Explore every episode of the podcast VetEmCrit: The Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Podcast

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER and ICU vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

In this episode of Wheeler the Healer: Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care, Lance Wheeler, DVM, DACVECC explores patient suffering in the veterinary ICU and reframes it as both an ethical and physiologic problem rather than simply an emotional one. Inspired primarily by Chapter 12 of Small Animal Critical Care Medicine, 3rd edition, the episode examines primal alert signals like dyspnea, pain, nausea, thirst, hunger, anxiety, and sleep deprivation, emphasizing that critically ill animals often experience many of these simultaneously. The discussion reviews why air hunger may be more distressing than pain, how untreated nausea and sleep disruption can worsen recovery, and how ICU noise, repeated handling, and hospitalization stress may contribute to physiologic instability. Integrating recent literature on dyspnea-targeted therapy, anxiolytics, feline environmental modification, wireless monitoring, and individualized nursing care, the episode focuses on practical strategies to reduce suffering in real time. Ultimately, the episode argues that comfort-focused interventions are not separate from critical care—they are a fundamental part of stabilizing the critically ill patient.

If you enjoy this episode and want the full experience, weekly deep-dives, interactive simulators, and clinical algorithms you can use on shift, come join us inside the VetEmCrit Academy.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER and ICU vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

In this episode, Dr. Igor Yankin, DACVECC introduces the new Arterial Blood Gas Analyzer inside the VetEmCrit Academy - a tool built around the question every dyspneic patient forces on you at the cage side: are the lungs failing, is this patient simply not ventilating, or both? And Why?

Igor walks through the reasoning the tool automates: the alveolar gas equation, the A–a gradient and where its published normals actually stop, the 120 rule, the P/F and S/F ratios, the oxygenation index and the oxygen saturation index, arterial oxygen content and the patient-specific cyanosis threshold, the full oxygen cascade from ambient air down to arterial blood, and the ARDSVet 2025 screen. He then moves into the practical half: the FiO₂ device estimator that works out inspired oxygen from delivery method and flow rate and names the study each estimate came from, the differential table that works through every mechanism of hypoxemia in turn and states plainly what a blood gas cannot tell you, the button that drops the whole analysis into the medical record as plain text with its caveats attached, printing, serial trending, and the 19 built-in demo cases.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER and ICU vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

This episode explains interstitial edema as altered tissue fluid traffic rather than simply “too much fluid.” It reviews classic and revised Starling physiology, emphasizing the endothelial glycocalyx, sub-glycocalyx space, lymphatic drainage, and why fluid usually returns through lymphatics rather than routine venous-end reabsorption. The episode breaks down the major edemagenic mechanisms—venous hypertension, hypoproteinemia, increased permeability, impaired lymph flow, and increased negativity of interstitial pressure—and connects them to ICU decisions around fluids, albumin, pulmonary edema, effusions, and reassessment. It also highlights key clinical evidence, including fluid risk in pulmonary disease, limitations of albumin and synthetic colloids, canine albumin and cryopoor plasma studies, gallbladder wall thickening in hypoalbuminemic dogs, and Simplified Light’s criteria for feline pleural effusion classification.

If you enjoy this episode and want the full experience, weekly deep-dives, interactive simulators, and clinical algorithms you can use on shift, come join us inside the VetEmCrit Academy.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER and ICU vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

