VCA Capital Area Veterinary Emergency and Specialty

10/23/2026

🏕️ It's Finally Friday at Camp CAVES!! 🏕️
For our last day of Camp CAVES, we gathered for our final all-camp meeting—but not before our last merit badge was unveiled to our eager campers! 🏅
Today's "Wacky Water" badge was an instant classic: drink from absolutely anything but a cup! 💦 It was amazing to see our team get so creative with their hydration devices. After the fun subsided, we held our official badge count to see who would be crowned the "Coolest at Camp." 😎
Here’s the fun part: we often tell you how incredible our entire team is, but after 5 grueling days of activities, geocaching, crafting, cooking, and adventuring, all of our campers put their badges where their mouths are. If you guessed this would be a runaway victory for just one camper, the joke is on you! 😉 Our team is so outstanding that we couldn't find a lone winner... yet! Every single one of our campers put their best foot forward, beautifully balancing top-tier patient care with a little bit of fun at work. 🐾❤️
So that leaves us with our favorite camp rule: our ENTIRE team is awesome! 🌲✨

💖 A Heartfelt Note on Veterinary Technician Week 💖
While Vet Tech Week is coming to a close, the hard work, devotion, and compassion of our team never takes a break. They don't have an "off" switch when a pet is in need, they never call it quits when things get tough, and they bring their absolute all to every single shift. 🩺🩹
Our techs are the heartbeat of CAVES . They soothe anxious spirits, hold paws in the quietest hours, and treat your beloved pets with the exact same kindness, love, and gentleness they would give their very own. 🐶🐱
As this special week ends, we ask a small but incredibly important favor of our amazing community: please keep our techs in mind day in and day out. When you see them, please offer a kind word, a warm smile, or a simple "thank you." They pour so much love into caring for your family members—let's make sure they feel that same love and respect returned to them.
To our CAVES techs, and to vet techs everywhere: Thank you. We see your hard work, we feel your giant hearts, and we are endlessly grateful for you today and every day! 🏥❤️🌟

10/23/2026

Jump scare!! We're here for you and your pet's needs all spooky season long 👻

Find your local VCA Animal Hospital at https://vcahospitals.com/find-a-hospital

10/22/2026

"Dear Mom: Camp CAVES is AWESOME and I can't wait to come back!!" ✉️🎒..That is exactly what our campers would be writing home if they weren't already having too much fun to pause!
Today was our highly anticipated Camp CAVES Chili Day, and the entire team was absolutely here for it. Thanks to our creative "counselors," we enjoyed a legendary spread of homemade chili options. To make the day even sweeter, our amazing friends from NH Doughnut Co. stopped by to say hello and drop off a massive batch of delicious, fresh donuts for the crew! 🍩✨
Fueled by a perfect camp diet of chili, custom donuts, fireside s'mores, and plenty of candy, our campers were riding a major sugar high. 🚀 That energy was channeled straight into our "Choose Your Own Adventure" day, where campers picked their paths through a gauntlet of wild "Would You Rather" scenarios (stay tuned next week to see what they chose!).
As campers flew around the hospital, our trusty counselors were right on their heels, handing out encouragement and merit badges! 🎖️🏃‍♀️
But through all the laughter, sweet treats, and camp chaos, one thing remained absolutely unchanged: our promise to put patient care above everything else.
In a heartbeat, our team can transition from laughing over a camp story to being down on all fours, completely focused on comforting a beloved pet. It never ceases to amaze us how fast this team moves when your furry family members need us—and honestly, photos could never do their dedication justice.
Every single counselor and camper here chose their own adventure, and they chose the path of love, medicine, and unmatched care for your pets. We couldn't possibly be prouder of this pack! 🌲🐾💛

10/22/2026

Meet Toni. ✨ Technician Supervisor. Mentor. Lifelong learner. And the kind of colleague who makes everyone around her better. 🐾

Every day, Toni shows up to teach, inspire, and invest in the Associates around her — from dental wet labs to ultrasound training — because she knows what it feels like to have someone believe in you.

💙 We're so proud to have Toni on our team. Her dedication to mentorship is exactly what makes VCA a place where careers and people truly thrive.

Explore what a career at VCA could look like for you. 🌟

10/21/2026

We'd Love S'more Days Like These!! 🍢🔥
Day 3 at summer camp is always the best! We've finally settled into camp life and our "campers" are having a blast with the activities.

