Summit Veterinary Referral Center

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Tacoma, WA
Summit Veterinary Referral Center

Veterinary Specialty Hospital offering 24-Hour ER /Critical Care, Surgery, Neurology, Oncology, and more!
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We are a collective of focused experience and diverse specialties. A group constructed to offer integrated and complete care to the Puget Sound veterinary community. With roots in Critical Care, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Oncology, Radiology, and Surgery - our careers have followed different paths. But the common thread that wove us together remains the uncompromised passion for helping animals

lead happy and productive lives. Our story isn’t told in the surgery room or on the black and whites of an x-ray. It’s told when a game of fetch is played or a warm lap is filled again. The Summit Veterinary Referral Center was created because this singular solution requires answers to many different problems, and we are this collective. Emergency appointments are available for patients with urgent medical conditions. Every effort is made to schedule emergencies directly with the appropriate specialty service, but in some cases admission and initial management is in our critical care unit under supervision of critical care and emergency doctors. All of our doctors are highly skilled and able to provide diagnostic and supportive care, and internal consultations with appropriate specialists are facilitated. You may not be able to immediately speak with a particular specialist directly, but your pet will be fully cared for in the interim.

06/20/2024

Happy First Day of Summer!

06/17/2024

We’re thrilled to announce that our hospital has been nominated for the 2024 Best of Pierce County!

Voting opens at 12 PM sharp on Monday, June 17th, and you can cast your vote every single day until Monday, July 8th.

Let's not keep this a secret – please feel free to share the word!
We are so thankful for the love and support we receive from our community.

To cast your vote, please visit: www.votepiercecounty.com

06/16/2024

Happy Father's Day to all the dads of both human and pet children!

06/10/2024

June is 🚨 This month serves as a helpful reminder of what to do in case of an emergency or natural disaster.

Here are some basic tips to help you prepare but be sure to create a plan that’s most fitting to your location, family, and pets.

Always have your pet emergency contacts prepared including your primary veterinarian and your local pet ER.

Summit Veterinary Referral Center (253) 983-1114

06/06/2024

It's ! 🐾 This week was created by the AVMA in 1981 and encourages us to be responsible pet owners not just this week, but every day of the year! We are grateful for the pets that enrich our lives and who are always there for us. ❤

Tell us how you plan to celebrate with your pet!

06/04/2024

Meet Corazon, the brave feline who defied the odds in the face of a rare heart condition. In December 2022, Corazon, a 1.5-year-old domestic shorthair, was diagnosed with a double-chambered right ventricle, an exceptionally uncommon congenital heart ailment in both dogs and cats. This condition, characterized by an abnormal bundle of muscle or scar tissue obstructing blood flow from the right ventricle, can lead to severe complications if left untreated, including arrhythmias, heart failure, and even fatality.

Despite the rarity of his condition in felines, Corazon's journey took a turn when a recheck echocardiogram in March 2023 revealed a worsening pressure gradient, necessitating interventional surgery—a high-pressure balloon dilation of the double-chambered right ventricle. This procedure marked a historic moment as the first documented surgery of its kind in a cat.

In June of 2023, Corazon underwent this pioneering surgery at Summit Veterinary Referral Center, with an expert team led by Drs. Katie Nadolny, Renee Girens, and Nicole LeBlanc, alongside anesthesiologist Dr. Jordan Nickell and dedicated members of our Cardiology team. The procedure was a success, and Corazon has been thriving at home ever since, with his owner noting an increase in energy and a return to his playful self.

We’re thrilled to share that at Corazon’s follow-up, the surgery was found to be a success, and he has almost normal heart function! His owners report that he is more energetic than ever, which means he leaps to incredible heights to teeter on lamps, check out the top of the television, and check out the world from his two-legged dad’s back! He has three wonderful siblings that he loves to play and sleep with producing “supreme purring cuddle puddles” as reported by his mom!