In this episode, Dr. Lance Wheeler, DVM, DACVECC tackles the number we take on every single patient and misread more often than any other - body temperature, and the fork in the road between true fever and nonfebrile hyperthermia. Drawing from Chapter 10 of Small Animal Critical Care Medicine (3rd edition) by James Miller, Lance separates a regulated, cytokine- and prostaglandin-mediated change in the hypothalamic set point from a straightforward failure of heat balance, and walks through a practical, structured framework for reading temperature in real time: thermoregulation in the preoptic anterior hypothalamus and the heat gain, conservation, and loss mechanisms behind it, exogenous versus endogenous pyrogens and the interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha pathway to prostaglandin E2, why fever can be protective in infection and harmful in brain injury, the roughly 7 percent rise in water and caloric requirement for every 1°F above normal, and the thresholds worth memorizing - above 102.5°F is elevated, above 106°F demands immediate total body cooling, and 107°F is the organ injury danger zone. He then moves into the causes and the bedside management, including heat stroke and the closed car that exceeds 120°F in under 20 minutes on a 75°F day, nucleated red blood cells as a prognostic marker, exertional hyperthermia and hyperpyrexic syndrome, eclampsia and seizures as heat sources you have to switch off rather than cool around, malignant hyperthermia and dantrolene, opioid-associated hyperthermia in cats, why lukewarm beats ice water and why you stop active cooling at 103°F, and why antibiotics are not antipyretics. Along the way, he integrates the latest veterinary evidence, including 2020-2026 studies on juvenile canine pyrexia, triage temperature as a predictor of outcome in cats, buprenorphine and postoperative hyperthermia, cooling strategies in working dogs, nose and axillary temperature accuracy, feline vector-borne disease, and heat-related mortality, and closes with a high-yield rapid-fire board review covering every key number worth memorizing.

If you enjoy this episode and want the full experience, weekly deep-dives, interactive simulators, and clinical algorithms you can use on shift, come join us inside the VetEmCrit Academy.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER and ICU vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

In this episode, Dr. Lance Wheeler, DVM, DACVECC tackles the vascular structure we damage constantly and almost never measure - the endothelial surface layer, and why a patient's blood pressure can look better while the microcirculation is still a disaster. Drawing from Chapter 9 of Small Animal Critical Care Medicine (3rd edition) by Lisa Smart and Deborah Silverstein, Lance builds the anatomy from the ground up using a forest analogy, with syndecans and glypican-1 as the trunks, heparan sulfate and chondroitin and dermatan sulfate as the branches, hyaluronan as the undergrowth, and the immobile plasma layer as fog trapped inside the canopy, then connects that structure to the revised Starling principle, the protein-poor subglycocalyx space, and why sustained capillary reabsorption does not happen the way most of us were taught. He then moves into how the layer gets shed and what that costs at the bedside, including trauma, inflammation, hyperglycemia, hemodilution and hypervolemia as the major hits, thrombin and plasmin cleaving syndecan ectodomains, lipopolysaccharide accelerating shedding, glycocalyx fragments acting as DAMPs that amplify the very inflammation that caused them, perfused boundary region as an inverse measure of glycocalyx thickness, and loss of hemodynamic coherence when the monitor improves but the tissue does not. Along the way, he integrates the latest veterinary evidence, including 2021-2026 studies on perioperative crystalloid rate and circulating hyaluronan, fluid challenges in healthy anesthetized cats, shelf-stable blood products in a canine hemorrhagic shock model, fresh-frozen plasma in critically ill dogs, trauma biomarker dynamics over 24 hours, feline hemotropic mycoplasmosis, and cardiopulmonary bypass, and closes with a high-yield rapid-fire board review covering every key number worth memorizing.

If you enjoy this episode and want the full experience, weekly deep-dives, interactive simulators, and clinical algorithms you can use on shift, come join us inside the VetEmCrit Academy.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER and ICU vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

In this episode, Dr. Lance Wheeler, DVM, DACVECC tackles the therapy we reach for most reflexively and titrate least carefully - oxygen, and what happens when the dose we give exceeds the dose the patient actually needs. Drawing from Chapter 8 of Small Animal Critical Care Medicine (3rd edition) by Duana McBride, and weaving in the 2023 New England Journal of Medicine review "Oxygen Therapy Part 2 - Indications and Toxicity" by Wemple et al., Lance reframes oxygen as a dose-dependent drug rather than a benign intervention and walks through a practical, structured framework for recognizing and avoiding oxidative harm: how 90 to 95 percent of oxygen is safely reduced to water while roughly 5 percent forms reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, the superoxide to hydrogen peroxide cascade and the Fenton, myeloperoxidase, and peroxynitrite pathways branching off it, how lipid peroxidation and DAMP release turn oxidative injury into a self-amplifying inflammatory cycle, and why the xanthine oxidoreductase system fires within 10 to 30 seconds of reperfusion. He then moves into the organ-by-organ consequences and the numbers that actually change bedside decisions, including absorption atelectasis and surfactant impairment in the lung, hyperoxic vasoconstriction and falling cardiac output, cerebral blood flow and traumatic brain injury, ventilated targets of SpO2 88 to 92 percent and PaO2 55 to 80 mm Hg, the FiO2 0.5 anchor below which clinical pulmonary oxygen toxicity is generally absent, hyperbaric oxygen therapy at 1.5 to 3.0 atmospheres absolute and its CNS toxicity risk, and where antioxidants genuinely fit. Along the way, he integrates the veterinary evidence, including 2021-2025 studies on hyperbaric oxygen adverse events across 2,792 treatment sessions, dietary antioxidants in dogs and cats, and N-acetylcysteine in Babesia gibsoni infection, and closes with a high-yield rapid-fire board review covering every key number worth memorizing.

