Today’s blog post marks the 600th post for www.amcny.org! Nearly ten years ago, our first post covered the selection of the presidential pet and we have written about other memorable pets, like a dog who was nearly killed by a pen cap, a kitten who used up one of her nine lives early on, and the heart-warming story of a lost hedgehog who came home for Christmas.

To mark this occasion, I asked our webmaster to identify the top ten blog posts of all time. The results are fascinating. The total number of reads for these ten blog posts is over 100,000. You might think the most popular blogs would be the oldest ones, but “Should you be concerned about Fatty Tumors in your dog,” posted only last year comes in at #8. Here are other fun facts about the top ten list.

AMC’s Top Ten Blog Posts of All Time

1. Rat-Bite Fever and Pet Rats: How Concerned Should We Be?
2. Traction Control: Tips for Preventing Dogs from Slipping and Sliding
3. Toe Tumors in a Dog: A Cancer Survivor’s Story
4. Getting Another Cat After a Diagnosis of FIP
5. Tail Amputations: Are They Really Necessary?
6. Are there supplements to use with cats that have been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease?
7. What Causes Bloat in Dogs?
8. Should You Be Concerned About Fatty Tumors in Your Dog?
9. Dangerous Delivery: Signs Your Birthing Dog Needs a Veterinarian
10. Gastropexy: Preventing Bloat in Your Dog

Pain points for humans

From my veterinary viewpoint, blog posts ranked #2-5 are more about humans than about animals. Every reader with an elderly dog winces when the dog wipes out on the tile floor. For this reason, the blog on traction control made the list.

Amputation is another human pain point. We worry about our furry friend’s reaction to this serious surgery. Yet pets seem not to be bothered. The dog featured in the blog post on toe tumors and the blog post on tail amputations reflect pet families concern with amputation surgery.

The fourth pain point blog is the most wrenching. Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a uniformly fatal infectious disease. FIP can be a struggle for the veterinarian to diagnose and heartbreaking for the cat’s family. After experiencing the loss of a cat from FIP, cat families are understandably nervous about Getting Another Cat After a Diagnosis of FIP.

Dr. Google – veterinarian

I classify the remaining top ten blog posts as “Dr. Google” posts – ones a concerned pet family might google. I can easily envision the owner of a cat diagnosed with chronic kidney disease searching to find supplements that might improve the outcome of this disease. I have also seen an anxious family seated in the waiting room of an animal ER using Google to find more information on bloat in dogs, while their favorite companion is in an operating room behind shiny stainless steel doors. Finally, as the time approaches for your dog to have puppies, you might search for signs indicating a trip to the animal ER is necessary.

Rats are #1?

But the number one blogpost, written in 2014, is “Rat-Bite Fever and Pet Rats: How Concerned Should We Be?”. This blog post was written by our current Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kathy Quesenberry. I think this blog post encompasses both categories I’ve identified above. This blog post was posted immediately following the death of a child from the disease, a time when worried parents where hunting for information on how to protect their children. I can also imagine rat-owning families searching “rat-bite fever” to determine if their rat urgently needed a veterinary visit.

If you hadn’t noticed yet, this blog post is the first on our new, sleek and modern website. We hope you will find it easier to navigate. Be sure to check out the Usdan Institute for Pet Health Education, available through the link in our header. Email us at Info@amcny.org and let us know if you like the site and what topics should be on our next top ten list.