As we continue our Tech Week festivities at Camp CAVES, today's activity is The CAVES Story! 📖✨ Each associate can earn today's coveted camp badge by adding a line to our storyboard while enjoying cotton candy, s'mores, snacks, pizza, and more! 🍿🍕
While it is awesome to see what our team writes on the storyboard today, the real story here is the incredible legacy of our team. Every single member here has already added so much to our story—one that spans over 20 years of proudly serving Concord and the Granite State. 🌲🐾
But today, we are focusing on our most current chapter, and the team we have standing here today is the absolute heart of it.
Every member of our tech team is a key part of an amazing tale of care, enthusiasm, compassion, patience, and unmatched expertise.

We could not be prouder of the standard of care this team provides day in and day out—they are truly the best of the best! ❤️🏥
👇 Do you have your own chapter of the CAVES story? Add your sentence to the comments below for our team to read!

10/21/2026

Welcome back to - today we're learning about why our dogs roll around in things we'd rather them not 😅

Find your local VCA Animal Hospital at https://vcahospitals.com/find-a-hospital

10/20/2026

🎨🍿 Camp CAVES Day 2: Crafting, Canteen Snacks, and Chaos!

Today’s Camp CAVES itinerary was supposed to be a cozy one: "Craft Day" paired with a fully stocked camp "Canteen" snack bar in the breakroom to fuel our amazing veterinary technicians.
But you see, being a tech at a 24/7 emergency hospital means plans can change in a heartbeat. 💓

As much as we wanted to show off the team's artistic skills today, emergency medicine doesn't wait—and neither does our team! Our marketing manager spent over 10 hours trying to gather everyone for a photo, only to successfully recruit one lone tech for a quick 60-second photo op! ⏱️📸
Our techs didn't get to finish their camp crafts today, but they did what they do best: they put your pets first. 🐶🐱

Help us fill their virtual "Canteen cup" with love today! Drop a thank-you note in the comments to show them how much they are appreciated. 👇❤️

10/20/2026

This National Veterinary Technician Week, we're celebrating the incredible Associates who make our hospitals thrive — like Karen, who began as a CSR and never stopped growing and like Joanne, who sought mentorship and support to obtain her VTNE.

At VCA, we're proud to champion our veterinary technicians every step of the way — offering mentorship, encouragement, and the resources to help you reach your full potential.

To every vet tech in our VCA family: thank you. What you do matters deeply — to our teams, to our patients, and to the pet owners who trust us with their most beloved companions.

🌟 Ready to grow your career with a team that believes in you? Explore open roles at VCA. https://www.vcacareers.com/global/en

10/19/2026

Where have all the techs gone? This week, they're at CAMP CAVES!! 🏕️
We are kicking off "Camp CAVES" this week as we celebrate each and every one of our AMAZING techs here! Seeing as it is Tech Week, our team has pulled out all the stops for our summer camp-themed week of appreciation.
Today started with welcoming all our campers (techs) to work with breakfast in the mess hall, crafts in the cottages, and a geocache on the grounds. This week is all about our tech team and showing them how much they are appreciated!

Today we are featuring our surgery team as they show off their mascot (Chewy) and start their tote-bag crafting! These amazing ladies, along with the rest of their team, are the ones singing to pets as they administer anesthesia, cuddling pets as they wake up, and wearing a million different hats and caps to keep our surgeries and schedules running smoothly.

We can’t wait to see what adventures the rest of "Camp CAVES" has in store for our campers this week! Stay tuned for more camp updates, and be sure to say an extra big thank you to your pet's counselor (tech!) next time you visit. 🌲✨

10/16/2026

While our social page may have been quiet this week, there has been no shortage of "news-worthy firsts" here at VCA CAVES! 🌟 While we love sharing the day-to-day cuteness our staff ogles over, we also want to give our amazing team the props they deserve!
Recently, our team has been busy expanding their skill sets, increasing their expertise, and adding more tools to their care toolkit. Take Skeats, Jocelyn, Jacqui, and our referral team, for example:

Skeats 🌙 (Nighttime ICU): Skeats keeps the lights on (literally) through the night for your pets! She takes her patient care responsibilities and runs with them. Here, we caught her conducting a team training on our high-flow oxygen machines! These machines are literal lifesavers for pets arriving with severe breathing difficulties.

