Dr Melissa Kozaruk - Vet

03/11/2024

We start tonight! There is still time to sign up today so if you are thinking of joining, sign up now.

🚨 Join us for the first live tutorial tomorrow! 🚨

Our Brachycephalic Dog – Beyond the Airway course begins tomorrow at 19:30 AEDT, and we’re kicking off with Brachycephalic Patient Care!

What you'll learn in week 1: http://vet.li/brachy
🔍 In-Depth Physical Exams – Identify key traits and “red flags” unique to brachycephalic dogs
💡 Understanding Conformation & Comorbidities – Learn how specific traits impact health
🐾 Low-Stress, Fear-Free Handling Techniques – Minimize anxiety for hospitalized brachys
💬 Effective Client Communication – Guide owners on lifelong care and anesthesia safety
💓 Cardiac Health Awareness – Recognize common disorders and diagnostic options

Don’t miss this first step toward improving you brachycephalic patient care! Get ready to join us tomorrow for practical insights and skills you can apply right away — http://vet.li/brachy

01/11/2024

⏰ Only 3 Days Left! Don’t Miss Your Spot!

The Brachycephalic Dog – Beyond the Airway course starts in just 3 days! Join us to earn 20 RACE-approved CPD points and gain practical insights on managing critical health concerns—from gastrointestinal and dermatological issues to orthopedic and neurological conditions.

Course Highlights: http://vet.li/brachy

🎓 4 Weeks of Live, Interactive Learning
💬 Q&A with Dr Melissa Kozaruk - Vet – Get answers to your toughest questions on brachy health management
📘 20 RACE CPD Points for your continuing education
📑 Exclusive Course Resources with practical tools for your clinic
💡 Special Bonuses: Physical Exam Checklist, Dental Chart & more
💻 Flexible Access to all lecture recordings

This is your last chance to register and take your brachycephalic care skills to the next level. Don’t miss out! Register Now: http://vet.li/brachy

27/10/2024

I was honored to be invited to speak at VetExpo Sydney about brachycephalic dogs and helping them to find relief!

If you would like a copy of my slides, click on my Linktree via my link in bio to download your copy or click here: https://linktr.ee/Drmelissakozaruk

19/10/2024

14/10/2024

I’m speaking at the upcoming VETEXPO in Sydney next week!

I will be discussing the ways in which we can help brachycephalic dogs find relief from common medical conditions seen in these breeds.

Hope to see you there!

14/10/2024

My next course for vets starts in a few weeks! Join me with to learn more about how to manage common medical conditions seen in brachycephalic dogs.

🐶

14/10/2024

My next course for vets starts in just a few weeks!
Will you be joining us ?!

🐶 Are you ready to deepen your understanding of brachycephalic dogs? Join us for a 4-week course that goes beyond the airway and covers essential care for gastrointestinal, skin, orthopedic, and neurological conditions. Discover practical techniques and case studies designed to transform your approach from nose to tail.

🎓 Starts November 4, 2024 📚 RACE-approved for 20 CPD points 👉 Learn more about this exciting course and enroll today: http://vet.li/brachy

05/10/2024

Brachycephalic health goes far beyond the airway! Learn how to care for these breeds holistically with our 4-week course, starting November 4th. From gastrointestinal and dermatological conditions to orthopedic and neurological care, this course dives deep into the full picture of brachycephalic dog health.

🚨 Secure your spot now: http://vet.li/brachy (Last chance to grab the early bird discount)
🎓 Course Tutor: Dr Melissa Kozaruk - Vet
📅 Course starts November 4, 2024
📚 20 Structured CPD Points | RACE-approved

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04/10/2024

Join Dr Melissa Kozaruk - Vet for a 4-week comprehensive and interactive course starting November 4, 2024. Each week is packed with interactive case study discussions, SOPs, checklists, charts, and a lot more!

