North River Animal Hospital

North River Animal Hospital Locally Owned
Compassionate Care, Modern Medicine
AAHA accredited, Fear Free & Cat Friendly Certified

Meet “Dove” 🕊️🕊️🥰Dove came in for what became a truly fascinating — and potentially life-saving — surgery. We diagnosed ...
05/13/2026

Meet “Dove” 🕊️🕊️🥰

Dove came in for what became a truly fascinating — and potentially life-saving — surgery. We diagnosed her with a hydrometra, a fluid filled (but not infected) uterus. During the surgery, the uterus was found to be divided into four distinct fluid-filled compartments, something very unusual to see in veterinary medicine. The third image is a picture showing what we found, the last is a normal uterus for a cat I pulled off Google. WILD!

We believe Dove was born with a congenital uterine malformation, meaning she was born with this deformity. She would be at higher risk for infections because secretions and normal cell turn over can’t leave the uterus. It is possible this pet had this hydrometra for a while (sometimes that happens!) and the body developed scar tissue and adhesions to attempt to self treat.

She had emergency surgery a few weeks ago and she has healed great and is thriving! Dove is under the care of blue water area humane society and is one of their adoptable cats. Surgery was made possible due to the donations this community has made to the cause. We love this town. ❤️

Pathology results are back on that patient’s enlarged o***y, and the diagnosis was a Granulosa Cell Tumor — a rare ovari...
05/12/2026

Pathology results are back on that patient’s enlarged o***y, and the diagnosis was a Granulosa Cell Tumor — a rare ovarian tumor arising from the hormone-producing cells of the o***y.

While ovarian tumors are uncommon in dogs overall, granulosa cell tumors are one of the more commonly reported ovarian tumor types in intact female dogs. They are most often diagnosed in middle-aged to older dogs, with many studies reporting an average age around 9–10+ years old. Certain breeds including Boxers, German Shepherds, Yorkshire Terriers, and English Bulldogs may be predisposed.

These tumors can produce hormones, which may lead to subtle or unusual signs such as irregular heat cycles, v***ar enlargement, mammary development, hair loss, pyometra, or cystic changes within the uterus. In one veterinary study, endometrial hyperplasia was present in nearly all dogs diagnosed with granulosa cell tumors.

The encouraging news is that many granulosa cell tumors are unilateral and surgical removal is often curative when caught before spread occurs. (Sage Journals)🐾

And guess what, this pet was a boxer (not boxer in this photo), was brought in for an irregular heat cycle, and was found to have hairloss and an enlarged v***a. The biopsy report showed the starting signs of a pyometra and inflammation within the uterus as well as secondary changes to the other o***y because of the estrogen production!

Let's welcome our April Newest Additions to North River Animal Hospital.
05/11/2026

Let's welcome our April Newest Additions to North River Animal Hospital.

Happy Mother’s Day to the amazing moms of our veterinary team! 💐Every day, they care for pets and people with compassion...
05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to the amazing moms of our veterinary team! 💐

Every day, they care for pets and people with compassion, patience, and heart — and then go home and continue that same love with their own families. We’re so grateful for the kindness, strength, multitasking, and dedication they bring both to our hospital and to motherhood.

Today we’re celebrating the moms behind the scrubs, stethoscopes, and smiles. Thank you for everything you do for your families, your patients, and our team. ❤️

Wishing all the moms, stepmoms, grandmas, pet moms, and mother figures a beautiful Mother’s Day! 🐾💕

⚠️Viewer discretion is advised?? ⚠️We have had several surgeries lately that have been very unique! I’ll post some of th...
05/09/2026

⚠️Viewer discretion is advised?? ⚠️We have had several surgeries lately that have been very unique! I’ll post some of them with pet updates and biopsy reports in the coming weeks. 🩺 Sometimes anatomy doesn’t read the textbook.

This surgery turned into a lifesaving emergency after severe disease was discovered affecting both ovaries and the uterus (3 different disease processes!). The final image shows what a normal canine uterus typically looks like for comparison (took from Google- I need to take normal anatomy pictures for these posts!).

