Neurology & Neurosurgery

Red Bank Veterinary Hospitals Veterinary Neurology & Neurosurgery Specialists

The Red Bank Veterinary Hospitals Neurology & Neurosurgery Department offers evaluations and consultations for patients with neurologic disease. We provide specialized care for disorders of the nervous system, including:

  • Brain disorders
  • Disc herniation
  • Lumbosacral disorders
  • Muscle disorders
  • Neck and back pain
  • Nerve diseases
  • Seizure disorders
  • Sleep disorders
  • Spinal cord diseases

In addition, we address vestibular problems such as loss of balance and inner ear infections.

Diagnosing Neurologic Disease

Evaluations include a thorough assessment of your pet’s medical history and physical and neurologic examinations. Sometimes pets with neurologic disease exhibit frightening symptoms: paralysis, difficulty walking, tremors, and seizures. Observations of your pet’s behavior help us assess the patient and provide appropriate treatment plans.

Our diagnostic capabilities include:
  • Cerebrospinal fluid sampling—Fluid is collected from a space around the brain and spinal cord, and then analyzed for different substances.
  • Computed tomography (CT)—CT is an advanced imaging technique providing detailed images used to evaluate the nervous system.
  • Electromyography (EMG)—EMG is painless and often performed at the same time as nerve conduction studies.
  • BAER hearing test—Referred to as a BAER test, Brain Auditory Evoke Response diagnoses inherited deafness and problems within the brain.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)—MRI is the standard of care to evaluate the nervous system, a superior imaging modality.
  • Nerve conduction studies—This electro-diagnostic test evaluates the health of a nerve or nerves, often performed at the same time as an EMG.
  • Nerve and muscle biopsy—Biopsy is a simple surgical procedure that allows muscles and nerves to be evaluated microscopically.

These tests are all performed under short-acting anesthetic. They are used to diagnose and treat diseases of the nervous system such as neuropathies, myopathies, radiculopathies, myasthenia gravis, polymyositis, coonhound paralysis, and more. Common diseases evaluated with MRI include intervertebral disc disease, brain tumors, inflammation of the spinal cord and brain, and soft tissue and bony abnormalities that compress the nervous system.

Treating Neurological Disease

Once diagnosed, our specialists create a specific and tailored treatment plan for each patient with a neurological disorder. Treatment plans may include medical management, physical rehabilitation, and brain or spinal surgeries for tumor removal, biopsies, and the correction of disc disease and congenital malformations.

 

WHAT IS A BOARD CERTIFIED VETERINARY NEUROLOGIST?

Board certified neurologists are specialists who focus on diagnosing and treating diseases of the nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord. In addition to completing undergraduate training and four years of veterinary school, board certified neurologists complete an internship and residency in their specialized field, an additional three to five years of training. This is followed by a rigorous examination from the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM). Passing this examination grants the status of Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (DACVIM), with the area of concentration placed in parenthesis after that title: DACVIM (Neurology).

The ACVIM believes veterinary specialists bring a better understanding in these fields and have a greater knowledge of unusual, uncommon, and rare disorders.

Meet our Neurology & Neurosurgery Team


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