Memphis Veterinary Specialists

06/18/2025

🌿 Environmental Allergies in Pets: The Signs You Might Be Missing! 🐶🐱

Did you know that your pet’s constant ear infections might be more than just a nuisance? Ear infections are painful! Many dogs and cats suffer from environmental allergies—and the signs aren't always what you expect.
We often associate allergies with sneezing and watery eyes, but in pets, the symptoms can look quite different—and are easy to miss!

Commonly Overlooked Signs of Environmental Allergies in Dogs & Cats:
🐾 Frequent head shaking or ear scratching -
🐾 Licking or chewing at paws – Especially after walks or being outside
🐾 Red or inflamed skin – Often seen on the belly, armpits, or between toes
🐾 Scooting or excessive grooming
🐾 Hair loss or foul skin odor – From persistent irritation or secondary infections
🔁 Recurring ear infections – This is a big one. Chronic ear issues, especially in dogs, are often linked to underlying allergies. This is not “normal” for any breed, or any lifestyle. Ear infections should never be dismissed as a result of being a particular breed or as a product of regularly swimming in the pool or weekends at the lake. If your pet gets 3 or more ear infections a year, the underlying cause is nearly always allergies.

Why do allergies cause ear infections?
Allergies cause inflammation in the skin—and the ear canal is lined with skin too! When allergens like pollen, dust mites, or mold trigger a reaction, the ear becomes warm, moist, and inflamed—creating a perfect environment for yeast and bacteria to thrive. If your dog or cat has been struggling with chronic ear infections, you may have heard your veterinarian mention something called a TECA—short for Total Ear Canal Ablation. It might sound intimidating, but in some cases, this surgery can bring life-changing relief. So how do you know when it’s the right time for a TECA—and when it's better to focus on treating the underlying cause?
Let’s break it down:

🩺 What is a TECA?
A TECA is a surgical procedure that removes the entire ear canal, typically performed in pets with severe, end-stage ear disease. It’s often recommended when:
* Chronic infections have caused irreversible damage
* The ear canal is calcified or closed from years of inflammation
* Your pet is in constant pain or discomfort.
For pets who’ve reached this stage, TECA can dramatically improve their quality of life, relieving pain and eliminating the source of infection.

🌿 But What If It’s Not That Severe?
In many cases, chronic ear issues are actually a symptom—not the root problem. Allergies (food or environmental), hormonal imbalances, or skin diseases can all lead to recurrent ear infections.
For these pets, focusing on long-term management of the underlying cause can make a big difference:
* Allergy testing and management
* Diet trials (for food allergies)
* Topical therapies and ear cleaners
* Medications to control inflammation or infection
By treating the why behind the infections, we can often prevent the need for surgery entirely.

📋 The Bottom Line:
Not every chronic ear infection means your pet needs surgery. A thorough workup—including cytology, intradermal allergy testing, and imaging if needed—helps determine the best path forward.
If your pet is battling recurring ear issues, talk to your vet about your options. Whether it’s medical management through intradermal allergy therapy with Tina Brown, DVM, MS, ACVD or a TECA, with one of our Board Certified Veterinary Surgeons the goal is always the same: a happier, more comfortable pet. ❤️

-⭐️Helpful Resources⭐️-

Find a Board Certified Veterinary Dermatologist near you:
https://acvd.org/find-a-veterinary-dermatologist/

Learn more about Intradermal Allergy Testing: https://animalallergycolorado.com/services/intradermal-allergy-testing

06/11/2025

Veterinary technicians and support staff are the backbone of animal care, expertly balancing science, compassion, and a knack for handling the unexpected.

Today, we honor their dedication with a lighthearted tribute—posing with their workplace essentials just as proudly as anglers show off their latest catch. Because let’s be honest, nothing beats the satisfaction of mastering a tricky procedure, conquering a mountain of paperwork, or simply holding the most prized tool of the trade.

Join us in celebrating our incredible staff and their unwavering commitment to animal health—one triumphant pose at a time! 🎣

06/09/2025

We understand having a sick pet is always stressful, but knowing what to do can help in the event of unexpected illness, especially when your primary care provider is unavailable. Veterinary medicine is evolving to offer both 24-hour emergency rooms as well as urgent care clinics, and similar to people, the severity of illness helps dictate who can best serve your pet.

Memphis Veterinary Specialists hosts the only 24/7 ER in the city, and our team is available to assist your pet at all hours. But just like the human ER, critical cases can influence wait times for stable patients, and we are happy to provide input here and via phone to help your pet get the help it needs in a timely fashion.

Here are just a few examples of conditions that warrant a visit to the ER or an urgent care clinic. As a general rule, the ER is best suited to assist with pets that potentially require hospitalization, surgery, or specialty level care. Urgent care clinics are designed to treat stable pets on an outpatient basis. But when in doubt, feel free to contact our team or consider where'd you'd take your human loved one during an after-hours illness.

