Dr. Rachel Siu

It’s grass awn season! 🌾 Although little, dox tails can have big consequences if they become imbedded in your dog’s skin. These can migrate through the skin and can cause abscesses or serious damage. Luckily we were able to sedate and explore this wound. He’s definitely going to feel much better now! Send this to a dog owner so they can know what to look out for. Sometimes a tiny wound is just the tip of an iceberg! 🐶 #foxtail #grassawn #dog #dogs #pup #puppy #animals #pets #doodle #vet #vetmed #veterinarian #veterinary #medicine #veterinarymedicine #veterinaria #medical #doctor #premed #prevet #vettech

We custom built our home around our animals, featuring: - Cat ledge - Built in aviary - Litter box nooks - (Future) enclosed patio - Reptile room (shoutout to @Dubia.com , @Mike Wilbanks , and @TheBioDude) - Reptile themed bathroom - Outdoor box turtle habitat - Anatomy collection - Wooded creek with wildlife cameras What do you think? Are we missing anything? 🤔 Special thanks to my husband for tolerating my crazy ideas 🤪 and making this dream home possible. #customhome #customhomes #wildlife #cats #birds #reptiles #animals #pets #nature #vet #vetmed #veterinarian #veterinary #Home #house #interiordesign #dreamhome #renovation #homedesign #homebuilder #luxuryhomes

You’ll never guess what we removed from this leopard gecko’s eye. 👀 This is actually a built up of keratin, debris, sometimes pus, and shed skin from the eyelids. The build up of keratin can become so intense that it starts to distort the eye and eyelids, like you see here. This issue can be pretty uncomfortable, and leopard geckos affected will often stop eating, especially if it occurs in both eyes and they cannot see, as they are very visual hunters. In severe cases, they can lose their eyes from infection and ulceration, but many do well with medicated eye drops or ointment once the material has been cleared. This condition is often caused by a vitamin A deficiency or improper husbandry, which leads to improper shedding and the inability to clear debris from their eyes. Please, do not attempt this at home as it is very easy to damage the eye underneath if you do not know what you’re doing or if you do not have the adequate tools to do so. In many cases, pain medication or sedation may need to be used, as leopard geckos can also drop their tails when stressed. To prevent this issue, you should feed a variety of insects that have been gut loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables, and include powdered supplements that include a multivitamin with pre-formed vitamin A. You can only imagine the relief this gecko felt once this material was removed! 🦎 #gecko #leopardgecko #lizard #reptile #reptiles #zoo #exotics #wildlife #animals #pets #nature #leopardgeckos #geckos #vet #vetmed #veterinarian #veterinary #medicine #veterinarymedicine #veterinaria #medical #doctor #premed #prevet #vettech

Here we are doing an ultrasound of a chameleon suffering from follicular stasis. All of those round structures that you see are follicles, which are the precursors to eggs. The black that you see around those structures is fluid. Normally when a reptile creates these follicles, they will either reabsorb them, or they will ovulate and go through the rest of the reproductive tract, turning into infertile eggs. The problem arises when the reptile’s follicles fail to regress or ovulate. When they are static, they can become inspissated or necrotic, and can even rupture, leading to egg-yolk coelomitis. Once coelomitis sets in, the prognosis is much worse. The treatment for follicular stasis is spaying, but due to how weak she was and her guarded prognosis, the owner elected for humane euthanasia so she did not suffer. The best way to prevent this from occurring is keeping optimal husbandry, so always double check your temperatures, humidity, calcium supplementation, and UV lights. It’s also important to keep your reptile at an optimum weight, as obesity can be a contributing factor. Reptiles should also have either a focal area or an entire enclosure full of substrate to dig and lay eggs in. #chameleon #chameleons #reptile #reptiles #lizard #lizards #zoo #exotics #wildlife #rescue #conservation #animals #pets #nature #vet #vetmed #veterinarian #veterinary #medicine #veterinarymedicine #veterinaria #medical #doctor #premed #prevet #vettech #follicularstasis

Has your pet ever had their eye stained to check for ulcers? These fluorescein test strips highlight corneal defects. It’s a pretty simple and satisfying diagnostic! If you stayed until the end- yes, I did in fact burn my eyeball on a hair curling iron. No, it didn’t leave any lasting effects, other than humiliation from my peers for having to wear sunglasses and an eye patch for two weeks while in high school. 😂 #eye #eyes #ulcer #ophthalmology #ophthalmologist #dog #dogs #germanshepherd #pets #vet #vetmed #veterinarian #veterinary #medicine #veterinarymedicine #veterinaria #medical #doctor #premed #prevet #vettech