growing since then. Besides the mass he appeared comfortable and was Read More

  Junior was presented to our Oncology service for consultation following a diagnosis of cutaneous hemangiosarcoma made via biopsy of a mass removed by his primary care veterinarian. The mass had been present for about 4 months and started to grow rapidly leading up to its removal. Histopathology of the mass was most consistent with Read More

  Opal is a 1.5 year SF Pit Bill Mix who presented to our Neurology service for a one-week history of dragging her pelvic limbs intermittently. Opal first started showing symptoms after running in the woods with her housemates. That evening she began limping in her pelvic limbs, and since then Opal had been only Read More

  Granger was an 11 y FS DMH who presented to our Internal Medicine service for weight loss and nasal signs. Her owners reported that her sneezing, congestion, and loud breathing had gotten progressively worse over the past year. In the past few months she had a few episodes of bloody nasal discharge and sneezing Read More

Bentley is a 10yo MN Golden Retriever that was presented to the dermatology service for a consultation of refractory oral papillomas. Bentley comes in contact with several young dogs, and the owner reports that one of the dogs he came in contact with had oral papillomas that were self-resolving. In August of last year Bentley Read More

PVESC’s next Continuing Education dinner event is scheduled for November 11, 2024, at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland, Maine. Any questions, please call or email Kristine S., kristines@pvesc.com, 207-878-3121. Please confirm your availability before registering for this free event, as space is limited. Registration is due by November 6, 2024. If you Read More

  Willow is a 3 year old FI Lab Mix who was admitted to our emergency service after being trapped in a housefire. She was found by a Portland firefighter (from the Munjoy Hill Fire Station) who administer oxygen on site prior to transportation. On presentation she was dyspneic, covered in soot, and had harsh Read More

  Pearl is a 6.5 yr old spayed female Boxer that was transferred to our Internal Medicine Service (Dr. Adam Shoelson DVM, DACVIM) after being admitted to the hospital through the Emergency Service for severe, unilateral epistaxis and collapse. Chronic nasal signs (purulent-appearing nasal discharge, epistaxis, sneezing) had previously been longstanding in nature. Five months Read More

  Pearl was a 6 year old SF Boxer transferred to our Internal Medicine (Dr. Adam Shoelson) service after being admitted for unilateral epistaxis and collapse. After a blood transfusion a nasal CT and rhinoscopy were performed, which provided the diagnosis of destructive fungal rhinitis (see the Internal Medicine article for more information on Pearl’s Read More

  Mr. Smalls presented to our Neurology service for severe neck pain. He had episodes of crying out in pain and holding up his right front limb. Other than neck pain, he had no other neurological deficits on his examination at PVESC. Cervical MRI revealed a severely lateralized foraminal disc herniation at C2-3 on the Read More

A ten year old spayed female American Pit Bull Terrier initially presented to the PVESC Emergency Department for evaluation of clinical signs that included diarrhea, lethargy, and inappetence. Biochemical abnormalities included regenerative anemia (hematocrit 29.5), leukopenia/neutropenia, and severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count 28K). The patient was also hyperbilirubinemic (total bilirubin 1.2) and had mild elevations in Read More

Veterinary Student Externships: PVESC hosts veterinary student externships and preceptorships in single or multiple disciplines, including Emergency, Internal Medicine, Oncology, Surgery, Ophthalmology, Dermatology, and Cardiology.  Please forward CV and letter of interest to Kristine at kristines@pvesc.com. Veterinary Technician Student Externships: PVESC hosts veterinary student externships in single or multiple disciplines, including Emergency, Internal Medicine, Oncology, Read More

8.5X11 (1)

Pets can get hurt or develop joint problems just like people. They may limp, feel stiff, or struggle to move around comfortably. Injuries, aging, or even breed-related conditions may bring these issues. A veterinarian orthopedic specialist is qualified to manage such problems. They take care of problems with the bones, joints, muscles, and tendons of Read More