Angel is a senior pittie who came to see us at Vets in Vans for a dental consult. Her mama adopted her from Oakland Animal Services. It just so happens that Dr. Lauren Park operated on her when she was a shelter vet at OAS a year ago! Angel came in as a stray with a large mass on her leg. She had the large mass removed from her leg while she was at the shelter, in hopes that she would find a loving home. We are so happy to see that Angel hit the jackpot! She’s living her best potato life in a loving home and we were so excited to see her thriving! Angel is still the sweetest pup and wanted to give everyone walking by her famous kisses. Senior dogs make fabulous pets and would make a great addition in any home. If you are looking to add a dog or cat to your family, please consider adopting a senior. They are easily overlooked, but can make some of the best pets! Angel definitely hit the jackpot with her family, but we can also say her family hit the jackpot as well 😊❤️. We can see why they kept her name!

Tootsie is an 8YO FS domestic medium hair who was born with a congenital deformity in her left hind leg. She never had a fully developed left hind leg. She adapted very well and was able to live with that leg for all her life; however, as she got older, she started putting more weight on the deformed leg. Because she did not have a paw in that limb, she was developing painful ulcers at the bottom of the underdeveloped leg. Her owner was concerned that Tootsie would have to live with painful ulcerations. Tootsie was seen by Dr. Tracy Huang for a consult and she recommended amputation of the limb, so that she would not put weight on the limb that would cause ulcerations. Tootsie’s owner came back for the amputation procedure with Dr. Lauren Park. With appropriate anesthesia and multi-modal pain management approach during surgery, Tootsie recovered very well and her owner is very grateful that we could help! She’s so happy that Tootsie will now live a pain-free life that she said she was going to refer all her friends to Vets in Vans for their pet care. Good luck Tootsie!

Dr. Tracy Huang had a favorite patient today and the feeling was mutual ❤️

Bubbles is a 2YO male tom cat who is a shelter cat at Alameda Shelter. He is such a sweet cat, but he had a very painful eye condition called entropion. Entropion is an abnormal inward rolling of the eyelids. This causes abnormal painful irritation and friction on the surface of the eye. Entropion is especially irritating to the cornea, or the curved, clear part of the eye and this can cause scratches, ulcers, inflammation, discharge, and pain. Friends of Alameda Animal Shelter reached out to us for the procedure to help him get some relief from his pain. We neutered him and repaired both his eyes at the same time. His eyelids no longer scratch his eye surface and he can now live a pain free life! We are rooting for sweet Bubbles and we hope he finds a forever home soon!

Opal was the best patient and gave us the best kisses ❤️

Adorable Cha Cha’s mom had a great experience with Vets in Vans: “I know you asked for a "blurb" but I couldn't help writing more because it was a wonderful experience! We adopted the adorable, super sweet Chacha from Muttville end of September 2022; We even kept her Muttville name because it suited her. But we noticed right away she had some health issues. If picked up a certain way, she yelped with pain. She also had a touchy hind leg that made her limp. Chacha preferred to stay in her bed or on the couch most of the time. Walks were slow and abbreviated. After visits to our vet for X-rays and an ultrasound, they discovered a large tumor growing on her spleen. They suggested removing the spleen immediately and then focus on the leg, which they suspected was a torn ligament. Of course, we agreed but were apprehensive about the cost. So when we received the estimate, we weren't shocked but sadly knew it was out of our budget. To do nothing for Chacha was not an option. The only way to help her was to return her to Muttville, which broke our hearts. I talked to Angela at Muttville, who told me about Vets in Vans, a low-cost non-profit that believes the cost of veterinary care should not be a barrier to being a pet parent. We had never heard of this organization but knew it was exactly what we needed. I made the appointment for Chacha. The process was easy, and everyone was helpful, caring, and nice. Angela said their surgeons were amazing, and she was right. Chacha recovered nicely without any problems. We received several follow-up emails and calls checking on her progress. Apparently, the tumor had been affecting her leg because after surgery, the limp disappeared. Chacha now loves long walks, runs around the house, and plays with her doggy toys. She almost tap dances whenever it's mealtime. Thank you, Dr. Lauren and Vets in Vans!” We’re so happy to see Cha Cha feeling so much better! We also can’t get over how adorable she is ❤️❤️❤️