Drsamehlz.DVM (2024)

03/09/2021

find yourself a veterinarian who loves your pups like you do ✨

15/05/2021

Can you believe this?

Oliver hit 1 lb today at almost 3 months. Can we talk about what a cutie this guy is?

I’ve been seeing his big brother for almost 2 years and mom & dad decided to add this delicious addition to the family. 🥰

We love watching your family grow Brickell Bay Animal Hospital

12/05/2021

It’s been a GIANT day at Brickell Bay.

Meet Lenox, a Great Pyrenees who is estimated to be over 140lb when fully grown 😳😳

Our second guy on the docket is Capone, the sweetest guy. Capone is Boerbel (South African Mastiff) who is ~130lbs at 9 months old.

Loving these giant guys coming to visit and giving us some love!

19/04/2021

Grateful for days like today and environments like this one ✨

Your veterinarian and veterinary should be places that bring you and your pet peace of mind and happiness.

It never feels good to hear that your pet hates the vet.

Let’s aim for fun, fear-free environments so your buds can have the best time like these babes. ✨

25/02/2021

becomes part of your family through the years- and I feel like this transition will allow me to do that.

The name of the game doesn’t change though- please feel free to reach out to me with any questions, comments, or concerns. 🐶🐱

AND NOW WE’RE BACK TO OUR REGULAR SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING ✨

18/01/2021

BIG LIFE UPDATE (with a mixed in apology):
I started this Instagram account to share my love of veterinary medicine with all of you and in order to continue to love what I do and be able to share it with everyone I made a huge transition in my career. I’m extremely happy to let you all know that I have switched gears and have made a change into general practice and preventative medicine.
Read below:

Posted • Please join us in welcoming Dr. Samantha Ehlers-Lopez to our now FIVE AWESOME DOCTOR team! Stop by and say hello! She starts tomorrow January 18! Learn more about her:

Dr. Sam Ehlers-Lopez is a life-long Miami native. After graduating from Carrollton, she attended the University of Florida (Go Gators!) where she received her Bachelors in Animal Science. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine on the beautiful island of Grenada, where she was the first student body president for the veterinary school. She spent the first two years of her veterinary career practicing intensive, high-quality, emergency medicine.

Dr. Ehlers-Lopez is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS). She is also certified with the USDA and can provide the services necessary for travel.

Her veterinary interests include preventative care, surgery and anesthesia, emergency medicine, and dermatology. With her spare time she enjoys reading, entertaining her friends and family, and exploring new places. Her little family includes her husband Chris and her two fur children- Omen & Remy.

30/10/2020

Me and the new foster bud Maya waiting for the weekend (& a great escape from the hospital).

Maya was hit by a car last Friday and has multiple rib and pelvic fractures. We (I) decided to save her from euthanasia and now she’s a temporary Ehlers-Lopez until we can get her a new home.

26/10/2020

Part 3 of the series is up in the stories and saved in the highlights.

Join me from my couch and listen to me drop some knowledge regarding some common toxins your pet could be exposed to 💣

Feel free to leave some feedback or ask any questions in the box at the end. I’m really enjoying doing these for YA’ll so anything you want me to hit on I’m making a list!

25/10/2020

Part 3 of the emergency series is now in the stories YA’ll (& saved to the highlights if you miss it).

We’re talking p**p today!

Also if you watch to the end I have a questions/recommendations box for anything you’d like to hear about/ have questions about that we can discuss! 🖤

24/10/2020

Follow my stories (& highlights if you miss them) for some quick info regarding common emergencies 🖤

Please leave any feedback & let me know if there are any emergencies you really would like to hear about 👂🏽

23/10/2020

EMERGENCY Instagram Story- a Series ⛑

Just a pic of a bud & a girl who is taking to her Instagram stories to talk about common emergencies for the next few days.

Don’t worry if you miss them they’ll be saved in the highlights.

Let me know if you enjoy the series 👍🏽

30/09/2020

Hey ya’ll- I just wanted to properly introduce myself!

