Last week we received this touching email from a recent client regarding her dog Katie who was diagnosed with acute lympoblastic leukemia earlier this year. While we remain saddened by her loss we are proud of our team for doing such an excellent job and proud of the good the owner and the Richmond SPCA are doing in honor of Katie:

“In early January, Katie was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She was originally there for what we all thought was some type of neck injury. As she was about to have an MRI a blood test was done and revealed that it was leukemia. Unfortunately, at that moment, I was out of town visiting my Mom who had had surgery so I was unable to come back to Richmond for a few days.

Throughout the entire time, while I was out of town and when I returned, the doctors and all staff who were involved could not have been more caring, thorough, knowledgeable, patient and wonderful in every way. They took many, many calls from me while I was out of town and when I returned and when I was there everyone was incredibly kind and helpful on every level.

I guess I have waited to send this as I am probably still in shock—it happened so quickly and I still have some tough times. I would especially like to thank Dr. Williams, Dr. Shaughnessy, Dr. Thompson & Dr. Gick for all that they did for Katie & for me. Dr. Gick was there when I said good-bye and she was just incredibly kind, patient & supportive. Please know that I know that you all did everything you could for my Katie. Of course, Dr. Weidman is there now and was Katie’s “heart keeper”---he sent a lovely card as did all of you.

I would also like to say that you all are so, so fortunate to have wonderful Millie. You could not have a more devoted or marvelous person there. She was always so caring and comforting and she has a great sense of humor, all important in my book.

You have a beautiful facility with outstanding people. Please know that I have told many about Dogwood and will continue to do so. Forgive me please for this very belated thank you. I would so appreciate it if you would share it with your staff.”

- Pat

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Above this post is a wonderful video of Katie that was put together by the Richmond SPCA which also serves to announce the Katie Manning Memorial Scholarship Fund. You can read more and support this great cause here.

April 23rd, 2012

It's hard to believe but Richmond Animal League's Woofstock is now only a few days away. We hope you'll join us this Saturday for some fun and the chance to support such a great cause!

Please click here to learn more.

April 20th, 2012

Thank you to all who attended our excellent TECH TALK last night! All in all we had about 30 in attendance and greatly enjoyed filling our conference room with so many people who are dedicated to continuing education.

A special thank you to the Virginia Association of Licensed Veterinary Technicians and to Bush Veterinary Neurology Service for sponsoring the event last night and for their generous support of veterinary education in Richmond!

April 10th, 2012

Did you know that our area is listed as an area of EXTREME risk for heartworm disease this year? Luckily, this potentially fatal disease is preventable with treatment. If your pet is not receiving heartworm prevention please see your area veterinarian who can help you prevent this deadly disease.

April 9th, 2012

Our new Steel Dog on display with "Jethro", one of the many Dogwood mascots (who is also a rescue from the Richmond SPCA), at Sunday's Easter on Parade. We hope you made it out to the festivities or at least got outside to enjoy the great weather!

March 29th, 2012

We just received this great quote from a recent client and had to share it. Please help us spread the word about Dogwood by sharing this with your friends and family!

"I just wanted to thank you all for the great care my dog, Ms. Helen received there last week. EVERYONE was so friendly- it really put my mind at ease. You guys are the best!!! Thank you all for your hard work and for all the TLC and love you gave my baby."

Lisa M.

March 28th, 2012

Tonight we host our second CE event of the year and have almost 40 veterinary professionals coming! Thank you to Chesapeake Veterinary Cardiology Associates for sponsoring this talk and to Dr. Jess Weidman for presenting!

While registration for this meeting is closed, if you are a veterinary professional you can learn more about upcoming CE by visiting this page and registering for future events.

March 16th, 2012

Today, we would like to introduce King who came in this week to see Dr. Williamson of Veterinary Dermatology of Richmond. While he was at Dogwood he made the rounds visiting with everyone in the waiting room and his mom shared this cool pic of him because he loves to swim!

To learn more about Veterinary Dermatology of Richmond and the amazing work they do, please visit their site.

