NSVH Blog

Category: Is This Normal?

Land Shark' | September 21, 2016

We all have expectations of what our newly adopted puppies will be like: cuddly, cute, sweet, funny, and playful. What most of us don’t expect: a puppy piranha! So many clients show me their “war wounds” when bringing new puppies for wellness care to Newtown Square Veterinary Hospital. Puppy teeth are sharp teeth! They can […]

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At the Dog Park' | September 19, 2016

There is a longstanding joke among veterinarians: “Dog parks keep us in business.” Why is that the case? Dog parks are rife with well-intentioned owners and misbehaved dogs, resulting in dog fights and dog bites. Dog parks may seem like a good idea: a way to exercise Fido, a way to socialize him, a way […]

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A Shameful Circus' | August 19, 2016

I recently got on my soapbox about SeaWorld and the scientific reports that whales held in captivity suffer both physically and psychologically. Now I will get on my soapbox again, to say the same for animals forced to perform in circuses across the globe. Responding to widespread public outcry, Ringling Brothers has decided to retire all of […]

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Disasterously Cute' | August 15, 2016

Who doesn’t love bulldogs? Their squishy faces, snorty noses, stubborn personalities and awkward limbs make them cutely comical. According to the American Kennel Club, English bulldogs have been the fourth most popular registered dog breed in the United States for the past several years. While the pet-owning public may love bulldogs, veterinarians have an entirely […]

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Plus Size Pets' | July 20, 2016

Is your Fido pleasantly plump? Is there even more of Fluffy to love? Your chubby pets are in good company: the majority of American pets today are considered overweight or obese. Even major athletic apparel companies are recognizing the trend:   It may seem impossible, but Fluffy and Fido can lose weight! We can create […]

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“Vaccine Reaction”? Probably Not.' | September 27, 2015

Vaccinations are a scientific miracle. The number of human (and animal) lives saved by vaccinations cannot be overestimated. Once-common diseases such as canine distemper and feline panleukopenia have been virtually eliminated in vaccinated pets (I’ve only seen a handful of pets with these diseases, as opposed to some of my more seasoned colleagues, who used […]

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Scoot That Booty?' | September 4, 2014

We’ve all seen it: Fido, scooting his rear end along the carpet, dragging his nether regions across the floor. It’s not a pretty sight (and not a pretty smell.) Why on earth would Fido scoot, scratch and drag his tush? Scooting is unsavory to say the least, but it is also a frequent topic of […]

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Animal Cruelty Prevention Month' | April 3, 2014

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. In my career, I am fortunate to have dealt with only a very small number of cruelty cases. Newtown Square Veterinary Hospital is privileged to have amazingly caring, compassionate clients who want to make the best choices for Fluffy and Fido. Unlike our shelter veterinarian colleagues, we rarely […]

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Nip, Gnaw, Bite, Chew' | August 28, 2013

We’ve all been there: your new puppy Fido Junior is 12 weeks old, and constantly biting anything he can get into his mouth. Your hands are scratched, your ankles are raw, your sneakers have seen better days and your table legs look like a beaver attacked them. Take a deep breath! Teething behavior in puppies […]

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Antibodies Do a Body Good' | August 22, 2013

It seems, almost daily, I see an appointment or return a phone call about a patient who recently received vaccinations and is now acting lethargic. This issue seems to occur most frequently in young kittens and puppies, as well as adult toy breed dogs (Yorkies, toy poodles, Chihuahuas, Maltese…I’m thinking of you!) While it is […]

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Mangia, Mangia!' | August 1, 2013

A question I’m frequently asked by both new and experienced pet owners: “How do I know if my pet is really sick?” More than any other symptom, a poor appetite can be an obvious indication that Fluffy or Fido is ill. If Fido doesn’t eat for several days, particularly if Fido is a happy-go-lucky Labrador […]

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Is There a Feline Referee for Hire?' | July 8, 2013

As many of you know, I recently brought a foster cat named Mango into the Dr. D household. She’s a three year old, domestic longhair cat who had a litter of kittens in our care about 4 weeks ago. Mango is unbelievably sweet, even allowing my four year old son to carry her around, and […]