My name is Sam Ehlers-Lopez, born and raised in Miami 🌴
After a fantastic 4 years up in Gainesville for undergrad I packed up my life and moved to Grenada 🇬🇩, West Indies for another 3 years of veterinary school. And then back to the Swamp for another year of clinical rotations . After graduation I started my career as a combo doctor- general practice + emergency medicine at a very large, well-known practice in Miami.

Outside of work (which is not often) I have a fantastic husband, 2 hilarious dogs, and an amazing support system. I consider myself a Target connoisseur, a lover of family get togethers, books, sitting outside with a glass of wine, and getaways.

I started this page to share with you little things that can make your life as a pet owner easier, if not less scary. I understand the fear and anxiety that happens when something goes wrong with your buds or when you simply don’t know the answer to something. And while I definitely don’t know it all I will be happy to go along the ride to help ease the stress. I wholeheartedly believe that everyone with a pet should go to a veterinarian that is not only convenient for them, but that they LIKE and TRUST.

25/09/2020

I don't know if you have checked your car temperature reading lately but mine said 101 degrees on Monday around 1:30pm.

1:30pm 👏 IS 👏 NOT 👏THE 👏 TIME 👏TO 👏 WALK 👏 YOUR 👏 DOG 👏👏👏

For all my friends who are in ridiculous hot climates during the summer or year round heat stroke is a REAL AND DEADLY THING.

I use the picture of a cute little bulldog because our short faced breeds (brachycephalic breeds) the ones that snore when they sleep, sound like they're hyperventilating when they're excited are our number one culprits to end up in the ER because they have a hard time breathing, can't ventilate themselves properly, overheat, and collapse. DISCLAIMER: heat stroke/stress can happen to any dog breed

Heat strokes are emergencies- these are one of those cases where you shouldn't even think twice. If your dog collapses on a walk, is panting so hard they can't catch their breath, or become unresponsive after a walk/dog park/ even going outside to use the bathroom for 5 minutes GO TO THE ER. Get some wet towels, lower the AC in your car, and get to your nearest emergency center.

Personally I have seen pets come in with temperatures over 107 degrees, and as high as 109.9 degrees. Ya'll if that's not frightening to you then we have to have a real convo.

That kind of heat starts to break down the necessary enzymes and proteins in the body and can cause severe vomiting/diarrhea, respiratory distress, blood clotting issues, and neurological damage if not treated quickly and appropriately.

My recommendations are always to take your buds out early in the morning and after the sun sets. If its a killer hot day out make sure to make the outing short, carry water with you, and get back inside if pet starts looking tired.

Unfortunately in Miami we have to think about these things, and if there's ever a question feel free to reach out. 🔥

24/09/2020

HEARTWORM DISEASE 🖤🦟

I’m sure you have all seen the signs at your local veterinary office- “it is cheaper to prevent heartworm disease than treat it.”

Although this seem a little hyperbolic it is totally true!

Heartworms are LITERAL worms that live in the heart and can travel into the blood vessels of the lungs, without going into too much pathological detail THIS SOUNDS TERRIBLE, amirite? These worms (pic for reference) are transmitted via mosquitos (hello Miami) in their fetal size and travel through the blood stream until they reach the heart and begin to grow and reproduce.

Now if this is not appalling enough then we can talk about the clinical signs that can be caused by heartworm disease- lethargy, coughing, anorexia, exercise intolerance, and death in cases left untreated. The worms put a major strain on the heart and the blood vessels themselves which can ultimately cause cardiac failure.

🖤 The good thing is there is prevention for heartworm disease. Your veterinarian will recommend starting your bud on heartworm prevention as early as 8 weeks old and will likely receive their first heartworm test between 6-9 months.

🖤 Heartworm prevention can given in a monthly chewable tablet, or in a 6-12 month injectable form.

🖤 Your veterinarian will likely recommend running a heartworm test, as recommended by the AVMA and American Heartworm Society, at least once a year to ensure that your buddy is heartworm free before continuing medications.

