VERGI To The Rescue

10/11/2025

Hi! My name is JJ and my mom brought me to VERGI because she noticed my beautiful face was injured. It turns out I had an abscess on the right side of my head. I live outside, which is probably how I got this wound - maybe a little fight, but I’m not telling 😼I was sedated and the abscess was flushed to remove any further infection. I received an antibiotic and an anti-nausea injection along with fluids since my blood showed changes to my kidney values. This could mean I was dehydrated so fluids helped! I was feeling like my normal self because I was eating and drinking well. I was able to go home the next day with pain medication.

My mom was told a small amount of pink- to red-colored discharge will be seen from my abscess over the next few days and she should gently clean the wound with a warm, damp washcloth and WATER ONLY as needed. My wound should also be watched for redness, swelling, or evidence of pain, and my family veterinarian should be alerted If any of these are seen.

My abscess will be left open for several days because it needs to heal from the inside-out. These usually take at least 2 weeks to completely heal.

Bye now. JJ 🐾



Visit vergi247.com for hospital info and don’t forget we have moved!

10/10/2025

This Saturday, October 11th, is Barktoberfest and VERGI is very excited to once again attend this event! The event is hosted by Houston Pets Alive! There will be live music, lots of vendors and the EPIC Dog Costume Contests. A variety of food trucks will be there as well! The event starts at 2pm and ends at 6pm. Our booth number is 32. Please stop by to say hello!

1300 Brittmoore Rd.
Houston Tx 77043

Get ready for a howlin’ good time with dog costume contests, spooky sips, live music, pumpkin decorating, and more tail-wagging fun at Barktoberfest, presented by Pacifico! This dog-friendly fall festival and fundraising event is free to attend, but every ticket, treat, and purchase helps fund Hou...

10/09/2025

Mom thought I had vomited some blood so naturally, as moms are known to do when they get worried, she made me go to the animal hospital to get checked out.

The VERGI critical care team always does a thorough exam on each patient when we first get to the hospital. They found that I had a heart murmur and severe dental disease. I am twelve now. Heart murmurs can develop as we age! So can dental disease.

They talked to us about diagnostics that could tell them more about what was going on with me. They didn’t feel that the heart murmur had anything to do with my current issue. While the doctor was talking to Mom, the technicians noticed I had blood in my mouth. The doctor checked my mouth again and felt that the blood was from some molar where I have really bad dental issues. They gave me a shot to help with my nausea and sent me home with a probiotic for my gut health (that's very important for humans and animals!) and also an antibiotic for the infections in my teeth and gums.

Mom says we have to go see my regular vet now so they can take care of my teeth and check out my heart murmur.

When she says it's time to get in the car, I'm going to say, "Mommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm" and I'm going to also 🙄🙄🙄 because I feel like that is the stuff that will keep me young!

Bye now!
Odie 🐾

📌REMEMBER: We have moved! Our new address is: 8800 Katy Freeway, Suite 107 (just a few yards up the feeder.)

🌍Visit us at vergi247.com for hospital info and helpful pet articles🌍

10/08/2025

🐾 Toxic Tuesday: Tucker’s Close Call

Hi, my name’s Tucker... and I got myself into a heap of trouble. My curious nose found a bottle of Apoquel, the medicine usually given to help dogs like me stop itching, and before anyone could stop me, I swallowed about 40 tablets. That’s a whole lot more than my body could handle.

In big doses, Apoquel can be very dangerous. It can cause vomiting, weakness, loss of appetite, tremors, or even changes in heart rate. Lucky for me, my family realized right away something was wrong and rushed me to the animal emergency hospital!

The critical care team at VERGI acted fast. They safely made me vomit and up came a lot of brown liquid bile (no intact pills). After that, I was closely monitored to make sure the medicine didn’t cause more trouble. Thanks to their quick work, and my family’s fast action in getting me help, I’m expected to make a full recovery.

