Research/Areas of Interest:
- Nephrology/Urology
Research and Clinical Interests:
- Nephrology/Urology
- Leptospirosis
- Pathophysiology and treatment of renal failure
- Evaluation of renal function
- Cystoscopy
- Laser lithotripsy
- Specialized imaging
- Urodynamic testing
Selected Research Projects:
- Evaluation of the safety of extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy in cats.
- Retrospective evaluation of kidney and liver tissue samples for evidence of leptospirosis.
- Assessment of complement C3 levels and antibody-antigen levels in normal dogs and dogs with glomerulonephritis.
Education
MS, University of Georgia, 1980
DVM, University of Illinois, 1974
Biography
A board-certified specialist in small animal internal medicine, Dr. Linda Ross handles all kinds of small animal cases, but her special interest is nephrology, urology and endocrinology. She teaches courses in the pathophysiology of the urinary and endocrine systems as well as nephrology/urology and endocrinology in the small animal medicine and surgery course.
Dr. Ross grew up in a suburb of Chicago. When she was very young, her grandfather owned a dairy farm in Wisconsin that her family visited. The visits fostered a life ambition to own a farm. She later channeled that experience into becoming a veterinarian.
Shortly after completing her residency, Dr. Ross came to Tufts as one of its first faculty members. She had done an internship in New England, loved the area, and enjoyed the challenge of helping to develop a new veterinary school. Dr. Ross most enjoys teaching and being "with the many great and committed people who work here" at the Cummings School, she says.
Dr. Ross also handles dialysis for dogs and cats in acute kidney failure. "It is very gratifying to be able to provide this sophisticated treatment and help animals survive that would otherwise likely die," she says. Dr. Ross also performs other specialized procedures for diseases of the kidneys and bladder. For example, cystoscopy involves passing a small camera into the urinary bladder to look for abnormalities, take biopsies and perform other procedures. "It’s a great technique that allows us to make a diagnosis without surgery," she says. "One thing we can do with the cystoscope is laser lithotripsy, which is breaking up stones with a laser—a method of treatment that also avoids surgery."
Dr. Ross was elected to the Cummings School’s Faculty Hall of Fame several years ago, an honor that means a great deal to her.
Board Certifications
- American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM)
Selected Publications and Presentations
- Ross LA: Calcium oxalate urolithiasis in dogs and cats. Standards of Care in Emerg Crit Care Med 7:1-12, 2005.
- Ross LA: Acute renal failure. Standards of Care in Emerg Crit Care Med, 8:1-9, May 2006
- Acierno MA, Labato MA, Stern L, Mukherjee J, Jakowski RM, Ross LA : Levels of The Third Component of Complement (C3) in Dogs with Protein Losing Nephropathy. Am J Vet Res, 67: 1105-1109, 2006.
- Rossi T, Ross LA: Diabetes insipidus. Compend Cont Educ Prac Vet [Small Animal], 30:43-5, January 2008.
- Ross LA, Labato MA: Peritoneal dialysis. In Fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base disorders y in small animal practice, 3rd ed., SP DiBartola, ed., Saunders Elsevier, St. Louis, Mo 2006, pp. .635-649.
- Ross LA. Acute renal failure. In Current Veterinary Therapy XIV., J Bonagura (ed), Elsevier Saunders, 2008