05/30/2024

Pool days are the best days! While a day at the pool should be fun and refreshing, we should always be prepared with these safety tips:

🐾 Limit access - Be sure to put a fence around a pool so your pet cannot fall in or jump in on their own.
🐾 Don’t let your pet drink chlorinated water - Always be sure to have fresh, clean water for your pets to keep them hydrated.
🐾 Keep an eye on pool toys - These toys are often choking hazards for pets.
🐾 Safely store pool chemicals - It is best to keep these chemicals out of reach.
🐾 Be aware - Pets can get overheated even when swimming. Always keep an eye on them and watch for any signs of this.

05/24/2024

If your dog loves a trip to the beach as much as you do, please be aware of the dangers involved in ingesting salt water.

Most pet owners take precautions to ensure their pet's safety when swimming but may not be aware that swallowing salt water, either for refreshment or accidentally while playing, can have life-threatening consequences. Keep an eye on your pet and try to keep them from ingesting too much salt water!

If your dog ingests too much salt water, contact Summit Veterinary Referral Center at (253) 983-1114 right away!

05/22/2024

This past Saturday, several members of our team including Dr. Laura Riordan, Hospital Medical Director and Internist; Dr. Connor Ellis, Criticalist; Kris Frykman, Veterinary Training & Development Manager and VTS (ECC); Candy Cooper, Referral Relationships & Marketing Manager; and Michelle Plemmons, Client Services Supervisor and CSR, volunteered at the City of Auburn's Petpalooza. This 3k/5k event was doggo central, though a few feline friends made their way to our booth as well! In addition to the 3k/5k, there were vendors, food trucks, and agility presentations.

Our team was onsite to serve as the emergency treatment booth in case any of our four-legged attendees were injured. Thankfully, our services were not needed, but we truly enjoyed meeting all these new friends, as well as visits from past and current patients!

05/21/2024

We're thrilled to share the incredible journey of Dory, a brave companion who faced an unexpected adventure last June. While hiking with her owner at Indian Beach, OR, Dory took a surprising tumble off a cliff, landing approximately 300 feet below.

In a remarkable rescue operation by the Coast Guard, Dory was airlifted to safety and brought to Tanasbourne Veterinary Clinic in Beaverton for urgent care. Upon arrival, their team immediately sprang into action, noting her critical condition: mandibular rostral avulsion, weak pulses, shock, and multiple abrasions, with a body temperature of 97.5F. Despite her ordeal, Dory's spirit remained strong. Radiographs revealed additional challenges: free fluid in the abdomen, pulmonary contusions, left tarsal luxation, and thoracic fluid accumulation. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of their team and a night of intensive care, Dory stabilized enough to take her first steps outside with assistance.

Dory's journey continued at Summit Veterinary Referral Center for specialized surgical care under the expertise of Dr. Lauren Hamil, MS, DVM, DACVS-SA. Alongside the initial injuries, Dr. Hamil identified a suspected sacral fracture and bilateral sacroiliac (SI) luxation, necessitating careful monitoring and treatment adjustments.

Under Dr. Hamil's skilled hands, Dory underwent multiple procedures, including mandibular lip avulsion repair and a left partial tarsal arthrodesis. Each step of her recovery was meticulously managed, from cast placement to frequent bandage changes, ensuring optimal healing and comfort.

Today, we're overjoyed to report that Dory has continued to gain strength in her left rear leg and can even jump into the car most days. That is quite a feat for an ~11-year-old dog! She continues to live the good life with plenty of love, neighbors to bring her cookies, and an incredible family that has been by her side every step of the way. Dory's story reminds us of the remarkable bond between humans and animals and the incredible resilience they possess. We're honored to have been part of her journey back to health and happiness.

