Featured Cases

March 2013:  This is “Zuse.”  Zuse was a 12 week old chameleon who was recently obtained by the owner that has several reptiles including another chameleon.  The two chameleons had been sharing the same enclosure when the larger one mistook Zuse for a tasty meal!  Due to the powerful force behind a chameleon tongue, Zuse suffered from significant head trauma.  Initially, the owner thought that he wasn’t going to make it.  One side turned white and the other side turned black.  He was not willing or able to eat or drink, and had a severe head tilt.  Despite his severe head tilt and not really knowing which way was up, he had very good grips with all 4 feet and his tail.  He presented to Dr. Kanzler on the third day.  His color had improved but the owner was very concerned about the lack of nutrition and dehydration.  All reptiles have different diets and husbandry requirements and Dr. Kanzler had to do quite a bit of research to help Mr. Zuse out.  A call to Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners in Tampa was very helpful in developing his treatment plan.  Because he was so small, he was not a candidate for injectable fluids.  Zuse’s owner opted to hospitalize him overnight for force feeding.  They brought some of his meal worms that we were able to blenderize and make a paste that we could syringe feed him with.  He was discharged the next morning with a very guarded prognosis.  We received an update from the owner a couple of weeks later and Zuse had improved significantly!  He was able to eat on his own!  He has a long road to a full recovery, and he may not be able to make a full recovery, but he is with a family who loves him and will give him the best chance he has!


February 2013:  This is Moose (above during his better days).  Moose was minding his own business in his own back yard when a neighbor dog intruded on his property and decided to pick a fight.  Unfortunately for Moose, he was tethered so that he would not wander off and ended up taking quite the beating!  He was rushed into BVE immediately after it happened and Dr. Snell was able to assess his wounds.  Because he had wounds on his chest, he needed x-rays to make sure the bite did not penetrate his chest.  Lucky for Moose, his x-rays were clean (see below)

This was just one of seven views taken to make sure he was ok!  Moose was then put under anesthesia so his wounds could be clipped, cleaned, flushed, explored, and repaired.  Dr. Snell found large pockets of ‘dead space’ where the skin separates from the underlying tissues and puts him at risk for developing an abscess.  She placed drains in these large pockets to keep them open so hopefully we can avoid an abscess!  He came through with flying colors!  Below is a picture of Moose with his drains, and a cone of shame to keep him from chewing them out.

Moose came in a few days later to have his wounds examined and the drains removed.  He is healing like a champ and, like all Jack Russell Terriers, has no idea anything ever happened!



January 2013:  This is Henry, a lovable fat kitty that belongs to a wonderful family.  He is the pet of a 2 year old and a 5 year old who adore him.  When Henry came in he was not feeling the best and was reluctant to move.  When he arrived to Bradenton Veterinary Emergency he was diagnosed with Feline Lower Urinary Tract Obstruction, also known as a blocked Tom.  This means that he was unable to urinate and his bladder was distended and very hard.  He had to be sedated and have a urinary catheter passed to relieve the obstruction.  He stayed in the hospital through the weekend and then was transferred to Palma Sola Animal Clinic, his regular veterinarian, for continued monitoring.  Henry has made a full recovery and is back home enjoying the sun.  As you can see, he had some hospital wall art drawn for him by his human sisters.

Feline lower urinary tract obstruction is fairly common.  It can be caused by crystals that form in the urine or may be secondary to a mucous plug or blood clot.  It can be life threatening if not treated.  The kidneys will shut down and the heart can stop secondary to a high potassium level.  Most cats will recover and leave the hospital on a prescription diet if they have crystals in their urine.  Some cats have this as a recurring problem and need surgery to help prevent it.  Increased water intake is essential.  If your kitty is ever acting abnormal, straining in the litter box and not producing urine, vomiting, or acting lethargic, these could all be signs of feline urinary obstruction.  It usually happens in young neutered male kitties, but in Henry’s case he is 11 years old.


January 2013:  This is Muffin.  Some of you have followed her story on Facebook and have been cheering her on, but for those of you who didn’t here is her story.

Muffin was mischievous and decided to eat an entire box of 100% cocoa powder.  She came in and was treated for the chocolate toxicity (she ate enough to kill her!) with Dr. Amy Mendez, but wasn’t seeming to get better while Dr. Ashley Kanzler watched over her for the day.  She began to vomit later on in the evening and so xrays were taken.  This showed that she had a hugely dilated stomach and needed emergency surgery.  Not only did Muffin eat enough chocolate to kill her, but she also ate an entire bag of uncooked rice.  While she was being treated for the chocolate toxicity, the rice began to swell and eventually blocked off her stomach.  Emergency surgery was performed at Bradenton Veterinary Emergency  by Dr. Kanzler who was assisted by technician Tori.  Dr. Mendez scrubbed in to help with the surgery and was in charge of her care through the night. It was VERY touch and go.  We thought Muffin may not make it.  She was so critical (she became septic secondary to the injury to her stomach from the rice), that Dr. Mendez went with Muffin and Vet Care Express the next morning to our sister company, Sarasota Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center, to take care of her needs while transported.  At SVESC  she stayed in hospital for 5 days.  At one point Muffin had 5 IV pumps hooked up to her!  Pictured above is Dr. Lesleigh Redavid (SVESC Criticalist pictured above) and Paula the technician (pictured above) who worked with her daily.   After a long and arduous road, Muffin recovered, began eating on her own, and was discharged back to her family.  She is the sweetest girl and QUITE the miracle!

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