If you enjoy this episode and want the full experience, weekly deep-dives, interactive simulators, and clinical algorithms you can use on shift, come join us inside the VetEmCrit Academy.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER and ICU vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

In this episode, Dr. Lance Wheeler, DVM, DACVECC tackles the syndrome that turns a sick patient into a dying one - systemic inflammation, sepsis, and multiple organ dysfunction, where the host's own response does as much damage as the infection itself. Drawing from Chapter 7 of Small Animal Critical Care Medicine (3rd edition) by Kaitlyn Rank and Bernie Hansen, and weaving in the 2024 JVECC position statement "Defining sepsis in small animals" by Cortellini et al., Lance traces how the definitions evolved from the 1991 Sepsis-1 consensus through PIRO to Sepsis-3, and builds a practical, structured framework for recognizing these patients in real time: the original definitions of infection, bacteremia, sepsis, severe sepsis, septic shock and MODS, the human 2-of-4 SIRS criteria and their canine and feline adaptations, why cats require 3 of 4 while dogs require 2 of 4, why SIRS is sensitive but badly nonspecific, and why organ dysfunction rather than inflammation is the modern center of gravity. He then moves into the bedside half, including the perfusion exam, hunting the infectious source, when to culture and when not to wait, rational antimicrobial selection, source control, and how to use SOFA, qSOFA, and APPLE scoring without letting a number replace clinical judgment. Along the way, he integrates the veterinary evidence from Hauptman and Brady through 2020-2025 work on parvovirus as a sepsis model, SIRS criteria in the emergency department, organ dysfunction and outcome in septic peritonitis, SOFA trajectory in ICU dogs, qSOFA validation, APPLEfull and APPLEfast cutoffs, and antimicrobial timing versus source control, and closes with a high-yield rapid-fire board review covering every key number worth memorizing.

If you enjoy this episode and want the full experience, weekly deep-dives, interactive simulators, and clinical algorithms you can use on shift, come join us inside the VetEmCrit Academy.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER and ICU vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

In this episode, Dr. Lance Wheeler, DVM, DACVECC tackles one of the most fundamental and time-sensitive syndromes in emergency and critical care - shock, a leading pathway to organ failure and death when it isn't caught early. Drawing from Chapter 6 of Small Animal Critical Care Medicine (3rd edition) by Armelle de Laforcade and Deborah Silverstein, Lance reframes shock not as low blood pressure but as a cellular energy crisis where oxygen delivery fails to meet tissue demand, and walks through a practical, structured framework for recognizing, classifying, and resuscitating shock in real time. He breaks down the four classic circulatory categories (hypovolemic, distributive, cardiogenic, and obstructive) plus hypoxic and metabolic shock, the cellular and compensatory physiology underneath them, and why real patients so often present as mixed shock. He then moves into bedside recognition and management, including his "3 strikes" diagnostic approach, perfusion parameters and resuscitation targets, lactate and lactate clearance, shock index, the rectal-interdigital temperature gradient, venous oxygen saturation, fluid choice and shock-dose framework with the critical 25%-at-30-minutes caveat, hypotensive resuscitation, and when to reach for vasopressors and inotropes. Along the way, he integrates the latest veterinary evidence, including 2013-2025 studies on canine and feline septic shock phenotypes, shock index in hemorrhage, head trauma, and cats, caudal vena cava to aorta ratio, and splenic Doppler resistance index, and closes with a high-yield rapid-fire board review covering every key number worth memorizing.