You can check out the heartwarming video of Dory's Coast Guard rescue here: https://www.oregonlive.com/trending/2023/06/coast-guard-rescues-dog-that-fell-from-cliff-at-ecola-state-park.html

05/15/2024

Pictured is one of our Emergency and Critical Care technicians, Jackie, working on a blood donation with one of our Cardiology technicians, Aubree, and her dog, Bayou. Bayou is donating blood for a hospitalized patient who needs a blood transfusion due to anemia. We are extremely grateful for our wonderful blood donors like Bayou who help save the lives of our patients in need!

05/12/2024

Happy Mother's Day! ❤️ Whether your babies have fur, feathers, fins, or scales, thank you for opening up your heart and home to animals in need of a loving mom! We hope your day is full of love and appreciation for all you do.

05/10/2024

Our team is celebrating our 14th anniversary today! We celebrated with some delicious smoothies made by Dr. Demuth and Dr. Riordan and by participating in the Summit Olympic Games!

We want to thank our clients and community for fourteen wonderful years.

05/06/2024

This week, we are celebrating & 🐾

Taking place every year during the first full week of May, National Pet Week was established in 1981 by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) to celebrate the pets in our lives and to promote responsible ownership.

We'd love to see pictures of the pets you will be celebrating this week in the comments below ⬇️

For some great info on how you can honor your pet during National Pet Week (or any week!) follow this link: https://www.avma.org/events/national-pet-week

04/27/2024

The World Veterinary Association created in 2000 as an annual celebration of the veterinary profession. Today we celebrate the efforts of all veterinary medical teams around the world!

04/23/2024

Our Neurology and Surgery services often work in collaboration on Neurosurgery cases to provide the highest level of patient care. We are proud to offer the largest team of board-certified veterinary specialists in the South Sound. Our team of specialists is highly collaborative across our services as you can see here!

Two of our Neurologists Dr. Demuth and Dr. Schwartz are working on a neurologic stabilization surgery for their patient, Tsirku; while our Surgeons Dr. Loomis and Dr. Hofeling help from the sidelines.

To learn more about our veterinary team, please visit: https://www.summitvets.com/our-team

04/22/2024

Today kicks off ! This week we are showing additional gratitude for our team members that work so hard to keep our hospital running. 🐕🐈♥

From our entire family here at Summit Veterinary Referral Center, thank you all for the love, compassion, and dedication you give to our patients every day!

Please join us in celebrating our dedicated staff by commenting your appreciation below!

04/19/2024

Happy National Cat Lady Day!

04/11/2024

It's ! 🐕🐈🐇🐹❤ It's basically National Pet Day every day but we are just so lucky to have the joy, support, and connection pets bring to our lives - let's celebrate them a little extra today!

04/09/2024

Meet Saki, a brave 1-year-old Pit Bull! Our Cardiology team crossed paths with her at just 4 months old in August 2023. Despite a tough diagnosis of congenital heart disease, we're relieved to share that her condition remains stable. This is incredibly positive news for our resilient Saki! When we first met her, she was in the care of a rescue, but now she's found her forever home with her foster who lovingly adopted her and her sister. As you can see Saki, loves her Cardiologist, Dr. Girens!

04/01/2024

It’s National Pet First Aid Awareness Month 🩹 With the warmer weather approaching, everyone is more likely to be out with their pets at parks, on vacations, and in new areas. Being prepared is important for your pet’s safety.

We recommend always carrying a pet first aid kit stocked with items that are unexpired and that you know how to use. For example, your kit could include items such as nonstick bandages, adhesive bandage tape, towels, and absorbent gauze pads to control bleeding.

Check out this resource from the ASPCA to learn how to make your own pet first aid kit at home: https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/how-make-pet-first-aid-kit

03/27/2024

Our team is growing!

We are seeking Licensed Veterinary Technicians to join our emergency and specialty teams at Summit Veterinary Referral Center! We are a specialty referral and emergency hospital open 24/7, 365 days a year. We offer the most extensive emergency and critical care services, as well as the largest team of board-certified veterinary specialists in the South Sound. We offer a competitive hourly wage, paid time off, health benefits, and much more!

