On March 4th, 2021, at 9:34 AM I was sitting in recovery, waiting on a pug to recover from his neuter to be extubated when I got a call from Dr. John Dascanio telling me I had been accepted into the inaugural class of Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine. I still get chills thinking about that day: the day that revealed my hard work had paid off, and that I was now one step closer to making my dreams come true. I could not express my excitement to have made it into vet school! I had so much energy and excitement and honestly, I thought it was going to be easy to learn the materi ..read more

For the rest of my life I will remember something a professor said to me on my first day of college in August of 2015. I was nineteen years old, sitting in my first class as a Red Raider at Texas Tech University. I was eagerly pursuing my undergraduate degree in Animal Science to start building my career into the veterinary world. It was an introductory animal science course and my first real slice of enjoying classes all about animals. It was taught by a legendary professor, whose wisdom and guidance has echoed through the halls of TTU for years. On this day, he looked out into this classroo ..read more

Dr. Turner has authored numerous publications and manuscripts. She has been interviewed by national magazines and blogs. She speaks regularly to the local veterinary community and the general public and enjoys educating both veterinary professionals and pet owners. (see more on https://clearcaninecancer.com/) Many people struggle with the decision to pursue treatment once their pet has been diagnosed with cancer and question why someone would “put their animal through that?” The simplest answer is because we can and do so with minimal side effects. Successful treatment can improve the qualit ..read more

Signalment: 16y FS DSH History: Acute fever, lethargy, inappetence Physical exam: Fever; rest WNL Labs/Imaging: CBC/chem – mild/moderate neutrophilic leukocytosis Radiographs – hepatomegaly with suspected hepatic masses/nodules Abdominal ultrasound: The entire liver is infiltrated by small (3-4mm) to large (2.5cm diameter) cyst-like structures, some of which contain variable amounts of amorphous luminal debris. Scant ascites. Hepatomegaly. Rest of study WNL. Differential diagnoses for the ultrasound findings in this study include: Biliary cystadenoma (common in cat) Biliary cystadenocarci ..read more

Can you believe March is already here? I feel like we just celebrated the start of 2022. Anyway, I thought I would share this cardiac case to kick off the month. This one is a particularly interesting because of the multiple anomalies present. Hope it’s helpful!  Signalment: 1yr male intact Labrador mix History: heart murmur noted since a puppy; no clinical signs
 PE: 5/6 systolic murmur, point of maximal intensity left heart base Echocardiogram (see images/notes below): Normal four-chamber view of the heart below: This next image is our patient, which shows a similar view. Note the ..read more

2y MI Border Collie Chief complaint: Unilateral cryptorchid; Asymptomatic. Physical examination: NSF Bloodwork (CBC/chem): NSF Abdominal ultrasound: – KIDNEYS: Left kidney (see first image below) is markedly enlarged (11cm; normal around 5-7cm) with severe hydronephrosis; only a few echogenic striations/slivers of renal tissue are seen coursing from the periphery toward the renal pelvis; the remainder of the “kidney” is urine. In contrast, the Right kidney (second image below) is unremarkable (6.5cm). – URETERS: Left ureter is markedly distended up to 10mm (normal REST OF ABDOMEN: evidence of ..read more

10y FS Shih Tzu that was originally presented for an esophageal foreign body (see endoscopic image below). We were able to dislodge the foreign body using endoscopy; however, the following image is the damage left behind, which is significant and circumferential. Within two weeks (which is the general timeline), the patient began regurgitating. Subsequent endoscopic evaluation revealed a severe stricture, whose lumen is estimated at 7-8mm (see right image). Subsequently, we utilized a 3-stage balloon that incrementally increases its diameter depending on the amount of fluid pressure deploye ..read more

Signalment: 4y FI Miniature Australian Shepherd CC: acute vomiting, lethargy, and anorexia. PE: icteric; dehydrated; CBC/chem: Hyperbilirubinremia, increased liver enzyme activity, marked leukocytosis, hypokalemia and hyponatremia. Leptospirosis PCR and serology: both negative. PMHx: Similar episode when a puppy; resolved in association with antibiotic therapy. Abdominal ultrasound: (see images below) – Hyperechoic gall bladder wall with scant effusion around neck – Moderate volume of echogenic luminal gall bladder debris – Presence of gas at the anti-dependent portion of gall bladder lumen ..read more