If you enjoy this episode and want the full experience, weekly deep-dives, interactive simulators, and clinical algorithms you can use on shift, come join us inside the VetEmCrit Academy.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER and ICU vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

In this episode, Dr. Igor Yankin, DVM, DACVECC tackles one of the highest-stakes neurologic emergencies on the floor - status epilepticus and cluster seizures in dogs and cats, where every minute of ongoing seizure activity drives accumulating neuronal injury. Built entirely around the 2024 ACVIM consensus statement on seizure management published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine - the most comprehensive evidence-based guideline we have for seizure emergencies - Igor starts by making the definitions crystal clear, because the treatment algorithm hinges on them. He then walks through a practical, structured escalation framework with real doses and timing.

If you enjoy this episode and want the full experience, weekly deep-dives, interactive simulators, and clinical algorithms you can use on shift, come join us inside the VetEmCrit Academy.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER and ICU vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

In this episode, Dr. Lance Wheeler, DVM, DACVECC tackles what happens after the pulse comes back - post-cardiac arrest care, one of the most complex and high-stakes phases of critical illness. Drawing from Chapter 5 of Small Animal Critical Care Medicine (3rd edition) by Manuel Boller and Daniel Fletcher, and weaving in the key updates from the 2024 RECOVER guidelines, Lance walks through a practical, structured framework for managing patients in the first minutes, hours, and days after ROSC: preventing early rearrest, recognizing the four components of post-cardiac arrest syndrome (systemic ischemia-reperfusion injury, brain injury, myocardial dysfunction, and the persistent precipitating disease), and building a physiologic environment that lets the brain and heart recover. He then moves through the practical bedside management such as controlled reoxygenation to normoxemia rather than hyperoxemia, normocapnic ventilation targets, hemodynamic goals and the fluid/norepinephrine/dobutamine approach to hypotension, glucose and adrenal considerations, targeted temperature management and slow rewarming, seizure and cerebral edema management, and the reversible nature of myocardial stunning. Along the way, he integrates the latest veterinary evidence, including 2021-2025 studies on functional outcomes after discharge, ROSC and survival predictors, post-ROSC blood-gas and electrolyte variables, global hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, neuroprognostication windows, and reversible myocardial dysfunction, and closes with a high-yield rapid-fire board review covering every key number worth memorizing.

If you enjoy this episode and want the full experience, weekly deep-dives, interactive simulators, and clinical algorithms you can use on shift, come join us inside the VetEmCrit Academy.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER and ICU vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

In this episode, Dr. Lance Wheeler, DVM, DACVECC tackles one of the highest-stakes situations in emergency and critical care - cardiopulmonary arrest and resuscitation. Drawing from Chapter 4 of Small Animal Critical Care Medicine (3rd edition) by Daniel Fletcher and Manuel Boller, and weaving in the key updates from the 2024 RECOVER CPR guidelines, Lance walks through a practical, structured framework for managing arrest in real time: rapid recognition (the "shake and shout"), the CAB sequence, high-quality BLS, the physiology of coronary perfusion pressure, and how chest conformation changes compression strategy. He then moves into advanced life support such as ECG and capnography monitoring, epinephrine and vasopressin dosing, atropine, defibrillation energy, the lidocaine/amiodarone/esmolol ladder for refractory shockable rhythms, reversal agents, fluids, sodium bicarbonate, and when to consider open-chest CPR. Along the way, he integrates the latest veterinary evidence, including 2023–2025 studies on ROSC predictors, blood-gas variables, conformation-based outcomes, shockable rhythm prevalence, and CPR skill retention, and closes with a high-yield rapid-fire board review covering every key number worth memorizing. If you enjoy this episode and want the full experience, weekly deep-dives, interactive simulators, and clinical algorithms you can use on shift, come join us inside the VetEmCrit Academy.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