February 27th, 2012

We are sponsoring and exhibiting at the upcoming Richmond SPCa Dog Jog on March 24th. Are you coming out to join us? We'd love to see you! Support this great cause by registering and by showing your support on Facebook!

February 22nd, 2012

We are getting ready to attend the upcoming Virginia Veterinary Conference!

If you are make sure you stop by our table and make sure to attend the presentation on Friday afternoon by Dr. Bill Bush of Bush Veterinary Neurology Service. He will present on the "Five Disk Diseases" which we are sure is going to be a very informative presentation!

February 18th, 2012

The Pet Expo is today! Thanks to RichmondPetLovers.com for posting this great video from last year. A bunch of the Dogwood staff will be out at the event so make sure to stop by and check out our booth!

February 13th, 2012

Today we would like to introduce Clifford who was a recent patient of our Internal Medicine and Surgery groups. Clifford is a 6 ½ year old standard dachshund who was referred to our hospital by Dr. Metry and Dr. Riddle at Colonial Heights Veterinary Hospital. He was referred for nasal congestion w/discharge from the nose and both eyes as well as having inflamed ears, being lethargic and having a decreased appetite. During our initial examination we also found that Clifford had conjunctivitis, enlargement of his liver and spleen, ulceration of his mouth and foot pad sloughing. An abdominal ultrasound was performed by Dr. Lisa Paull and blood work was also performed.

The abdominal ultrasound was suspicious for a possible mass and showed areas of inflammation in his mesentery (a part of the abdomen that encloses and connects your abdominal organs). As a result we took a biopsy of his nose and foot pads and recommended abdominal exploratory surgery, which was performed by Dr. Barnes at Virginia Veterinary Surgical Associates. Dr. Barnes did not find a mass in the abdomen, but he did find an unusual amount of inflammation and took biopsies of several areas to submit for histopathologic review.

The results from the biopsies and his blood work showed that Clifford had an immune- mediated vasculitis and granulomatous lymphangitis (inflammation of the lymphatic system). Clifford was started on a course of oral antibiotics, topical antibiotics, steroids and supportive care that included keeping socks on his feet and baggies over them to protect his pads while walking.

It has now been three weeks since Clifford’s surgery and diagnosis and he is doing wonderfully! His appetite is back, his foot pads are growing back beautifully, his nose has been healing well, his mouth ulcers are almost gone and his ears are almost completely clear and healed. He is doing such an amazing job at healing and we just love seeing him feel and act like his normal self again!

January 27th, 2012

We are proud to announce that we will be sponsoring and exhibiting at the Henrico County Humane Society Pet Expo on 2/18 from 10 am to 4 pm. Pets get in free and there is plenty to do for every pet lover. Check out the flyer for the event to learn more. We hope to see you at the Expo!

January 27th, 2012

Dogwood is currently in search of a new associate Emergency Clinician for our Emergency team. You can learn more by visiting our posts on Craiglist and the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association website. Interested and qualified individuals should contact Dr. Alyssa Thompson via email or by calling our hospital.

Please help us spread the word about this position by sharing this information with your friends and veterinary colleagues!

January 26th, 2012

Today, we'd like to send out a very big thank you to everyone who attended our very first CE last night. We truly appreciate the support and the opportunity to share our building with so many of the wonderful veterinarians in the area.

Also, a very special thank you to Bush Veterinary Neurology Service for hosting the event and to Drs.Young and Bush for presenting. The presentation was excellent, informative and very well received. We heard nothing but compliments!

Also, thank you to the staff at BVNS, at Dogwood and throughout the hospital who helped make the event a success. It was a very special night and it couldn't have happened without the support of everyone involved.

For more information on our CE series, please visit our site. We'd love to see any of you veterinary professionals at our next talk in March!

January 18th, 2012

Today just keeps getting better! We'd like to announce that we are expanding our Emergency team and that we are actively seeking an associate emergency clinician! You can learn more by visiting our posts on Craiglist and the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association website. Interested and qualified individuals should contact Dr. Alyssa Thompson via email or by calling our hospital.

Please help us spread the word about this position by sharing this information with your friends and veterinary colleagues!

