Maritime Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Centre - MVESC

02/16/2025

02/15/2025

Common Exotic Pet Emergencies Every Owner Should Know

Exotic pets—including birds, reptiles, rabbits, and small mammals—have unique health needs, and emergencies can escalate quickly. Do you know the warning signs of a critical situation? From respiratory distress in birds to GI stasis in rabbits, early intervention can make all the difference.

Maritime Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Centre provides advanced care for exotic pets in critical situations. Read the full article to learn how to recognize and respond to common exotic pet emergencies:

https://www.maritimevet.ca/blog/exotic-companion-animal-emergencies-what-every-owner-should-know

02/14/2025

Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s that special time of year to share the love – especially with your pets. We hope your day is filled with extra snuggles and sloppy kisses for your furry loved one!

If you have a pet valentine this holiday, DM a picture for us to share on our story

02/13/2025

Pet Safety Tip: Valentine’s Day Flowers!

Valentine's Day flowers are beautiful, but some blooms can be harmful to our pets. Here are some tips to keep your furry friends safe while celebrating the season of love:

⚠️ Avoid Lilies – These stunning flowers are toxic to cats and can cause kidney failure.
⚠️Keep Roses Out of Reach – While not toxic, the thorns on roses can be dangerous if your pet chews on them.
⚠️Watch for Toxic Blooms – Some flowers like tulips, daisies, and chrysanthemums can be harmful if ingested.
⚠️Choose Pet-Safe Alternatives – Opt for pet-friendly flowers like sunflowers, orchids, or gerbera daisies.

Always keep arrangements out of your pet’s reach, and if your pet ingests a harmful plant, contact Maritime immediately at 902-932-0838.

Stay safe and enjoy a pet-friendly Valentine’s Day!

02/11/2025

✨ EXOTICS SPOTLIGHT✨

Margosha is a young female budgerigar that presented through our emergency department after her owner noticed her straining and having a distended coelom. ​

Margosha underwent sedated radiographs that were diagnostic for eggbinding. The images clearly showed a well-formed and calcified egg that she was struggling to expel on her own. ​

Margosha was hospitalized for supportive care (fluids, calcium, heat support), pain management and received medications to dilate her reproductive tract and help her lay her egg. In the final stages of labor, Dr Quesnel and her team quickly realized that Margosha needed immediate assistance as the egg was simply not progressing quickly and Margosha was getting too tired. She was placed under anesthesia and the egg was manually removed. ​

Margosha spent the night in the hospital and received much needed tender loving care and strong anti-inflammatories. She went home the next day after receiving a contraceptive injection to give her reproduction system a rest while she heals.​

We are happy to report that Margosha has recovered very well from her episode and is a happy bird once again! ​

Egg-binding, or dystocia, is when a bird suffers from a prolonged and unsuccessful attempt at egg laying, causing exhaustion, pain, and sometimes resulting in major complications like prolapse. Egg-binding is always an emergency and can become life-threatening in companion birds. If a female bird is found straining and lethargic at the bottom of her cage without any egg production, she should be assessed by a veterinarian as emergency procedures may need to be initiated rapidly. Hormonal management of excessive egg laying is to be considered if the proper environmental modifications are insufficient to inhibit this behavior in at-risk companion birds.

02/10/2025

Valentine’s Day Pet Safety Tip!

As we celebrate the season of love, let’s keep in mind that while chocolate is delicious for us, it can be toxic to dogs, leading to symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, or even more serious issues.

Remember to keep all chocolate out of reach and share the love with pet-safe treats instead!

If your pet has ingested chocolate, please call us at 902-932-0838 or come to MVESC.

02/08/2025

Did you know pets can suffer from neurological disorders just like humans? These conditions can impact their quality of life. Early detection and proper veterinary care are key to managing these conditions. If you notice any unusual behaviors or mobility issues in your pet, consult your primary veterinarian for guidance and referral to our Neurology department.

02/06/2025

✨ THERIO SPOTLIGHT ✨

Little JJ was delivered here via c-section in late November. Tech assistant Annika helped with his delivery and got to snuggle him again at his first vaccine appointment 8 weeks later! JJ is now the beloved family member of one of our vet assistants.

02/04/2025

When Should You Request a Referral for Internal Medicine?

Does your pet need specialized care beyond routine veterinary visits? A referral to a veterinary internal medicine doctor may be beneficial if:

🐾 Your pet’s disease is uncommon, complicated, or remains undiagnosed after standard testing.
🐾 You want an informed, neutral second opinion about your pet’s condition.
🐾 Current treatments are not working as expected or your pet’s condition is worsening.
🐾 If your pet has multiple chronic disorders
🐾 If your pet would benefit from an ultrasound, CT or endoscopy
🐾 Your pet could benefit from 24-hour monitoring and advanced medical care.

