Compass Veterinary Neurology & Imaging

08/29/2024

08/09/2024

Meet Hazel! 🤩Hazel is a (now) 7 month old Labrador Retriever, but she originally came to CVNI when she was only 3 months old! Hazel presented with having neck pain, a fever, and was unable to walk.

An MRI was performed and showed that she had a severe infection around the spinous process of the T2 vertebrae which was impacting the bone, muscle, and soft tissue in the surrounding areas including the spinal canal (see MRI images). We performed a fine needle aspirate of the infectious fluid which showed bacteria in the inflammatory cells, and a culture that was sent out grew Pasturella canis.

Hazel spent many days in our ICU with pain medications, antibiotics, fluids, and much needed TLC. Prior to her discharge, Hazel began moving her hind limbs and already showing huge improvement.

We have been working closely with Hazel’s parents to find what works best for her and them. With multiple rechecks, continuing medications, and eventually a recheck MRI, which showed resolution of her infection! Hazel has officially graduated with the ability to use all of her limbs and act like a crazy puppy again!

We will miss Hazel but are very glad she is back to her happy, goofy self. 🐾❤️

08/02/2024

This week marks 2 years of Compass Veterinary Neurology and Imaging! 🎉 This year has been full of growth, laughs, and a lot of memories. Here’s to another great year! 🥳👏

06/18/2024

Meet Wormwood! 🦉Wormwood is a Eastern Screech Owl that came to CVNI via the Salisbury Zoo to have a neurological exam and a MRI of his brain. 🧠Wormwood sustained a significant head trauma (suspect he was hit by a car) and has not been normal despite months of dedicated rehabilitation from a wildlife rehabber and the Salisbury Zoo.

Wormwood is a tough 💪little guy who still has a good quality of life but cannot do all of the normal owl things. He has trouble with balance, tracking, and some trouble understanding exactly where he is in his environment.

A BIG shout out to the Salisbury Zoo and their amazing veterinary staff. These animals are so well cared for and loved. CVNI loves to be able to help where we can! Hopefully the MRI of his brain helped to provide some answers for Wormwoods condition. 💙

05/30/2024

Meet Christina! ❤🐾🐱

Christina is a 14 year old Persian who was seen by Dr. Archambault at Compass Veterinary Neurology & Imaging for having an abrupt onset of imbalance and inability to walk in all four limbs (non-ambulatory tetraparesis).

Christina had an MRI, which showed that she had a severe infection in her inner ear that eroded through the skull into the back part of the brain (cerebellum and brainstem). She was diagnosed with encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) from otogenic extension of an inner ear bacterial infection (otitis interna). Christina was started on two antibiotics, an anti-nausea medication, and a few others to help treat secondary concerns while she was unable to use her limbs.

Almost one month later, Christina is now bolting around the exam room, making full use of her limbs. She no longer has a noticeable head tilt or nystagmus and is almost entirely back to her normal self

Her owners along with everyone here at Compass are amazed to see how well she is doing! ❤🐾🐱

05/24/2024

Last day to get your votes in!!!

05/22/2024

Let’s keep getting votes in for Dr. Archambault! You can vote every 24 hours! 🎉

05/17/2024

🚨🚨 Our very own Dr. Nick Archambault has been nominated for Trupanion's 2024 Veterinarian of the Year! A well deserved nomination for a wonderful Veterinarian! 🎉

Voting starts today (May 17th) and goes through May 24th. You can vote at https://vetappreciationday.trupanion.com/vote, just search for Dr. Archambault! You can cast your vote by clicking on the heart ♥️ icon near Dr. Archambault's name!

Winners will be announced on Veterinary Appreciation Day, June 18th!

04/24/2024

In honor of , here are our amazing Patient Care Coordinators!

Each and every day they provide excellent client service ranging from answering questions, scheduling appointments to providing details for patient care and helping control any chaos that is happening. We would be lost without you!

Katie, Victoria, and Liz - The three who keep the team sane and full of laughter. We thank you for all that you do, each and every day! 💚🐶

03/21/2024

Meet Mama! 😍Mama came to CVNI in January due to suddenly not being able to walk in her hind limbs. Dr. Archambault recommended a TLS (back) MRI which revealed a large disc herniation at T12-13. Mama was then taken directly to surgery where Dr. Archambault performed a hemilaminectomy at T12-13 and removed a large amount of disc material! 🎉

Mama did great with her surgery, but took a little while to start using those back legs again. Mama and her owner worked closely with our rehabilitation specialist, Nikki, to get her back up and moving again! Nikki would see Mama 1-2x a week for physical therapy and laser treatments. It has been a slow and steady process, but Mama has been continuously improving💪! She can now stand/walk independently and is starting to be much more steady on her feet! 🥳🎉

