Overland Park Veterinary Emergency and Specialty

01/09/2025

🚨 Top Emergency Visit Trends of 2024 & Prevention Tips for 2025 🐾

In 2024, our veterinary team treated countless cases of toxic ingestions, injuries, foreign body incidents, and digestive issues in pets. Check out these helpful tips to keep your pets safe and healthy all year long.
💊 Toxic Ingestion: Store medications & cleaning products securely.
🚦 Trauma/Injury: Use carriers, reflective gear, and avoid crowded areas.
🍗 Foreign Body Ingestion: Choose safe toys & supervise playtime.
🥗 Digestive Distress: Stick to a balanced diet & routine care.

Share this post to spread awareness and help other pet owners prepare for a safe and happy year ahead. ❤️

01/07/2025

🎉 Speaker Spotlight: Vicky Orgain, MBA, RVT, VTS (Nutrition) 🎉

We’re thrilled to have Vicky Orgain from Hill’s Pet Nutrition, our Premier Platinum Sponsor, presenting at the 2025 MVCC!
📢 Topic: Managing Misunderstandings: Navigating Tricky Nutrition Conversations
📍 Technician + Assistant Track

Nutrition can be one of the most sensitive and essential topics in pet care. Vicky will share her expertise to help veterinary professionals tackle challenging nutrition conversations with confidence and clarity. Spaces are filling up quickly!
Don't miss your chance to hear from Vicky and other industry professionals for 6 FREE continuing education credits!

📆 Date: February 2, 2025
📍 Location: Overland Park Convention Center
👉 Register now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/midwest-veterinary-collaboration-conference-tickets-872619527497?aff=oddtdtcreator

Tag your technicians and assistants and spread the word—this is a lecture they won’t want to miss! 💬

01/03/2025

A team of engineers and veterinarians are developing a device that can destroy brain cancer tumors in dogs, and eventually, they hope to adapt the technology to use the method to help humans too.

01/02/2025

🚨 The Countdown is ON! 🚨

We're just ONE MONTH AWAY from the fourth-annual Midwest Veterinary Collaboration Conference (MVCC) – a FREE continuing education symposium for the veterinary community! 🎉

Whether you’re a veterinarian, technician, assistant, practice manager, or support staff, there's something for everyone:
🐾12 Advanced DVM lectures
🐾 6 Innovative Technician lectures
🐾 5 Insightful GP Management lectures

📅 Mark your calendar: February 2, 2025
📍 Location: Overland Park Convention Center

Don't miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and grow with 700+ of your colleagues!

🎟️ Spots are filling up quickly. Secure your spot today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/midwest-veterinary-collaboration-conference-tickets-872619527497?aff=oddtdtcreator

Overland Park Veterinary Emergency and Specialty, providing reliable veterinary care to the beloved pets of Overland Park, Kansas, is our passion.

01/01/2025

As we ring in the New Year, we want to express our gratitude to our incredible community. Thank you for trusting us with your pet’s health in 2024, and we look forward to continue providing care in 2025. Wishing you and your pets a safe, healthy, and happy New Year! 🐾⭐

12/27/2024

🐾 Meet Camry, our Patient of the Month! 🐾
Camry, a very sweet coonhound, came to our Overland Park hospital in critical condition after her owners noticed retching, lethargy, and a lack of appetite. ER veterinarian, Dr. Brittany McBrain, quickly diagnosed her with gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), a life-threatening condition where the stomach twists on itself, trapping gas and cutting off blood flow- a condition more common in large, deep-chested breeds.

Initial diagnostics, including X-rays and bloodwork, revealed a severely gas-distended stomach, high lactate levels, and mild changes in her blood values. Despite aggressive stabilization with IV fluids, decompression, and pain management, Camry’s condition required emergency surgery to save her life.

Being 7 years old, Camry faced additional risks associated with both anesthesia and surgery. Her advanced age meant her organs, such as her heart, liver, and kidneys, could be more vulnerable to the effects of anesthesia. Thanks to our anesthesiologist, Dr. Charlotte Marquis, and surgery technician, Ka Westhoff, the anesthesia was safely administered, and sweet Camry was ready for surgery.

During surgery, led by Dr. Allen and surgical residents Dr. Jackson Balcom and Dr. Brandon Pate, the team untwisted her stomach, removed a portion of necrotic (non-viable) stomach tissue, and secured her stomach to the abdominal wall with a gastropexy to prevent future GDV episodes. Thankfully, there were no complications during the procedure, and our ICU team carefully monitored her recovery.

Camry showed incredible perseverance throughout her time with us. Post-surgery, she received supportive care, including plasma transfusions, continuous pain management, and intensive monitoring. Her steady recovery is a testament to her strength, the quick action of her owners, and the dedication of our medical team.

🏥Camry’s journey reminds us of the importance of acting quickly in emergencies. GDV can progress rapidly. A few things pet owners can look for at home include a
distended or tight abdomen, slow, shallow breathing, retching with no production, inability to keep anything down, and overall lethargy. GDV can be caused by the simplest of actions, such as drinking water too quickly, running or rolling around after eating, or excessive activity before food is digested. Thanks to Camry’s owner's timely intervention, they saved her life, and she was able to return home happy and healthy.

Let’s celebrate Camry and her amazing owners for acting quickly and trusting our team with her care! 🎉

12/25/2024

🐾 From our furry family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! 💙🎄

⭐️Friendly reminder: our hospital is open 24/7 for all pet emergencies, including holidays.

