Samuel Durkan, DVM, DACVECC

The presence of respiratory distress indicates either a problems with obstruction (e.g. laryngeal paralysis) or the lungs or pleural space.

Primary hemostasis occurs when platelets attach to a damaged or disrupted area of the endothelium.

Pain is defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain as an unpleasant sensory or emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage.

Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen and a biological system's ability to readily detoxify the reactive intermediates or easily repair the resulting damage.

The goal of secondary hemostasis is to stabilize the platelet aggregate by weaving a meshwork of fibrin to cement the thrombus.

The acute abdomen implies an otherwise normal animal that has developed a recent and acute onset of signs that stem from the abdominal region in general or often specifically the gastrointestinal tract.

Environmental emergencies may include heat and cold related injury, smoke inhalation, water accidents, reptile and insect bites, and an endless list of toxins.

Diabetic ketoacidosis is one of the more common endocrine emergencies seen in veterinary emergency centers throughout the US.

Relative adrenal insufficiency (RAI) has been recognized with increasing frequency in critically ill people, particularly in association with sepsis.