Get ready to offer these patients the very best care possible! View full course details and sign up today to take advantage of the early bird discount — https://vet.li/brachy

25/04/2024

Fantastic video from Dr Heidi Phillips at the University of Illinois - if you own a brachycephalic dog, or a veterinarian who treats brachycpehalic dogs, this is a great one to watch!

As demand for French and English bulldogs, pugs, and other flat-faced pets increases, so too do the life-threatening respiratory ailments that afflict these ...

21/03/2024

FREE Facebook Live event for vets & vet nurses/techs! 📣

We are going LIVE today at 10.30am AEDT to discuss the emergency management of heat stress in brachycephalic dogs!
Have you ever encountered a brachycephalic dog struggling to breathe and their temperature is climbing and you know you need to act fast?! Join Dr Dr Melissa Kozaruk - Vet & Dr Philip Judge to ask us your burning questions about how to manage these patients. Learn the latest tips and tricks, understand what makes a brachycephalic dog more predisposed to heat-related illness and understand the role of procedures including temporary palatopexy and temporary tracheostomy.

Fri 22nd March 10.30am AEDT
Thu 21st March 7.30pm EDT
Thu 21st March 4.30pm PDT

https://facebook.com/events/s/emergency-management-of-heat-s/947657179873971/

22/01/2024

Explore the complexities of brachycephalic airway management in my 4-week course starting April 8, 2024. Delve into surgical techniques, anesthesia, gain protocols for real-world application, and much more!

Register now — https://bit.ly/boas-1

22/01/2024

Explore the complexities of brachycephalic airway management in our 4-week course starting April 8, 2024. Join Dr Melissa Kozaruk - Vet, and delve into surgical techniques, anesthesia, gain protocols for real-world application, and much more!

Register now — https://bit.ly/boas-1

28/11/2023

When best friends get their BOAS surgery together 🫶

A few weeks ago, ‘Remi’ and ‘Charlie’ came in to see me and had corrective airway surgery done. Both had symptoms of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome.
They gave each other some morale support!!

12/11/2023

Meet Frankie! 🐾
Frankie is a French Bulldog who had corrective airway surgery with me last week - to treat brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS).
This photo is just a few days post op! Her narrow nostrils were opened using my preferred technique called “ala-vestibuloplasty”. No stitches! 🙌

If you see my previous post, you will see a video of how long her soft palate was before surgery.

03/10/2023

We get underway very soon ! I will be hosting this lecture with VetEducation. Nurses - please come join!

✅️ Join Victoria Koks for the first live lecture of the today at 12:00 AEDT and learn all about the benefits of microbiome for gastrointestinal health.

We’ll explore the distinctions between small bowel and large bowel disorders, shedding light on their diagnosis and management, and much more!

⏰️ Starts in 2 hours! Don't miss out! Register now for FREE - https://bit.ly/VNCON23

Hill's Vet Nurse Network, Australia & New Zealand

04/09/2023

📣 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗺! 📣

😱 The Online Veterinary Nurse/Tech Conference starts on October 3, 2023!

✅ 6 Outstanding Speakers
✅ 6 Clinically and Practically Relevant Lectures
✅ Exciting & Fun Activities
✅ RACE-Approval Pending
✅ 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘-𝗧𝗢-𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗗

Save the date and stay tuned for more details!

Hill's Vet Nurse Network, Australia & New Zealand

14/07/2023

A little surprise arrived in the mail today! 🫶
Thank you Simone (& Zoe, Shadow and Phoenix)!!

🤍🖤🤍🖤🤍

03/07/2023

Check out the before and after of this Boston Terrier’s nares. 👀

Flick back through to my previous post on stenotic nares, and tell me in the comments - what you would grade this nose at? Open, Mild, moderate or severe?

So how did I fix it? I used a technique called Ala-Vestibuloplasty. New research shows this method opens the cross sectional area of the nostril and nasal vestibule by a whopping 74% (compared with 26% and 15% of standard wedge techniques)!! 😱🤯

It removes the deep Alar fold that contributed to inner stenosis. It’s a HUGE chunk of tissue to remove!!

