May 21: FETCH Scavenger Hunt and Family Picnic at Stamford Harbor Park

A Dog-Centered Scavenger Hunt and Free Family Picnic to Benefit the Riedel and Cody Fund.
333 Ludlow Street- Stamford Harbor Park- (right behind the Cornell University Veterinary Specialists hospital)

FETCH stands for Funding Education and Treatment of Cancer Hounds, an event organized to benefit the Reidel & Cody Fund.

Fairfield County families and pet owners (with their dogs) are invited to participate in a scavenger hunt organized by FETCH to benefit dogs with cancer. Starting at 9AM, participants will receive clues either electronically or at the event site, answer questions, complete tasks and collect clue items by traveling around Fairfield county by car, motorcycle or bicycle. At 12:30PM, participants are to return to Stamford Harbor Park to turn in answer, items and activity stamps collected over the course of the morning. The award ceremony will be held at 1:30PM.

There will be games, activities and a concert for people of all ages. The first 100 participants to register will receive a free swag bag. The requested donation per participant or vehicle will be $25. To register, donate or get more details, go to RCFfetch.com or call (203) 295-0355.

CUVS is proud to not only sponsor this event, but to provide an Emergency Care Station to take care of any pet emergencies. The station will be staffed by one of our own veterinarians, technicians and staff members.

Little Dogs with Big Hearts: A Free Lecture at CUVS on May 15, 2-3:30 PM

Little Dogs with Big Hearts: What Does this Mean for My Pet?

On Sunday, May 15, at 2-3:30 PM, Dr. Mandi Kleman, DVM, DACVIM, will lead a free lecture in the auditorium at Cornell University Veterinary Specialists animal hospital at 880 Canal Street in Stamford, CT.

The topic of this lecture will be heart disease in dogs and it will serve as an overview of Mitral Valve Disease for dog owners. Dr. Kleman will briefly outline the disease process, the diagnosis, the possible symptoms, and how to care for a pet with Mitral Valve Disease.

Heart disease is not just an ‘old dog’ disease and certain breeds are more prone to it than others. 50% of our beloved small breed dogs over the age of 10 have heart disease. Valvular heart disease can be compared to the slow aging process of joints, which may result in arthritis. In small breed dogs, the valves within the heart can also degenerate with age. As these valves become more abnormal, blood begins to flow backwards within the heart and results in a heart murmur.

Cornell University Veterinary Specialists is proud to provide pet health educational sessions for owners.

If you are interested in attending any of these classes or learning more about our pet health educational sessions, please call us at 203-595-2777 or email us at info@cuvs.org. Space is limited and reservations are required for attendance. All classes are held at CUVS. Please check back often for session updates.

Rookie's Foreign Body

Rookie waking up from anesthesia.

Rookie is a 2-year-old male domestic shorthair cat who was recently admitted to CUVS. Rookie's owner noticed a couple things that spurred her to bring Rookie in: he had started acting differently and dry heaving occasionally without bringing anything up. He was eating and drinking less than normal and his bowel movements were infrequent. As an indoor cat, Rookie normally doesn't get into much trouble (besides finding hair ties on the floor and batting them around). However, his owner also noticed a lump that had formed under Rookie's jawline, and at that point she decided to bring Rookie to CUVS.

Close-up view (inset) of the end of the needle (with black thread) embedded in Rookie's throat. Click to enlarge image.

Rookie was seen by emergency veterinarian Dr. Michael McCann, DVM, who performed a physical exam and found that Rookie had an elevated temperature, and that the composition of the submandibular mass was abnormal. Palpation of the mass revealed the suspected presence of a hard object within the swelling. Together, Dr. McCann and Dr. Melissa McDaniel, DVM, MPH, performed an exam of Rookie's mouth and throat. A sharp metal object was seen protruding from the right ventral oropharyngeal region, just caudal to the back of the tongue (behind the tongue, protruding from the bottom right side of the wall of the throat).

Two radiographic views showing the location of the foreign body.

Dr. McCann ordered two radiographs of the neck and head. A linear metal object of uniform thickness from end to end was visualized adjacent to the mandible. Rookie was then intubated and prepared for surgery to remove the foreign object. A hemostat was clamped onto the foreign object from within the oropharynx to prevent accidental loss of the object into the mouth upon removal. An incision was made in the skin just over the top of the mandible, not only to easily remove the foreign object, but to allow the wound to drain afterward. The incision revealed the foreign object to be a sewing needle with a few millimeters of thread still attached. The needle and thread were removed, along with some purulent debris (commonly called pus). The wound was cultured and sent out to the lab for analysis, and it was thoroughly irrigated with sterile saline.  The surgery went very well and Rookie recovered uneventfully.  Rookie spent the night at CUVS to continue to receive supportive care, pain medication and antibiotics. The next morning he was discharged back into the care of his observant and concerned owner with more antibiotics and pain medication. 

Close-up of the needle and thread removed from Rookie's throat.

While the above case sounds fairly simple and uneventful, it should be noted that this particular cat was very lucky: lucky to have an attentive owner, lucky to be seen quickly at a high-tech animal hospital, and lucky that he did not sustain more serious injuries from ingesting the needle. This is a great reminder to all of us: cats and dogs frequently play with and explore objects with their mouths. This is a natural behavior that can lead to big trouble if they find something dangerous. We should all take the time to pick up and put away anything potentially harmful to our pets so we can keep them safe.

April 10th Pet Health Education Sessions: CPCR and First Aid for Your Pet

Cornell University Veterinary Specialists is proud to provide pet health educational sessions for owners, starting with our first session:


Sunday, April 10, 2-3:30 PM
CPCR and First Aid for Your Pet, led by Debbie Glynn, BS, LVT

Do you know what to do if your pet has been hit by a car, suffers from heat stroke or gets stung by a bee? This class is designed to teach you the basics of first aid and Cardiopulmonary Cerebral Resuscitation (CPCR formerly known as CPR) for your pet. You will learn everything from at-home splints/bandages to chest compressions so that you can be the first responder for your pet.

If you are interested in attending any of these classes or learning more about our pet health educational sessions, please call us at 203-595-2777 or email us at info@cuvs.org. Space is limited and reservations are required for attendance. All classes are held at CUVS. Please check back often for session updates.