12/17/2024

🎄🐾 Christmas spirit is in full swing at OPVES! One of our talented team members went above and beyond, handmaking festive Christmas bandanas for all our staff pets! 🎁❤️
Swipe to see some of our furry family members showing off their holiday style! 🐶🐱

12/11/2024

🐾 Curious about what happens when your pet needs surgery? Our third-year surgical resident, Dr. Annie Marquiss, and anesthesiologist, Dr. Charlotte Marquis, teamed up to develop an insightful blog: What to Expect: Common Pet Surgeries at OPVES.

From TPLO to soft tissue surgeries and more, this guide walks you through the process and highlights how we ensure your pet's comfort and safety every step of the way. 💙

📖 Read it here: https://www.overlandparkveterinaryspecialists.com/blog/what-to-expect-common-pet-surgeries-at-opves

What to Expect: Common Pet Surgeries at OPVES

12/06/2024

12/05/2024

✨Team member spotlight✨
This week, we are excited to highlight two incredible members of our Internal Medicine team: Jenni and Kate! 🩺

🐾 Kate brings over 10 years of veterinary experience, including her first year with us at OPVES. She is motivated by her lifelong passion for helping animals and loves the bond she forms with our long-term patients, caring for them as if they were her own pets.

🐾 Jenni has over 14 years of veterinary experience, with 3.5 years at OPVES. A graduate of Bel-Rea in Denver, she brings a wealth of knowledge and provides exceptional care to our IM patients daily.

We are so grateful to Jenni and Kate for their dedication, skill, and compassion. They ensure their patients always receive the best care possible. Whether assisting with complex procedures or providing comfort to our furry friends, their commitment to excellence makes a world of difference.
Let’s give Jenni and Kate some love in the comments! 👏

12/03/2024

🎉MVCC Speaker Spotlight! 🎉
Join Dr. Charlotte Marquis, our wonderful anesthesiologist, at the 2025 MVCC as she dives into TWO insightful topics:
💉 Anesthesia for Pets with Kidney Disease (DVM Track)
📊 Telemetry for Technicians (Technician Track)

Whether you're a veterinarian or a technician, you'll leave with practical knowledge to elevate your patient care. Don't wait—secure your spot today to earn 6 FREE continuing education credits.

👉 Register now: https://www.overlandparkveterinaryspecialists.com/events

11/28/2024

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! We would like to wish our wonderful community a safe, happy, and healthy holiday! 🐾🍁

⚠️Friendly reminder: our emergency services are open 24/7- including holidays, for any urgent or emergent veterinary needs!

11/27/2024

Did you know some of your favorite Thanksgiving spices can harm pets if ingested? 😿

🧂 To name a few, nutmeg, sage, cinnamon, onion powder, garlic powder, and bay leaves can all pose serious health risks to pets. They can cause symptoms like stomach upset, tremors, low blood sugar, and even organ damage.
While we’re spicing up our holiday dishes, let’s keep pets safe by making sure these ingredients stay out of their reach.

❗ Friendly reminder: Our hospital is open 24/7, including holidays, such as Thanksgiving, for any pet emergencies! 🏥

11/26/2024

A huge shoutout to Sam, one of our wonderful surgery technicians at OPVES, who scrubbed into her very first surgery yesterday! 🎉 Sam assisted Dr. Bo Barillo during a Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO) and did an incredible job! 👏

Let’s all celebrate Sam’s fantastic achievement—way to go, Sam! 😻

11/20/2024

At Overland Park Veterinary Emergency & Specialty, we are dedicated to continuously improving the care we provide to our patients and the support we offer to our referring partners. We offer advanced arthroscopy services at OPVES, which bring minimally invasive, cutting-edge orthopedic care to pets in our community. 🐶🐱

🔬What is Arthroscopy?
Arthroscopy is a state-of-the-art procedure used to diagnose and treat joint conditions by visualizing the internal structures of a joint using a small camera, or “arthroscope.” This minimally invasive technique provides a magnified, high-resolution view of the joint, allowing for precise evaluation and treatment of conditions such as ligament injuries, cartilage damage, and joint instability, among others.

For veterinarians and pet owners, the advantages of arthroscopy are significant:
🐾Minimally Invasive: Compared to traditional open surgery, arthroscopy requires smaller incisions, reducing trauma to surrounding tissues. This means smaller incisions and quicker recovery times for our patients.
🐾Enhanced Precision: The detailed visualization allows for more accurate diagnosis and treatment of complex joint issues, ensuring the highest level of care.
🐾Quicker Return to Function: Pets experience shorter hospital stays and quicker return to normal activity, which is crucial for maintaining their quality of life.
🐾Versatility: Arthroscopy can be used for various joint issues, from treating ligament tears to removing foreign bodies and managing cartilage damage.

By incorporating this advanced technology into our surgical suite, our team can offer improved outcomes for patients suffering from joint problems—whether it's helping a young, active dog recover from a ligament injury or offering relief to a senior pet with chronic joint disease. This means patients can benefit from more accurate diagnoses, smaller incisions, and quicker recovery times. 😻

11/19/2024

🚨 The Wait is Over! 🚨
The full schedule for the 2025 MVCC is here! 🎉 Get ready for an incredible lineup of expert speakers, engaging lectures, and hands-on learning opportunities. Whether you're a DVM, technician, or practice manager, there’s something for everyone!

🗓 Save the Date: February 2, 2025
📍 Location: Overland Park Convention Center
💻 FREE to attend + 6 CE Credits

Spaces are limited, so don’t wait—Register now and join fellow veterinary professionals for a day of education and networking. See you there! 🐾
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/midwest-veterinary-collaboration-conference-tickets-872619527497?aff=oddtdtcreator