Our internal medicine doctor has specialized training to diagnose and manage complex medical conditions, ensuring your pet receives the best possible care. If you’re unsure, speak with your primary veterinarian about whether a referral is right for your pet.

02/03/2025

Every now and again the team will have an unscheduled mock code. A mock code is a simulation of an animal (in this case a dog stuffy named ROSC-O) in need of life saving measures. These simulations allow us to identify if there are any areas we could improve on such as response times and team work. It gives everyone a chance to gain more confidence and knowledge during these procedures. Sometimes our cat stuffy Catrick is the patient so we can practice on both species.

02/01/2025

✨ NEW SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT✨

Maritime is very excited to announce our new Neurology service led by our Neurologist Dr. Serene Lai and her team of registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants.

Her interests are in spinal surgery, the use of benzimidazole in neurooncology, and immune-mediated meningoencephalitides.

When she is not working, she is active in community service, and pursues interests such as Church Liturgy, Opera and Jazz.

To read more about Dr. Lai, visit https://www.maritimevet.ca/staff/serene-lai

01/29/2025

Xylitol is a common sugar substitute that causes low blood sugar and liver injury and requires immediate medical attention if ingested by our furry friends.

This ingredient is found in a number of foods and household items including sugar-free chewing gum, peanut butter, and toothpaste.

If you suspect your companion has consumed a product containing xylitol, immediately contact Maritime at 902-938-0838 right away. You can also connect with the Pet Poison Helpline at 1-855-764-7661.

01/28/2025

✨ EXOTICS SPOTLIGHT✨

Jupiter is one brave rabbit! ​

His misadventures started in late summer when he jumped out of his owner’s arms and was then unable to use his back legs. He was rushed to the MVESC emergency room where he was diagnosed with multiple rib fractures and a spinal compression fracture. Jupiter was prescribed strict cage rest and strong pain medications and slowly began to improve.​

While he may have encountered some setbacks during his recovery, Jupiter has been a truly resilient little man through this whole ordeal. ​

Rabbits are at risk of injuring their back legs and spine because of their light bones but very strong muscles. If they wrestle during handling, they can fall or kick back and cause significant injury. Radiographs in the emergency room may quickly tell us how extensive the damage is. Moderate to minor back injuries commonly respond well to cage rest, physical therapy and good pain management. ​

With frequent rechecks with the Exotics care team to tackle secondary medical complications and the devoted attention and expertise of our Rehab service for his acupuncture and chiropractic treatments, Jupiter’s pain is well controlled and he is looking great and happy! ​

Jupiter’s owner recently had his painting commissioned for Christmas, and he is living his best rabbit life. ​

Here he is looking very bright, and during an acupuncture treatment with Dr Fisher!

01/27/2025

Wondering what to expect when you bring your companion to Maritime for an Emergency?

Like human hospitals, our Emergency Department works on a triage basis, prioritizing patients who are in life threatening conditions. Because of this, it is difficult to predict accurate wait times as it can vary depending on the type of cases we are seeing. Our triage priority chart can give you a better idea on how we prioritize our patients and the severity of the emergency. Check it out!

01/24/2025

✨ EXOTICS SPOTLIGHT✨

Meet Noodle! This brave White's Tree Frog came in for a recheck with Dr Quesnel. She took the opportunity to measure her intraocular pressure with a rebound tonometer to be able to monitor her values over the course of treatment. Noodle was very brave during this ordeal!

01/23/2025

✨ER PATIENT SPOTLIGHT ✨

10 month old Hobbes just wanted to listen to music but he didn't know the ear bud was supposed to go in his ear, not his stomach! While an object this small would likely pass through the GI system Hobbes's family decided, for safety's sake, to induce vomiting. We were successful and after an anti-nausea to calm his stomach Hobbes was able to go home. Now the question is, does the ear bud still work?

01/22/2025

✨ NEW SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT✨

Maritime is very excited to announce our new Internal Medicine service led by our internal medicine doctor Dr. Aleksandra Milaszewska and her team of registered veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants.

What kind of cases do internal medicine doctors see?

Internal medicine doctor's handle complex medical cases and help manage acute/chronic diseases. They specifically look at the internal organs and systems such as the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, endocrine system, urinary tract, immune system, respiratory tract. They create diagnostic and/or medical management plans for each patient that we see.

For more information on our new service, click here: https://www.maritimevet.ca/internal-medicine