Category Archives: Pet Safety

When I was a kid, our family dog ate the edges of my mother’s beautiful living room drapes. Because she loved that dog more than her children, she blamed us for touching the drapes with sticky fingers. In her mind, the food residue on the drapes enticed the dog to eat them and thus, the dog, but not the children, were forgiven. Fast forward to the present and, as a veterinarian at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center, I routinely encounter patients who eat items with no nutritional value, a condition called “pica.” If you follow us on Facebook and Instagram, you’ve seen the dramatic x-rays of animals that have eaten items like a string of lights, an airtag, rocks, magnets, an ethernet cable and all manner of other non-food items. Today’s blog takes a closer look at pica—what it is, why it happens, and why it matters.

Many of us are looking forward to Memorial Day, the traditional start of the summer season. Summer means enjoying the breeze through open windows, barbeques with friends and family, and swimming in the pool or at the beach. But if you are a pet, each one of these summer pleasures can turn into a summer tragedy, requiring a trip to an animal ER like the Level 1 Trauma Center at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center. This blogpost highlights three summer dangers and offers tips to prevent them.

It takes a serious illness or injury to be admitted to the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center, and I have previously told the stories of some of these patients—from unexpected household toxins to more common, though still serious, conditions. Having world-class facilities and expert veterinary staff is only one part of providing high quality pet care; keeping the hospital environment safe for patients and staff is another. This blogpost will focus on how AMC works to maintain patients’ safety while your favorite furperson is under our care.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and many of us are planning to share this special day with our favorite fur person. But not everything about Valentine’s Day is pet friendly. This blogpost will give you suggestions to plan a safe celebration for you and your pet.

Having a pet teaches responsibility, provides companionship, a social network and a stimulus for exercise. For these reasons, pets are critical to our wellbeing. The point of this blog post is to raise awareness of the potential injuries associated with pets so you can avoid them and maintain that essential bond with your favorite fur-person.