Jocelyn 🩺 (ER/ICU Lead): Jocelyn is incredibly versatile and always willing to lend a hand or lead the way. Recently, under the supervision of our Hospital Director, they successfully placed their first central line! While not always needed, central lines allow us to seamlessly deliver fluids and medication, and take blood samples over an extended period. We couldn't be prouder to see Jocelyn continuing to add skills to their bag!

Jacqui 🏥 (Anesthesia Tech): Jacqui is always taking exceptional care of patients before their surgery. She is often the last comforting voice your pet hears before anesthesia, and the first they hear when waking up. This week, she conquered a major technical milestone by placing her first female urinary catheter (u-cath) on a dog! 🐶 Or, as we veterinary professionals know, one of the trickiest procedures to master!

Referral Team 💼 : Our referral team met in Virginia for the first time with other referral managers across the VCA network! The referral team has one goal: to make it as easy as possible for pets from ANY office or hospital to get the advanced care they need by bridging the gap between your primary vet and our specialists.

There is so much going on that it is hard to believe this is just another "normal" week at VCA CAVES. Our team is committed to your pet's health at every step—both inside and outside our hospital.
👉 Please take a moment to give our team a big "Congrats!" in the comments below for advancing the level of care we can offer! 🎉

10/16/2026

🎃 Costumes, PSL's and scented candles... oh my! Be on the lookout for these potential pet hazards this fall. 🍂

And if you need support from your veterinary team, we're just a call away! Find your local VCA Animal Hospital at https://vcahospitals.com/find-a-hospital

10/15/2026

We dare you to swipe through the puppies without saying "awww" 😍

Find your local VCA Animal Hospital at https://vcahospitals.com/find-a-hospital

10/14/2026

Every surgery starts long before the first incision. It starts with a veterinary technician who has spent years mastering their skills, anticipating needs, monitoring vitals, and showing up fully prepared for every patient who comes through the door.

Vet techs are the heart of every OR team, and their skill and dedication make a difference every single day. At some VCA specialty hospitals, we take surgical collaboration even further. Some of our teams include Certified Surgical Technologists (CSTs) — professionals who earned specialized degrees specifically to support surgeons in the OR.

The result? Less time under anesthesia. Better outcomes. And a team that truly works as one. 💙

Because every patient is somebody's pet — and they deserve nothing less than the best.

10/13/2026

Think you know your veterinary history? Let’s put it to the test. 🩺

As we celebrate our 40th anniversary, we’re looking back at the breakthroughs that have helped shape veterinary care over the past four decades.

Take the 40 Years of Breakthroughs in Veterinary Medicine quiz from Clinician's Brief and see how you score!

👉 Take the quiz - https://www.cliniciansbrief.com/article/quiz-40-years-breakthroughs-vet-med

10/13/2026

What trick do you want to teach your senior dog?! Remember to have their favorite treat on hand 🍬

Curious about more ways to care for your senior pet? Find your local VCA Animal Hospital at https://vcahospitals.com/find-a-hospital

10/12/2026

10/09/2026

Happy Holiday Weekend from all of us at VCA CAVES! 🐾✨

While you’re kicking back and enjoying some well-deserved R&R, remember that our emergency doors never close. We are here 24/7 for you and your pets whenever you need us!
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Sometimes, a little extra rest and recovery goes a long way—for us and our four-legged family members. Just ask Luna! 💕

Luna came through our doors when her mom noticed her belly felt unusually firm, paired with some vomiting and lethargy. Our triage and medical team quickly stepped in to run full diagnostics to locate Luna's issue as fast as we could! The diagnosis was bronchopneumonia—a tough hurdle, but Luna was in good hands.

Her treatment called for a cozy hospital sleepover complete with soft blankets, dedicated space, and endless cuddles from our nursing team. To help her heal, Luna was placed on high-flow nasal oxygen therapy—an advanced critical care service we are proud to offer pet parents across the Granite State.

Thanks to the cutting-edge technology at our team’s disposal and a whole lot of love, Luna bounced right back! She’s officially returned to her happy, peppy self—and we hear she even has a "gym membership" where she can romp around with her bigger buddies and show off her full recovery. 🐶💪
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🏥 Need emergency care this weekend? We’re open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.📍 VCA Capital Area Veterinary Emergency and Specialty (CAVES)📞 Call us anytime or come directly through our emergency entrance.