Mama is a very special girl and all of the CVNI staff are always very excited to see her! She is full of so much joy and kisses 👅 that it is hard not to love her! Continue the great work, Mama! You're a superstar! 🤩

02/20/2024

Meet Rooney!🤩 Rooney came to CVNI in November 2021 when he suddenly started not acting like himself and was having a lot of trouble walking. Dr. Harvey recommended a brain MRI which showed inflammation in his brain stem most consistent with brain stem encephalitis (MUE). Rooney was started on Cytarabine (Cytosar) which is a chemotherapy drug used to suppress his immune system. He responded great to this and continued to have Cytosar injections every month for 5 months. Along with his injections, Rooney was on oral immunosuppressants 💊 to ensure that he continued to improve.

It has been a long journey, but Rooney has officially GRADUATED from CVNI! 🎉 HUGE shout out to Rooney and his parents for always being so wonderful throughout this process. We wish Rooney the best of luck on his new adventures! CVNI will miss your adorable face and personality! 😍💙

02/16/2024

Compass Veterinary Neurology & Imaging is thrilled to have Dr. Jessica Barker join our team!🎉

Dr. Barker received her MS and DVM from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin. She then completed a Rotating Internship at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and then performed Neurology & Neurosurgery Residency program at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. She achieved board certification in Neurology in 2013. Dr. Barker has been working as a veterinary neurologist in the Washington DC area since achieving board certification.

Dr. Barker has a wonderful wife named Carolina and 3 dogs! In her free time she enjoys running 🏃‍♀️, hiking⛰ , knitting 🧶, and cooking 🥘!

Please join us in welcoming her to Annapolis!! 🥳🤩

02/14/2024

Happy Valentines Day from everyone at Compass including one of our patients Madison ! ❤️

02/02/2024

Meet Alfie! 🤩 Alfie came to CVNI in March of 2023 due to stumbling in all four legs. On exam, Dr. Harvey noted that Alfie was painful in his lower neck. A MRI of his C-spine (neck) was performed which revealed that he had diskospondylitis at C6-7. Diskospondylitis is a bacterial or fungal infection of the intervertebral disks and the adjacent vertebral bones. The signs of diskospondylitis often begin gradually and slowly progress over time.

Alfie was started on a course of long term antibiotics and came back every few months to have radiographs taken of his neck. Alfie started to feel better pretty quickly 🎉, but his radiographs still showed signs of healing diskospondylitis. Last week his x-rays showed that he is all healed!

Alfie has officially graduated from CVNI and we hope this handsome boy goes back to living his best life! You're a rock star Alfie! 😍🎉💙

01/19/2024

Due to inclement weather, CVNI will be closing at 1pm today. ❄️☃️

If your pet has an emergency, please contact Anne Arundel Veterinary Emergency Clinic at 410-224-0331.

Stay safe and enjoy the snow! ❄️🌨☃️

01/17/2024

She won’t make it through the metal detector! Lucy is a 5-year-old Boxer 🐾 that presented to CVNI for lower back pain, which had worsened despite being started on gabapentin and carprofen for pain management. Her examination with Dr. Archambault revealed lumbosacral spinal discomfort. Lucy’s MRI showed that she had a condition called Dynamic Lumbosacral Stenosis, which means that her nerve roots were being pinched in some positions due to an inherent instability at the junction of L7 and S1 vertebrae. Dr. Archambault and Dr. Early performed a new and promising procedure for this condition called Pedicle-Screw-Rod fixation! This procedure was initially developed for humans in need of spinal stabilization and has been adapted for use in our 4-legged best friends 🐕‍🦺. It provides rigid immobilization of this area thus preventing the nerve root “pinching” that happened in some positions. CVNI is thrilled to be offering this cutting-edge technique for those pups in need!

Lucy did wonderful with recovery from surgery and was pain free and back to her normal self within 2 weeks of her procedure. Great job, Lucy, you’re a superstar 🤩😍❤️🎉.