As always- if you have any questions or concerns feel free to reach out to your local veterinarian or me 🖤

17/09/2020

Intestinal parasites 🦠

Gross, common friends along for the ride in both our dogs and cats.

Mom can transmit these microscopic creatures to the babies in utero and they can carry them until they are properly dewormed. I’m sure you’ve seen a pot-bellied cutie once or twice 🐖

Adult dogs and cats can also get these parasites by fecal-oral transmission (& I’m not talking about eating poo 💩) it can be transmitted by simply taking them for a walk in a contaminated area and them licking their paws.

In the case of tapeworms, those are transmitted by fleas. If your buddy has friends along for the ride in their coat then they can obtain tapeworms by chewing on themselves and swallowing a flea 🐜

Intestinal parasites can cause clinical signs like loose stool, weight loss, vomiting, and/or decreased appetite. In severe cases they can cause anemia (especially in puppies), lethargy, a drop in blood sugar, and sometimes in really horrible cases death.

THIS IS EASILY TREATABLE- DEWORMING IS A PART OF PREVENTATIVE CARE AND SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF YEARLY.

Your monthly preventatives do a pretty exceptional job of deworming your pets monthly, which we’ll talk about later.

YA’ll if you haven’t taken in your buddies for their yearly preventative care NOW IS THE TIME.

15/09/2020

PUPPY OR MANATEE?

This is the face of a boy who did not like his vaccines (also seen with bee stings, ant bites, etc).

Vaccine allergies are something that we, as veterinarians should be mentioning to all our clients after vaccines because THEY DO HAPPEN and they can be super scary but are 100% treatable most of the time.

Things to watch out for:
1. Facial Swelling- please see Oscar for an example
2. Vomiting
3. Diarrhea
4. Redness/Itchiness/ hives
5. Collapse
**This can happen up to 48 hours post-vaccination**

What to do:
1. Call your veterinarian immediately and let them know what is happening- most of the time they will tell you to come right in, go to an emergency clinic if after hours, or monitor closely at home for progression. My recommendation is to always take them in if possible.

2. Your pet will likely receive a Benadryl injection and a steroid injection to immediately help the inflammation (sometimes additional medications may be given depending on how severe the reaction is) and be monitored for a couple of hours, if not overnight.

3. Severe anaphylactic shock can occur which is an EMERGENCY, these cases are rare and need to be treated immediately. If you notice collapse, pale gums, difficulty breathing please see your veterinarian immediately.

What happens if your pet has experienced a vaccine reaction and needs vaccines again? Depending on the severity of the reaction we may choose to do a Benadryl injection prior to vaccination OR discontinue the vaccination completely (this usually only happens with severe cases).

09/09/2020

This is just the face of a girl telling her boy not to eat her photographer.

Obedience training is IMPORTANT for EVERYONE.

This guy could sincerely hurt someone without the proper training, but so could Charlie the Chihuahua, Princess the Pug, or even Greta the Golden (fun fact the only time I’ve been bit by a dog it was by a frenchie)

In my field I’ve seen dogs who could jump through hoops but can’t properly walk on a leash, who could sit and stay but starts jumping up when gets excited, or like Omi tries to eat the guests (we’re working on it).

Obedience training is important for you and actually FUN for them. It makes them feel like they have a job, something to perform, and 99% of the time they are getting treats when their task is performed correctly

Personally, I prefer the help of a dog trainer. I’m the fun parent and if left to my own devices their training would consist of belly scratchings and kisses, but I knew that about myself. If you have the educational tools and the discipline to do it yourself I applaud you 👏🏽 I. DID. NOT. and that’s OKAY. There’s group classes you can sign up for all over Miami, there’s at home services (I’m looking at you A Leg Up Dog Services), and there’s the good old internet. There’s actually a Master Class with Brandon McMillan available for dog training.

07/09/2020

YA’ll it is OKAY to crate train your puppies 🐶

Crate training is an effective way to create a safe space for your new bud, create a schedule and a routine, avoid separation anxiety, and aid in obedience training.