This episode reviews three papers: radiographic guidelines for confirming NG/NE tube placement in dogs and cats, the effect of operator experience on pericardiocentesis adverse events, and a retrospective evaluation of lyophilized platelet use in dogs — with practical clinical takeaways for each.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

In this episode, Dr. Lance Wheeler, DVM, DACVECC continues building on the previous episodes' triage and serial-assessment foundations and shifts the focus to one of the most consequential physiologic systems in emergency and critical care — hemostasis. Drawing from Chapter 3 of Small Animal Critical Care Medicine (3rd edition) by Ronald Lee, Lance walks through hemostasis in a practical, stepwise way: the three stages of platelet activation (initiation, extension, stabilization), the cell-based model of coagulation (initiation, amplification, propagation, termination), the vitamin K–dependent factors, the tenase and prothrombinase complexes, fibrinolysis and its endogenous inhibitors, and the increasingly important concept of immunothrombosis and neutrophil extracellular traps in sepsis. Along the way, he weaves in the most current veterinary evidence — including 2024–2025 studies on trauma-associated coagulopathy, hyperfibrinolysis in cats, the TXA hemorrhagic shock trial in dogs, and the link between sepsis, fibrinolysis inhibitors, and NETs — and closes with a high-yield rapid-fire board review covering every key number worth memorizing.

If you enjoy this episode and want the full experience — weekly deep-dives, interactive simulators, and clinical algorithms you can use on shift — come join us inside the VetEmCrit Academy.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

In this episode, Dr. Lance Wheeler, DVM, DACVECC builds on the previous episode's triage discussion and shifts the focus to one of the most underappreciated skills in modern emergency and critical care — the daily physical examination of the critically ill patient. Drawing from Chapter 2 of Small Animal Critical Care Medicine (3rd edition) by Timothy Hackett, Lance makes the case that no monitor, point-of-care ultrasound, or laboratory analyzer can replace a structured, intentional bedside exam — especially when it comes to assessing perfusion, hydration, and overall trajectory in real time.

If you enjoy this episode and want the full experience - weekly deep-dives, interactive simulators, and clinical algorithms you can use on shift - come join us inside the VetEmCrit Academy.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

This episode is a free preview of what VetEmCrit Academy members get every month — in-depth journal clubs, case-based simulators, algorithms, and practical teaching tools designed for emergency and critical care veterinary professionals.

In this episode, we break down four recent papers in veterinary ECC. First, we explore the link between hyperammonaemia and feline seizures, including prevalence data and possible mechanisms. Next, we revisit pericardiocentesis — this time examining whether an IV fluid bolus before the procedure improves outcomes. Then we dive into SGLT2 inhibitors for managing diabetes in cats traditionally considered poor candidates for conventional therapy. Finally, we review a meta-analysis on antibiotic duration for bacterial pneumonia, asking whether shorter courses are just as effective.

If you enjoy this episode and want the full experience — weekly deep-dives, interactive simulators, and clinical algorithms you can use on shift — come join us inside VetEmCrit Academy.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

This is the first episode in a new long-form series by Dr. Lance Wheeler, DVM, DACVECC, working systematically through the core topics in small animal emergency and critical care medicine - starting with the foundations and building toward the more advanced concepts. The series is designed for ECC residents preparing for boards, technicians pursuing their VTS (ECC), and any clinician who wants a structured, practical review of high-yield emergency and critical care.

In this first episode, he tackles one of the most fundamental skills in ECC: evaluation and triage of the critically ill patient. He starts with the primary survey - respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurologic - and walk through how to recognize early decompensation before a patient crashes. He covers practical thresholds you'll actually use on shift: oxygenation and ventilation targets, hypotension and shock index cutoffs, glucose, sodium, and potassium alert values, and the criteria that distinguish septic peritonitis, uroperitoneum, and bile peritonitis on point-of-care ultrasound. Along the way, he incorporates recent literature. 

