vet.helpful.notes

vet.helpful.notes 20+ years in practice. Follow me on Instagram! Over 22,000 sales on ETSY and 3800+ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviews Nicole Cohen, DVM DABVP

ABVP boarded in
Canine and Feline Practice
I help Veterinarians, Vet Techs and Students work smarter and have fun with unique visual guides and tools.

Was this obvious?Have you encountered sertoli-cell induced pancytopenia in practice?
06/03/2026

Was this obvious?

Have you encountered sertoli-cell induced pancytopenia in practice?

I read an interesting case report yesterday and discovered a technique I'd somehow never heard of before!Most of us know...
06/02/2026

I read an interesting case report yesterday and discovered a technique I'd somehow never heard of before!

Most of us know that during estrus, the vaginal mucosa thickens and becomes a keratinized squamous epithelium. As a result, vaginal cytology becomes dominated by superficial cells.

But here's the interesting part:

The same thing can happen in the preputial mucosa of male dogs exposed to excess estrogen!! 🤯

A simple preputial swab can be collected from the inner lining of the sheath and evaluated just like a vaginal cytology sample.

If more than 20% of the cells are superficial cells, that's strongly associated with estrogen influence.

(By the way, if you enjoy learning these little diagnostic pearls, you'll probably enjoy my Ultimate Veterinary Notes Bundle too.

Comment “Bundle” to learn more about them!)

Now, why does that matter?

Because excess estrogen in a male dog can occur with an estrogen-producing Sertoli cell tumor.

So if you have a male dog with:
• Cryptorchidism
• An abdominal mass
• Feminization
• Pancytopenia or bone marrow suppression

A quick preputial smear may support your suspicion that estrogen is involved.

Definitely one of those "how did I not know this already?" veterinary pearls.

These are exactly the kinds of practical, clinic-ready nuggets I love collecting and sharing. 👍

This may be an easy one.  But, perhaps you have not heard of this association.  Copper colored irises is not associated ...
05/31/2026

This may be an easy one.  But, perhaps you have not heard of this association.  

Copper colored irises is not associated with any other feline liver diseases— just liver shunts! 

So, it may be a congenital or hereditary association between iris color and this liver anomaly. 

If you’re a vet student or vet tech, I have a veterinary notes bundle that will help you feel more grounded stepping into the clinic. 

Comment “Copper” to find out more!

Unfortunately, if you notice acute atrophy over only one side of the head, it’s most likely a trigeminal nerve sheath tu...
05/29/2026

Unfortunately, if you notice acute atrophy over only one side of the head, it’s most likely a trigeminal nerve sheath tumor. 

(For more helpful veterinary content, comment “ NERVE “ )

The trigeminal nerve (cranial nerve V) has three major branches.  It supplies a mainly sensory input to a lot of places on the face- like the eyes, upper and lower jaw via the ophthalmic and the maxillary and mandibular branches. 

But it also provides motor input to the muscles of mastication: temporalis, masseter, and pterygoids.  

When motor input is cut, muscles atrophy FAST.  

In fact, generally speaking, if you see focal, well-demarcated muscle atrophy = suspect denervation!

For more helpful veterinary content, comment “ NERVE “

I love useful tidbits. Sometimes things look funky... but they're normal 👍If you're looking to create a strong foundatio...
05/27/2026

I love useful tidbits.

Sometimes things look funky... but they're normal 👍

If you're looking to create a strong foundation in vetmed, try the Ultimate Veterinary Notes Bundle.

✨️Comment " BASIC" to learn more!

Diagnosing Addison’s disease isn’t always as straightforward as noticing a high K, low Na.  It helps to know how other l...
05/26/2026

Diagnosing Addison’s disease isn’t always as straightforward as noticing a high K, low Na.  

It helps to know how other lab values tend to move.  

So, I researched what moves and why for this post.  

( Let me know if you'd like me to dissect another disease this way!)

Here’s another bloodwork tip to help you diagnose atypical Addison’s:  

In a study of 40 dogs with atypical Addison’s disease, 76% had hypocholesterolemia and 87% had hypoalbuminemia. 

So, any dog with chronic GI signs plus low albumin and/or low cholesterol should be screened for atypical Addison’s disease. 

🎉If you like concise visual veterinary summaries, comment “GI” to learn more about my visual veterinary notes bundle!

Here is a visual way to remember why you CAN go ahead and give Dex SP right away if you suspect an addisonian crisis!You...
05/24/2026

Here is a visual way to remember why you CAN go ahead and give Dex SP right away if you suspect an addisonian crisis!

Your ACTH stim can’t mistake Dex SP as cortisol!

The ACTH stimulation uses antibodies to " Tag" cortisol i order to measure it. But pred looks like cortisol and gets tagged too.

That will mess up you ACTH stimulation results.

But, in most Addison’s crises, your patient NEEDS steroids.

You CAN useDex SP . This page explains why: it LOOKS different. So, it won't get tagged on your ACTH stim test!

📚 More helpful pharmacology in my notes bundle. I designed it to be a great foundation for any veterinary student. 

Comment “PRED” to learn more about it!

05/22/2026

⏬️MORE HERE!! ⏬️

This dog had Eosinophilic Bronchopneumopathy.  It does not always present with a peripheral eosinophilia.

This is a recap of a published case report.

The disease can manifest as granulomas, lymphadenopathy, or just bronchitis.

Coughing and gagging are the main symptoms.

It occurs most often in middle aged dogs. Huskies and malamutes are more prone. Larger breeds like labs are more likely than smaller breeds to develop it.

Most dogs respond well to steroids , but relapses or recurrence are common.

Some dogs can be maintained on inhaled steroids.

I'll make more of these if you find them helpful. Let me know! 🫶

⭐️And, if a study bundle for veterinary medicine would help you prepare for school, rotations or the clinic, comment, " Cough "!

I made a resource just for that! ❤️ 

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