January 18th, 2012

We are very happy to report that our ongoing series of TECH TALK continuing education events for 2012 is now sponsored by the Virginia Association of Licensed Veterinary Technicians! These events are now available for registration and participants will receive continuing education credit for their participation. Please note, these events are only open to veterinary professionals. Please visit our Education page for more information and check back later for an announcement about additional Tech Talk sessions that may be added to the schedule!

Thank you to the VALVT for their support and generosity in helping us with these events!

January 17th, 2012

‎"I'm so glad that Richmond now has a great emergency hospital where the people and the animals are going to be treated with such care, concern and compassion. Richmond has needed Dogwood for a long time. I had already told so many people about you guys, but now I can tell them so much more!!
- Owner of Munchkin and Dogwood client.

Today, we'd like you to meet Munchkin, a 5 year old pregnant shih tzu, who came into the Dogwood ER when she was having trouble delivering a litter of puppies. On examination, there was a puppy stuck in the birth canal with its head back. After manipulations were unsuccessful, Munchkin was taken to surgery where she had a c-section. The three puppies were delivered and resuscitated, though unfortunately the one that was stuck did not survive. The remaining puppies were healthy and started nursing right away after Munchkin recovered from surgery. Munchkin went home that night and has been doing well at home.

January 16th, 2012

Happy Monday, everyone. As you all know, today is a National Holiday set aside to honor and remember the work and life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Compassion, caring and love were often themes on which Dr. King wrote and spoke - they are also part of the core values of our hospital. So, today we thought we would share a quote that is a reminder that we can all do more to help others - and those others include both those who walk on two legs and those who walk on four!

"Life's most urgent question is, what are you doing for others?" - Martin Luther King, Jr.

We urge each of you to care for and love your family, friends and your pets. We also urge you to support the local nonprofits who work so hard to help the area pets who don't have yet to find homes. Take a few minutes to visit FETCH a Cure, Richmond Animal League and Richmond SPCA and find a way to help these great groups by donating some of your time, money or love to their efforts.

January 10th, 2012

Today, we'd like to introduce Poco shown in the image to the right with his mom (Poco is on the left). Click the image to see an "out take" from their photo session that is just too cute!

Poco was a recent patient at Dogwood who is now home and doing very well. Poco was admitted to our Emergency service because there was concern he might have ingested something he shouldn't have. Our Internal Medicine service was consulted and an abdominal ultrasound performed by Dr. Lisa Paull revealed evidence of multiple foreign bodies. A gastrotomy was later performed by Dr. Sevima Aktay of Virginia Veterinary Surgical Associates who removed two pieces of black rubber. Poco is now home and doing very well.

Everyone at Dogwood is happy that our team was able to help and that we have all of these excellent services available under one roof!

January 4th, 2012

We are excited to announce that Kelly Anderson, LVT joined our team on January 2nd. Kelly has been named as our Hospital Administrator, a new position at Dogwood and one that will help us continue to be at the forefront of Emergency & Specialty Medicine in Richmond. Kelly has already had a distinguished career as both an LVT and as an award-winning Practice Manager and we are excited to have her continue her career at Dogwood.

We are lucky to have Kelly on our team and we are sure that she will make a great addition to the Dogwood family. Please join us in welcoming Kelly to Dogwood.

We are also excited to announce that Dr. Alyssa Thompson, who has been serving as an Emergency Clinician at Dogwood since our opening has been promoted to Medical Director for Dogwood Veterinary Emergency and Dogwood Veterinary Internal Medicine. Dr. Thompson has been practicing as an Emergency clinician and primary care veterinarian in Richmond since 1998 and also served as Medical Director at a local primary care hospital before joining our team. You can read more about her background here.

We are excited that her role has expanded and that she is on board to help us provide the best service possible to you, your patients and your clients.

December 30th, 2011

December 27th, 2011

December 24th, 2011

December 19th, 2011

December 9th, 2011

Today, we've officially kicked off our Food for Fido campaign which benefits FETCH a Cure, the Richmond Animal League and the Richmond SPCA. For the next two weeks we will be accepting any unopened dog or cat food (wet or dry) from our staff, our partners and our friends and family. Please visit our site to learn more!

