Burggren Blair DVM

11/27/2024

It’s nice to see the Irvine crew again. And for those of you who have followed my stories of finding “goodies” in my hotel rooms, my room is clean this time!

11/26/2024

You guessed it, I’m working in Irvine again this week. 😋

11/03/2024

I’m working back at the BluePearl in Tacoma for the majority of this month. Be safe out there… things could happen 😬

10/21/2024

PSA for the dog owners in the PNW. It is the season for Salmon Poisoning Disease! Be aware and read this informative resource from WSU:

https://hospital.vetmed.wsu.edu/2021/10/29/salmon-poisoning/ #:~:text=How%20is%20salmon%20poisoning%20disease%20treated%3F,dramatic%20improvement%20within%20two%20days.

10/09/2024

As rattlesnakes head to their den this season, don't fall for myths about treating snake bites like cutting the bite site, applying ice packs, or using tourniquets. These methods can delay critical care and worsen your pet's condition. The only effective treatment for a rattlesnake bite is antivenom.

Here's what you need to know 🐍 :

- Don't delay: Get your pet to a vet immediately if you suspect a snakebite.
- Keep the bite site below the heart: This can help slow the spread of venom.
- Know the signs: Look for swelling, bruising, pain, weakness, and difficulty breathing.
- Prevent bites: Keep your pet on a leash when hiking, stay on open trails, and avoid tall grass.

Even if your pet doesn't show immediate symptoms, a snakebite can still be serious. Early treatment is crucial.

10/05/2024

I’m not really on fire, nor do I feel like it, but isn’t it a cool filter!?

I’m covering night shifts at BluePearl Olympia Fri and Sat night. It’s nice to be home in Olympia, especially as we gradually crawl toward Fall weather.

09/28/2024

Here’s to 7 years of AMAZING work for the animals!

09/27/2024

Here’s another very common place for toxic things to hide in hotel rooms! This was 200 mg Ibuprofen.

09/25/2024

Love the pigs!!

09/21/2024

I’m seeing stars! Covering the day shifts though the weekend 😁

09/13/2024

I’m just grabbing a quick plant-based burger before catching my flight back to the PNW

09/13/2024

Allow me to set the scene for you:

You and your family are on vacation and check in to your pet-friendly hotel with your family dog (a 12 lb Chihuahua mix). You walk in and the suite is clean, inviting, and ready for your family to relax between sight-seeing adventures. You drop your luggage and the leash as you explore your new home for a few days. Your pooch sniffs around happily to get acquainted with the new place. As you finish unpacking, you notice that he is panting and pacing. You offer him water (“maybe he’s just thirsty”) but he shows no interest. You check the thermostat but the AC has maintained a comfortable 72 degrees. You become alarmed when his signs progress over the following 10-15 minutes. His eyes are now dilated, he is drooling, panting more heavily, he feels warm to the touch, you can feel his heart pounding through his ribcage, and he is more unsettled and loses coordination. He has never done this before.

You find the number and call the nearest emergency vet, and luckily they are only 10 minutes away and will be expecting your arrival. You load up the family and head over. They assess him and take his vital signs. His heart rate is fast and his blood pressure is high. Based on your pup’s signs, they run some blood tests and a urine drug screen… which comes up positive for amphetamines! He spends the night at the hospital for supportive care related drug intoxication and comes home with you the next day feeling much better.

Surprisingly, this is not too uncommon… take it from an emergency veterinarian! Also, the scenario and outcome are sometimes much, much worse. The situation that I just described could have easily happened to me 4 or 5 times just this year if I had been traveling with my dog Bow or if I hadn’t specifically searched the hotel room before letting her explore it. Just this week I checked-in to my hotel (traveling for work without my family) and found a small round red pill in the far reaches of the bathroom floor under the sink. On it read “L432” so I looked it up and found that it was 30 mg Pseudoephedrine.

Pseudoephedrine is a nasal decongestant that may also be used in making methamphetamine and it can cause a positive result on a routine over-the-counter urine drug test. My dog Bow could have had all of these signs and more if she had ingested it. If she was any smaller, if the dose was higher, or if she had an underlying medical condition it could have been fatal…especially if the nearest emergency veterinary hospital was several hours (or a ferry ride!) away.

Whether you have dogs or young children: always check your hotel rooms and other areas before allowing them to explore. The most common places that I find dropped medications and drugs (cannabis for example) in hotel rooms are on the bathroom floor, around the base of furniture, on the carpet around floor-based AC units, under the couch, and between the couch cushions.

09/08/2024

08/31/2024

UPDATE BELOW: (picture of it in comment)
We used the endoscope to remove the object and it was still not easily identifiable. I'll share these pictures and see if anyone can guess correctly.