Brittany Shumack, DVM

11/05/2025

I am happy to announce that I am certified for Respiratory Function Grading through OFA. I can provide this service to my current clients in Colorado Springs before moving. If you have any questions please call the office at 719-219-8569

11/05/2025

I am very excited to finally announce that I will be joining Kokopelli Veterinary Center in Sacramento California. I am very thankful for this opportunity to work alongside two therio diplomates and complete my alternate route residency. I hope to be an asset to this clinic and the breeders of Northern California. I do not have a set start date yet. Trying to sell my house in Colorado Springs in a dead market has proven to be a much more frustrating process than I could have ever imagined. I will continue to update as I know more.

10/14/2025

It's tech week in the veterinary field.

One week to celebrate the heroes in our field, to show our support to those who support us year round.

The techs are the reason your vet can do all they do, and they often don't get the credit they deserve.

The techs are the ones comforting your animals during recovery.
Giving extra love and treats.
Ensuring the water bucket is full and fresh.

They are the ones taking the emotional toll of seeing the patient they have been rooting for all week be euthanized.....after hand feeding them, doing hourly checks to make sure they are ok, and so much more they aren't required to do.

They take most of the hits when it comes to clients, all too frequently not being recognized for their knowledge, and treated as lesser than.

All of this to say that I am so so grateful for my techs, and all of my staff. I simply could not do what I do without them. I see you and hope all technicians who work with me, present and future, know how valued you are in the veterinary community.

Those who have had the lucky (unfortunate) opportunity to work with me...

Thank you, thank you, thank you:
•for dealing with the chaos I create
•for dealing with my antics
•for laughing with me and goofing off
•for making me a better Doctor
•for always being willing to help me and go with whatever crazy day I have planned

Be nice to technicians, not only this week, but every day. Some of them have to deal with doctors like me all day 😜

Happy Tech week!!!!!!!!!

10/05/2025

Our house hasn't sold yet and I'm still in Colorado (unfortunately for me).

Humor me, I know some of my staff has given away the state I'm going to, but where do you think it is?

Anyone need a house in Colorado Springs? 🤣
I'm just excited about where I'm going and want to be there already.

😅

09/26/2025

Health clinic today!
Location is All Breed Training and Rescue on Colorado Springs
10-3 walk-in services

09/17/2025

Can you name a better way to end the work day?

09/11/2025

It feels heavy in America right now. There's so much bad and loss that's it's hard to remember what makes us happy. On top of that, it's world su***de prevention day. A topic that veterinarians and veterinary staff are unfortunately familiar with, a topic that has directly impacted far too many of us.

But you know what does make us happy, what likely makes 99% of people happy? Animals. Specifically funny pictures of animals. I invite you to spend a moment, forget what's going on, and just scroll through your pictures. Find a funny picture, or just any picture or video of your animals that makes you smile or laugh and comment with it below.

I hope this post brings you even a brief smile or laughter.

09/09/2025

I was fortunate enough to attend the Camelid Theriogenology lab last weekend at Washington State University. I am very appreciative of Dr.Tibary and the Society for Theriogenology for providing this opportunity. I'm not going to lie, I was nervous, I haven't practiced on anything but small animals in 6+ years. I didn't know what to expect, but this lab far exceeded any expectations I had. I learned so much in 2.5 days, and am extremely grateful for the magnitude of hands-on experience we got. The opportunity to meet more amazing colleagues was also great.

I finally got to meet Dr. Tibary. He is a wealth of knowledge and experience, and is passionate about the future of veterinary medicine. You can tell he gets excited about teaching others, and passing on his knowledge. This weekend he ensured that every detail was discussed and made this small animal vet feel welcomed and confident after leaving. He doesn't just share his educational knowledge with you, he is also more than happy to share his wisdom on life itself. I truly did learn so much more than just Camelid medicine this weekend. I learned to not limit myself, and never say no (in a career sense), you never know what opportunities it may expose you to. He may just be in my top 5 of most interesting people I have met.

Anyways, someone give me an alpaca patient for breeding management. 😆 Kidding, for now atleast. I don't think my current clinic would like that very much.

08/23/2025

Let's do a weekend (8/22- 8/24) Q & A/Ask me anything post!!

I'll start by answering some of my most common questions regarding me leaving Village Center Vet, but your questions don't have to be related to that at all.

Also, don't expect an immediate answer, I have toddlers and get distracted easily 😂

❓❓❓❓❓❓
- When are you leaving?
I don't have an exact answer for that, it all depends on when our house in the Springs goes under contract. It will be roughly 1.5 months after that happens. The market in the Springs is unfortunately slow right now, and I'm an inpatient person 🙃

-Will Village Center Vet be getting another vet to do reproduction?
That is their intent, but it may not happen in the shorter timeline that is needed.

-Where are you going?
I will announce that once I have an official start date after our house goes under contract 🙃

-Will VCVC still be storing my semen.
Yes, again they hope to find someone to take over, but it will be stored and can be transported if there is a gap in services provided

-Will Village Center still do progesterone tests if they don't have a replacement vet?
I do not know what their intent for services offered will be, you may reach out to the office manager for those specific questions.

08/14/2025

I'm just ensuring they are ready for me to leave by the time I go.

07/22/2025

🐾 From Ultrasound to Spay: A Closer Look at Cystic Endometrial Hyperplasia (CEH)

This uterus pictured shows a very focal, exaggerated lesion representing an extreme version of something we see more often than we’d like: Cystic Endometrial Hyperplasia (CEH). I did include a picture of a normal happy uterus courtesy but of reddit.

Cystic endometrial hyperplasia, or CEH, occurs when the glands in the uterus overreact and cause hyperplasia, or thickening of the uterus. While this disease process is generally thought of as a progesterone influenced disease after a heat cycle, estrogen plays a vital role in the disease.

But here’s the twist: while progesterone gets the spotlight, estrogen sets the stage. Estrogen "primes" the uterus for pregnancy, making it ultra-sensitive to progesterone. Unlike in humans, a bitch’s uterus doesn’t slough or reset — meaning cumulative trauma can build over each cycle.

Progesterone’s Role:
After every heat cycle (whether bred or not), progesterone:

1. Suppresses the immune system → Less defense = higher risk of pyometra
2. Stimulates gland secretion → Ideal for embryos… or bacteria
3. Closes the cervix → Traps any harmful content inside
4. Reduces uterine contractility → No flushing, just… storage

So yes, progesterone is a big deal. But it's not working alone.

❓ Why does the uterus overreact in the first place?
We don’t have a simple answer — research is ongoing, and has been for years, and while treatments are being explored, no standardized treatment exists yet.

What we can say is this:
If your bitch consistently misses or has small litters despite good breeding management (proper timing, insemination, etc.), there may be more going on.

And unfortunately…
💔 A traumatized uterus isn’t one a placenta can easily attach to — even a mildly affected one.

In this case, ultrasound made diagnosis easy — but that’s not always true. Sometimes, only biopsy shows the real story.

Even though this is a exaggerated version of this disease process can you imagine a fetus trying to attach to this uterus, or even a less affected version. That's not happening.

🐶✨ Moral of the story?
Sometimes it’s not about the breeding plan — it's about what’s happening inside the uterus. And while we do our best, even great vets aren't miracle workers. We’re human, too.