To learn more, and to apply: https://www.summitvets.com/supportstaffcareers

03/19/2024

With the First Day of Spring falling during we want to highlight the most common toxic plants and flowers:

- Lilies (lethal to cats)
- Sago Palms
- Azaleas
- Daffodils
- Tulips
- Hyacinths
- Cyclamens
- Crocus
- Oleander
- Hibiscus

We also recommend reviewing this extensive resource provided by the ASPCA to cross check any flowers or plants in or outside your home: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants

If you suspect that your pet has ingested a toxic flower or plant, contact Summit Veterinary Referral Center at (253) 983-1114 to bring them in ASAP. You can also call the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 for further instruction. "

03/18/2024

March is National Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month and today kicks off Pet Poison Prevention Week. We’ll be sharing information over the next week about the potential dangers of pet poisonings and how to prevent them.

In the event of a poisoning or toxin exposure, quick action and expert advice are critical. We recommend you save numbers and addresses in your phone for your veterinarian, your nearest emergency animal hospital, and a poison control hotline.

Summit Veterinary Referral Center is OPEN 24/7 and can be reached at (253) 983-1114.

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is staffed by board-certified veterinary toxicologists and specialist technicians and are available every day 24/7. They can be reached at (888) 426-4435

The Pet Poison Helpline is also available 24/7 and can be reached at (855) 764-7661.

*consultation fees may apply for helpline calls

03/17/2024

☘️ Happy St. Patrick's Day from all of us at Summit Veterinary Referral Center! ☘️

How LUCKY are we to have such wonderful clients and patients like you! Did you and your pets celebrate today? Share pictures with us in the comments below!

A little safety reminder for your pets - both alcohol and shamrocks are toxic to dogs and cats. Remember to keep your furry loved ones at a safe distance from these substances today.

If you experience an emergency this holiday, Summit Veterinary Referral Center is open 24/7 and can be reached at (253) 983-1114.

03/09/2024

Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00am on Sunday! ⏰

As we spring ahead, our pets may be a little confused by their new meal times so keep that in mind as we all adjust to the new schedule.

We hope you and your pet are able to take advantage of the extra hour of daylight by spending some quality time outdoors.

03/01/2024

Today is ! We love any opportunity to celebrate our staff and all the hard work they do! Please join our family at Summit Veterinary Referral Center in thanking our team all for the love and compassion they give to our pet patients every day!

02/28/2024

Owned by one of Summit's employees, Davy Jones is a two-year-old male Black Labrador Retriever that loves running, playing fetch, dock jumping, and anything else that gets his adrenaline pumping. When he isn't partaking in extreme sports, he insists on giving and receiving the cuddliest of cuddles and particularly enjoys being the little spoon. He is a friendly and social butterfly that knows no enemy and thinks everyone that crosses his path is a friend. He decided to put his extroverted self to a good use by becoming both a f***l and blood donor at Summit Veterinary Referral Center.

F***l matter transplants are a common practice in the veterinary medicine world (and the human medicine world too). This process is done by transferring stool from a healthy pet to the gastrointestinal tract of a sick animal. This is done because the f***l matter from the donor pet contains healthy functioning microbes and the byproducts of fermentation, which are not present in the sick animal. These microbes take up residence in the recipient's gut and create a well-balanced gut microbiome. But why is this important? Well, guts need microbes in them to be able to properly digest food materials and convert them into usable nutrients that the body can absorb. A sick animal does not always have these healthy microbes living in their gut, so they need them put there though a f***l matter transplant. Some of the most common cases that require a f***l matter transplant are patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease that are experiencing chronic diarrhea, and parvovirus patients.

Davy Jones has selflessly made multiple donations of his super healthy p**p to the hospital to use for its ill patients. People try to thank him, but he just says that it's his civic "doody."