Head to the Emergency Room!
* Trauma (hit by car,large wounds)
* Active seizures
* Labored breathing
* Vomiting/diarrhea with weakness or lethargy
* Collapse or inability to walk
* Snakebites
* Inability to urinate
* Severe abdominal distention
* Known toxin or medication exposure

Urgent Care Clinic is appropriate
* Skin rashes, redness, or itchiness
* Small wounds
* Ear issues
* Eye issues
* Possible urinary tract infection
* Sneezing, coughing, congestion
* Vomiting/diarrhea with a normal energy level
* Limping
* Toenail issues

05/26/2025

🇺🇸 Memorial Day is a time to remember and honor those who have died in service to our country, and that includes our canine heroes. Many military working dogs have served alongside soldiers in various conflicts, saving lives and performing vital tasks.

Sergeant Stubby:
This Bull Terrier, a hero of World War I, is credited with saving lives by detecting gas attacks and locating wounded soldiers. He was even promoted to sergeant by President Woodrow Wilson.

Lucca:
A German Shepherd-Belgian Malinois mix, Lucca served in the Marine Corps for six years, participating in over 400 missions. During a mission in Afghanistan, she was injured by an explosive device, but her bravery and loyalty are remembered.

Judy:
This English Pointer was a "prisoner of war" during World War II, making her the only known animal POW. She displayed incredible bravery in captivity.

Chips:
A German Shepherd-husky mix, Chips was awarded the Dickin Medal for his bravery during a beach landing in Sicily. He attacked an Italian machine-gun nest, saving soldiers' lives.

Nemo:
A German Shepherd, Nemo served in the Vietnam War and was known for his agility and ability to sniff out enemy lairs and ambushes.

Our country is forever indebted to all who have served. Let’s never forget the sacrifices made by these brave men, women and canines. 🇺🇸

***As Always, we are OPEN if Your Pet Needs EMERGENCY CARE.***

05/22/2025

☔️🌪️Thank you to everyone in Jackson, TN and the surrounding areas who braved the weather last night to attend a dinner CE featuring Dr. Jane Ashley Huey.

A special thanks to the TVMA and Epicur Pharma for their support and partnership.

We are grateful for the opportunity to have shared the evening with you. We had a great time! 🌪️☔️

05/20/2025

👁️🐾🚔 We enjoyed seeing the 16 dogs our friends at TN Task Force 1 brought in yesterday, as well as all of the other service animals Dr. Huey has seen this month for this year's free eye screening event through ACVO Epicur Service Animal Eye Exams.

In total 30 service animals have been screened this month. The life-saving work these canines carry out is admirable. We thank both the dogs and their handlers for their dedication and service! 👁️🐾🚒

05/07/2025

🐾💙 Meet Pizzaz, a certified service animal who came to see Dr. Huey and participate in this year's ACVO Service Animal Eye Exam event. As a service animal, each of Pizzaz's senses plays a crucial role in his ability to work every day. Although Pizzaz sees his primary veterinarian for routine care, his handler understands the importance of utilizing a free eye exam with a veterinary ophthalmologist.

Pizzaz has been trained and certified by Canine Companions. He is one of four Courthouse Facility Dogs for PAWS for Justice - Arkansas, and is assigned to 15 counties in Northeast/North Central Arkansas.

Every day, this handsome pup puts on his blue vest and accompanies his handler to work at the courthouse, where he warmly greets all of his coworkers before getting busy making new friends. You see, Pizzaz is special; he provides emotional support to people testifying about heinous crimes against them or the people closest to them. The people he supports are often children. From the moment an individual walks through the courthouse doors until the moment court is adjourned, Pizzaz is there, every step of the way. He is by their side to calm them through meetings, medical evaluations, and numerous other steps before, during, and after testimony. He has been taught how to play games like Tic Tac Toe, Uno, and Connect Four. He gives the best hugs and snuggles and loyally stays by the side of each new friend that he meets, however long the day may be.

Pizzaz has comforted and calmed countless people when they were emotionally vulnerable and needed it most. Once back home, Pizzaz prefers to find a good stick and let the worries of the day melt away. Dr. Huey happily gave Pizzaz the all-clear following his eye exam. We loved meeting Pizzaz and look forward to seeing him and his lovely handler again next year. Keep up the good work, Pizzaz! 💙🐾

04/21/2025

🐾 April 20-26, 2025 is Veterinary Receptionist Week. Join us in celebrating our dedicated team of receptionists at MVS!

Our reception team is present 24 hours a day, 365 days a year! (When describing this team as dedicated, we really mean it!) They are essential members of our team, committed to taking care of you, so our veterinarians and technicians can focus on taking care of your pet. Join us this week as we recognize this team and their contributions. 🐾

04/01/2025

We are happy to announce our participation in the ACVO/Epicur National Service Animal Eye Exam Event. This event is held annually to provide free ocular screening eye exams to qualified Service and Working Animals including but not limited to the following services: Guide, Hearing Assistance, Drug Detection, Police/Military, Search and Rescue, and Therapy.

