{"id":8519,"date":"2023-03-29T14:44:03","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T14:44:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aercmn.com\/?p=8519"},"modified":"2023-03-29T14:44:03","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T14:44:03","slug":"qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/","title":{"rendered":"Q&#038;A with a Board-Certified Veterinary Surgeon"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8523 aligncenter\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/5.png\" alt=\"veterinary surgery, veterinary surgery questions, veterinary surgeon, Twin Cities veterinary surgeon, Minnesota veterinary surgeon, Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/5.png 800w, https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/5-768x384.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Back in August of 2022, Dr. Anderson, one of our board-certified veterinary surgeons, joined Heidi Brenegan, our Chief Marketing Officer, for a Facebook Live video. During the video, Dr. Anderson answered a variety of questions centered around his own experience as a surgeon and common questions pet owners have about their pet\u2019s surgery.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You can read below for a summary of the Q&amp;A or watch the full video replay with more extensive information, including an insightful conversation about treatment options for a viewer\u2019s dog\u2019s torn CCL, here:\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none; overflow: hidden;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Faercmn%2Fvideos%2F1153367612058420%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"314\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/center><\/p>\n<h4>How long have you been a board-certified veterinary surgeon?<\/h4>\n<p><em><b>Dr. Anderson:<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Twenty years as of 2022. I passed my exam and completed all of my credentials in 2002.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><center><\/center><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The steps to become a board-certified surgeon:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Complete a 1\u20132-year internship<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Complete a 3-year residency<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Keep a logbook to record all surgeries that you do. You have to complete so many of each category, all supervised by a board-certified surgeon. You then submit all that information.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Take a 3-day exam and if you pass, then you are a board-certified surgeon.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This is all on top of undergrad &amp; veterinary school \u2013 it can be a 12-year process!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_8522\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8522\" class=\"wp-image-8522 size-full\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/4-1.png\" alt=\"veterinary x-rays, veterinary surgery, veterinary surgery questions, veterinary surgeon, Twin Cities veterinary surgeon, Minnesota veterinary surgeon, Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/4-1.png 800w, https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/4-1-768x384.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-8522\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>X-ray after a TPLO surgery.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<h4><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">At AERC, how many surgeries do you perform in a day?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><em><b>Dr. Anderson: <\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Typically, 3-7 surgeries a day, so about 6-15 surgeries per week. It\u2019s more than that when we add after-hour emergency surgeries.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What\u2019s your favorite surgery to perform?\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><em><b>Dr. Anderson:<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> My favorite general category is reconstructive surgery. That includes if a dog or cat sustains trauma &amp; has a large wound. It involves treating that wound &amp; subsequently, doing surgeries to help close that wound.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">For a specific procedure \u2013 my favorite is a total ear canal ablation. This is a surgery where we remove the ear canal. That probably sounds a little strange \u2013 why in the world would you need to do that? Well, when dogs have allergies, one of the places it manifests is in the ear canal. The dog gets itchy &amp; scratches their ear. Then they get more inflamed. In time, there are permanent changes that can make the ear not salvageable, and the dog then can\u2019t hear out of it very well and it\u2019s a source of pain. This surgery removes that source of pain. When the pet comes in for suture removal 2 weeks after surgery, the feedback I get from pet owners is \u201cWow \u2013 my pet feels so much better! I never realized how much discomfort they were in!\u201d Because it is a gradual thing, but now their dog is more outgoing, more affectionate, less head shy \u2013 and that\u2019s a really satisfying surgery!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_8521\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8521\" class=\"wp-image-8521 size-full\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/3-1.png\" alt=\"veterinary x-rays, veterinary surgery, veterinary surgery questions, veterinary surgeon, Twin Cities veterinary surgeon, Minnesota veterinary surgeon, Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/3-1.png 800w, https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/3-1-768x384.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-8521\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>An x-ray of a foreign body \u2013 a corn cob that a dog ate!<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<h4><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Do you do <\/span><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-has-ingested-a-foreign-body\/\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">foreign body<\/span><\/b><\/a><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> surgery where you take things out of pets that they ate that they shouldn\u2019t have?