Shadowridge Veterinary Hospital

04/10/2026

Update on the golden retrievers rescued in Bonsall:

Seven dogs were found abandoned and severely neglected on March 24, and two more were safely rescued in the days that followed. All were brought to our Bonita shelter, where veterinary and animal care teams immediately began intensive treatment and nutrition support.

One younger dog being treated for pneumonia did not survive despite close monitoring and care. The remaining dogs are gaining strength, showing gentle temperaments and slowly building confidence with our staff’s support.

Our officers are still working to find two additional dogs believed to be in the area. If you live near Bonsall and see them, please contact County Animal Services.

04/09/2026

Today we saw multiple cases of suspected Distemper and Parvovirus. All pets affected had one set of vaccines as a puppy but not the full series. It is really important to get a complete DHLP-Parvo vaccine series at age 8,12 and 16 weeks of age to give your pet adequate immunity. Some people adopt dogs and are told “they had all their vaccines” but what really happened is they had one set for their age. But they don’t realize they need more after that. Always talk to your local vet about what’s needed and when.

04/09/2026

Before and After photo of a dog that had Gingival Hyperplasia treated with the CO2 Surgical Laser. Most dogs show no signs of this condition. Some dogs may show reluctance to chew on bones or toys or play with toys or eat hard food. Some dogs may have oral bleeding. Laser surgery removed the excess tissue basically vaporizing or ablating it. The laser seals nerve endings so less pain, it seals the lymphatic vessels so less swelling and it cauterizes the blood vessels as it cuts so less bleeding. Van you guess what breed is most commonly treated for this hereditary condition?

04/08/2026

This is the inside of the knee joint. The trochlear groove is what the knee cap slides in. One arrow is pointing to an erosion or wearing or defect in the smooth cartilage on the groove. The other arrow is pointing to a partially torn Anterior or Cranial Cruciate Ligament. Surgery can restore normal function and eliminate pain in dogs with ruptured ACLs. We do Lateral Suture Stabilization as well as TPLO surgery for these injuries. Studies show that one year after surgery, 95% of dogs had 95% or better full function on the knee regardless of what type of surgery was done. TPLO, TTA and Lateral Suture ass work just as well.

04/07/2026

A video and photographic tour of BOAS surgery in Brachiocephalic Dogs, aka Bulldogs, Frenchies, Pugs, Boston Terriers etc. by far the most common surgery we do in the Frenchie breed now due to their popularity. BOAS stands for Brachiocephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome. They are born this way. The syndrome consists of any or all three of the following problems: Stenotic nares (narrowed nostrils), Elongated Soft Palate, Everted
Laryngeal saccules. We fixed all three in this patient today. Videos in comments

04/03/2026

03/21/2026

If you can donate to the shelter rescue efforts, please pass this on.

02/21/2026

02/21/2026

Interesting information on Fipronil. I personally never recommended its use because I thought it didn’t work well on fleas but now they are learning about its effects on wildlife.

In December, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) released a memorandum on the effect of fipronil on aquatic wildlife and invited the public and interested stakeholders to comment on their findings about the destructive effect of the pesticide in the environment.

Fipronil has historically been used in veterinary medicine as the active ingredient in flea control products for pets. While the use of fipronil has diminished with the advent of newer and more effective systemic treatments offered through veterinary practices, pet owners—approximately 25% of whom cannot afford basic veterinary care—rely upon products containing fipronil that can be purchased over-the-counter to improve the lives of their animals and household members. The CVMA finds the DPR's study compelling, and hopes that the agency will carefully navigate this issue should the DPR make further efforts to regulate or ban the pesticide.

Read the CVMA's full comment letter here:https://cvma.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/CVMA-Comments-on-2025-Firponil-Study.pdf

02/12/2026

01/29/2026

Good parenting advice

01/27/2026

An example of positive training