Editor’s Note: Healthy Paws is a column sponsored and written by the owners of Clarendon Animal Care, a full-service, general practice veterinary clinic. The clinic is located 3000 10th Street N., Suite B. and can be reached at 703-997-9776.
Have you ever heard your doctor or pet’s veterinarian rattle off a list of strange words that seem to make no sense? Most of these are derived from Latin roots and serve to concisely describe what otherwise may be a wordy description.
Borborygmi — of Greek origin, indicating a rumbling of the gastrointestinal tract as the small intestine contracts to move ingesta through
Brachycephalic — Greek for “short head,” or a “smooshed”-faced skull conformation — i.e. Pugs, Boxers, Boston terriers, Shih Tzus
Coprophagia — The eating of feces, derived from Greek copros – “feces” and phagia – “to eat.” This rather icky tendency, especially in dogs, is also typically behavioral in nature, rather than due to a nutritional deficiency. Though animals such as rabbits will do this to maintain gut bacterial populations.
Crepitus — Grinding, creaking, cracking, grating, crunching or popping that occurs when moving a joint; Latin for “rattle” or “crack,” most often appreciated in arthritic joints
Cryptorchid — A condition that occurs when one (or both) testicle does not descend into the scrotal sac
Dolicephalic — Greek for “long”-faced skull conformation — i.e. Collies, Greyhounds, many other sight-hound breeds
Emesis — Vomiting, from the Greek word emein, which means “to vomit.” We often prescribe antiemetics to control or stop vomiting in our patients.
Hematemesis — Blood in the vomit
Hematochezia — Blood in the stool
Hematuria — Blood in the urine
Idiopathic — A condition with unknown cause or spontaneous origin and derived from Greek idios – “one’s own” and pathos – “suffering.” Basically, a fancy way to say “we don’t know.”
Melena — of Greek origin. The passage of black, tar-like stools indicating the presence of digested blood (happens with gastric or small intestinal ulceration & bleeding).
Ovariohysterectomy — Removal of the ovaries and uterus (commonly referred to as a spay)
Orchiectomy — Removal of the testicles (commonly referred to as a neuter or castration)
Peristalsis — Muscle contractions that propel food throughout the gastrointestinal tract
Pica — The appetite for non-nutritive substances such as dirt, hair or paper. In dogs and cats, is more often due to behavioral or primary gastrointestinal tract disease — that results in inadequate absorption of nutrients — reasons rather than an inadequate diet. Derived from the Latin name of the magpie bird, who reportedly was willing to eat nearly anything.
Polydactyl — Quite literally, “extra fingers,” typically seen in cats that will have more than the typical five digits
Stomatitis — Inflammation of the mouth; from Greek work stoma for “mouth”
Tenesmus — Straining to defecate; via Greek teinesmos, “straining,” from teinein, “stretch, strain.”
And, even though this isn’t particularly relevant to us in veterinary medicine, this one is just too fun to not mention:
Sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia — An “ice cream headache,” which is actually referred nerve pain at the sphenopalatine ganglion area of the brain caused by quick consumption of COLD beverages or foods
Recent Stories
President Joe Biden paid a visit to Arlington and the recently-renovated Lubber Run Park, in support of Democrat Terry McAuliffe’s Virginia gubernatorial bid.
With one month to go before school starts, parents are being urged to enroll their kids in some Arlington public schools amid a continued drop in enrollment. Screenshots and emails…
When Marjorie Tarantino was closing on the purchase of her townhouse this spring, she learned there were problems with the deck. Tarantino had bought a property in the Richard Bassett…
We just wanted to take a moment to thank you to everyone who has joined the new ARLnow Press Club over the past week! Counting our existing Patreon supporters, who…