Many reproductive diseases develop silently, with no exception here. This pet was taken to a veterinary clinic because she was expected to go into heat and never started her cycle. She came to us the next day with recommendations to spay and we approved a same day surgery. To our surprise, this was what we found.

A huge shoutout to this owner for choosing to spay when they did — that decision saved a life. 🐾

Cases like this are a reminder that every patient is unique, every surgery can bring surprises, and our team lives for this stuff! (810) 985-6117

Sometimes helping one patient means another patient steps up to help too 💉🐾Today this sweet pup donated a blood sample s...
05/08/2026

Sometimes helping one patient means another patient steps up to help too 💉🐾

Today this sweet pup donated a blood sample so we could create special serum eye drops for another dog battling a painful corneal ulcer. These drops use natural healing factors from blood serum to help support the eye’s recovery and comfort.

Veterinary medicine is full of teamwork — between pets, owners, and veterinary staff — and moments like this remind us how amazing that bond can be ❤️

Our donor earned plenty of treats, praise, and extra cuddles for being such a good helper today! 🦴

Happy Veterinary Receptionist Appreciation Week!Although the week is almost over, our appreciation for these ladies is i...
04/24/2026

Happy Veterinary Receptionist Appreciation Week!
Although the week is almost over, our appreciation for these ladies is infinite!
These beautiful women are the frontliners of North River Animal Hospital!
There are so many important and necessary tasks that they do, from answering the phones with grace, to scheduling the appointments that help our day run smooth as butter! Cheyenne, Hannah, Emilee, Brooklyn, and Sabrina are their names, and you can always tell them how much you appreciate their help, they love to hear it!
Thank you ladies for being so good at your jobs, keeping the day running smooth, and ensuring the clients and patients always have what they need!

04/23/2026

A fresh start ✂️🐾
No shame—just comfort, care, and a much happier kitty 💛

North River Animal Hospital
(810) 985-6117

Another 10 year milestone today. Not to be outdone by Alice, our own L.V.T. Loren is celebrating 10 years with North Riv...
04/22/2026

Another 10 year milestone today. Not to be outdone by Alice, our own L.V.T. Loren is celebrating 10 years with North River. Please join us in celebrating this awesome achievement.

There's nothing we love more than seeing our furry friends celebrate big milestones! Shout out to Alice who recently cel...
04/21/2026

There's nothing we love more than seeing our furry friends celebrate big milestones! Shout out to Alice who recently celebrated her 10th birthday with a photoshoot to celebrate the festivities! 🎊Thank you to Alice's mom who thought to include us in sharing this sweet moment ♥

First—don’t panic. Take a breath. This is a common call we get, and many cases can be managed safely with the right step...
04/20/2026

First—don’t panic. Take a breath. This is a common call we get, and many cases can be managed safely with the right steps.

What matters most:
✔️ Type of chocolate
Dark chocolate and baking chocolate are the most toxic. Milk chocolate is less concerning, and white chocolate rarely causes toxicity.

✔️ How much they ate
Toxicity depends on your dog’s weight AND the amount consumed. A small nibble of milk chocolate? Usually low risk. A large amount of dark chocolate? That’s more serious.

What to watch for:
👀 Vomiting
👀 Diarrhea
👀 Restlessness or pacing
👀 Increased heart rate
👀 Tremors or seizures (in severe cases)

Timing is important ⏰
If ingestion happened within the last 1–2 hours, your vet may recommend inducing vomiting to prevent absorption. After that window, treatment focuses on monitoring and supportive care.

What should you do next?
📞 Call your vet (or an emergency clinic) with:
• Your dog’s weight
• Type of chocolate
• Estimated amount eaten
• Time of ingestion

No vet available? You still have options:
📱 ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee may apply)
📱 Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661 (fee may apply)
🌐 Chocolate toxicity calculator: www.vets-now.com/dog-chocolate-toxicity-calculator FREE!

These resources can help you quickly assess risk and guide next steps.

When in doubt, call. That’s what we’re here for! (810) 985-6117

Address

2909 N River Road
Fort Gratiot, MI
48059

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6pm
Tuesday 8am - 6pm
Wednesday 8am - 6pm
Thursday 8am - 6pm
Friday 8am - 6pm

Telephone

(810) 985-6117

Website

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