Shores Veterinary Emergency Center

10/20/2026

Meet Milo!!!

He was treated at Shores VEC for an allergic reaction to a possible bee sting and is now back home, hopefully staying away from the bees! 🐝

10/18/2026

🐾❤️ HAPPY VETERINARY TEAM APPRECIATION WEEK! ❤️🐾

While this week is traditionally known as National Veterinary Technician Week, here at SHORES Veterinary Emergency Center, we’re celebrating ALL of the incredible individuals who help make our hospital what it is — our Veterinary Technicians, Veterinary Assistants, and Receptionists! 🩺🐶🐱

🚑 To our Veterinary Technicians: You are the skilled hands, quick thinkers, and compassionate hearts behind patient care. From critical emergencies to comforting frightened patients, your knowledge, dedication, and ability to remain calm in chaos make a difference every single day.

🐾 To our Veterinary Assistants: You are the extra hands, helping hearts, and hardworking individuals who keep our hospital moving. Whether you’re assisting with treatments, caring for patients, or jumping in wherever you’re needed, your contributions never go unnoticed.

☎️ To our Receptionists: You are the first voice our clients hear, the first face they see, and often the calm in the middle of someone’s worst day. You navigate emotional conversations, difficult situations, and nonstop phones with compassion, patience, and professionalism.

❤️ Emergency veterinary medicine isn’t easy. It takes long hours, sleepless nights, emotional strength, teamwork, and an extraordinary amount of heart. Every role is essential, every contribution matters, and no one does this job alone.

This week, we’re taking the time to recognize the people behind the scrubs, the front desk, and the countless acts of compassion that happen when no one is watching.

To our entire support staff: We see you. We appreciate you. And we are incredibly grateful for everything you do! ❤️

Please join us in showing some love to the amazing veterinary professionals who dedicate their lives to helping pets and the people who love them! 🐾

10/08/2026

🐾❤️ Meet Gabbie!! Sweet Gabbie received treatment for pancreatitis, and we’re happy to share that she’s on the road to recovery! 🥹🐶

While Gabbie focuses on feeling better, we want to take this opportunity to educate pet owners about a potentially serious and painful condition that can affect our four-legged friends.

🚨 What Is Pancreatitis?

Pancreatitis occurs when the pancreas becomes inflamed. The pancreas plays an important role in digestion and blood sugar regulation. When inflamed, it can cause significant pain, digestive upset, and potentially life-threatening complications.

⚠️ Signs of Pancreatitis in Dogs:

* 🐾 Vomiting or diarrhea
* 🐾 Loss of appetite
* 🐾 Abdominal pain or a hunched posture
* 🐾 Lethargy and weakness
* 🐾 Dehydration

🥓 What Causes Pancreatitis?

While the exact cause isn’t always known, pancreatitis can sometimes be triggered by eating fatty foods, greasy table scraps, and even things they eat outside like mushrooms. Obesity and certain underlying medical conditions can also increase the risk.

❤️ How Can You Protect Your Pet?

✅ Avoid feeding table scraps.

✅ Keep garbage and human food out of reach.

✅ Maintain a healthy weight and balanced diet.

✅ Seek veterinary attention promptly if your pet develops concerning symptoms.

🏥 Why Early Treatment Matters

Pancreatitis can range from mild to severe, and some dogs require hospitalization, IV fluids, pain management, anti-nausea medications, and nutritional support. Severe cases can become life-threatening, making early recognition and treatment incredibly important.

💕 We’re cheering you on, Gabbie! We hope each day brings you closer to feeling like your happy, healthy self again!

From all of us at SHORES Veterinary Emergency Center, we’re sending Gabbie lots of love and healing vibez! 🐶❤️

Remember: If your dog is experiencing repeated vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, or sudden lethargy, don’t wait! Prompt veterinary care can make a significant difference in their recovery.

09/29/2026

Everyone meet Jack! He came to us for supportive care for an anaphylactic shock episode. He initially presented when he came back inside and was having trouble standing and excessive vomiting. Luckily his owners acted quickly and Jack is doing much better now with supportive care to get him through this episode. 💗 🐾

09/08/2026

Meet Harper! She came in to see us for an upset stomach which turned into a surgery for GDV. She is now resting at home, recovering and doing well! 💗

🚨 GDV (BLOAT): EVERY MINUTE MATTERS! 🐾

Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV) is a life-threatening emergency where a dog’s stomach fills with gas and can twist, cutting off blood flow to vital organs.