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><em><b>Dr. Anderson:<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Do I!? Seems like constantly! This is a pretty common surgery we do at AERC. Typically, it\u2019s a young dog who ate or swallowed something they shouldn\u2019t \u2013 it might be a chew toy or something covered in bacon grease. They swallow it, it tasted good, and then it will travel down their intestine and it won\u2019t quite fit. It will get obstructed, everything backs up. Your pet will stop eating, start vomiting, &amp; overall, not feel well.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If a pet like that comes into AERC, on the exam, they are also dehydrated and have abdominal pain. So, when we gently feel their belly \u2013 they\u2019ll give us subtle signs that \u2018hey, that doesn\u2019t feel good\u2019. The pet will then get x-rays where we can see patterns within the intestines that tell us there is an obstruction. We use that information to make a recommendation to go to surgery.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And I know you mentioned dogs, and this is probably the most common animal that this happens in, but let\u2019s not forget that this can happen to cats. My family was baking some salmon in tin foil once and my cat at the time ate the tin foil and went to surgery at AERC. Or there are the kitties who eat dental floss or part of the cat toy. So it happens to the cats, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><em><strong>Dr. Anderson:<\/strong><\/em> Yeah, it sure does. And the nice thing about the tin foil is that it shows up on x-rays. The linear stuff (dental floss, sewing thread, chewed up carpet) \u2013 when a cat swallows one end and keeps working at it, trying to get the whole thing in their mouth, it will get the other end but it will be hung up around the tongue. The tongue then acts as an anchor \u2013 not all the time, but typically, and the rest of the thread travels. The gastrointestinal tract tries to move the thread and all the things attached to it along, but it\u2019s being anchored. So, this creates an accordion placation where the intestines become bunched and gathered. This can cut right through the wall of the intestine \u2013 so it\u2019s a dangerous situation and those cats need to go to surgery.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Any memorable foreign bodies? Pets eat all kinds of things!<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><em><b>Dr. Anderson<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><em>:<\/em> A dog ate its owner\u2019s colostomy bag! The dog went to surgery and it was removed, but that\u2019s probably the strangest! Common foreign bodies though include fishhooks, toys \u2013 sometimes the toy is exposed on the x-ray and it\u2019s silly, and Gorilla Glue, which is expanding foam that hardens.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8520 aligncenter\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/1-1.png\" alt=\"surgery prep room, veterinary surgery, veterinary surgery questions, veterinary surgeon, Twin Cities veterinary surgeon, Minnesota veterinary surgeon, Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/1-1.png 800w, https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/1-1-768x384.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Let\u2019s talk about anesthesia in pets because people are sometimes really frightened of it, and from what I\u2019ve heard, it\u2019s not something to be frightened of.<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><em><b>Dr. Anderson:<\/b><\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> I agree \u2013 in my daily practice, often pet owners have concerns about anesthesia. I\u2019ve had pet owners tell me that someone, maybe even their family veterinarian, told them they \u201ccan\u2019t do anesthesia because he\u2019s over 12.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">With age comes medical conditions that <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">can<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> affect anesthesia, but by itself, there\u2019s no age cut-off that precludes anesthesia. There are factors that we take into account, and a lot of the things we have concerns about can be sifted out by our specialists.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">For instance, an older dog who has a heart murmur and is in need of a dental or surgery for a hernia. There are legitimate concerns about that patient going under anesthesia. [At AERC], we have cardiologists who can evaluate the patient &amp; do their best to assess the anesthesia risk. The vast majority of the time, those murmurs are benign, and they don\u2019t add risk to the anesthetic plan.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The same is true for a dog who has Cushing\u2019s Disease. There is a concern for anesthesia, and we have services that help sift some of those concerns out prior to anesthesia.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Our anesthetic technicians are the best. They do anesthesia every day &amp; that\u2019s all they do. They are very good at it. And some of them have gone on and done advanced certificates to qualify them as specialists in veterinary anesthesia. So, any pet that undergoes anesthesia is in good care. Sometimes, we recruit our anesthesiologist, too \u2013 this is a doctor and specialist in anesthesia who is a great resource for some of those patients who have conditions that make their anesthesia plan a little riskier.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In your opinion, what is the best question a pet parent can ask a surgeon either before or after their pet\u2019s surgery?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><em><b>Dr. Anderson:\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Do you feel comfortable doing the procedure? What is your experience with the procedure?