My adventure is a good reminder: medications that help us when prescribed can be harmful, even life-threatening, if we get into the bottle on our own. Please keep your pet’s prescriptions stored securely and out of reach, just like you would for children.

If you ever think your pet has swallowed something they shouldn’t, don’t wait - call your veterinarian, an emergency hospital, or the Pet Poison Helpline right away. Your quick action could save your pet's life.

Stay safe, friends... and keep those medicine bottles where curious noses can’t reach!

Love, Tucker! 🐾

📌REMEMBER: We have moved! Our new address is 8800 Katy Freeway, Suite 107.

🌍Visit us at vergi247.com for hospital info and helpful pet articles🌍

10/07/2025

Meet Hazel! Hazel is a 4-year-old female Siamese cat whose dad brought her to VERGI because he noticed some blood on her back end. On examination, our team noted that Hazel had severe distension (swelling) of her urinary bladder, bloody urine, and severe pain on palpation (touch) of her pelvis. Our critical care team performed diagnostic exams that revealed damage to Hazel’s kidneys and dislocation / pulling apart of the spinal bones associated with her pelvis and tail. No wonder little Hazel was so painful! The trauma to Hazel’s spine damaged the nerves that allow for normal urination; this resulted in her being unable to urinate. The urine continued to fill up her bladder which in turn damaged her kidneys.

Hazel was hospitalized and supportive care was begun, focusing on treating inflammation and pain to relieve her bladder signs and reestablish normal urine flow. We emptied her bladder by placing a urinary catheter. She was given IV fluids, pain medications, antibiotics and she started special medications to help stimulate normal emptying of the bladder until the damaged nerves can heal.

While in our care, Hazel’s kidney values normalized, she was eating/drinking well, and she returned to normal urination without her urinary catheter. She was soon discharged with several medications to continue treatment at home.

It is unknown what caused Hazel’s tail pull injury. In outdoor cats, often the tail can get caught in fences as a cat is running away from predators. We sometimes see this injury in motor vehicle trauma as well. This type of injury can happen when a tail is caught in a door or window, is stepped on, or if a cat is trapped and breaks free. It can also happen when the tail is literally pulled by a child or other animal. Never grab a cat’s tail as they are running away if you are trying to catch them, either.

No matter the cause, the force created damages nerves. While we hope this isn’t the case, it is possible that Hazel may have lifelong difficulties urinating, which may require manual expression of the urinary bladder at home. This is something that simply becomes part of your daily routine if it is needed!

Happy life, Hazel 🐾💙

🌎Visit vergi247.com for hospital information and helpful pet articles.

10/06/2025

Not a cat and not a dog, but hey…we also featured a unicorn this past week!

Happy Sunday!

10/05/2025

So many cables rendered useless…

10/04/2025

Meowwww oh wait…ahem…Hi! My name is Sasha and I’m 5 years old. My mom rushed me to VERGI because I may have been bitten by my new dog sibling. I don’t blame him — he’s new to our home and probably didn’t realize I was his little sister yet.

The veterinary team found several lacerations and puncture wounds near the base of my tail, along my left hind leg, and under my tail. I needed surgery to treat the injuries so my fur was clipped, the wounds were thoroughly explored and flushed with saline, and any damaged skin was trimmed away. The wounds were then closed with sutures.

I was able to go home the next day with pain medication and antibiotics. I’ll need to return to VERGI or visit my primary veterinarian in a few weeks to have the sutures removed.

Now I’m off to deliver an apparently necessary reminder of my dominance and position as Queen.

Dogs. Am I right?!

Love, Sasha 👑🐾🐈


Important Information About Bite Wounds:

Bite wounds can appear minor at first but may cause serious complications from damage not immediately visible. It’s important to monitor the skin around the affected area closely. Watch for signs such as:

Severe swelling
Foul-smelling discharge
Excessive bruising or discoloration
Skin that feels cold to the touch

These symptoms could indicate tissue necrosis (death of tissue due to poor blood flow), which may require additional surgical treatment.