I will be honest- before Omen I detested the idea of crate training. I THOUGHT puppies just got the whole potty training and sleeping through the night information. Most DO not.

Some of the reasons you should crate train your new quarantine cutie-

1. If done properly- their crate (bed, box, casita, dungeon as one of my friends calls it) can become a safe haven. You will see that the crate becomes an area where they will go rest on their own, play with their toys, nap, and simply just go to get away from you when you’ve taken one too many selfies with them.

2. Potty training- a trick I learned while interning was that you can correlate how long a puppy can hold its bladder based on how many months old they are (2 months, approx 2 hours). That being said at 8-12 weeks you are going to be constantly either going on walks (no walks in public places until fully vaccinated mi gente!!!) or picking up messes. The crate helps to establish a routine- because animals do not like to mess where they sleep keeping them crated helps to train them to either alert you when they need to go out or hold it until you can take them out.

3. Avoid separation anxiety- LOOK UP TO NUMBER 1 👀

4. Aid in obedience training- friends we are going to totally dive into this one on the next post.

I am totally a believer in the magic of the crate now, and I promise you will be too.

Reach out if you want more info ⭐️

01/09/2020

PET INTRO POST -- Remy & Omen

1. Remy- Remy has been around since my 15th birthday; if you’re doing calculations he turned 14 this year. He’s been the king of the castle in MULTIPLE castles traveling with me to college, clinics, parents house, and now married house. He’s a geriatric little guy who lives his life grumpy and hungry but he is my main man. Partially deaf and blind doesn’t stop this little dude.

2. Omen aka Omi- Omen is our two year old Cane Corso, I say “our” because he was technically my husbands dog before we were married but I am the household favorite. Omen will be our poster child in a lot of posts for things like giant dog breed issues and things to watch out for, embarrassing behavior at the vet, heat-related illnesses, etc.

My hope is to use my two little guys to give you REAL pet parent advice to help ensure prime health. I can honestly tell you that I’m basically just a professional pet parent with the same anxieties and questions most people have but sometimes I can answer those for you.

31/08/2020

Hey all you cool cats and kittens 👏🏽 happy Monday!

Today- we are going to start discussing the basics for your new kitten! Starting with my favorite topic- VACCINES 💉 It's a pretty common misconception that kittens, unlike puppies do not vaccines and vaccine boosters.

🐭 There are 3 major vaccines for cats- Rabies, FVRCP, and Feline Leukemia vaccine. Two of which need to be as kittens.

🐭 FVRCP vaccine aka Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia vaccine is a essentially the equivalent to the Canine Distemper/Parvo vaccine. We start vaccinating this one generally around 12 weeks (3 months) and most vx protocols require it to be boostered at least 2 times, 2-3 weeks apart from each other.

🐭 Feline Leukemia Vaccine- Feline Leukemia is the leading cause of virus associated deaths in cats (another post to come) and it has a vaccine!! All kittens should be vaccinated against FeLV during their first year of life and any at-risk adult cats should continue to receive the vaccine. Research shows that two vaccines 2-4 weeks apart as kittens and then boostered as needed will do the trick.

Schedule those first exams with your veterinarian for your tiny tigers- talk about the preventative stuff, make schedules, and plans. Get to establishing healthy, open-communication relationships with vetmed provider fam 🖤 & as always feel free to reach out with any questions

27/08/2020

!!READ THIS POST IF YOU WANT YOUR MALE DOG TO LIVE LONGER!!

🥜neutered pets tend to live longer and tend to behave better mi gente

🥜testosterone (which comes from the te**es) over the course of their life can cause enlargement of the prostate which can then cause problems going number 1 and number 2 — which then is only fixed by neutering.

🥜early neutering (between 9mo- 2ys) can decrease the chance of certain hernias (perianal) and tumors developing, yes- there is definitely controversy regarding why age is best but that’s why we’re here. TALK TO YOUR VETS, that’s what you pay us for

🥜obnoxious habits like hu***ng, marking their territory, and fighting can significantly decrease by chopping those bad boys off.