As for blood donations, animals often need blood transfusions after losing a large volume of blood due to trauma or an invasive procedure. They sometimes need it to treat anemia and other blood clotting diseases as well. Davy Jones recently became a blood donor at Summit. The donation of his blood will help multiple animals live healthier and longer lives. He is having quite the POSITIVE impact!

Davy Jones is a great example that even healthy pets can make their mark in veterinary medicine and help veterinary professionals do what they do best; save the lives of our furry companions every day!

02/26/2024

For we are spreading awareness of canine endocarditis. Endocarditis is most common in middle-aged and older dogs, especially larger breeds.

Endocarditis occurs when bacteria enter the bloodstream and lodge on the valves of the heart. These bacteria may originate from a systemic (body-wide) infection, a skin wound, an abscess, a surgical procedure, or even severe dental disease.

Early signs may be difficult to spot, but could include weight loss and lethargy. In later stages, dogs may develop heart failure which includes signs such as cough, exercise intolerance, weakness, and shortness of breath.

If your dog is experiencing any of the above symptoms, contact your veterinarian for further examination. We are open 24/7 for animal emergency care.

02/22/2024

Summit Veterinary Referral Center is pleased to announce the addition of acupuncture to our services. Our acupuncturists primarily provide direct support to our internal teams with a goal of elevating our post-operative, and pain management skills and knowledge.

Acupuncture may provide clinical improvement to functionally reversible conditions. It promotes homeostasis by balancing the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. In particular, modulation of vagal activity plays an important role in pain regulation, immunologic function, gastrointestinal disorders, and cardiac condition.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.summitvets.com/acupuncture

Address

2505 S 80th Street
Tacoma, WA
98409

Telephone

+12539831114

Website

http://www.summitvets.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&y_source=1_MTE2Njg4NjItNTU5LWxvY2F0aW9uLndlYnNpdGU%3D

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Videos

We would like to share an update from Penelope's mom! Little Penelope had some extraordinary care and fancy bandage art from our neurology department in 2021. (See post on July 27th, 2021 for photos) Penelope was diagnosed with severe atlanto-axial subluxation and we weren't sure if she would ever be able to walk again! But thanks to her mom's devoted care and the neurology department's weekly bandages she is now living her best life! "Just wanted to give you guys a little update on Penelope(Peanut). She's SO happy! She's recently learned how to navigate the stairs only going up them though." - Sarah Alvard

Alert! An announcement to our pet parent community! We are early in the process of a massive software transition for our entire hospital. Please be aware that during the next few weeks, you may experience longer wait times for correspondence from our specialty departments and our ER wait times may be extended. We ask for your patience during this time. We are so proud of the resilience that our staff is demonstrating while working extra hard to provide our pet parents and patients excellent care while simultaneously learning a whole new system! If you can give our staff some words of encouragement that would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Dr. Janelle Campbell

National Pet Obesity Awareness Day is today! October 12th! Today is National Pet Obesity Awareness Day and with Halloween right around the corner, many of us can’t stop thinking about all the treats that come along with the spooky holiday. However, there is no need to be scared away from talking about pet obesity! Worldwide, studies estimate that up to 63% of pet cats and 59.3% of pet dogs are overweight or obese. In dogs, studies have shown that obesity can reduce their lifespan by up to 1.8 years. Obesity also plays a large role in the development and progression of arthritis in dogs and cats. It also increases their risk for inflammatory skin conditions, diabetes, fat metabolism disorders, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and urinary disease. Have no fear, our Nutrition Department is here to save your pumpkins! Our nutritionist, Dr. Janelle Campbell, focuses on helping pets live long, happy, and healthier lives through optimized nutrition. Dr. Campbell offers safe and effective weight loss programs along with many other integral nutrition services. Set up a nutrition consultation today to learn more!

Pet insurance month

Happy Veterinary Receptionist Week!

Please leave a comment below to celebrate our amazing client services team! They are wonderful, compassionate, hard working super stars! We could not be more grateful for them!