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li>Don\u2019t feel bashful about asking! No veterinarian will be offended by receiving those questions. We are talking about pets, and we need to advocate for our pets and those are very fair questions.\u00a0<b>\u00a0<\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What are you going to do for pain control after surgery?<\/span><\/li>\n<li>What might I expect in terms of activity restriction after surgery?\n<ul>\n<li>For some pets, you may need to pick up a crate for crate restrictions after surgery, so you\u2019ll want to know beforehand and be prepared!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>If you\u2019re not sure about the procedure, don\u2019t hesitate to ask for clarification. <span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We want pet owners to have an understanding of the treatment the pet is about to undergo. So, I encourage pet owners to be an advocate for your pet and yourself and ask for clarification if something isn\u2019t clear.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8524 aligncenter\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2-1.png\" alt=\"veterinary surgery, veterinary surgery questions, veterinary surgeon, Twin Cities veterinary surgeon, Minnesota veterinary surgeon, Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2-1.png 800w, https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/2-1-768x384.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We hope this Q&amp;A with Dr. Anderson helps provide helpful information about veterinary surgery, what it means to be a board-certified veterinary surgeon, and the importance of prevention! If you have any questions or concerns about your pet\u2019s health, talk to your family veterinarian. If surgery is deemed necessary, ask about a referral to our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/veterinary-services\/pet-surgery\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Surgery Service<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. To help avoid emergency surgery, we always recommend <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/5-tips-to-pet-proof-your-home\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">pet-proofing<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> your home, maintaining regular appointments with your vet, and consulting with your family veterinarian if you notice anything off about your pet.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>More Reading:\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/five-most-common-pet-surgeries-at-aerc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">5 Most Common Pet Surgeries at AERC<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/5-most-common-reasons-for-pets-to-require-emergency-surgery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">5 Most Common Reasons for Pets to Require Emergency Surgery<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/five-veterinary-radiology-imaging-options-for-pets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Five Veterinary Radiology Imaging Options for Pets<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/why-is-my-pet-limping\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Why is My Pet Limping?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-has-ingested-a-foreign-body\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">How to Tell if Your Pet Has Ingested a Foreign Body<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7548 aligncenter\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Fast-Track-Triage-for-Clients-Facebook-Post-7.png\" alt=\"Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota, Fast Track Triage, color-coded triage system, pet emergency, Twin Cities emergency vet, Minnesota emergency vet, Saint Paul emergency vet, Oakdale emergency vet\" width=\"940\" height=\"788\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Fast-Track-Triage-for-Clients-Facebook-Post-7.png 940w, https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Fast-Track-Triage-for-Clients-Facebook-Post-7-768x644.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a data-pin-do=\"embedPin\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/pin\/386676318020494870\"><\/a><br \/>\n<script async defer src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Back in August of 2022, Dr. Anderson, one of our board-certified veterinary surgeons, joined Heidi Brenegan, our Chief Marketing Officer, for a Facebook Live video. During the video, Dr. Anderson answered a variety of questions centered around his own experience as a surgeon and common questions pet owners have about their pet\u2019s surgery.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You can [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8525,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[17,879,882,1520,1529,888,890,892,893],"class_list":["post-8519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-animal-emergency-referral-center-of-minnesota","tag-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon","tag-minnesota-veterinary-surgeon","tag-oakdale-veterinary-surgeon","tag-saint-paul-veterinary-surgeon","tag-surgery-service","tag-twin-cities-veterinary-surgeon","tag-veterinary-surgeon","tag-veterinary-surgery"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Q&amp;A with a Board-Certified Veterinary Surgeon<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Board-certified veterinary surgeon, Dr. Anderson, answers questions about what it&#039;s like to be a veterinary surgeon and about pet surgeries.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Q&amp;A with a Board-Certified Veterinary Surgeon\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Board-certified veterinary surgeon, Dr. Anderson, answers questions about what it&#039;s like to be a veterinary surgeon and about pet surgeries.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Animal Emergency &amp; Referal Center of Minnesota\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-03-29T14:44:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Untitled-design-2023-03-28T153351.521.