If you enjoy this episode and want the full experience - weekly deep-dives, interactive simulators, and clinical algorithms you can use on shift - come join us inside the VetEmCrit Academy.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

Welcome back to the VetEmCrit Podcast! Today, we are sharing a special sneak peek from our brand-new "Nontraditional Acid-Base Analysis" training, now available inside the VetEmCrit Academy. In this audio lesson, we are exploring the fascinating origins of the Stewart approach and the physicist who completely turned the traditional bicarbonate model on its head. If you’ve ever felt like the classic acid-base model doesn't quite explain what's happening with your sickest ICU patients, this episode will lay the crucial groundwork for understanding a more precise, quantitative method.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

This episode covers hypercoagulability in veterinary patients, framed around Virchow's Triad — blood stasis, vessel wall injury, and hypercoagulability. It clarifies that hypercoagulability increases thrombosis risk but isn't the same as thrombosis itself, and that normal testing doesn't rule out clots driven by stasis or endothelial injury. The discussion walks through the coagulation balance between procoagulants, endogenous anticoagulants, and fibrinolysis, followed by a practical diagnostic approach using PT/PTT, fibrinogen, D-dimers, antithrombin, viscoelastic testing, and imaging. It wraps up with CURATIVE guideline risk categories and antithrombotic options including clopidogrel, heparins, and DOACs, emphasizing the balance between thrombosis prevention and bleeding risk.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

This episode covers how to recognize shock in dogs and cats. Learn how to perform a rapid primary survey, evaluate the six core perfusion parameters, and use supplemental data (lactate, shock index, blood pressure) to confirm your diagnosis. Through two real-world case examples, discover why shock is a clinical diagnosis that requires interpreting all findings in context, not just a single number or test.

In this episode, we explore a recent study examining the impact of pericardiocentesis on hemodynamic parameters and the caudal vena cava-to-aorta (CVC-to-Ao) ratio in dogs.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

The VetEmCrit Academy Membership built for ER vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

In this episode, we explore the benefits of early ultrasound screenings in detecting intestinal dehiscence after surgery in dogs and cats. We'll dive into a study that evaluated 114 cases, demonstrating how early ultrasounds can potentially save lives by identifying complications before they escalate. Learn about the findings, key ultrasound markers, and the importance of selective screening for high-risk patients.

Link to the original paper: Evaluation of early and systematic ultrasound examination to determine postoperative dehiscence after small intestinal surgery (114 cases in dogs and cats)

The VetEmCrit Academy Membership built for ER vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

In this episode, we delve into the prognosis of colonic torsion in dogs. Historically, this condition had a poor outlook, but recent advancements in surgical management have led to improved outcomes. We analyze a study reviewing 28 cases, discussing clinical signs, surgical findings, and survival rates. Key takeaways include the high survival rate post-surgery and the potential for spontaneous resolution in some cases.

Link to the original study: Colonic torsion and volvulus in dogs is associated with a low mortality rate and good long-term outcome

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: The VetEmCrit Academy Membership - https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

In this episode, we explore a study on preventing hypothermia in small dogs during surgery by using an easy and affordable method: wrapping their limbs with polyester covers. Hypothermia is a significant risk during anesthesia, particularly for smaller dogs under six kilograms, leading to complications like delayed recovery and altered drug metabolism. The study, conducted at a teaching hospital in Japan, involved 66 client-owned dogs undergoing soft tissue surgery. The dogs were divided into two groups: one received standard thermal support, while the other had their limbs wrapped in polyester covers. Results showed that limb wrapping helped maintain higher body temperatures, reducing the incidence of hypothermia.

This simple, cost-effective method could greatly improve surgical outcomes for small dogs. However, the study had some limitations, including non-standardized anesthesia protocols and the single-institution setting. Tune in to learn more about this promising method for better hypothermia prevention in veterinary medicine.

The VetEmCrit Academy built for ER vets who want to grow, level up, and learn together: The VetEmCrit Academy Membership - https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

In this episode, we delve into the rare condition of gastrointestinal pneumatosis in dogs and cats. Learn about the causes, medical and surgical treatment options, and prognosis based on the latest research, including a recent retrospective case series involving 26 dogs and 4 cats (Jones et al. JVECC 2024). We explore different types of pneumatosis based on location—stomach, intestines, and colon—and discuss key findings such as survival rates and associated conditions. Get valuable insights into diagnosing and managing this challenging condition.

