The latest news & info from SAGE Centers

Five Things You Should Know About Veterinary Criticalists

 

If asked about the services SAGE provides, most people would be hard-pressed to name them all. In fact, SAGE doctors span eight different fields, including emergency and critical care. Did you know that SAGE currently has four veterinarians board certified in Emergency and Critical Care trained to take care of pets with the most life-threatening of injuries and diseases? Here's what you should know about Criticalists:

Dr. Beymer and other Criticalists have to be prepared for all types of situations.

 

Emergency and Critical Care is its own specialty.

Like our other specialists, each of our Criticalists had to complete a three-year residency. These must take place at an American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC)-approved institution. An Emergency and Critical Care residency involves clinical work in a veterinary intensive care unit under the guidance of a board-certified Criticalist, as well as spending some portion of time with specialists from other fields such as surgery, internal medicine, anesthesia, and cardiology. "In addition to a residency, a candidate must have a paper accepted for publication and pass an examination," says Dr. Megan Davis, SAGE San Mateo. This complex two-day examination is held once a year and covers numerous topics.  

 

They are truly jacks of all trades.

Criticalists have to be prepared for a whole range of patient conditions. Their qualifying exam includes, but is certainly not limited to, infectious diseases, shock, trauma, toxicology, gastrointestinal disorders, and environmental emergencies such as heatstroke and snakebites. There's really no telling what patient condition may be coming through the door next. "We might see an anal gland abscess and do CPR in the same day," says Dr. Jessica Beymer, SAGE Concord.

 

They collaborate with all of the other specialists.

Dr. Beymer calls critical care a "service that services other services" and that's for good reason. Our Criticalists work very closely with other specialists. They may be transferring cases that came into emergency over the weekend or helping to support other patients with services such as blood pressure support or transfusion therapy. Primary veterinarians often choose to refer a patient through the Emergency and Critical care service when a patient is likely to see more than one doctor.

 

"Referral through the Emergency and Critical Care Service can be helpful when coordination between multiple services is needed," says Dr. Mary Aslanian, SAGE Campbell. "For example, a patient with a history of collapse, where that could be due to seizures, syncope (fainting), or a surgical emergency such as hemoabdomen (internal bleeding in the belly)."

  

Critical Care units at SAGE are fitted with oxygen cages, which can be used to help treat pets suffering from shock, neurologic issues, tissue hypoxia, severe anemia, or other problems.

They deal with the sickest of the sick.

Critical by definition means that many of the patients seen will have taken a turn for the worse. One of the reasons SAGE Campbell's Dr. Lindsey Nielsen was drawn to critical care was because of the challenges these cases provide. Being a Criticalist involves "taking a case that has little chance to live - less than 10 percent in a lot of cases -- giving it your all, and sometimes being rewarded with saving a life."

 

"I enjoy working with people that are in these difficult times," Dr. Nielsen says, "helping them understand how critically ill their pet is and helping them make the best informed decision they can in that difficult situation."

 

For Criticalists, variety is the spice of life.

One of the defining characteristics of our talented Criticalists is that they all seem to enjoy the kind of pace and variety that might send others wanting to head for the hills.

 

"I like the kind of dynamic patients you see in an emergency," says Dr. Davis. "You have to think on your feet and address things right away. Our patients are all patients, from every specialty."

 

Says Dr. Aslanian: "I like that I get to see a little of each specialty. My day is never dull."

    

 

Client Advisory: Leptospirosis  

Over the last month, doctors at SAGE San Mateo have diagnosed two dogs with leptospirosis, a serious bacterial infection that is often spread through contaminated water in muddy or marshy areas. Should the rain pick up again, this may continue to be a problem. The organism is shed in the urine of small mammals and rats and has been seen along the peninsula and San Mateo coast.  

 

Leptospires seen under a scanning electron micrograph. Photo by CDC/Rob Weyant, via Wikimedia Commons
The initial symptoms of leptospirosis can be fairly vague and not unlike symptoms for many other conditions. They can include vomiting, diarrhea, and refusal to eat. If left alone, the bacteria can spread quickly through the bloodstream and can cause kidney or liver failure. Blood and urine tests can determine if leptospirosis is the cause of a pet's illness. When caught early, leptospirosis is responsive to antibiotics. In some cases, anti-nausea medication, fluid therapy, gastric feeding tubes, and blood transfusions may be necessary.