10/07/2026

Meet sweet, sweet Penny! 🐶💛

Penny loves two things in this world: her family and delicious snacks! In fact, her palate is so refined that today she decided to expand her culinary horizons. Unfortunately, that curiosity led her straight to our doors at VCA CAVES—after catching the scent of her pawrents’ amazing dinner, she couldn't resist snagging a cooked garlic clove! 🧄🚫

Penny’s mom did exactly the right thing and called the VCA CAVES team immediately.

When a pet ingests something potentially harmful, we always recommend contacting the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center to speak directly with a veterinary toxicologist for the most accurate guidance. Armed with their case number and toxicology recommendations, Penny came in for evaluation and supportive care.

To run thorough diagnostic imaging and bloodwork, Penny had to fast during her visit. After a full workup by Dr. Tovrea, Penny was cleared to head home for further monitoring, with a complete care plan in place. She is expected to make a full recovery!

Naturally, after a long day away from food and her family, Penny leapt at the chance to share a well-deserved, dog-safe lunch with Alexis! 🐾🥪

We are so glad we could be here to help Penny and her wonderful family when they needed us most. She is now resting comfortably back in her favorite spot at home—hopefully sticking strictly to doggie treats from here on out! Please join us in sending sweet Penny lots of love and belly rubs for a speedy, restful recovery in the comments below! 💕👇

09/30/2026

Congratulations to Maria Colby, this year’s recipient of the Charles & Rebecca Barry Outdoor Champions Award!

Presented by the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of New Hampshire, this award represents their highest honor and recognizes exceptional leadership, vision, and enduring impact in preserving and championing New Hampshire’s outdoor traditions.

For nearly 40 years, Maria has been a cornerstone of New Hampshire’s wildlife community through her incredible work with Wings Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Henniker. Her dedication to caring for injured and orphaned birds and mammals has touched countless lives — both wildlife and the people who have been inspired by her compassion and commitment.

We cannot thank Maria enough for all she has done for New Hampshire’s wildlife. Her quiet dedication, lifelong service, and unwavering care make her a truly deserving recipient of this incredible honor.

Please join us in celebrating Maria and thanking her for the lasting impact she has made on our state’s wildlife and outdoor heritage!

The day is almost here. As we close out our honoree spotlights ahead of September 30th, we've saved our highest honor for last.

Maria Colby is receiving the Charles & Rebecca Barry Outdoor Champions Award, the Foundation's highest honor, given for exceptional leadership, vision, and enduring impact in championing New Hampshire's outdoor traditions.

As Director of Wings Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Henniker, Maria has devoted nearly 40 years to the state's wildlife, one injured or orphaned animal at a time.
What began as volunteer work in college became a life's calling. Each year she and her all-volunteer team care for hundreds of birds and mammals, working closely with NH Fish and Game Conservation Officers. Her work is quiet, demanding, and done with little fanfare, but its impact is extraordinary. For Maria, success is simple: stepping outside and hearing a wild animal she may have helped return home.

Please join us in congratulating Maria on a lifetime of pure compassion and service to New Hampshire's wildlife!

Thank you to the sponsors making this event possible:

Event Sponsors: Deborah Coffin, Bellavance Beverage Co.

Media Sponsor: Hawkeye Fishing & Hunting News

Brook Trout Sponsors: Trout Unlimited Basil Woods Chapter, Tall Timber Lodge, Kathleen & Jim Paine, NH Guides' Association

Ruffed Grouse Sponsors: Carl Thunberg, Ruffed Grouse Society Granite State Chapter, NH Trappers Association

Pheasant Sponsors: NHTU Youth Trout Camp, Pittsburg Anglers, Operation Game Thief, Nashua Fly Casting Association

09/29/2026

It’s TPLO Tuesday here at VCA CAVES with our featured superstar, Rosie! 🐶

A TPLO (Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy) is one of the most common knee surgeries we perform. Just like an ACL tear in humans, a torn CCL (cranial cruciate ligament) in dogs causes pain, limping, and progressive arthritis. Corrective surgery provides the best chance at regaining pain-free mobility!

Rosie initially arrived in January with tears in both her knees. One knee was significantly worse than the other, leading to the decision to perform staged TPLO surgeries. After letting her left leg heal completely, Rosie is back today for her final right-leg TPLO!
She made sure to visit all her favorite techs—especially Jacqui and Christy—before getting prepped for surgery with board-certified surgeon Dr. Gazzola.

Wishing Rosie a speedy recovery as she completes her journey back to running and playing! 🐾💙
Think your dog might have knee pain or a torn CCL? Contact our surgery team today to schedule an evaluation.