Tag Archives: Surgery

The month of March has two holidays for math lovers. Many readers may already know about Pi Day, or 3/14, which celebrates the first three digits of the mathematical constant Pi. Those of us that love animals may be more familiar with Triday, 3/3, a day dedicated to the resilient pets that have undergone a limb amputation and thrived as “tripawds.” Limb amputations in pets are performed to correct injuries and treat bone infections and cancer. In today’s blogpost, I’ll discuss the medical situations that may necessitate amputation and some of the emotional considerations of this surgery.

July 12th marks Julius Caesar’s 2124th birthday. Medically, this date is important because a common surgery, the Caesarean section, is named in Mr. Caesar’s honor, even though there’s no proof he was delivered through this surgery. Often referred to as a C-section, this surgery is performed when offspring are delivered through an abdominal incision rather than through the birth canal. The word “offspring” is a calculated decision on my part. C-sections are common in human medicine, but veterinarians will also deliver puppies, kittens, calves, lambs and the occasional bird or turtle via a C-section. C-section surgery is as important to animal health as it is to human health.

Leap Year rolls around every four years. For those born on February 29, they age (numerically) 75% slower than the rest of us because their birthday happens only every four years. The chances of having a “leapling” pet are about one in 1,461. Since the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center sees 50,000+ patient visits each year, I thought there must be some leapling patients in our system and, sure enough, when I queried our medical records, there were a number of them. To celebrate Leap Year 2024, here are their stories in order of their birth!

With great fanfare, the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center held a “leash cutting” ceremony to mark the grand opening of the Denise and Michael Kellen Institute for Surgical Care. The press release describes 7,000 square feet of newly constructed surgery space with five operating rooms, a minor procedure room, and an anesthesia recovery area that separates feline patients from canine patients. The photos show a gathering of happy veterinary surgeons alongside grateful patients and hospital supporters. But what does the 7,000-square-foot addition mean for your pet?

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.