Pet Health Insights

Visiting the vet doesn’t have to be stressful for you or your pet. At Veterinary Emergency + Referral Center of Hawaii (VERC), we’re proud to be a Fear Free® Certified practice, which means our team is trained to care for not just your pet’s physical health, but also their emotional well-being.

Changes in your cat’s litter box habits, especially repeated trips to the litter box, straining, or signs of discomfort, can signal a serious underlying problem. Urinary blockages are a life-threatening emergency in cats and require immediate veterinary care.

Dog bite wounds can be far more serious than they appear on the surface. Even small puncture marks can hide significant damage beneath the skin. Prompt veterinary evaluation is essential to prevent infection, pain, and life-threatening complications.

Gastric dilatation–volvulus (GDV), commonly known as bloat, is a life-threatening emergency that primarily affects large, deep-chested dogs. GDV most often affects Great Danes, Mastiffs, Standard Poodles, German Shepherds, Saint Bernards, and Newfoundlands, but it can occur in any breed,including smaller dogs. Older dogs and male dogs may also be at higher risk.

Bringing your pet to an emergency or urgent care veterinary hospital is stressful. You may be worried, scared, or exhausted, and when you arrive, it can feel frustrating if your pet is not seen immediately or if other patients are taken back before yours. These feelings are completely understandable. Behind the scenes, however, there is a careful medical process in place to make sure every pet receives the right care at the right time.

As a pet parent, it can be challenging to know when a problem warrants a trip to the emergency room. Cats and dogs can display a wide range of signs, some serious and some minor. Knowing which situations require immediate veterinary attention versus those that can wait for a primary care visit can make all the difference in your pet’s health and safety.

As a pet parent, nothing is more worrying than seeing your furry friend act differently. Changes in appetite, drinking habits, or energy levels can feel minor at first, but sometimes these subtle shifts are early warning signs of chronic kidney disease (CKD), a common condition in senior cats.

At VERC, our Physical Rehabilitation service offers a range of therapies designed to help pets feel better, move easier, and live fuller lives. One powerful tool we often use, especially for our senior patients, is acupuncture.

When you think about physical rehab for pets, your mind might jump to a dog walking on an underwater treadmill or doing exercises to recover from an injury. But what many pet owners don’t realize is that cats benefit from physical rehabilitation too, and in many cases, it can be life changing.

Watching your pet slow down, struggle with pain, or recover from surgery can be truly heartbreaking. As a loving pet parent, you want more than just hope for a solution, you want a clear, effective plan to help your four-legged family member feel better and move freely again. That’s where veterinary physical rehabilitation can make all the difference.

An allergic reaction can occur in response to many things in our daily environment.

When your dog shakes or trembles, you may become concerned about their health or mental wellbeing (especially if they are shivering in 80-degree weather!).

With Mother’s Day around the corner and spring in full swing, you may gift a bouquet of flowers for mom, a loved one, or of course, yourself! 

Lymphoma is a cancer of a specific white blood cell called the lymphocyte. Lymphocytes are the major cells found in lymph nodes.

The term ‘hot spot’ is often used when people outside the veterinary profession talk about dog skin problems. However, most of the skin issues clients think are ‘hot spots’, really aren’t.

My poor Callie has had a rough start at domestic life.

Intestinal parasites (worms) are common in kittens. While they are a cause for concern, effective, safe treatments are available to keep your kitten and family safe.

Dogs are good at finding trouble, and their mischief may result in an injury.

Iliopsoas (pronounced: ilio-so-as) or hip flexor strains are common injuries both in professional (human) athletes and in dogs.

Canine and feline spleens may distend and contract to help increase circulating blood volume and this can be influenced by anesthetic medications.

Cushing’s Disease in dogs, otherwise known as hyperadrenocorticism (HAC), is a condition of increased circulating cortisol in the body.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a disease wherein the heart muscle (myocardium) becomes much thinner than normal.

Chocolate toxicity is a very common case we see in dogs. In fact, chocolate ingestion is the most common call the Pet Poison Helpline receives.

Your pet just got skunked! Don’t panic … and don’t let them run loose in the house either (if you can help it), they’ll rub up against every bit of furniture you own (personal experience).

The Pet Poison Helpline line has experienced a 448% increase in marijuana toxicity cases over the past 6 years.

If your pet needs to have an MRI, your primary care veterinarian will likely refer you to a local veterinary neurologist or radiologist for evaluation and subsequent imaging if indicated.

When your pet presents with nasal-related symptoms, your Internal Medicine Specialist may recommend a CT scan and rhinoscopy to try to determine the cause for your pet’s signs.

Cats, like people and other animals, sneeze to clear irritating substances from their nasal passages.

There are many factors that determine how much water a dog drinks in a given day but if you notice that your dog is drinking bowl after bowl there may be a cause that warrants investigation.

Increased drinking and urinating can be the first sign of a significant health issue. Noticing an increase in either drinking, urinating, or both is a good reason to consult with your veterinarian.

Canine Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a progressive disease of the spinal cord and ultimately the brain stem and cranial nerves which, at its end stages, results in complete paralysis and death.

Over the past decade, ultrasound has been slowly integrated into the veterinary industry. As a result, ultrasonography has allowed veterinarians to detect other soft tissue changes and free fluid that would otherwise be missed.

Osteochondrosis of the shoulder joint is a common cause of lameness in dogs. Fortunately the outcome with surgical treatment is generally excellent when arthroscopy is performed early in life.

Liver lobectomy refers to the surgical removal of a liver lobe. In dogs and cats, the liver is made up of six separate lobes.

With essential oils becoming more popular in health, natural cleaning products, and relaxation it is good to know how this affects your furry house mates. 

Computed Tomography (CT), commonly referred to as a Cat Scan or CT, uses x-rays and a computer to generate cross-sectional images of a region of interest.

What are the benefits of cold therapy (ice packs) and how should it be applied?

If you’re a pet owner, chances are, you’ve heard of the “Cone of Shame” made famous by a certain amusing Golden Retriever in the movie Up.

Due to an increase in veterinary visits, scheduling an appointment with your veterinarian can take a few more days than it used to.

Integrative Veterinary Medicine is a broad discipline that includes and combines several different aspects of whole-pet care.