Tag Archives: dogs

Human body language refers to nonverbal communication that includes facial expressions, amount of eye contact, gestures, posture, how close you stand to someone, how you touch them and your tone of voice. While some people are very good at reading body language, others struggle. Since animals have a limited verbal repertoire, body language is their primary means of communication. Today’s blogpost will highlight some telltale nonverbal cues of cats and dogs.

Each year on July 22, the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center celebrates American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Accredited Hospital Day. We celebrate because we have been an AAHA certified hospital since 1976 and a certified referral hospital since 2023. AAHA is an industry leader that originally set the standards for small animal hospitals in North America but now has certified hospitals in Japan, South Korea, China, the West Indies and Guam.

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.

As the new year approached, my inbox filled with dozens of personalized suggestions for New Year’s resolutions. The American Veterinary Medical Association, for instance, sent me “New Year’s Resolutions for Veterinarians.” Google’s AI generated an eleven-point list of common resolutions in case I couldn’t think of any on my own! Even Blue Apron, my meal kit delivery service, sent a list of suggested resolutions. Well, now it’s my turn: I’ve curated the resolutions recommended to me and adapted them for pets and pet owners in the blogpost below.