Category Archives: Dogs

Bladder stones are a common medical problem in dogs. Some dogs are more prone to stones than others; some dogs are just unlucky. Bladder stones are made of mineral excreted in the urine. When the minerals reach high levels, they coalesce into stones. There are four main types of bladder stones, each with a different mineral composition: struvite, calcium oxalate, cysteine and urate. The University of Minnesota Urolith Center has nice photos of each of these different types of bladder stones. I’ll discuss bladder stones and their implications in today’s blogpost.

Puppy owners are overwhelmed by food choices available for their new family member, according to a recent survey. This feeling might be in part because dog owners have to make all the food decisions alone: dogs lack the ability to order their own food on UberEats or communicate their preferences in a helpful way! Several recent research publications highlight factors impacting dietary choices for dogs. I’ll discuss those findings in the blogpost below.

A cat loving client of the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center is fostering a young male cat. In preparing for his neuter surgery, she found out the cat has a retained testicle and will require additional testing to determine where the testicle is and how best to approach the neuter surgery. The medical term for retained testicles is cryptorchidism, with the root, orchid coming from the Greek for testicle or órkhis. I’ll discuss this uncommon condition in today’s blogpost.

AMC’s Usdan Institute for Animal Health Education recently hosted a Concert for Canines and Their Companions to celebrate the Human-Animal Bond. This en plein air concert with the Highline String Quartet was held in the 25th Street Plaza and attracted people and dogs for a musical respite from a damp and dreary afternoon. This concert gives me an opportunity to talk about how music impacts dogs.

On September 28th, we celebrate the 102nd birthday of Louis Pasteur by honoring his pioneering work in developing a vaccine against rabies. The anniversary of his birth has been designated World Rabies Day in remembrance of Dr. Pasteur and the millions of lives he continues to save with the rabies vaccine.