Atlantic Veterinary Internal Medicine & Oncology

11/02/2024

🐾 ⏰ As we turn the clocks back this weekend, let us be mindful of helping our furry companions adapt. Minor adjustments to their routine can make a significant difference and ensure a smooth transition for our beloved pets.

09/18/2024

Please join us in welcoming Veterinary Medical Oncologist, Dr. Katie Bardales, to the Annapolis team!

Dr. Bardales joins AVIM&O after working as an emergency doctor, a research assistance at the National Cancer Institute and, most recently, completing her 3-year medical oncology residency at the University of Pennsylvania.

Passionate about helping families work through a cancer diagnosis she believes in developing an individualized, patient-tailored treatment plan with quality of life at the forefront.

In her free time, Dr. Bardales enjoys spending time with her husband and two perfect fur children - Hamilton and Daisy. She also loves to spend time outdoors - horseback riding, hiking, biking and traveling.

09/11/2024

We are excited to welcome Dr. Laura Chadsey to our team!
A Baltimore native, Dr. Chadsey is a compassionate veterinary oncologist with a deep-seated dedication to enhancing the lives of animals battling cancer. She is committed to providing clear communication and empathetic support, as well as collaborative decision-making to ensure that families feel informed and supported throughout their pet’s treatment journey.
Outside of her professional life, she is passionate about cooking and enjoys exploring the outdoors, hiking with her dog, paddle boarding.
Dr. Chadsey will be seeing patients at AVIM&O Annapolis. Please join us in welcoming her to our family!

06/23/2024

⚠️ Important Announcement ⚠️

Dr. Kakar will temporarily relocate to our Hunt Valley location from June 24 to July 12.
This change is due to necessary building maintenance at our Columbia location.

From June 24 to July 12, Dr. Kakar will be available for appointments in Hunt Valley from Monday to Wednesday each week. Dr. Kakar will resume seeing patients at AVIMO Columbia on July 15.

05/16/2024

If you have gently used towels, soft blankets and comforters that you are no longer using, we will happily take them off your hands to make hospital stays a little cozier for our patients.

Materials can be dropped off to 10626 York Road in Hunt Valley. Our emergency partner, Pet+E.R., is open 24/7/365 and will also accept donated linens.

05/13/2024

Ultrasonography is one of the most common forms of diagnostic imaging technology used in the veterinary industry. This non-invasive, pain-free technique involves using a device that sends sound waves into a targeted area of the body. The echoes from these waves then produce a moving image of the internal organs in real time.

Here at Atlantic Veterinary Internal Medicine & Oncology, we offer advanced cat and dog ultrasound services at all three of our facilities in Annapolis, Hunt Valley, and Columbia, MD. These include abdominal and thoracic (chest) ultrasounds, focal ultrasounds and pregnancy scans, as well as ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration and needle biopsy services.

Outpatient ultrasound services are offered in Hunt Valley and Columbia and can be requested by a referring veterinarian.

For information, call us in Annapolis at (410) 224-0121 (option 2), Hunt Valley at (410) 828-0911 (option 2) or Columbia at (410) 441-3304 (option 2).

05/06/2024

Dr. Kakar returned to our Columbia location from maternity leave last week and our team took a moment to share their excitement and appreciation for having her back.

Dr. Kakar is available in Columbia for internal medicine patients Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday each week. Call 410-441-3304, opt. 2 to schedule a consultation.

04/25/2024

Happy CSR week to our amazing Annapolis CSRs! They are the first face you see when you walk in the door, the first voice you hear on the phone, they are the heart of AVIM&O and we couldn't be more grateful for them!

Thank you so much Sarah, Ashley, Latifa, Amanda, and Robbie for all that you do for AVIM&O.

04/08/2024

Happy Eclipse Day!

Some of our team took a moment today to go out and safely view the Eclipse!

04/03/2024

A few more "bunnies" hopped in to visit us last week!

Meet Theo and Paschal!

03/31/2024

At AVIM&O, we didn't have an Easter bunny, we had an Easter puppy!

03/29/2024

Pawject Runway is almost here, and AVIM&O is proud to be a Cuddle Corner sponsor this year! We hope to see you at CGF Bank Arena on April 4 for this lifesaving and SUPER fun runway show. You’ll rub shoulders with famous faces…and rub a lot of furry bellies!

P.S. We’ve been told that BARCS Animal Shelter is bringing 50+ animals who need to step off the “catwalk” and into their forever homes that night. Let’s get all of them adopted!

03/22/2024

Its not every day that we get a rare breed that comes in... Everyone meet Quasar!
Quasar is a Tervueren, also known as a Belgian Shepherd. Tervuerens were originally bred as sheep herding and driving dogs, with a secondary role as watch and guard dogs.

They are an intelligent breed, keen to work with their people but also capable of making independent decision where there is no instruction from an owner or handler. They are in the same family as the well known Belgian Malinois. We love getting to meet new and interesting breeds.

Quasar was transferred from Anne Arundel Veterinary Emergency Clinic earlier this month to the care of Dr. Adam Gonzales, DACVIM after his family noticed episodes of labored breathing and coughing. Thoracic ultrasounds and a CT scan determined that Quasar has a condition called idiopathic chylothorax.

According to UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, "Chylothorax is a rare, potentially life-threatening condition caused by a build-up of milky white fatty lymphatic fluid (chyle) in the chest. The chyle leaks from the thoracic ducts (the primary lymphatic vessels that carry chyle) into the chest. It is an irritant that can cause inflammation of the surface of the lungs and heart. The fluid build-up can also put pressure on organs and keep the lungs from inflating properly.