01/07/2023

🌟 Embrace Your Creativity 🌟
"If the work doesn't require creativity, delegate it, automate it, or leave it." 💭

We should be focusing on what truly sparks our imagination and passion! ✨

Delegate tasks that don't inspire you, automate repetitive tasks, and if something doesn't align with your creative passions, it's okay to let it go. Embrace the freedom to explore, innovate, and make your mark in the world! 🚀💫

28/06/2023

You’re gonna get peed on” 🐈 …. Yep that just about sums up what it is like working in clinical practice as a veterinarian!

If you are a vet like me, I highly recommend that you read this book by Dr Michael Bugg - vet turned real estate investor! And I suggest your partner / significant other / family members read it to! Maybe then they can have an insight into your brain as a vet… 🧠

Thank you to the latest VetVault podcast this recommendation.

📥 DM me if you want the link on where to buy it 🙂

26/06/2023

NEW Brachycephalic Research Published 🆕
Did you see the latest stats published in the UK by Nationwide on pet insurance claims? You can listen in via Dr Andy Roark's podcast where he discusses this new research with Dr. Jules Benson, Chief Veterinary Officer at Nationwide https://drandyroark.com/new-brachycephalic-research/

French Bulldogs are super popular in the UK, coming in at number 3! French Bulldogs, English Bulldogs, and Pugs had a dramatically higher risk of having claims for Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome, even compared with other brachycephalic breeds. The French Bulldog is more than 17 times (‼️) more likely to have a claim submitted for BOAS, the English Bulldog nearly 12 times more likely, and the Pug almost 10 times more likely.

📖 You can read the results of that study here: https://news.nationwide.com/brachycephalic-breeds-analysis-face-increased-health-risks/

26/04/2023

🌟 H Pharyngoplasty 🌟

Some squishy face dogs that suffer from brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) need their soft palate shortened and thinned to relieve the obstruction of their airway. The tonsils may also be too big!

My favourite surgical technique for correcting these abnormalities is a “H-pharyngoplasty”. ✂️

How does it work?
The tonsils are removed and an arch incision is made along the soft palate in a line just in front of the tonsils. This excessive tissue is removed, including the attachments of the soft palate to the pharyngeal mucosa. The incisions are then closed in 3 sections, creating a “H” shape.

I like this technique because it has the following advantages:
✅ The soft palate is thinned and shortened
✅ Excessive vibration of the soft palate is reduced
✅ It widens the oropharynx
✅ It opens the nasopharynx
✅ It flattens redundant pharyngeal mucosa

The original paper describes this technique with CO2 laser, but I do this without laser. It is possible!

For my followers that are vets, are you keen to try this technique? Post in the comments below!

23/04/2023

Stenotic nares or narrowed nostrils, can be a problem in our squishy face breeds. Open nostrils are important for clear passage of airflow. We know that French Bulldogs with moderate to severe narrowing of their nostrils are 20 times more likely to develop brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS)‼️

So how do we grade nares? The BOAS research team at Cambridge University have an excellent scale to grade nostrils.

✅ Open nostrils: nostrils are wide open

❌ Mild stenotic nostrils: slightly narrowed nostrils but the outer nostril wall does not touch the inner nostril wall. This means there should be a visible “slit”. The nostril wings should move open on inspiration.

❌❌ Moderately stenotic nostrils: the outer nostril wall touches the inner nostril wall at the top part of the nostrils and the nostrils are only open at the bottom. The nostril wings are not able to move and there may be nasal flaring.

❌❌❌ Severely stenotic nostrils: nostrils are closed or almost closed. The dog may switch to oral breathing from nasal breathing with stress or very gentle exercise such as playing.

Are you confident in grading nostrils? If you have a squishy dog, what would you grade your dog as?‼️