December 9th, 2011

We're calling today Feed the Hungry Friday because today we have kicked off our Food for Fido holiday giving campaign. Please visit our site to learn more, we'll also be posting about it a bit later this morning. But in the meantime, we wanted to share this photo of the beautiful Holiday Bone Tree we are hosting for FETCH a Cure. What a great program! We are very proud to be a supporter of this great group and all their efforts.

December 8th, 2011

We love it when we get to post great stories of patients who have roamed the halls of Dogwood. Head over to our neurology partner, Bush Veterinary Neurology Service to read about MameJane a recent patient who had successful back surgery by Dr. Martin Young.

Great job to Dr. Young and the hardworking staff at BVNS!

December 1st, 2011

Did you know that Dogwood Internal Medicine will open in less than two weeks? That’s right, we are busy getting everything ready to welcome Dr. Lisa Paull to Dogwood! If you would like to learn more about this service click here. While the new service doesn’t officially open until December 12th, it is accepting appointments NOW. Please contact us for more information!

November 22nd, 2011

Hi Everyone! We hope that each and every one of you has a great Thanksgiving planned, including plenty of time with friends and family. Dogwood will be open for emergency service 24-hours a day, including Thanksgiving and this weekend. We hope you don't have a need to see our emergency team but if you do they'll be here and ready to help! If you do, please feel free to contact us and we'll be happy to help.

Also, here is an update on the hours for our Dogwood specialty partners:

Cardiology will be closed on Thursday and Friday.
Dermatology will close at noon on Wednesday, and also be closed on Thursday and Friday.
Onsite MRI will be closed on Thursday.
Neurology/Neurosurgery will be closed on Thursday.
Oncology is closed and will resume their normal hours on Monday, the 28th. Surgery will be closed on Thursday and Friday.

If you have any questions you can find the contact information for each service on our site. Have a great and safe holiday and weekend, everyone!

November 14th, 2011

Today, we "officially" welcome Virginia Veterinary Surgical Associates to Dogwood. The VVSA team has been integral to moving Dogwood from a dream to a reality, a reality that is changing the face of veterinary emergency and specialty medicine in Richmond. So it is very exciting to have them all moved in, set up and ready for business at Dogwood!

Congratulations to everyone at VVSA and good luck on your first day and first week! We'd also like to extend a hearty welcome to all of the many VVSA clients and patients that will now be visiting the hospital. We hope you enjoy your visit and our hospital!

November 7th, 2011

Today, is the BIG day. In just minutes we officially open for business and will have our first patients and pets walk through our doors. Months and months of hard work, planning, excitement, energy and yes, a wee bit of stress and just a handful of sleepless nights, have been our gauntlet as Dogwood went from a dream to a reality.

A VERY BIG THANK YOU all our partners for their unwavering support, hard work and dedication; to all of our team members who have worked so very hard to start making our hospital into a true home; to our leaders (you know who you are!) for their love, support, vision and heart; and most of all to our supporters both online and off who have cheered us along and kept our spirits up.

Today is a BIG day not just for us but for all of Richmond and all of Central Virginia, we know this and are dedicated to bringing innovative, compassionate and exceptional medicine to every patient who needs it.

Please contact us to learn more!

November 3rd, 2011

Today, we are VERY EXCITED to announce that we are about to open for business! Dogwood will officially open for business on Monday, November 7th! We can't wait to begin serving the needs of our clients and patients in Richmond and Central Virginia and we hope that you are as excited as we are!

Please note that the following specialties will not be open on the 7th but will open soon, see below:

- Virginia Veterinary Surgical Associates at Dogwood:
   Opens on November 14th
- Dogwood Veterinary Internal Medicine:
   Opens on December 12th

October 31st, 2011

Today, we are very excited to announce the addition of another industry leading partner to the team at Dogwood! Radiocat - Centers for The Treatment of Feline Hyperthyroidism, the leader in radioiodine therapy for feline hyperthyroidism, will be coming to Richmond as a part of Dogwood in early 2012. Radiocat has 15 nationwide locations and has treated over 50,000 patients with feline hyperthyroidism, with a truly remarkable 98-99% cure rate! We are very excited to be bringing this innovative and effective treatment and this industry leading service to Richmond and Central Virginia. More information will be made available soon on the Dogwood website. Please join us in providing a warm welcome to Radiocat!