The VetEmCrit Academy Membership - https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

In this episode, we delve into the complex case of Boris, a six-month-old kitten with a traumatic brain injury after being kicked by a goat. Boris faced multiple challenges, including hypernatremia (elevated sodium concentration) and hyperglycemia (high blood glucose). We discuss Boris's initial presentation, diagnostic journey, and the multifaceted approach used in his treatment. The mechanisms behind hypernatremia, the impact of post-traumatic central diabetes insipidus (CDI), and hyperglycemia on TBI patients are also explored. Tune in to learn about the resilience and recovery of this brave kitten and get insights on best practices for managing similar cases in veterinary medicine.

The VetEmCrit Academy Membership - https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) remains one of the most common and clinically significant cardiac diseases in dogs—and one that can make anesthetic planning feel risky. But how dangerous is anesthesia in these patients really?

In this episode of The VetEmCrit Podcast, we review the largest retrospective study to date examining anesthetic management and complications in dogs with a DCM phenotype. You’ll learn what the data actually show about anesthetic risk, arrhythmia frequency, and how outcomes compare to control dogs without DCM.

Further Learning:

Free CE: IV Potassium Supplementation

Free Acid-Base Workshop

Clinical Tools & Protocols

Electrolyte & Acid-Base Mastery Course

https://academy.vetemcrit.com/join

Welcome to The VetEmCrit Podcast — where we break down complex veterinary emergency and critical care topics into clear, evidence-based insights you can apply right away in practice. Each episode is the audio companion to our YouTube videos, created so you can keep learning emergency and critical care medicine wherever you are — in the car, between cases, or on your way home from the ER.

If you’re new here, I’m Dr. Igor Yankin, DACVECC, a small animal emergency and critical care specialist and founder of VetEmCrit.com.

In this episode, we explore one of the most common — and misunderstood — surgical emergencies in small animal practice: urinary tract rupture. Does every tear really need surgery? Or can some of these cases safely heal on their own with careful drainage and monitoring?

We’ll unpack the latest evidence on conservative, non-surgical management of urinary tract tears in dogs and cats, including insights from the 2025 RVC study and earlier work by Hornsey and Grimes.

You’ll learn:

Which cases may actually be better suited for non-surgical management

A step-by-step clinical algorithm to guide your decision-making

How to choose between a urinary catheter, cystostomy tube, or peritoneal drain

The most important complications to watch for — like infection and urethral stricture — and how to detect them early

Whether you’re managing iatrogenic bladder tears, urethral trauma, or uncertain leak locations, this episode will help you make more confident, physiology-based decisions that prioritize patient outcomes over reflex surgery.

Free resources to help you level up:

Free Acid-Base Analysis Workshop

Free Emergency Tools, Protocols, and Articles

Online Courses on Electrolyte & Acid-Base Disorders

Free RACE-Approved CE on IV Potassium Supplementation

Welcome to The VetEmCrit Podcast — where we break down complex veterinary emergency and critical care topics into clear, evidence-based insights you can use right away in practice. Each episode of the VetEmCrit Podcast is the audio version of our YouTube videos, created so you can learn emergency and critical care on the go.

If you’re new here, I’m Dr. Igor Yankin, DACVECC, a small animal emergency and critical care specialist and founder of vetemcrit.com.

In this episode of the VetEmCrit Podcast, we explore why definitions of acute liver failure differ between human and veterinary medicine, and how that shapes diagnosis and treatment. We’ll tackle controversial topics like whether encephalopathy should be required for diagnosis, when it’s actually safe to biopsy a coagulopathic patient, and what to do when viscoelastic testing and INR tell different stories. We’ll also look at emerging—and often overlooked—causes, including pregnancy-associated liver failure and copper storage disease. Can lessons from human medicine, like transjugular biopsy and targeted transfusion strategies, really apply to our patients? Join us as we unpack the data, the guidelines, and the gray zones that matter most for ER vets managing acute liver failure at the cage-side.