🥜go walk around the shelter, we don’t need anymore unwanted pups roaming around *cue Arms of an Angel*

Let’s chat friends- feel free to message me with any questions, or reach out to your veterinarian. Communication is 🔑

26/08/2020

First and foremost- let’s talk k9 vaccines.
To do so we’re going to play a little bit of fact or fiction.

1. Rabies vaccine is the only vaccine my dog legal needs- FACT, but SOOOO misleading. Friends- rabies is the only vaccine that is legally required due to the zoonotic nature of the virus (transmissible to humans) BUT in my opinion it’s the furthest from the most important. Please please please vaccinate your pups against distemper/parvo, bordetella (kennel cough), and leptospirosis.

2. Your veterinarian is the #1 person to help you properly establish a vaccine schedule for your new buddy- BIG FACTS. YA’LL THIS IS WHAT WE DO BEST- we are literally trained to discuss/plan your new best friends preventative medicine with you.

3. Breeders fully vaccinate the puppies and they don’t need any vaccines once we bring them home- FALSE! Ya’ll bring your vaccine records to your vet so we can look over them and go over a vaccine schedule with you. Typically puppies come home between 8-10 weeks old meaning they still need at least 2-3 rounds of booster vaccines.

4. My dog was vaccinated as a puppy, isn’t this enough?- FALSE. Like in humans, booster vaccines are needed to establish immunities (antibodies) against the viruses we are protecting against. Please continue to booster your buddies until you and your vet decide it’s enough.

5. My puppy doesn’t go outside/ leave the house or the apartment/ it doesn’t touch the ground. I don’t have to booster the vaccines. YA’LL FALSE 👏🏽- these viruses are everywhere, hard to disinfect, and easily preventable.

FAMILIA- talk to your veterinarians, establish positive relationships in order to feel comfortable asking the necessary questions to advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves. Vaccines are the basics- you should feel comfortable asking even the most detailed questions. That’s what we’re here for. 💁🏽‍♀️

25/08/2020

This picture was taken on one of my first overnights, at 3am performing an emergency ovariohysterectomy (spay) on a dog with a pyometra.

YA’ll. When we recommend spaying your female dogs it is not solely because of the population control indications. There are actual HEALTH benefits to spaying your dog at young age (speak to your veterinarian about when is the right time to spay your girl as we tend to have different guidelines based on their size).

🍑 breast cancer is a real risk your pet faces, and the chances increase exponentially after every heat cycle.

🍑 pyometra, an infection of the uterus, is a life-threatening (usually surgical) emergency that can occur after a heat cycle that will land you and your lady at the ER

🍑 unwanted pregnancy. I can honestly tell you that every pet owner I have had have an “oops” litter will NEVER do it again. Not only do you run the risk of another emergency (dystocia, eclampsia, c-section- aka more stress for her) but now you have multiple little lives to care for, clean-up after, take to the vet $, rehome, etc.

🍑 population control- take a trip out to your local shelter, walk around, take them on a walk, read them a book, connect with one of them. Those dogs were once cute puppies too, and now likely spends most of its days kenneled looking for its forever family because mom wasn’t fixed. Think about Sarah McLachlan ya’ll.

And don’t you worry- I will be discussing neutering your buds in a later post. We don’t discriminate here 🥜

Feel free to message me with any questions or concerns or reach out to your veterinarian to get your questions answered. Remember- you need to feel comfortable asking your vet questions and making sure you get the info necessary to make informed decisions.

22/08/2020

Hi fam 👋🏽.
Some of you may know me as Dr. Ehlers, but most of you likely know me as simply Sam.

For those of you who I haven’t met, hey- I’m Sam Ehlers-Lopez, your local Miami small animal general and emergency vet. I strive to educate pet parents in a positive, fun way to ensure our best friends are living their best lives.

Follow me for an open forum to learn, ask questions, and simply connect on all things fuzzy and cute. ✨

Drsamehlz.DVM