December 27, 2017 Blog Misc

Summing Up 2017: AMC’s Top Blog Posts

A cat looking at a laptop

Summing Up 2017: AMC’s Top Blog Posts

The end of the year is often a time of retrospection. So for this final blog of 2017, I asked the AMC webmaster to give me a list of 2017’s most popular blogs. Seeing what was important to AMC blog readers might give me some insights to provide more great pet health information in 2018.
Here are the top five blog posts and their links:

  1. Traction Control: Tips for Preventing Dogs from Slipping and Sliding
  2. Rat Bite Fever and Pet Rats: How Concerned Should We Be?
  3. Toe Tumors in a Dog: A Cancer Survivor’s Story
  4. Tail Amputations: Are They Really Necessary?
  5. Home Euthanasia: The Pros and Cons

Human Factor
One common focus of the popular blog posts is the human factor in our pet’s health. Take for example the blog post on tail amputation. The genesis of this post was a call I took on a radio program about pet health. A tail amputation had been recommended for the caller’s pet and she was hoping I knew of an alternative procedure because she didn’t want to amputate her pet’s tail. The tail is such an expressive piece of anatomy, that we humans cannot imagine our pet without one; however a tail amputation is much less traumatic for the pet than for the family. The tail tends to heal poorly and surgery to repair a tail is fraught with complications. Amputation avoids that issue.
Defying the Odds
Everyone loves a champion and the post about a dog surviving not one, but two different toe tumors, was a story of observant owners, a resilient dog, and great cancer care. The take home message from this post applies to both dog and cat owners: if something about your pet is not right, seek veterinary care while the problem is small and correctable.
Shared Diseases
The popularity of a blog post on rats was surprising since rats are not the most common pet. But, this post was written when rat bite fever was in the news due to the death of a child from the disease, and rat owners must have been looking for reliable information. Given that the author of this post was the head of AMC’s Avian and Exotic Pet Service, Dr. Kathy Quesenberry, the source of the information was undisputedly sound.
Common Problems
Elderly dogs who slip and slide on tile and wood floors worry their owners because of their risk for injury. Based on the popularity of this post, it is a common problem in need of a solution. I think this post was popular because it offered a variety of simple solutions to protect your senior dog from fall injuries due to slippery floors.
Making the Right Decision for your Pet
I was not surprised at the popularity of the blog post on the pros and cons of home euthanasia. That post was written straight from my heart and was based on the distress I hear in pet family voices when they are facing the euthanasia decision. My only hope is that those reading the blog found the guidance they needed to make this difficult decision.
For me, the unifying theme of the 2017 top blog posts is the caring pet families lavish on their furriest members. Their concern encompasses veterinary care, home care, end of life care, and the hope that their caring will be rewarded with a healthy pet. So, a toast to a healthy and happy New Year for you and your pets from all of us at the Animal Medical Center

Tags: amcny, animal hospital, animal medical center, animals, ann hohenhaus, blogs, elderly pets, NYC, pet diseases], pets, veterinary,

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