 

It's possible that leptospirosis can be transmitted to humans through the skin or mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth), but normal activities do not put you at high risk for infection. High risk contact includes the handling of your pet's urine, blood, or tissue.

 

There is a vaccine available to help prevent leptospirosis, though like the flu vaccine, it doesn't provide 100 percent protection because there are so many different strains. Your primary veterinarian will be able to advise you on whether this vaccine is available and recommended.

    

 
SAGE Centers for Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Care 
 
4 Bay Area Locations
 
Campbell - Concord - Dublin - San Mateo

SAGE Campbell
907 Dell Ave. 
Campbell, CA 95008 
408-343-7243 (Phone) 
408-385-3680 (Fax) 

All SAGE Locations Offer
24/7 Emergency Care
365 Days a Year, 
Including Holidays
SAGE Concord
1410 Monument Blvd.
Concord, CA 94520 
925-627-7243 (Phone) 
925-771-1181 (Fax) 

Specialist Services by Appointment & Referral*

 
SAGE Veterinary Specialties
SAGE Dublin
7121 Amador Plaza Rd.
Dublin, CA 94568
925-574-7243 (Phone)
925-771-3043 (Fax)
Alternative Medicine
Cardiology
Critical Care
Internal Medicine
SAGE San Mateo
251 N Amphlett Blvd.
San Mateo, CA 94401
650-417-7243 (Phone)
650-344-4714 (Fax) 
Neurology & Neurosurgery
Oncology
Pain Management
Physical Rehabilitation
Surgery

*Not all specialties available in every location

   

An approachable team of specialists providing advanced, collaborative and compassionate care.

 About SAGE Centers

 

SAGE Centers is the leading veterinary specialty practice in the Bay Area. We have four convenient locations -- Campbell, Concord, Dublin, and San Mateo. 

Our specialists work closely with you and your primary veterinarian to provide the highest level of care for your pets. PLUS -- all four of our locations are open 24/7, 365 days a year to help in a pet emergency. Learn more at sagecenters.com 
 
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Thank you to our SAGE Centers Facebook Community! We really appreciate all the photos and stories you share.


SAGE Dublin's Dr. Bob Lukas was featured on KTVU news earlier this month to discuss the dangers of mushroom toxicity. Click here to watch the segment.



Meet Maggie! Maggie's a product of Maddie's Fund Animal Rescue Foundation and a patient of SAGE Cardiologist Dr. Andrew Waxman. Maggie, a Miniature Schnauzer, was rescued a few months ago and found to have a loud heart murmur due to a Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). This is a blood vessel near the heart that should have have closed when she was born. If left uncorrected, it leads to a shortened life span. Dr. Waxman performed a minimally invasive procedure to close this vessel. Maggie returned to SAGE for a follow-up appointment recently and she is doing great! Her family no longer has to worry about this heart issue.

Please welcome our new SAGE doctors!
 
Lori Cesario, DVM
Oncology, SAGE Concord/Dublin

Dr. Lori Cesario is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University, where she received a B.S. in Animal Bioscience. She went to vet school at the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and completed her clinical rotations at the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Cesario completed a small animal medicine and surgery internship at the University of Illinois, which was followed by an oncology internship at North Carolina State University and an oncology residency at Michigan State University.



Gerardo Martin del Campo
Emergency, SAGE Concord

Dr. Gerardo Martin del Campo received a B.S. in Animal Science from UC Davis in 1996, and stayed at Davis for vet school, where he received his DVM in 2000. After finishing vet school, Dr. Martin del Campo completed a rotating small animal internship in medicine, surgery, neurology, and emergency at Veterinary Specialty Hospital of San Diego. He has worked as an emergency clinician in the Bay Area since 2001.
 

 

Groups now in Campbell & San Mateo

 

Each family's journey with an ill pet is uniquely personal. There is, though, tremendous potential value available to you from tapping the collective knowledge and support of those in our SAGE Community who are caring for ill pets or who have already lost a treasured furry family member.

 

The SAGE Pet Caregiver Support Group is a free resource open to SAGE clients of any of our four Bay Area locations.

 

Next sessions:

Campbell--Feb. 11, 7:00-8:30 pm   

San Mateo--Feb. 18, 7:00-8:30 pm

 


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