Paws and Reflect: ER Edition

October 22, 2025, 7 AM - 5 PM.

We started our morning with rounds from the overnight LVT, Angela. The ER was already buzzing - our patient list was full, and several pets were waiting for treatments, medication adjustments, and breakfast. With Kristina guiding me, we dove right in!

Our first patient was Biggums, a 1-year-old intact male DSH who was struggling to maintain his body temperature. He was admitted for a hind left digit amputation after sustaining trauma. To prepare him for surgery, we had him bundled in warmies and a Bair Hugger to help raise his temperature. Our responsibility was to check his temperature every 30 minutes so the surgical team could determine when he was stable enough for his procedure. He made it through a few temperature checks and was deemed in the appropriate temp range to have his procedure.

Next was Bunny, a 3-year-old spayed female Labrador, presenting for melena and suspected gastritis. Her owners reported a history of vomiting and elevated ALT levels. After drawing blood for an EPOC, we saw she was hyperchloremic. She was started on LRS with added KCl and a CRI of famotidine for her GI signs. Thankfully, she responded beautifully—no more melena, improved attitude, and she was discharged later that day.

Autumn, a 5-year-old spayed female chocolate Lab, came in for a foreign body ingestion with secondary gastroenteritis. She also has a history of idiopathic epilepsy managed with medications. Abdominal radiographs taken overnight confirmed suspicion of a foreign body, and she was scheduled for surgery that morning. The surgical team later removed two pairs of socks. She recovered well post-op and was set for discharge the next day.

Then we met Sammy, a neutered male Cocker Spaniel presenting with severe neck pain and a classic “posing” posture indicating intense discomfort in the C2–C3 region. He was quickly started on a fentanyl CRI for pain control, along with a gabapentin + trazodone slurry to keep him calm and comfortable. Within a few hours, his pain decreased significantly, and if his progress continued, he was expected to go home the following day.

Simba, a 9-year-old neutered male Poodle, presented with increased salivation and anxiety. He recently had a splenectomy on October 19, and his owners worried his symptoms were postoperative complications. After lab work, he was diagnosed with pancreatitis. We started him on fluids, gave Cerenia to control nausea, and administered trazodone/gabapentin for his anxiety. He was also put on a low-fat gastrointestinal food. He remained hospitalized for 24–48 hours, and by the next day, he was reportedly doing much better and was discharged home.

Leon, a neutered male Dachshund, was brought in for circling and being “out of it,” according to his owners. He was scheduled for a sedated brain MRI, but with a full schedule already booked, he had to wait for his turn later in the day.

We also cared for Griffon, a male Chihuahua transferred from the ICU for seizure watch. He had received 0.77 mL of midazolam before our shift, and through careful monitoring, he remained stable with no additional seizures. I later learned he was discharged that evening.

Our final patient on our side of the ER was Lucy, a young puppy who had been admitted three days earlier for vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and, as her owners described, being “basically dead.” She had an 18-gauge catheter placed and was receiving dexamethasone boluses. She still wasn’t eating, but Kristina noted she seemed more alert and responsive. Her initial blood glucose was 35, and by the time I saw her, it had risen to 126. We monitored her BG hourly and continued dex supplementation in her fluids. Although her parvo snap test was negative, the doctors suspected early-stage parvovirus before shedding begins and planned to retest in 24–48 hours. I didn’t get to learn her outcome, but I truly hope little Lucy fought through and recovered.

Working this ER shift with Kristina opened my eyes yet again to how unpredictable, fast-paced, and emotionally intense emergency medicine can be. Every patient presented a completely different challenge—from hypothermia to foreign bodies, seizures, severe pain, and possible parvovirus. What stood out to me most was how quickly things can change, both for better and for worse. Seeing patients like Bunny and Simba improve within hours reminded me how rewarding this field can be, while cases like Lucy tugged at my heart and reminded me that sometimes all we can do is hope and support them as much as possible.

I also loved how much hands-on learning I got—checking temperatures, monitoring pain, watching and even calculating CRIs at work, understanding lab values, and seeing how treatments directly affect patient outcomes. Days like this reaffirm why I want to be in vet med: every patient has a story, every shift teaches me something new, and every moment matters.