In this BoardsCast episode, we continue our deep dive into Tobias Chapter 26: Neurologic Examination & Neuroanatomic Diagnosis, focusing on cranial nerve testing and the two most commonly misunderstood neurologic responses: the menace response and the pupillary light reflex (PLR).

These two tests look similar — bright light, hand wave, eyeball reaction — but they assess completely different pathways. And boards LOVE to exploit that.

You’ll learn:

• The functional roles of all 12 cranial nerves (in surgeon-friendly language)
• How to perform and interpret each cranial nerve test
• Why the menace and PLR rarely “match” — and why that's normal
• What afferent/efferent pathways each reflex evaluates
• How to use discordant findings to localize forebrain, brainstem, retinal, or nerve lesions
• The classic exam traps and how to avoid mislocalization

If you've ever mixed up which reflex needs a cortex or why a blind dog still has a normal PLR — this episode fixes that forever.

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In this BoardsCast episode, we wrap up our neuro-localization series by stepping out of the spine and into the brain. Using Chapter 26 of Tobias & Johnston’s Veterinary Surgery (2nd ed) as our guide, we translate neuroanatomy into simple, memorable, boards-ready patterns that distinguish forebrain, brainstem, cerebellar, and vestibular disease at a glance.

You’ll learn:

• The hallmark signs of each intracranial region — in plain English
• How to differentiate seizures (forebrain) from weakness (brainstem)
• Why cerebellar disease looks dramatic but is rarely weak
• How to split vestibular disease into central vs peripheral
• What cranial nerve deficits localize with precision
• What the boards love to ask about head tilt, menace response, and proprioception

If cranial neuro localization ever felt confusing, this episode turns it into a predictable, clinically useful checklist.

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In this BoardsCast episode, we take the “UMN vs LMN” framework from Part B and apply it to the four major spinal cord regions surgeons must localize instantly. Using Chapter 26 of Tobias & Johnston’s Veterinary Surgery (2nd ed), we translate the entire spinal cord into four predictable “neuro boxes.”

You’ll learn:

• The hallmark signs of each spinal cord segment
• How gait, posture, reflexes, and proprioception change with each region
• Why C6–T2 is the most confusing — and the one boards love
• How to distinguish L4–S3 LMN paresis from orthopedic weakness
• When panniculus and cutaneous trunci testing truly help
• How to localize any case quickly using a flowchart mindset

If neuro localization ever felt overwhelming, this episode breaks it down into four clean, testable, reliable categories.

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In this BoardsCast episode, we continue our neurology fundamentals series by diving into one of the most powerful — and testable — distinctions in neuroanatomy: upper motor neuron (UMN) vs. lower motor neuron (LMN) dysfunction. Using Chapter 26 of Tobias & Johnston’s Veterinary Surgery (2nd ed) as our anchor, we break down how this single split explains tone, reflexes, gait, and prognosis.

You’ll learn:

• How UMN and LMN pathways function and fail
• What changes in tone, reflexes, and gait distinguish the two
• Why lesion localization depends on recognizing the pattern
• How to apply UMN vs LMN principles to spinal cord segments
• Classic exam traps — and how to outsmart them
• What board questions are really testing when they ask about reflexes

If neuro still feels fuzzy, this episode makes it click — one framework, one split, all the clarity you need.

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In this BoardsCast episode, we take the mystery out of neuro exams and replace it with clarity, confidence, and an efficient plan. Using Chapter 26 from Tobias & Johnston’s Veterinary Surgery (2nd ed) as our framework, this is your crash course in rapid neurologic evaluation and spinal cord localization — designed for surgeons, not neurologists.

You’ll learn:

• How to perform a focused neuro exam in under two minutes
• What tests actually help with lesion localization (and which waste your time)
• Stepwise interpretation of posture, gait, proprioception, and reflexes
• The 5 spinal cord segments and how to map clinical signs to them
• When a brain lesion is (or isn’t) on your surgical differential
• What board questions expect you to say when faced with neuro deficits

If neuro feels like a black box, this episode lights it up — and gives you a roadmap from signs to spine.

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In this BoardsCast episode, we close out our arthroscopy series by confronting the hard truth: most scope complications aren’t about the joint — they’re about the surgeon. Referencing Chapter 71 from Tobias & Johnston’s Veterinary Surgery (2nd ed), this episode outlines the five most common — and most avoidable — errors in small animal arthroscopy.

You’ll learn:

• What causes iatrogenic damage in stifle, elbow, and shoulder scoping
• How visualization errors cascade into missed diagnoses or missteps
• Common portal misplacement patterns and how to avoid them
• How equipment misuse and poor ergonomics increase error rates
• Why technique confidence must be matched by anatomical awareness
• What board questions test in terms of mistakes, not mastery

Whether you’re a surgeon-in-training or a scope-savvy resident, this episode builds your safety checklist — and helps you avoid being the problem.

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In this BoardsCast episode, we scope into the most mobile — and arguably most misunderstood — joint in small animal orthopedic surgery: the shoulder. With Chapter 71 of Tobias & Johnston’s Veterinary Surgery (2nd ed) as our surgical roadmap, we explore biceps tendon pathology, humeral OCD, and synovitis under the scope.

You’ll learn:

• Portal placement and joint distention techniques specific to the shoulder
• How to visualize and probe the biceps tendon
• Where OCD lesions tend to form — and how to debride them
• When synovitis, instability, or incongruency demand deeper evaluation
• Complications, limitations, and outcomes of therapeutic shoulder scoping
• Board-tested concepts drawn straight from the Tobias arthroscopy chapter

Whether you’re facing a vague forelimb lameness or prepping for a scope-based boards question, this episode helps you see the oddest joint in ortho with fresh clarity.

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In this BoardsCast episode, we scope our way through the stifle — the most frequently examined joint in small animal arthroscopy. Using Chapter 71 of Tobias & Johnston’s Veterinary Surgery (2nd ed) as our guide, we unpack what’s inside the joint when it’s cruciate-deficient, meniscus-torn, or just plain fogged by fat pad.

You’ll learn:

• Portal placement for optimal scope access
• Cruciate rupture patterns and what they look like from inside
• Meniscal tear types and how to detect them under tension
• Tips for fat pad control and visualization
• Techniques for probing, resecting, and preserving joint structures
• Board-relevant terminology and common stifle traps on exam day

From “bucket-handle” tears to popliteal entrapment, this episode helps you see the stifle for what it really is — and what your scope needs to see.

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