Anything that disrupts the normal flow of chyle from the thoracic duct can cause chylothorax. This can include trauma, abnormalities of the lymphatic vessels, heart disease, fungal infection, heartworm infection, abnormal positioning of organs, abnormal tissue growth (neoplasia), and abnormalities of the thoracic duct that are present from birth (congenital). However, in many cases, the underlying cause cannot be identified and the diagnosis is idiopathic chylothorax, or chylothorax of unknown origin."

Quasar and his family will soon meet with Chesapeake Veterinary Surgical Specialists to discuss surgical options to resolve the chylothorax. We wish them the absolute best in their pursuit of a cure and can't wait to see Quasar back when he is feeling much better!

03/18/2024

Hey everyone, meet Maizey! Maizey is a long-term patient of AVIM&O and has seen oncologists at all three locations. Her story amazingly demonstrates how well a canine patient can tolerate and respond to chemotherapy.

Maizey's story starts back in December 2019 when she was only five years old. She was brought to her primary vet because her owner noticed significant swelling under her chin. Her vet was concerned and immediately contacted AVIM&O's former Towson team to request a consult. She came in the following week, where Dr. Dan Petrus, DACVIM sampled her lymph nodes and confirmed a diagnosis of high-grade lymphoma. Maizey had additional diagnostics performed that day which showed her lymphoma was confined to her peripheral lymph nodes at that time, which was good news for her!

Maizey's care was transferred to the Oncology team, and a multi-agent CHOP protocol was initiated. She transferred to the Columbia location the following week to continue her chemotherapy protocol. She went into remission quickly and sailed through her chemotherapy treatments with almost no side effects. Maizey graduated from chemo in April 2020 in complete remission!

Over the next 3 ½ years, she continued to visit both the Columbia and Annapolis location for regular rechecks and diagnostics to check the status of her cancer. Then in October 2023 Maizey’s diligent owners noticed a swelling under her chin again. She was brought into the Annapolis location and a fine needle aspirate confirmed that her lymphoma had returned. She was started on the same chemotherapy protocol as before and quickly went into remission again.

In November, while on treatment for her lymphoma, a small mass was noted along her left mammary chain. This mass was aspirated and Maizey was diagnosed with an additional cancer, mammary gland adenocarcinoma. Her mammary mass has remained very small and has not metastasized to other areas, so Chesapeake Veterinary Surgical Specialists feel it can be removed successfully. Another win for Maizey!

Maizey finished her second round of chemotherapy today in Annapolis, and we could not be happier for her and her family. They have become like family to all us here at AVIM&O, and we hope Maizey has a successful surgery and another long remission. We will continue to see her in Annapolis every few weeks to assess her remission status. Congratulations Maizey!

03/15/2024

Gizmo getting treated like the king that he is at his recheck appointment!

03/13/2024

Isn't our guest Client Service Representative, Lola, pawsitively fabulous?

03/11/2024

Allow us to introduce Tara! Tara is the Client Service Manager responsible for reception operations at Pet+E.R. Columbia and AVIM&O Columbia.

Tara has been a team member in our Columbia building since we opened in 2016, working individually for Pet+E.R. and AVIM&O over the years. She has excellent knowledge of practice operations and exceptional standards for the client experience. Over the last few weeks, Tara has spent time in the community, introducing herself to our primary care veterinary partners.

We look forward to watching the team continue to learn and grow under her leadership.

03/08/2024

Say hello to Alfie and Lola. Alfie and Lola come to us for preventative ultrasounds to make sure everything is in tip top shape.

Lola even got a fresh new pink sparkly manicure before coming to her appointment 💅

03/03/2024

The CVRC Spring Conference is one week away!

We hope to see you at the Hyatt Place Kent Narrows & Marina on March 10.

Get ready for the CVRC Spring CE Conference, a must-attend in-person event packed with cutting-edge insights and networking opportunities.

02/26/2024

The cutest siblings around!

Jax and Otis are housemates that both come to us to be treated for their IBD. Both boys are doing great and are managed by diet and steroids. We love getting visits from them!

02/23/2024

This is Gus! Gus is a 12-year-old MN West Highland White Terrier who presented to our Oncology service for gastrointestinal high grade lymphoma.

Gus finished a CHOP Protocol with a combination of vincristine, cyclophoshamide, and doxorubicin every week for a gastrointestinal high grade lymphoma. Gus is now finished CHOP and doing great!

Interesting facts about Gus:
1. He loves to chase squirrels when he is outside in his backyard
2. He loves snuggling/playing with a housemate that his owner is watching for a neighbor.
3. Loves snuggling with mom or snoozing away on the sofa.
4. He loves his treats/food that mom cooks for him homemade.

02/20/2024

This is Wilson, a Laborador Retriver mix. Wilson presented to us with difficultly walking, difficulty eating, and some pretty severe cervical swelling. During Wilson's stay with us, a CT scan showed very enlarged lymph nodes in his neck. He also had aspiration pneumonia. Wilson received supportive care at our Annapolis location. As he continued to feel better, he was discharged to the care of his family at home.

Wilson is now doing great at home on daily steroids and just celebrated his 7th birthday! Happy Birthday Wilson!

02/14/2024

Happy Valentine's Day from our team to yours!

We recently celebrated our oncology technician, Victoria, with a sweetheart-themed baby shower. The team is very excited to meet her new addition!

02/13/2024

Monday Mood!

Here at AVIM&O Annapolis, we only hire the hardest workers!

02/09/2024

This is Snoopy and his favorite nurse Kaitlyn. Snoopy is on the mend and feeling much better after his stay here with us to be treated for suspected IMHA.