Category Archives: Emergency

City Safety for Urban Dogs [2024 Update]

A man walking two dogs in New York City
Every morning at about 5 am, the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center’s Emergency Service sends out a list of all pets admitted to the hospital overnight. Recently, one admission caught my attention: a small dog admitted with a fractured neck bone because of an altercation with a revolving door. Fortunately, the fracture was not near his spinal cord. The little guy was in lots of pain and his treatment protocol called for activity restriction, rest and pain medications. He is on the mend, but this shocking story made me wonder about other uniquely urban hazards that might impact the health of your dog.

Veterinary Miracles That Will Warm Your Heart this Holiday Season

A cat with a Christmas ornament
This time of year, we celebrate miracles of hope, faith and kindness. Hanukkah celebrates a second century BC miracle where a tiny amount of oil found in the Temple in Jerusalem miraculously kept lamps burning for eight days. Christmas celebrates the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ. At the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center, we believe in miracles too. In the spirit of the holiday season, I want to share just a few of them from AMC’s past, present and future.

Canine Pyometra: What Dog Owners Need to Know

A veterinarian and assistant examine a dog
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.