⚠️ KNOW THE SIGNS:
• Swollen or tight abdomen
• Repeated retching with little or nothing coming up
• Excessive drooling
• Pacing or restlessness
• Pale gums
• Rapid breathing
• Weakness or collapse

Large, deep-chested dogs are at higher risk, but GDV can happen to any dog.

🚑 GDV cannot be treated at home. If you suspect bloat, seek emergency veterinary care IMMEDIATELY.

❤️ Knowing the signs and acting quickly could save your dog’s life.

08/19/2026

Everyone meet Carrots! 🥕 - He had a puncture wound and is known to occasionally get into fights with a local fox, but we are unsure what happened this time. The affected area was clipped and cleaned and flushed. He was a brave and good boy!!

08/09/2026

❤️ Meet Simba!! He ate part of his toy and had surgery Monday for removal. He is now recovering at home with his family. He is the sweetest boy!!

If you look closely you’ll see a tiny tube going into Simba’s nose. This is an NG tube. A nasogastric (NG) tube is a small, flexible tube passed through a patient’s nostril, down the esophagus, and into the stomach. In veterinary medicine, NG tubes are especially useful for hospitalized dogs and cats that are critically ill, nauseated, recovering from surgery, or unable or unwilling to eat normally.

We hope you’re doing well Simba! Don’t eat anymore toys! 🐾

08/04/2026

🍪🍫 National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day Reminder: Keep the Cookies for Humans! 🍫🍪

Today is the perfect excuse to enjoy a warm chocolate chip cookie—but please remember that chocolate can be extremely dangerous for pets.

Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, two substances that dogs (and other pets) cannot process the way humans can. Even a small amount can cause serious illness, especially in smaller pets or with darker chocolates.

Signs of chocolate toxicity include:
🐾 Vomiting or diarrhea
🐾 Restlessness or hyperactivity
🐾 Excessive thirst
🐾 Tremors or seizures
🐾 Increased heart rate
🐾 Collapse

Remember, dark chocolate, baking chocolate, and cocoa powder are the most toxic, but milk chocolate can still be harmful.

🍪 Keep cookies, brownies, candy, and baking ingredients well out of reach, and remind guests—especially children—not to share sweet treats with your furry family members.

🚨 If you think your pet has eaten chocolate, don’t wait for symptoms to appear. Contact your veterinarian or your nearest emergency veterinary hospital immediately. Quick action can make all the difference.

Celebrate National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day safely—by sharing the love, not the chocolate! ❤️🐾

08/03/2026

😻Meet Misty!! She came in for a swollen eye.

She was able to go home after we completed a fluorescein eye stain to check for damage to her eye, eye drops, and a special collar (cone of shame) placed to keep her from rubbing at her eye and potentially causing more damage.

Hope you’re feeling better soon sweet Misty!! 🐾

07/31/2026

🍇 Did You Know? Grapes & Raisins Can Be Toxic to Pets 🐾

A sweet snack for us can become a medical emergency for our furry friends.

Even one grape or raisin has the potential to cause serious kidney damage in some dogs, and there is no way to predict which pets will be affected. While dogs are the most commonly impacted, it’s safest to keep grapes and raisins away from all pets.

⚠️ Signs of grape or raisin toxicity may include:
• Vomiting or diarrhea
• Loss of appetite
• Lethargy or weakness
• Increased thirst or changes in urination
• Tremors or abdominal pain

⏰ Time matters! If you think your pet has eaten grapes, raisins, currants, or foods containing them (such as trail mix, baked goods, or raisin bread), don’t wait for symptoms to appear. Contact your veterinarian or an emergency veterinary hospital immediately.

The sooner treatment begins, the better the chance of preventing serious kidney injury.

🐶🐱 When in doubt, keep grapes and raisins safely out of reach—and share this post to help keep other pets safe!

Grapes, raisins, and even currants can be more dangerous to dogs than most pet parents realize. Even only a few grapes have been linked to sudden kidney failure that may not show up for days, and homegrown or organic grapes carry the same risk.

Veterinary medicine hasn't pinpointed why some dogs react and others don't, or confirmed what makes grapes so toxic, which is exactly why any known ingestion is treated as a potential emergency, not just the large ones.

If your dog gets into grapes, raisins, currants, or anything made with them, call or chat with our veterinary professionals at 800-213-6680.