All posts by AMCteam

Every month on Ask the Vet, radio show and podcast I host in partnership with Sirius XM, I answer listener question that come into our email box at AskTheVet@amcny.org. This past month I had so many good questions, I could not answer them all and still talk with my guest, AMC’s new President and CEO, Helen Irving. Two of the questions were about common respiratory problems managed by AMC specialists. The questions and my answers can be found below.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have great information on their website to help all of us stay healthy. The site contains information on travel health, foodborne illnesses and descriptions of every disease you can imagine in their Health Topics A-Z. They even have section called Healthy Pets, Healthy People with information about pet care and pet diseases. In today’s blogpost, I’ll be discussing tick bites and tickborne diseases, an issue that concerns humans and our companion animals alike.

Pyometra is one of those medical words veterinarians use that often require translation for pet families. Pyo- is from the Latin word for pus, and metra is Greek for uterus. Once you know this etymology then you can understand why pyometra is an emergency. The pus in the uterus is the result of a bacterial infection, and dogs with pyometra become seriously ill. I’ll discuss risk factors, clinical signs and treatment options for pyometra in this week’s blogpost.

The decision to euthanize a beloved pet is one of the most heart wrenching decisions pet lovers have to make. I am quite certain every pet family with an ill or aging pet hopes their pet will die peacefully in their sleep. I am also certain pets rarely die peacefully in their sleep, forcing most pet families to decide to euthanize their favorite fur person. Not only do they have to decide when, but also where. I frequently talk with pet families about the pros and cons of home euthanasia.

Calcium is an important mineral in the bodies of humans and animals alike. It is a critical component of bones and teeth. Without calcium, your bones couldn’t support your weight and your dog’s teeth couldn’t chomp on his favorite chew toy. Veterinarians at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center care for patients who are suffering from low calcium and high calcium. Today, I am going to write about one dog with each condition.