Southwest Florida Veterinary Specialists & 24-Hour Emergency Hospital

08/05/2026

🚨 Emergency Success Story: Meet Kai! 🐾❤️

What started as a trip home quickly turned into a life-threatening emergency.

Kai was rushed to Southwest Florida Veterinary Specialists and was diagnosed with Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV), commonly known as bloat. GDV is a life-threatening condition in which the stomach fills with gas and twists on itself, cutting off blood flow and requiring immediate emergency surgery.

Thanks to the quick actions of Kai’s family and the expertise of Dr. Abigail DeRouen and our incredible surgery team, Kai underwent emergency surgery and made a successful recovery.

We are thrilled to share that Kai is now back home with his amazing parents, recovering comfortably and doing wonderfully! 💙

Kai was an absolute superstar throughout his stay, and we couldn’t be happier with his outcome. Stories like his remind us just how important it is to recognize the signs of GDV and seek emergency veterinary care immediately.

Please join us in wishing Kai a continued smooth recovery! 🐾✨

07/29/2026

🍪 Meet Cookie! 🩺❤️

This adorable 11-month-old Toy Poodle recently visited our Cardiology Service after being diagnosed with a Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA).

A PDA is one of the most common congenital heart defects in dogs. Before birth, puppies have a normal blood vessel called the ductus arteriosus that connects the aorta and pulmonary artery. This vessel is supposed to close shortly after birth, but in puppies with a PDA, it remains open, forcing the heart to work much harder than it should.

The good news? Cookie was in excellent hands!

Because of her small size (2.1 kg), this procedure was challenging!!! But our incredible cardiology team—Dr. Gianninne Nader, Dr. Nicolette Margiotta and Dr. Kyle Cacciatore successfully performed a minimally invasive procedure to close Cookie’s PDA using an Amplatz Canine Ductal Occluder (ACDO).

We’re thrilled to share that Cookie is recovering beautifully and is already on her way to living a healthier, happier life! 🐾💕

As they say… she’s one tough Cookie! 🍪💪

Congratulations to our amazing team on another successful procedure, and cheers to Cookie for being such a brave little patient!

07/17/2026

Southwest Florida Veterinary Specialists is pleased to introduce Dr. Kyle Cacciatore, our new Cardiology Resident!
Dr. Cacciatore is continuing his advanced training in veterinary cardiology with our team, and we are excited to expand our cardiology services to better serve our referring veterinarians and patients. With the addition of Dr. Cacciatore, alongside Dr. Nicolette Margiotta, our third-year Cardiology Resident, we are able to offer increased appointment availability while maintaining the exceptional level of care our clients have come to expect.
Our cardiology service is led by Dr. Gianninne Nader, who oversees the residency program and the cardiology department. Together, our team provides comprehensive cardiology care, including 24/7 on-call cardiology support for referral cases.
Cardiology appointments are available Tuesday through Friday. If you have a cardiac emergency, please come through our 24/7 emergency service.


If you have any questions regarding scheduling , please call our office at (239) 992-8387

03/12/2026

More doctors means more appointments!

Our cardiology department is growing and excited to have a residency program!

All appointments are still overseen by Dr.Nader💜

02/03/2026

Happy February! ♥️♥️💕

Love is all around us at Southwest Florida Veterinary Specialists. Another successful week of congenital surgical corrections, via our minimally invasive trans-catheter based procedures. Dr. Nader and her cardiac team have saved the hearts of these three beautiful dogs (and so many more!).
With these procedures, Zoey, Bella and Chiquita now have a chance at a normal life and a lot more cuddles to give💕💕

If your puppy has a heart murmur, please discuss referral to a cardiologist with your primary care veterinarian. 💌

#24/7

12/03/2025

Did you know?
Dogs and cats can receive pacemakers to treat low heart rates, and many of them come from donated human devices!

This week’s star patient is Stella, who came to us in need of an emergency pacemaker. Thanks to the quick work of our amazing Cardiology team- including our board-certified Cardiologist Dr. Nader and second-year cardiology resident, Dr. Margiotta- Stella is back with a strong beating heart.💜

10/29/2025

Halloween is approaching and our staff is definitely feeling the Halloween spirit! Please help our judges vote on the most creative pumpkins our awesome staff created!!!!
Place your bets on the comment section! We have great prizes for our 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners!
Let the voting begin!
#24/7ER

08/28/2025

📣📣📣📣📣PSA!!!!!!!

We are excited to announce Dr. Nicolette Margiotta returning to us for our newly initiated cardiology residency program!

What does this mean??
* Our cardiology service is expanding, able to take in more patients with less of a wait time!

Please join us in giving a BIG welcome to Dr. Margiotta!!


💜💜❤️💜❤️💜❤️🐕🐶🐱🐈‍⬛🐩

07/04/2025

Top Tips to Prevent a 4th of July Emergency—For All Your Pets 🇺🇸 Fireworks, parties, and summer heat can be stressful—and dangerous—for pets of all kinds. 🐶🐱🐴🦎

✔️ Keep pets safely indoors or securely contained
✔️ Create a quiet, calm space away from fireworks
✔️ Avoid festive foods, alcohol, and toxic treats
✔️ Check fences, stalls, and enclosures—startled animals may bolt
✔️ Watch the heat! Provide shade, water, and cooling options

Let's keep this holiday safe and stress-free for every pet. 💙

04/17/2025