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Better Living Through Chemistry' | February 18, 2013

There’s been a lot going on at the Dr. D household over the past few weeks. We sold our house, bought a new house nearby and, sadly, had to say goodbye to our dog Kona. With all this turmoil, our other dog Maeby has been quite out of sorts. Maeby was very attached to Kona, […]

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The Sound of Silence' | February 6, 2013

Fortunately, it’s a question I’ve been asked a scant few times in my career: can my yappy, barking dog be “debarked” with surgery? I recently read an interesting Huffington Postblogon this topic, and the author beautifully sums up why this horrendously painful and unnecessary surgery is never recommended by veterinarians. Most of us consider debarking […]

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Cough It Up' | January 4, 2013

It is a fact of life that cats can have an occasional hairball. Truthfully, our feline friends are well-designed to be able to ingest large quantities of fur without digestive trouble. Cats are meticulous groomers, and some seem to spend the greater portion of most days grooming themselves (when they’re not sleeping of course!) As […]

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Howl You Doin’?' | December 28, 2012

It’s 3am and no one in the house is sleeping. Fluffy, your geriatric cat, has been up howling and screaming for the past hour. Fluffy never used to do this before, but it’s become a nightly ritual. Everyone is exhausted and you’re ready to put Fluffy out on the front porch. What could have prompted […]

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A Hole in the Wall' | December 5, 2012

Yesterday I performed an umbilical hernia repair on an incredibly cute French Bulldog. The surgery went smoothly, but it was more than a cosmetic repair in this case. This young dog was born with the hernia, but recently the hernia went from being small and soft, to large, firm and bright red. One of my […]

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Call the Ambulance!' | November 26, 2012

Whenever I meet a new client at our animal hospital, I like to give them a brief rundown of our hospital’s hours, policies and procedures. We do see emergencies whenever our hospital’s doors are open. However, it is important clients know that our hospital is closed overnight, and that we do not take overnight emergency […]

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Veterinary Fact or Fiction?' | November 11, 2012

After 7 years of practice in veterinary medicine, I have collected a number of “veterinary old wives’ tales”. There are many misconceptions common within the pet-owning community, and those of us who work in veterinary medicine tend to hear the same ones frequently. Some are of these old wives’ tales are cute and quirky, while […]

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Reference Desk' | September 14, 2012

This is a great time to be a veterinarian. Particularly, in populated areas like suburban Philadelphia, we have a myriad of specialty and emergency referral practices to which we can send our clients and patients. Veterinary emergency clinics are a real boon for us general practitioners. Locally, there are many highly trained, eminently qualified emergency […]

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High Maintenance' | September 2, 2012

Pets of all species require some amount of work from their owners, with certain pets (pet rocks) being much less work than others (thoroughbreds). The truth is, that even within a specific species, certain breeds seem to require more maintenance, and in turn, more expense than others. This is certainly a consideration when choosing which […]

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More to Love' | August 28, 2012

In Italian-American families like mine, food is often equated with love. Many pet owners want to love their pets in the same way- with too much food. As a result, we have an obesity epidemic among our household dog and cat populations in America. Several times a day, I talk to my clients about putting their […]

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Duck, Duck, Green Pea?' | June 12, 2012

Phoebe was brought into my clinic by a good client who frequently rescued stray cats in her neighborhood.  Since she already had many cats at home, my client couldn’t keep Phoebe but wanted us to assess her health before finding her a home. When I first looked at Phoebe, she was missing most of the […]

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A Slice of Lyme' | June 8, 2012

Just recently, a client asked me what I knew about the human Lyme disease vaccine and why it was pulled from the market. Since my veterinary hospital is located in what I refer to as the “epicenter” of Lyme disease, we frequently field questions about Lyme disease prevention and treatment. While veterinarians practice on many […]

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No Littering Please' | June 1, 2012

Litter box issues are one of the most common, and frustrating, problems cat lovers encounter. Anyone who has ever been owned by a cat knows that there is nothing worse than the smell of cat urine on the carpet (or sofa, or comforter, or laundry…the list goes on.) The question: why is Kitty urinating outside […]

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