12/15/2023

Happy Holidays from the CVNI team! 🎉

11/08/2023

Happy World Radiography Day to our imaging technologists, Carol and Mandy! 🤩🎉 November 8th marks the anniversary of the discovery of x-ray by Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895!☢️These ladies make sure each patient gets the needed images in CT or MRI to help figure out a diagnosis. CVNI is lucky to have them as part of our team! ❤️💙💜

10/31/2023

Happy Halloween from Peep!🍨🎃 Peep first came to CVNI in January of this year due to a new onset of cluster seizures. Peep had already had a history of seizures, but this was her first time having a cluster event.🧠 A cluster is when a patient has multiple (3 or more) seizures within 24 hours. Dr. Archambault has been working with Peeps owners to reduce the frequency and severity of her seizures. This includes making adjustments to her current medications and adding in additional anticonvulsants to get her seizure frequency down. 💊

Peep came to her recheck today in her adorable sundae costume!🍨 You're a rock star Peep! 🤩❤️

10/16/2023

Happy National Veterinary Technician Week!🎉🥳 We want to thank all of our WONDERFUL veterinary technicians who work their butts off every day to make sure each patient gets the best care! CVNI is so thankful for each and every one of you! We would be lost without all of these amazing individuals!🤩😍❤️

10/13/2023

Meet Tyson!😍 Tyson came to CVNI in July of this year due to progressive ataxia (wobbly when he walks). Based on exam, Dr. Harvey recommended a C-spine MRI which revealed a subarachnoid diverticulum (SAD) at C1-3 that was causing spinal cord compression. A SAD is a focal accumulation (almost like a bubble) of the spinal fluid that normally surrounds the spinal cord in a thin layer. This "bubble" presses down on the spinal cord leading to a disruption of the signals from the brain to the legs and vice-versa. Dr. Harvey performed a dorsal cervical laminectomy to remove the SAD and help relieve the compression on Tyson's spinal cord.

Tyson has been doing great post surgery and has significantly improved🎉! He needs to work on taking his time, but he is a young boxer who has A LOT of energy. We wish this silly boy the best of luck on getting back to being a puppy! 🤩🥳❤️

09/22/2023

Meet Kasch!🐾 Kasch came to CVNI in July due to a new onset on seizures, circling to the right, restlessness, and ataxia. Dr. Archambault recommended a brain MRI which revealed a frontal lobe mass. Due to the location of this mass, Dr. Archambault was able to perform a transfrontal craniectomy to remove as much of the mass as safely possible. The biopsy came back as a grade 1 meningioma which has a great prognosis when removed. You can see Kaschs' silly haircut post op!🤩Kasch recovered wonderfully from his surgery and basically acted like nothing happened! He has been seizure free and doing great at home. 🥳

Kasch is now receiving radiation therapy with Veterinary Radiation Oncology of the Chesapeake to ensure the longest and best quality of life post brain tumor! Kasch is such a good boy and we wish him the best of luck! 🥰❤️💙

08/31/2023

The Tale of Two Dachshunds!

Meet Dexter and Leo! 😍🥰 Though they look almost identical and had identical surgeries, they are not related (as far as we know)! Their families are lucky to have such cute Dachshunds!

Dexter is a 8yo Dachshund who presented to Dr. Harvey at the end of July for progressive neck pain and being unwilling to jump/having a lot of trouble with going up/down stairs. His MRI revealed a C3-4 disc herniation. Dexter came back for his ventral slot (8/29) and is already much improved! 🤩🥳

Leo is a 8yo Dachshund who presented to Dr. Harvey in August for suspected neck pain and weakness in his hind limbs. His MRI also revealed a C3-4 disc herniation. Leo came back this week for his ventral slot (8/30) and is healing well! 🥳🎉

Dachshunds 🐾are a common breed for neurologists to see for intervertebral disc disease (IVDD). Studies have shown that Dachshunds have a 20-25% chance of developing IVDD within their life time. IVDD can sometimes be managed medically with medications💊 for pain and strict rest, but in some cases, can progress to a point where surgery is indicated (like Dexter and Leo). This increased risk is primarily due to the fact that Dachshunds are considered to be a chondrodystrophic breed (breeds that have short legs and long bodies); other breeds in this group include: Basset Hounds, Beagles, Corgis, Shih Tzus, Pekingeses, and French Bulldogs.

08/17/2023

Meet Zoe! 🐾🐾Zoe came to CVNI in June due to right hind limb weakness and being overall uncomfortable when she was picked up. Dr. Archambault recommended a TLS (back) MRI which revealed a lateralized disc herniation at L6-7 as the cause for her signs. Dr. Archambault performed a L6-7 hemilaminectomy where he removed a large amount of disc material! Zoe did great post surgery and by her first post op recheck (2 weeks after surgery), she was back to her normal self! Zoe has officially graduated from CVNI and can go back to her normal activities! You're a rockstar Zoe! 😍🤩🥳

Also, THANK YOU to Zoe's family for the wonderful card and edible arrangement! 💚💙

08/04/2023

A few days late, but happy one year of business to CVNI!! 🥳🥳July 29, 2022 was the day when we officially became known as Compass Veterinary Neurology and Imaging! 🤩 It has been a amazing year full of memories, learning, and growth! We are so thankful to all of our staff, clients, and referring hospitals who have kept us going this past year. Here's to many more wonderful years! 🎉🎉