Tips for Safely Introducing a New Dog to the Family (from the American Humane Society):

While we don’t know exactly what led to the incident with Sasha, safe introductions between new pets are very important. Here are some recommended steps to help ensure a smooth transition:

Gradual Scent Introduction-
Rotate confinement of each animal over a few days to allow them to investigate each other’s scent safely. Always ensure the dog or cat is securely confined when unsupervised.

Leashed, Supervised Interactions-
Once both pets seem calm with each other’s presence, they can be leashed and allowed in the same room — but only under close supervision.

Unsupervised Time Together-
Should occur when both pets have been supervised around each other for a significant period of time (a month or so, assuming things are going well/no signs of fear or aggression) and you are positive they will not hurt each other.

Behavior Warning Signs to Watch For:

In dogs:

Excessive focus on the other pet (staring intensely, not looking away)
Growling, snapping, lunging, or ignoring commands
Sudden aggressive behavior when the other pet moves
Some dogs will freeze and give no warning of attack

In cats:

Growling, hissing, or swatting
Hiding constantly or avoiding family interaction
Changes in appetite, litter box use, or daily habits

If these behaviors are observed, it may be a sign that the match is unsafe. Consider seeking help from a professional animal behaviorist to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone in the home.

🌎Visit vergi247.com for hospital info and helpful pet articles!🌎

10/04/2025

Wait. How does one ask for this kind of seat? I don’t want window or aisle, exit row or first class. I want to sit next to the cat!!

10/03/2025

Hello Everyone! I’m Haymitch (remember me?!) and this is my buddy, JoJo.

Our dog moms work for VERGI 24/7. Dr. Weigle (on the right) is my mom and Karen, Doctor’s Assistant Supervisor, is JoJo’s mom.

We get to come to work, hang out and support them with kisses throughout the day.

For the most part, our job is to keep their seats warm…and we do that very well!

10/02/2025

Hi🐾I’m Lenny and I went to VERGI to get a manicure!

So there I was in my own backyard, just innocently chasing a squirrel when I suddenly hurt my foot! I am fairly certain that squirrel was laughing at me (from a safe distance, of course.) The chasing was over. I limped away and didn't even look back.

Mom took me to the animal emergency hospital because I was in so much pain. The new place is really nice! The critical care team at VERGI was so kind and they gave me medicine to help my hurt toe. Then I had a surgery and got a bandage! They let me go home a little while later with medication for pain and an antibiotic to prevent any infection.

As I was writing this out, Mom looked me straight in the eyeballs and said I better tell you what my injury was…I broke my toenail, but let me tell you, it was a really bad break of my toenail and it hurt soooooo much! They even had to do that little surgery on it - they cleaned it up, cut the broken part off and nicely shaped what was left of that toenail full of betrayal.

Bye, I need to go find that squirrel...
Love, Lenny

🌍Visit vergi247.com for hospital info and helpful pet articles🌍

10/01/2025

Meet Freya! Freya is an 8-year-old female Golden Retriever who was brought to our hospital by her mom for being a very bad girl (you can tell from the picture that she is bothered not one single bit about it!)

Freya decided that she needed a snack after dinner so she ate a whole box of NexGard. NexGard is a prescription chewable medication that protects dogs from fleas and ticks for one month by killing the harmful bugs before they can cause disease.

Our critical care team quickly contacted poison control for a consultation and luckily, NexGard has a wide safety margin so Freya ran only the risk of developing mild GI upset. (However, in severe cases, pets who overdose on NexGard run the risk of developing neurological issues like seizures.) We gave Freya medication to help prevent any vomiting and nausea that may have arisen from her midnight snack, then she was able to go home where her mom would continue to monitor her.

Don’t worry, Freya, you can still have your normal NexGard dose next month (but this time, stick to just one...)

🌍Visit vergi247.com for hospital info and helpful pet articles🌍