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2240\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1260\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/50bbf04df56a8f8be5d5d9d637cb827f\"},\"headline\":\"Q&#038;A with a Board-Certified Veterinary Surgeon\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-03-29T14:44:03+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/\"},\"wordCount\":1548,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Untitled-design-2023-03-28T153351.521.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota\",\"board-certified veterinary surgeon\",\"Minnesota veterinary surgeon\",\"Oakdale veterinary surgeon\",\"Saint Paul veterinary surgeon\",\"surgery service\",\"Twin Cities veterinary surgeon\",\"veterinary surgeon\",\"veterinary surgery\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Blog\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/\",\"name\":\"Q&A with a Board-Certified Veterinary Surgeon\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Untitled-design-2023-03-28T153351.521.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-03-29T14:44:03+00:00\",\"description\":\"Board-certified veterinary surgeon, Dr. Anderson, answers questions about what it's like to be a veterinary surgeon and about pet surgeries.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Untitled-design-2023-03-28T153351.521.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Untitled-design-2023-03-28T153351.521.png\",\"width\":2240,\"height\":1260},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Q&#038;A with a Board-Certified Veterinary Surgeon\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Animal Emergency &amp; Referal Center of Minnesota\",\"description\":\"Our Veterinary Blog | Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota (AERC)\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Animal Emergency & Referral Center of Minnesota\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/cropped-ms-tile.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/cropped-ms-tile.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Animal Emergency & Referral Center of Minnesota\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/50bbf04df56a8f8be5d5d9d637cb827f\",\"name\":\"Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1f46ceaad3df4fa231de22989fe6a3cefb1b0420f2f1a7da4b76fd429428bdf5?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1f46ceaad3df4fa231de22989fe6a3cefb1b0420f2f1a7da4b76fd429428bdf5?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/author\/beyond\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Q&A with a Board-Certified Veterinary Surgeon","description":"Board-certified veterinary surgeon, Dr. Anderson, answers questions about what it's like to be a veterinary surgeon and about pet surgeries.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Q&A with a Board-Certified Veterinary Surgeon","og_description":"Board-certified veterinary surgeon, Dr. Anderson, answers questions about what it's like to be a veterinary surgeon and about pet surgeries.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/","og_site_name":"Animal Emergency &amp; Referal Center of Minnesota","article_published_time":"2023-03-29T14:44:03+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2240,"height":1260,"url":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Untitled-design-2023-03-28T153351.521.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/"},"author":{"name":"Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota","@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/50bbf04df56a8f8be5d5d9d637cb827f"},"headline":"Q&#038;A with a Board-Certified Veterinary Surgeon","datePublished":"2023-03-29T14:44:03+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/"},"wordCount":1548,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Untitled-design-2023-03-28T153351.521.png","keywords":["Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota","board-certified veterinary surgeon","Minnesota veterinary surgeon","Oakdale veterinary surgeon","Saint Paul veterinary surgeon","surgery service","Twin Cities veterinary surgeon","veterinary surgeon","veterinary surgery"],"articleSection":["Blog"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/","url":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/","name":"Q&A with a Board-Certified Veterinary Surgeon","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Untitled-design-2023-03-28T153351.521.png","datePublished":"2023-03-29T14:44:03+00:00","description":"Board-certified veterinary surgeon, Dr. Anderson, answers questions about what it's like to be a veterinary surgeon and about pet surgeries.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Untitled-design-2023-03-28T153351.521.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Untitled-design-2023-03-28T153351.521.png","width":2240,"height":1260},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/qa-with-a-board-certified-veterinary-surgeon\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Q&#038;A with a Board-Certified Veterinary Surgeon"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/","name":"Animal Emergency &amp; Referal Center of Minnesota","description":"Our Veterinary Blog | Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota (AERC)","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Animal Emergency & Referral Center of Minnesota","url":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/cropped-ms-tile.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/cropped-ms-tile.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Animal Emergency & Referral Center of Minnesota"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/50bbf04df56a8f8be5d5d9d637cb827f","name":"Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1f46ceaad3df4fa231de22989fe6a3cefb1b0420f2f1a7da4b76fd429428bdf5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1f46ceaad3df4fa231de22989fe6a3cefb1b0420f2f1a7da4b76fd429428bdf5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Animal Emergency &amp; Referral Center of Minnesota"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog"],"url":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/author\/beyond\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8519"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8519\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aercmn.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}