Welcome Dr. Lauren Vezzosi!!!!!!!!!!

Dr. Lauren Vezzosi is originally from Chicago IL, but spent most of her childhood in Charlotte, NC and Wayzata, MN. She attended Penn State University where she received her undergraduate degree in Animal Sciences. While in undergrad, Dr. Vezzosi was a member of the Penn State Equestrian Team. She received her DVM degree from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Vezzosi’s veterinary interests include preventative care, internal medicine, and dentistry. In her free time, Dr. Vezzosi enjoys traveling as often as possible, spending time outdoors, horseback riding, and spending time with her family and dog, Uno. She is thrilled to join the VCA HAH team and is looking forward to exploring South Florida.

Dr. Vezzosi has already made her mark on our clients and pet community with her wonderful care and commitment. We are glad she is a part of our team.

Welcome Dr. Kristi Medearis!!!!!!!!!!!

Dr. Kristi Medearis grew up in the Los Angeles, California area.  She completed a Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology at California State Dominquez Hills before attending Veterinary School at UC Davis.  She enjoys emergency and critical care as well as client communication.  

Dr. Medearis has only one cat at home, a tabby named Buddy but looks forward to hopefully getting more pets soon!   In her spare time, Dr. Medearis enjoys the ocean, camping, video games, and going to concerts.  

Dr. Medearis has brought a lot of energy and passion for animal care to our family and we look forward to you and your pets meeting her.

Welcome, Dr. Matthew Schexnayder!!!!!!!!!

Dr. Matthew Schexnayder was born and raised in South Louisiana. His love for animals domesticated and wild was evident from a young age and he vividly recalls bandaging his stuffed animals after a veterinarian visited his Pre-K class. He attended Louisiana State University for undergraduate, graduating in 2012 with College Honors, a Bachelor of Arts in Geography, and minors in Asian Studies, Chemistry, and Chinese. During his undergraduate years at LSU, Matthew competed in several club sports, including rowing, powerlifting, and quidditch.  In 2009 he was the Quidditch Captain and led LSU to fourth place in the Quidditch World Cup.

Matthew stayed on at LSU for veterinary school, where he worked as an after-hours laboratory and surgery technician. Additionally, Matthew was a Co-Chair of the Wildlife Hospital of Louisiana, devoting his free time to the rehabilitation and release of injured birds. Matthew also volunteered as a surgeon at a local animal shelter throughout his final year of veterinary school.

These days, Matthew enjoys nature photography, trail running, paddle sports, tennis, becoming a better author, and spending time with his dwarf rabbit Blackjack. His professional interests are broad, but he particularly loves cytology and plans to pursue a residency in veterinary clinical pathology.

Canine bloat- GDV!!!

I remember the night like it was yesterday. I was finally relaxing at home after a long day of clinics when Captain, my four year old German shepherd starting acting, well, strange. Twenty minutes later, radiographs at the emergency room confirmed my suspicion. Captain had gastric dilatation and volvulus or GDV.

GDV is commonly known as canine bloat. Many of you may remember this as the heart-wrenching disease from Marley and Me. This is a potentially life-threatening condition where the dog’s stomach rotates completely around itself causing the entrance and exit of the stomach to become obstructed. This obstruction leads to air getting trapped in the stomach (bloat) and decreased blood supply to the affected areas. Emergency surgery is required to correct this situation.

While the exact cause of this condition is still unknown, several risk factors have been identified. These risk factors include large or giant breed dogs (Great Danes, German Shepherds, Irish Wolfhounds, Labradors), older age, rapid food intake, naturally anxious or stressed dogs or dogs with a parent that had GDV.

Signs you may notice at home that may indicate your dog has GDV include but are not limited to the following: pacing, circling, restlessness, whining, increased breathing rate or effort, looking at their side, attempting to vomit a foamy substance or nothing at all produced, distended abdomen, pale gums, drooling, weakness or in severe stages collapse. GDVs have a better outcome the sooner they are addressed. So if you notice these clinical signs a veterinarian should immediately see your dog.

Treatment of GDV is based on the needs of your individual dog when they arrive to the hospital but initially consists of fluids and pain medications. Once GDV is confirmed with radiographs, the stomach is decompressed. Meaning the air trapped in the stomach is released prior to surgery to relieve some discomfort to the dog and lessen the stretch of the stomach. Then surgery is performed to de-rotate the stomach. The stomach and surrounding intestines and organs are examined to make sure they are still healthy. In some cases, the compromised organs die due to the lack of blood supply they experienced. In these cases the dead portions are removed and the remaining healthy gut is reattached. A gastropexy, a fancy word for suturing the stomach to the side of the body, is then performed to prevent the stomach from rotating again in the future. Following surgery, your dog will likely be hospitalized for a couple of days for close monitoring and supportive care.

