Tag Archives: dogs

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.

If dogs have a flaw, and I realize many would argue they do not, it is they don’t live long enough. I think many would agree that a dog lifespan of 40 or 50 years would be perfect, so that you could have the same best buddy for your entire adult life. In the past few weeks, there have been two interesting scientific publications on longevity in dogs. The studies’ conclusions and impact on your dog will be the topic of this blogpost.

For those of us in the dog world, much of our focus over the last couple of weeks has been on infectious respiratory diseases in dogs. While the current outbreak remains a mystery, today’s blogpost will focus on the well documented link between respiratory and gastrointestinal illness in dogs. The link between these two body systems might surprise the casual reader; however, the two systems share a common origin: the mouth. The mouth divides into the trachea (windpipe) of the respiratory system and the esophagus leading to the stomach.

We love pets for the enjoyment and companionship they bring to our lives. Their antics brighten our day, and their presence in our beds at night is reassuring, even if a bit crowded. But pets are more than just companions or entertainers – they make us healthier. Let’s take a look at the different ways pets improve our health.

Many of my readers might be surprised by the title of this blogpost. Usually, the question is posed in reverse, i.e. “Does my pet pose a risk to my baby?” True, pets do pose some risks to children, but the benefits of pets in teaching responsibility to children, providing companionship and preventing allergies are well known. In most cases, you can mitigate the risks to children from cats and dog bites. So, in today’s blogpost, I will focus on the flipside of this question and discuss the risks your baby or toddler poses to your pets and how to make your child-friendly household pet-friendly as well.