October 27th, 2011

While we work hard to open soon (and to save lives, see below), we are also actively working to help our local community. Our team will be walking and participating in this weekends 1st Annual Mutt Strutt organized by Fetch A Cure. We are excited to be involved and to be sponsoring such an exciting event that will help so many of our local animal family. Please join us as we walk to increase awareness and save lives!

October 27th, 2011

While we are busy with construction and getting ready to open, our partners are very busy saving lives and being leaders in the veterinary industry. Check out this case report on Puck, a patient of Bush Veterinary Neurology Service. Last week Puck had a brain tumor removed by BVNS and tissue from the tumor will be used to create a vaccine that will be used in his treatment. Amazing!

October 26th, 2011

Late last night, we announced that due to construction delays we must delay both our grand opening gala and the grand opening of Dogwood. This delay, while regretful, is necessary to ensure that when we open we are able to offer the exceptional service and medicine that we have promised and you expect. Our grand opening gala, which was originally scheduled for October 27th has now been POSTPONED until Friday, November 4th. Updated information can be found here. Our official open date will also be postponed and more information will be released soon! Our team appreciates your understanding and support while we work as hard as possible to be open as soon as possible.

October 18th, 2011

Have you checked out our Facebook page lately? If not head over there and "Like" us so you can see our latest construction photos and keep up with the latest news about our hospital and our partners. We look forward to seeing you on our Friends list soon!

October 3rd, 2011

Don't forget! This weekend Dogwood will be sponsoring the Fetch A Cure CE Event at the Science Museum. Drs. Young and Jarboe from Dogwood Partner, Bush Veterinary Neurology Service will be attending and they will give a lecture on distinguishing neurological disease from orthopedic disease in geriatric patients, titled "The Neurology Exam with a Focus on "Old Dogs": Nuances and Challenges." Please visit the Fetch A Cure site for more details and information.

October 1st, 2011

Dogwood is excited to announce that we will open our doors on November 1st! At that time we will be offering the following specialties: 24-Hour Emergency, Cardiology, Dermatology, Onsite MRI, Neurology/Neurosurgery, Oncology and Surgery.

We will be fully staffed and ready to see patients on that day. Many of our services will also begin accepting referrals and appointments on October 18th, more information will be available soon.

Please contact us with any questions, if you would like a tour of our facility or if you would like to learn more about our hospital. Thank you!

September 28th, 2011

As a part of our ongoing commitment to our community and to pet lovers in the area, we are very excited to announce a partnership with FETCH A CURE. FETCH works behalf of all pets and their owners who have been effected by cancer or by the effects of aging. Dogwood is excited that this ongoing and long-term partnership will benefit owners and pets throughout the area.

We will kickoff this partnership with participation in their 2011 Fall CE Course and their 1st Annual Mutt Strutt. We will release more details soon!

September 27th, 2011

We are VERY excited to announce that several of our doctors and specialists have been recognized by Virginia Living on their 2011 list of Top Veterinarians. Particularly, Dr. Rich Suess, Jr., Dr. Roy Barnes, Dr. Nicola Williamson, Dr. Jess Weidman, Dr. Chand Khanna and Dr. Martin Young have all been recognized. We know we are building a team of experienced experts but it is very nice to see recognition of this by Virginia Living!

Congratulations to each of you and to all the doctors and specialists who are included.

September 26th, 2011

This is a very exciting time for Dogwood as we lead up to our opening in early November and our hospital begins to truly take shape. Of the many exciting developments we would like announce that we have added two new specialties to our service listing: Dermatology and Oncology.

We are also excited to announce that we will begin to offer Internal Medicine services beginning on December 12th. Please contact us for more information!