Case Briefs

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,...