Case Briefs

Small lumps can look harmless. Sometimes, they deserve a much closer look. This patient was presented with several small, separate masses located in different areas of the body. None of them appeared particularly dramatic at first glance, which is exactly why cases like this can be easy to underestimate. A...

Diabetes treatment is not simply “high sugar = more insulin.” The real challenge is finding the right dose for the individual patient—and that can take careful monitoring, patience, and a few adjustments along the way. This senior dog was presented to AVCI with several findings commonly associated with...

Radiographically Confirmed Oropharyngeal Bone Foreign Body in a Dog Managed by Transoral Extraction Under General Anesthesia A dog was presented to Aycardo Veterinary Center Inc. (AVCI) following repeated episodes of vomiting or retching after chewing a bone. Diagnostic radiographs demonstrated a radiopaque...

Two Big Lumps, One Brave Senior Girl Mammary tumors are commonly encountered in older female dogs and may range from benign growths to locally invasive or malignant disease. In this case, an 11-year-old dog was presented with two markedly enlarged masses involving the caudal mammary glands on both sides. Fine-needle...

Spayed… But Something Was Left Behind! Spaying is an important preventive procedure, but complete removal of the intended reproductive tissues is essential. This dog was brought to AVCI after a previous incomplete spay in which the ovaries had reportedly been removed, but substantial portions of the...

When Scratching Turns Into Self-Injury Persistent licking, chewing, or biting is not always a harmless habit. It may indicate significant itching, pain, inflammation, or abnormal sensation that requires veterinary assessment. This dog was brought to AVCI with severe self-inflicted trauma involving one...

Not Every Chest Fluid Case Is FIP: A Cat’s Recovery from Pleural Effusion This cat was brought to AVCI in severe respiratory distress, showing open-mouth breathing, rapid respirations, and pronounced abdominal effort. These signs indicated that the patient was struggling to expand the lungs normally...

When a Vaccine-Site Bump Needs Attention Vaccination remains one of the most important ways to protect pets and people from rabies. However, as with any injection, localized tissue reactions can occasionally develop at the administration site. This dog was brought to AVCI with a large, painful, and draining...

A Faster Road to Healing This cat was brought to AVCI with severe ulceration, skin sloughing, and painful inflammation around the perineal area. Although the patient was passing only small amounts of urine, repeated attempts to urinate and urine dribbling allowed small quantities to remain on the surrounding...

It Looked Like a Bloody Ear—Until We Cleaned the Wound A blood-soaked ear may hide more extensive tissue damage beneath the fur. This dog was brought to AVCI with bleeding and matted hair around the ear flap. At presentation, the full extent of the wound could not be clearly assessed because the affected...

When Urinary Stones Don’t Always Need Surgery Early detection can sometimes provide more treatment options. This dog was brought to AVCI because of difficulty urinating and increased urinary frequency. Abdominal radiographs revealed multiple small radiopaque uroliths within the urinary bladder, confirming...

That Bump Above the Eye Had a Name A small lump near the eye may look harmless, but its location and biological behavior still need careful evaluation. This dog was brought to AVCI because of a noticeable skin mass above the eye. Initial assessment included measuring the growth, evaluating its attachment...

When Flea Treatment Takes an Unexpected Turn A topical parasite treatment can become a medical concern when accidental ingestion, excessive exposure, or improper application results in neurologic signs. This 5-year-old cat was brought to AVCI after suddenly developing loss of coordination, muscle twitching,...

When “Spayed” Still Had a Secret A previous spay should eliminate ovarian hormonal activity—but in rare cases, a small amount of functional ovarian tissue may remain inside the abdomen. This cat was brought to AVCI because of persistent vaginal discharge despite having been spayed previously. Since post-spay...

Not All Scabs Are Just a Simple Skin Problem What appeared to be a persistent skin condition was diagnosed as pemphigus foliaceus—an autoimmune skin disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the structures that normally hold skin cells together. This loss of cell-to-cell adhesion can result...

The Hairball That Took Things Too Fur Cats naturally swallow loose hair while grooming, and most of it passes through the digestive tract without causing a problem. However, when accumulated hair forms a dense mass called a trichobezoar, it may become impacted and interfere with the normal movement of...

When “Stuck” Becomes an Emergency: Canine Paraphimosis Some pet conditions may feel awkward to discuss, but delaying treatment can lead to serious tissue damage. Paraphimosis occurs when a male dog’s penis remains protruded outside the prepuce and cannot return to its normal position. Once exposed for...

From Barely There to Full Fluff: An Alopecia X Comeback Not every hair-loss case remains hairless. This dog was presented to AVCI with extensive, symmetrical coat loss consistent with Alopecia X. This condition is commonly seen in certain plush-coated breeds and typically causes progressive hair thinning...

When One Sick Kitten Is Fighting Three Infections A weak or unusually quiet kitten may be affected by more than one disease process. This patient was diagnosed with a concurrent infection involving feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), feline coronavirus (FCoV), and Giardia. Together, these conditions can...

When Cute Facial Folds Start Hurting the Eyes Not all facial folds are harmless. Entropion is an eyelid abnormality in which the eyelid margin rolls inward, causing the eyelashes, facial hair, or skin to rub continuously against the cornea. It is commonly associated with inherited facial and eyelid anatomy,...

When Removing a Painful Eye Brings Relief Enucleation is the surgical removal of the entire globe and may be recommended when an eye is irreversibly damaged, chronically painful, severely infected, or no longer functional. In this case, the surgical team used an ultrasonic scalpel to assist with tissue...

She Lost a Leg—but Gained a Better Chance at Life Severe limb trauma can sometimes cause extensive tissue damage, loss of normal function, impaired blood supply, and progressive infection. When the affected tissues are no longer viable and the limb cannot be safely reconstructed, amputation may provide...

Not Ear Cropping—This Surgery Was Done to Help the Ear Heal Traumatic injuries to the pinna, or external ear flap, can result in tissue tearing, inflammation, pain, bleeding, and delayed wound healing. Because the ear has a relatively thin layer of skin over cartilage, repeated scratching or head shaking...

When Limping Comes from the Spine, Not the Leg Intervertebral Disc Disease, or IVDD, occurs when an intervertebral disc degenerates, protrudes, or extrudes into the vertebral canal, potentially irritating or compressing nearby spinal nerves or the spinal cord. Depending on the affected region and severity,...

A Sewing Needle That Became a Dangerous Mouth Foreign Body Sharp foreign bodies such as sewing needles can cause serious injury when chewed or swallowed by cats. In this case, diagnostic radiographs identified a metallic needle lodged within the oral–pharyngeal region, with an attached length of thread. The...