Thanksgiving holiday dangers to avoid in your pets | Dr. Justine Lee, DACVECC, DABT, Board-certified Veterinary Specialist
Ah, Thanksgiving… a joyous holiday when friends and family join us for a day of football, lounging, and all-day tryptophan turkey tasting. The smell of cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie, and turkey all baking in the oven slowly filter through the house, driving you – and your dog – slowly mad. Being that my specialty is emergency and critical care (and being that I work with the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, the only non-profit animal poison center in the world), I have to start my...
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Megaesophagus in dogs | Dr. Justine Lee, DACVECC, DABT, Board-certified Veterinary Specialist
Was your dog just diagnosed with megaesophagus, a dilated flaccid esophagus which lacks muscular contraction? The esophagus, the tube that carries food and water from the mouth to the stomach, can become inappropriated dilated, causing food to be regurgitated (not vomited!) back up. With regurgitation, there is no “warning” or retching – food or liquid just “blurbs” back up suddenly. Unfortunately, megaesophagus can shorten the life-span of dogs, as it can cause...
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How dangerous is rabies? | Dr. Justine Lee, Veterinary Specialist
As a veterinarian, I get really frustrated when I see pets that are not up-to-date on their rabies vaccine. Why? Because depending on what state you live in, that may may euthanasia of your dog or cat (if your pet shows neurologic signs) for brain sampling for rabies, or a 1-8 week quarantine. Unfortunately, we still see people being exposed to rabies secondary to rabid strays or pets. Unfortunately, there’s no good test for rabies – it can only be performed by microscopic...
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What does an emergency critical care veterinarian do? | Dr. Justine Lee, Veterinarian
Huge shout out to Vet Set Go for their incredible video creation of what an emergency critical care veterinary specialist does on a daily basis! Vet Set Go is the first and only web community designed for aspiring veterinarians. It is a unique way of helping future veterinarians connect with today’s veterinarians. It is also a resource where veterinary tweens and teens can learn about the science of animals. The unique thing about being a veterinarian is you can do anything, from teach to...
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How legit are service dogs? | Dr. Justine Lee, Veterinary Expert
Nowadays, I see a ton of service dogs – however, there’s lots of question about the presence and legitimacy of service animals in public spaces… especially on airplanes. Unfortunately, a few bad apples ruin it for those who legitamitly need a service dog. Here’s a great infographic from Orvis on this! In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of “Assistance Animals” turning up in public places, helping their handlers who suffer from a wide...
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My dog is vomiting | Dr. Justine Lee, Veterinarian
My dog keeps throwing up. Help! As an emergency critical care specialist, vomiting is the #1 reason why I see dogs presenting to the animal ER. So, if you notice that your dog keeps throwing up, how many times is too many before you decide to bring him or her in for a veterinary visit? First, some important aspects that you want to pay attention to about your dog’s vomiting: • Frequency • Time of day • Material found in the vomit • Anything unusual that might have been...
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