While we cannot tell for sure which dogs will develop GDV in the future, it can be prevented in at risk dogs. A prophylactic, or preventative, gastropexy can be performed. It is highly recommended at the time of spay or neuter since the dog will already be under general anesthesia.

Luckily in my case, Captain’s surgery went smoothly and he recovered perfectly. I hope that you never have to experience the fear of what I went through with Captain. But if it does occur, now that you know what to look for, hopefully your dog too will be back to doing what they love in no time


Abigail Kreines

Welcome Dr. Denise Lukacs!!!!!!!!!

Dr. Denise Lukacs was born and raised near Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She received her Bachelor’s in Animal Biology from the University of Guelph in 2010. She went on to complete her Master’s in Animal Behavior and Welfare, with a research interest in the behavior and thermoregulation of elephants and giraffes.  During university, Denise continued to work at a companion animal hospital, as a veterinary assistant, where she gained valuable experience in general practice and reproduction medicine.

Denise completed her veterinary degree at the Ontario Veterinary College.  Denise served as the president of the Animal Behavior Club, and enjoyed volunteering with various animal and community outreach organizations, while completing her veterinary degree. Denise is excited to join VCA HAH, and hopes to further develop her special interests in emergency, critical care and internal medicine.

In her free time, Denise enjoys horseback riding, having competed to the international level in eventing. Denise also enjoys spending time with her dogs, and competing with her Border Collie, Anky. She also owns a loveable black cat named Jagger. Denise is excited to explore southern Florida, and spend time by the ocean.

Education: Ontario Veterinary College

Pet Periodontal Disease Prevention

Pet Periodontal Disease Prevention  

Periodontal disease is the most common clinical condition affecting adult dogs and cats. It is a progressive disease that can cause bad breath, oral pain, and spread of bacteria from the mouth to the rest of the body. Fortunately, periodontal disease is preventable with both home dental care and routine veterinary dental care.

What is periodontal disease?

Periodontal disease is the destruction of bone, gum tissue, and structures that hold the teeth in place. Just like in humans, periodontal disease starts out as a bacterial film on the teeth called plaque. The bacteria can then spread causing gingivitis, infection and inflammation below the gumline, and eventually destruction of bone leading to tooth loss.

How do I know if my pet has periodontal disease?

Periodontal disease occurs below the gumline where it is not visible. In advanced stages of the disease, you may notice that your pet has bad breath, loose, teeth, and a painful mouth.  If your pet’s teeth appear white and clean, this does not mean that periodontal disease is not present!

The only way to identiy or prevent periodontal disease is through regular veterinary dental exams and cleanings. Anesthesia is required to assess your pet’s dental health below the gumline!

The KEY to periodontal disease is PREVENTION

The two components to preventing periodontal disease in your pet are home dental care and annual veterinary dental care.

·         Daily brushing remains the gold standard recommended by veterinary dentists to prevent plaque and slow progression of periodontal disease. Many pets can be trained to accept and even like brushing.  It is important to begin a brushing routine when your pet’s mouth is clean and healthy (a pet with oral pain may develop a negative association with brushing).  Offer a positive reinforcement, such as a treat or toy, following brushing. Use a soft bristled toothbrush and a palatable pet toothpaste.

·         Annual veterinary dental cleanings under anesthesia are an important part of your pet’s oral health routine. During this procedure, the veterinarian will visually examine each tooth and probe for pockets, which can result from periodontal disease. Dental radiographs (x-rays) can also be taken to look for dental disease below the gumline and to evaluate diseased teeth. An ultrasonic scaler is used to clean the visible area of the teeth and under the gums.  Finally, the teeth are polished to eliminate the rough surface created by scaling. When this procedure is performed regulary, beginnings of periodontal disease can be addressed immediately before it causes extensive and expensive damage.

     
     Lauren Vezzosi

Welcome Dr. Abigail Kreines!!!!!!!!!!

Dr. Abby Kreines was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from University of Wisconsin – Madison. While in Madison Abby served as the social chair of the Pre-Vet Club for two years. She also spent weekends volunteering at the local Henry Vilas Zoo educating children about various animal species.

Abby received her veterinary degree from St. George’s University in Grenada and completed her clinical year at University of Florida. In Grenada Abby served as first the zoo rep and later the president of the Exotics and Wildlife Society. She also spent one of her summer vacations in South Africa learning from a wildlife veterinarian.

When not working, Abby enjoys taking her German shepherd, Captain, on long walks or hikes. She also enjoys cooking, traveling and reading. Abby is interested in zoo and exotic animal medicine but she loves all animals of all sizes.