Articles by Dr. Robert Foley

Dr. Foley attended Cornell University’s School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, where he first met his friend, Dr. Michael Ferber. Dr. Foley graduated in 1992 and stayed in Ithaca after graduation to continue working in Dr. Alan Nixon’s laboratory at the NYS College of Veterinary Medicine. Together they studied the efficacy of chondrocyte implantion to treat osteoarthritis and osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesions in horses. In 1994, Dr. Foley was accepted into the NYS College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. Dr.’s Ferber and Foley were reunited in vet school and became roommates. Dr. Foley graduated in 1998 and moved to Brooklyn, NY where he practiced for two years. Subsequently, Dr. Ferber invited Dr. Foley to come work with him at his family-owned practice, The North Shore Animal Hospital, in Bayside, Queens, and the two were reunited one last time. After two more years Dr. Foley became a partner within the group. The group decided to open up a new practice together on Long Island. Dr. Foley took a leading role in directing and growing this practice which became South Bellmore Veterinary Group. Over time the practice outgrew its original footprint and today operates as a beautiful, multi-doctor, 5000 square foot, state-of-the art, fully functioning animal hospital. Dr. Foley continues his role as Director of Medicine and Surgery of the practice today. His particular interests include dermatology, soft tissue and ophthalmic surgery. Dr. Foley is passionate about educating his clients on issues such as over-vaccination and the dangers of early spay and neuter.

Angry Vet On Leptospirosis: Sandy’s Untimely Death

As a sad reminder of leptospirosis’s reality, we had two cases of acute renal failure in otherwise healthy young dogs. One of these dog’s kidneys completely shut down and would not respond to treatment. Consequently, we had to euthanize her. The other dog has responded and is now home and expected to make a full recovery. I dedicate this post…

by Dr. Robert Foley

Really Angry Vet on Seizures: Winston’s First Seizure

A wonderful client of mine brought her 12-year-old Boxer to see me. Last night, Winston had his first seizure. Because it was after hours, the owners found themselves at a local 24-hour veterinary facility. They came in today to discuss what had happened last night. They wanted me to examine their dog and get my opinion about the next step…

by Dr. Robert Foley

Why Does My Dog Itch: Itching For A Diagnosis

Why is your dog itchy? Don’t jump to conclusions. Sometimes I like to surprise people by asking them, as soon as they walk in the room before they have even had a chance to introduce themselves, something like, “What’s Max here for today, an ear infection?” Visible clinical signs The nice thing about dermatology is that dogs are literally coming…

by Dr. Robert Foley

Angry Vet On Ear Infections: Deciphering Ear Problems in Dogs

Chronic ear problems are common conditions in dogs and among the most mishandled by veterinarians. These problems are probably the most common chronic conditions that we see. Many clients have preconceived notions of the causes and treatments. They draw on what ear infections are like in people. Or they assume that this is a condition with which their dog has…

by Dr. Robert Foley

CCL Tears And Early Spay And Neuter: Is There a Connection?

Is there a connection between early spay and neuter? The data has been compiled. I went through our patients over the last ten years who are over the age of three years old. A summary of the data shows that while 2.1% of our spayed and neutered patients had to undergo ACL surgery, only 0.3% of the intact animals had…

by Dr. Robert Foley

Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer by day, dog health advocate, dog writer, member of the Dog Writers Association of American and an award-winning author. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Endless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care in my own hands. I learned the hard way that simply seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to finally get a diagnosis for her initial issue. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people how to recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners . What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

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