All posts by AMCteam

The Chinese New Year starts February 10th, 2024. Twelve animals make up the annual Chinese Zodiac rotation, and this is the Year of the Dragon. I am always interested in anything about animals and was curious about the animals in the Chinese Zodiac. I chatted with my colleague Dr. Michelle Chu to learn more about these Chinese New Year traditions.

February is National Pet Dental Health Month. While this month brings necessary attention to the health of our pets’ teeth and gums, there is emerging research that good oral health

Some pets are picky eaters. I know cats who will refuse a can of their favorite food because the company has made the flavor “new and improved.” Likewise, I know dogs who will refuse the last few stale kibbles at the bottom of the bag. In both cases, taste is the issue, not an illness causing the pet to turn up his or her nose at breakfast. Taste is one of the five senses, but it is often overlooked, especially with our animal companions. Today’s blogpost will focus on taste buds.

Skin and coat disorders are common reasons dogs make a trip to the veterinarian’s office. This makes sense since skin is by far your pet’s most visible organ, and skin disease is one of the most common diseases in dogs, according to pet insurance data. Fur color changes may also indicate an underlying issue with your canine companion. I’ll discuss some common reasons for skin color changes in today’s blogpost.

Just before the holidays, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene released its annual report to veterinarians on an important infectious disease, leptospirosis. As a New York City veterinarian, this report concerns me, and pet owners should be concerned too. Following several years of declining infection numbers, cases ticked up in 2022, the latest year data was available. In total, there were 20 confirmed “lepto” cases in the five boroughs in 2022, up from 18 in 2021. (To see previous years’ reports, visit the NYC DOH website.) Leptospirosis causes kidney failure and elevated liver tests, which may require hemodialysis and may be fatal. This blogpost describes some important features of canine leptospirosis.