Virtual Veterinary Specialists

07/10/2026

Hearing feedback which includes the phrases great experience, taught me a lot and super supportive, is always great to receive, and the word fun, made it even better! 😀

We want every VVS interaction to end with these feelings, we want our veterinary surgeons and nurses to enjoy working alongside us, to have learned something and to feel supported by our team of specialists, so this recent feedback from Dr Emma Ford made us smile.

Do you want to find out more about approaching every case with confidence? Do you want to find out how you can earn CPD whilst you work? Do you want to enjoy working up those trickier cases? Then visit www.vvs.vet or email us at [email protected] to find out more about how we can support you in practice.

05/10/2026

What approximate percentage of dogs with acquired myasthenia gravis have a concurrent megaoesophagus?

1.  25%
2.  45%
3.  65%
4.  85%

The answer is…. 85%

We shared more information on Myasthenia Gravis last week (check last week’s post if you haven’t already). Here is the final bit…

Consistent clinical signs and a positive response to pharmacological testing with a short-acting intravenous anti-cholinesterase (edrophonium or neostigmine) helps support the diagnosis. Care should be taken if performing this test due to the risk of cholinergic crisis and pre-treatment with atropine or glycopyrrolate should be considered. Note it is also possible to see a transient improvement in clinical signs in other myopathic or neuropathic disorders. The best test is a positive acetylcholine receptor autoantibody by radioimmunoassay where approximately 98% dogs with MG are seropositive. Electro-diagnostics may also support diagnosis. Further diagnostics include bloodwork, thyroid profile, infectious disease titres, conscious thoracic imaging (for presence of megaoesophagus and cranial mediastinal mass), as well as screening for other concurrent immune-mediated or neoplastic diseases.

Treatment typically includes anti-cholinesterase drugs such as oral pyridostigmine, with immunosuppression often reserved for severe or unresponsive cases. For those with megaoesophagus, assisted feeding with soft, easily digestible foods and the use of a ‘Bailey chair’ is advised. Use of plasmapheresis and intravenous immunoglobulins have also been reported. Any underlying concurrent diseases should also be treated (e.g. surgical resection of thymoma).

Immune remission is frequent in dogs and often occurs after  6 months. A younger age and presence of endocrine disease may make clinical remission more likely.

We are also excited to introduce our new live-guided neurology workups, designed to make specialist neurological support easier and more accessible than ever for you and your patients. For more information contact us on WhatsApp, [email protected] or visit www.vvs.vet.

28/09/2026

What approximate % of dogs with acquired myasthenia gravis have a concurrent megaoesophagus?

1.  25%
2.  45%
3.  65%
4.  85%

The answer is…. 85%

Myasthenia gravis is a condition affecting transmission at the neuromuscular junction and may either be acquired or congenital.

Acquired myasthenia gravis is an immune-mediated disorder with auto-antibodies directed against the neuromuscular junction of skeletal muscle, typically targeting the acetylcholine receptor, and preventing normal attachment of acetylcholine. It may be classed as focal (involving oesophageal, pharyngeal, laryngeal and/or facial muscles), generalised (with involvement of appendicular skeletal muscle) or acute fulminating (severe and rapidly progressive form presenting with tetraparesis/plegia and often respiratory compromise). The disease may also be considered thymoma or non-thymoma associated, or drug-induced (e.g. Methimazole use in cats).

It is often seen in large breed dogs where German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Labradors, German Short Haired Pointers and Akitas appear predisposed.

The most common clinical presentation is of generalised weakness and exercise intolerance with megaoesophagus. The latter is seen more commonly in dogs than cats due to the higher proportion of striated muscle rather than smooth in the oesophagus. Dogs may display paresis, a crouched posture and cervical ventroflexion, but return to normal with periods of rest. Additional regurgitation, dysphagia, dyspnoea, dysphonia and paresis of facial muscles may be evident. Spinal reflexes may be reduced or normal on examination, and it may be possible to see fatigue of the palpebral reflex with repeated stimulation. Respiratory distress due to aspiration pneumonia is a frequent complication, and the highest cause of mortality in dogs (approximately 40-60% at 1-year).

Join us next week for more information..

We are also excited to introduce our new live-guided neurology workups, designed to make specialist neurological support easier and more accessible than ever for you and your patients.

For more information contact us at [email protected] or visit www.vvs.vet.

25/09/2026

Did you know we offer a specialist written radiology report service? Available to all practices, both in the UK and further afield.

Simply head to our website www.vvs.vet click book now and follow the link, to submit your request.

We offer standard processing, or for more urgent cases, we can offer a 1-day turnaround service, perfect for those radiographs or cases you would appreciate a second opinion on.

Email us at [email protected] to find out more!

23/09/2026

The faces behind our amazing cardiology team! 💖

From advice calls and written ECG reports, to live guided cardiology workups in house, the team are here to support you with all your cardiology cases.

Our specialists are friendly, approachable and reliable, with many practices saying that they feel as though our specialists are an extension of their own teams, which is the best feedback to hear.

To find out more about how VVS can support you and your team in practice to approach every case with confidence, visit www.vvs.vet or email us at [email protected] and we will be happy to discuss.

21/09/2026

What approximate percentage of dogs with acquired myasthenia gravis have a concurrent megaoesophagus?

1.  25%
2.  45%
3.  65%
4.  85%

Come back NEXT MONDAY when we share the answers to this clinical conundrum and some interesting information on the condition!

We are also excited to introduce our new live-guided neurology workups, designed to make specialist neurological support easier and more accessible than ever for you and your patients.

For more information contact us on WhatsApp, [email protected] or visit www.vvs.vet.

18/09/2026

Looking for support with a complicated neurology case? Would you like a second opinion on the next steps?

Our VVS neurology specialists are here to help, we understand that managing these cases in practice can be difficult, so we can help to understand treatment options, interpret results and create a plan going forward.

Provide exceptional care in practice, to your patients. Visit www.vvs.vet or email us at [email protected] to find out more about how VVS support could look in your practice.

16/09/2026

Abdo Ultrasound - Improving Decision Making in Medicine Cases - VVS Webinar by Dr Jorge Perez-Accino

We always ask for feedback following our webinars and CPD events, and we were delighted to read these comments following the recent webinar held by our internal medicine specialist Dr Jorge Perez-Accino, which was very well attended.

The webinar is now on our YouTube channel, where you will find a full range of videos, on a variety of topics. Find the link below. Have a suggestion for a future webinar? Then pop us an email at [email protected] and let us know, we would love to hear from you.

https://youtu.be/JS7nPGWQsfc?si=TYTK5h392UErcSBv

15/09/2026

Did you join us for last week's webinar with Dr Joao Perez-Accino?

Abdominal Ultrasound - Improving Decision Making in Medicine Cases... it is one to watch!

Catch up here:

https://youtu.be/JS7nPGWQsfc?si=9E99GzwIdAMsxJTA

www.vvs.vet

Recorded September 2026

11/09/2026

You may spot a few familiar faces here! 😍

ECVIM (The European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine of Companion Animals) 2026 congress is currently happening in Berlin, and several of our VVS specialists are in attendance, and met up for some socialising!

Brigite, Elsa, Jess, Sabela, Jorge and Joao sent us this incredible picture of them today, and we were reminded how lucky we are to have them, and all our specialists on the VVS team.

They have even bumped into a few veterinary surgeons from our partner practices who are attending, it’s always lovely to meet in person.

Were you at ECVIM this week? We hope you enjoyed if you were. www.vvs.vet