The purpose of the ocular screening is to identify problems early. Some abnormalities might need to be treated to prevent or delay progression. Other sight-threatening conditions such as retinal disease, cataracts, or glaucoma can be identified.

The exam requires no sedation, minimal restraint, and is non-painful. Utilize this opportunity to have your working animal's eyes examined for FREE by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist.

If you or someone you know could benefit from this service, register now using the this link:
https://www.cognitoforms.com/ACVO1/ACVOServiceAnimalVolunteerEyeScreening

Once registered, please call our clinic to schedule your appointment with Dr. Huey. While scheduling the appointment, please identify yourself as participating in the ACVO®/Epicur Service Animal Volunteer Eye Screening and provide your registration number.
P: (901)624-9002 option 4 or Ask to speak to our Ophthalmology Department
Email:[email protected]

We look forward to seeing your service animal!

03/16/2025

🐾 🚑 Food bloat is a condition in which a pet’s stomach has become over-filled and distended after the pet eats a large amount of food all at once. The majority of food bloat cases happen because a pet ransacked a bag of dog or cat food and then gorged to capacity (or beyond!) However, food bloat can also occur if a pet gets into the trash or eats a lot of human food.

In addition to the risk of dehydration, pets with food bloat can also experience pancreatitis or an obstruction caused by the food’s packaging. Most dangerously though, food bloat can sometimes lead to Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus (GDV), a life-threatening condition where the stomach twists and emergency surgery is needed. Treatment is advised to help monitor and treat symptoms and to rule out more grave diagnoses like GDV.

If you catch your pet overindulging on food or notice your pet has a large, distended stomach, contact your family veterinarian or local animal emergency hospital! They can help determine the best course of action based on how much your pet ate and/or their symptoms. ❤️

03/11/2025

Gorilla Glue: “Strong enough for the toughest jobs on planet Earth…”… until stomach acid is involved.

While playing with the glue tube, Maggie chewed holes in the packaging. It is unclear how much of the glue she ingested, but a large amount of the glue was found stuck to the carpet. The owners immediately contacted the ASPCA pet poison control hotline, which instructed them to seek veterinary care immediately.

Upon presentation to Memphis Veterinary Specialists Emergency Department, Maggie was noted to be groaning and visibly uncomfortable. The ER doctor performed standard diagnostics including a physical examination, bloodwork, and abdominal radiographs. The abdominal radiographs confirmed a moderately distended stomach with a mottled appearance consistent with glue ingestion. The material in her stomach was noted to be blocking the outflow of the stomach to the small intestines, causing an obstruction. Due to this obstructive pattern on x-rays and the patient’s general discomfort, surgery was recommended.

Thankfully, household adhesives are relatively non-toxic. Once ingested, the glue (polymeric liquid) goes through a process of denaturing, rendering its adhesive properties moot. However, the glue expands, becomes hard, incorporates with any material within the stomach (i.e. food, foreign matter, etc.), and ultimately blocks the natural flow of the gastric system. This is why surgical removal is often required. If a small enough amount of the glue is ingested, it may be possible to remove the glue via a minimally invasive scoping procedure or supporting the body as the glue passes naturally.

In Maggie’s case, we knew that the Gorilla Glue tube contained 6 ounces. A large portion of the glue was present on the carpet or still within the tube. She was estimated to have ingested approximately 2 ounces of glue. This was enough to cause a partial to complete obstruction and the owners elected to proceed with surgery as recommended.

During surgery, an incision was made into her stomach and the glue was removed. This procedure is called a gastrotomy. For any gastrointestinal surgery, the aim is to make the smallest incision possible to help prevent healing complications and to decrease the change of abdominal contamination. However, due to the firm nature of the glue foreign material, a very large incision had to be made. Maggie’s surgery was uneventful and the glue was easily removed in one piece. Maggie recovered from surgery without complications and went home to her family after two days in hospital.

Thanks to the dedication of Maggie’s owners, care was sought quickly and Maggie had a favorable outcome. She has made a full recovery and is back home to her spunky, playful, vocal, loving, squirrel chasing self. 🐿️🐾💗

02/26/2025

We admire and appreciate the work our friends at The Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County do on behalf of disadvantaged dogs and cats in our community. Join us in supporting them by participating in The Fast and Furriest 5K Saturday March 15th! 🐾🏃‍♀️

One thing is certain: our community needs a robust network of committed and animal-focused veterinarians. The Fast & The Furriest silver sponsor, Memphis Veterinary Specialists, sets the standard for care in the Mid-South! We appreciate how MVS has supported the Humane Society and the animals in our care over the years.

Make plans to chat with their team before the race on March 15! If you haven't already, there is still time to register: https://fastandfurriest5k.raceroster.com/