Are they 12 years old or 3 years old? A New York City veterinary practice is celebrating the birthdays of its senior dogs that were born on Leap Day.
Schwarzman Animal Medical Center, the world’s largest veterinary teaching hospital and the city’s only Level 1 Animal Trauma Center, is highlighting its Leap Day-born patients who have all received care from the hospital, ranging from minor to life-saving operations.
Starting off with Orzo Agnello, an almost 12-year-old black pug who loves to hang out with his sisters. One of his hobbies, unfortunately, is eating socks, which landed him in the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center emergency room when one got stuck in his intestines.
Thanks to quick intervention, Orzo was released a few days later in great condition, but that doesn’t stop him from chomping on a sock every now and then. He enjoys trips out with his owner Tiziana and is the toy tester and clothing model for Tiziana’s pet supply business LoveThyBeast.
To celebrate his birthday, Orzo will wear his special crown while enjoying a feast of special apple, yogurt, and salmon cake as well as a Lickmat with his favorite spreads.
Oskar Price, also known affectionately as “Munchie”, is turning 8 this year. The English bulldog first came to Schwarzman Animal Medical Center in 2018 for a life-saving special soft-palate surgery, and also underwent pericardial surgery due to a tumor on his heart that could not be removed. He is now on a daily chemo pill.
Despite these medical setbacks, Oskar is still as rambunctious as ever, keeping his owner Carol on her toes while he romps around with his siblings. For this birthday, he’ll don his special birthday hat and enjoy new toys and cake. If it’s a nice day, the family will celebrate with a barbecue party at the beach.
Winter McKirdy is the youngest of the group, turning 4 years old this year. Winter is a champion show dog that also participates in agility.
The standard poodle lives with his owner Laura as well as his actual mother Daisy, who gave birth to nine pups born on Leap Day. Like Orzo, Winter swallowed a sock back in July 2023 and ended up at Schwarzman Animal Medical Center, leading him to get a gastronomy and a gastropexy.
For his birthday, Winter will bring special treats to his agility classmates and be king for the day.
Gunner Snyder is a ball of energy who is turning 8 years old this year. This golden boy was brought to Schwarzman Animal Medical Center after his owner Pamela was concerned about Gunner’s bloating after choking from eating too quickly. After some testing, Gunnar was found to have a clean bill of health.
For Gunner’s birthday, Pamela plans on doing two of Gunner’s favorite activities: going to the beach and playing ball. He will also dine on a feast of a hamburger with sweet potato kibble and a little whipped cream on top.
For more about Schwarzman Animal Medical Center Hospital of New York City, visit www.amcny.org.