Free resources to help you level up:

• Youtube channel
• Free Acid-Base Analysis Workshop
• Free veterinary emergency tools, protocols, and articles
• Online courses on acid-base and electrolyte disorders
• Free RACE-approved CE on IV potassium supplementation

Welcome to The VetEmCrit Podcast — where we break down complex veterinary emergency and critical care topics into clear, evidence-based insights you can use right away in practice. Each episode of the VetEmCrit Podcast is the audio version of our YouTube videos, created so you can learn emergency and critical care on the go.

If you’re new here, I’m Dr. Igor Yankin, DACVECC, a small animal emergency and critical care specialist and founder of vetemcrit.com.

A recent study on hyperkalemia in blocked cats makes a bold claim: adjunct therapies like insulin-dextrose, sodium bicarbonate, and terbutaline offer no added benefit over fluids and calcium. But when you look closer, the story isn’t so simple. In this episode of the VetEmCrit Podcast, we break down the study design, results, and limitations, and explore what this evidence means for real-world emergency care. Do adjunctive therapies truly add value, or are fluids and calcium enough? And how should ER vets apply these findings at the cage-side while caring for unstable patients? Tune in to hear the data, the context, and the unanswered questions that matter for your clinical decision-making.

Free resources to help you level up:

• Youtube channel
• Free Acid-Base Analysis Workshop
• Free veterinary emergency tools, protocols, and articles
• Online courses on acid-base and electrolyte disorders
• Free RACE-approved CE on IV potassium supplementation

Welcome to The VetEmCrit Podcast — where we break down complex veterinary emergency and critical care topics into clear, evidence-based insights you can use right away in practice. Each episode of the VetEmCrit Podcast is the audio version of our YouTube videos, created so you can learn emergency and critical care on the go.

If you’re new here, I’m Dr. Igor Yankin, DACVECC, a small animal emergency and critical care specialist and founder of vetemcrit.com.

In this episode, we highlight the top reasons venous blood gas (VBG) analysis is invaluable in small animal emergency care. You’ll learn what Kussmaul breathing has to do with venous blood gas interpretation, why osteopenia, pathologic fractures, or nephrocalcinosis can be key indications to run a VBG, and when the predictable relationship between venous, arterial, and end-tidal CO₂ breaks—and why you need to recognize it. We’ll also cover how VBG can guide management in refractory vasodilatory shock, whether there’s value in running VBG during CPR, and when to check for acid-base derangements in cases of potassium disorders or acute vomiting. Finally, we’ll discuss why you can’t rule out DKA based on pH and bicarbonate alone. These scenarios come up more often than you’d think, and knowing when and how to use a venous blood gas can make all the difference in ER outcomes.

Free resources to help you level up:

• Youtube channel
• Free Acid-Base Analysis Workshop
• Free veterinary emergency tools, protocols, and articles
• Online courses on acid-base and electrolyte disorders
• Free RACE-approved CE on IV potassium supplementation

Welcome to The VetEmCrit Podcast — where we break down complex veterinary emergency and critical care topics into clear, evidence-based insights you can use right away in practice. Each episode of the VetEmCrit Podcast is the audio version of our YouTube videos, created so you can learn emergency and critical care on the go. If you’re new here, I’m Dr. Igor Yankin, DACVECC, a small animal emergency and critical care specialist and founder of vetemcrit.com.

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and vitamin K are often part of our go-to protocol when treating dogs and cats with acute liver failure. But… should they be? In this VetEmCrit podcast episode, we dive deep into their use—what’s evidence-based, what’s extrapolated, and where controversy still lingers.

You’ll learn:

• Why NAC is more than just an acetaminophen antidote
• What human trials and 2023 guidelines say about NAC in non-acetaminophen ALF
• How human and veterinary NAC dosing protocols compare—and where we may be underdosing cats - When vitamin K helps… and when it’s unlikely to make a difference...
• Clinical takeaways for emergency vets—based on science, not just habit
• Whether you're treating a dog with xylitol toxicity, a cat with hepatic lipidosis, or a case of unknown origin, this video will help sharpen your approach to acute liver failure management.

Free resources to help you level up:

• Youtube channel
• Free Acid-Base Analysis Workshop
• Free veterinary emergency tools, protocols, and articles
• Online courses on acid-base and electrolyte disorders
• Free RACE-approved CE on IV potassium supplementation