About Ann Hohenhaus, DVM, DACVIM

ann-cropped2Dr. Ann E. Hohenhaus, is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, certified in both Oncology and Small Animal Internal Medicine.  She is a 1985 graduate of Cornell University and has over 20 years of experience as a practicing veterinary oncologist.  Her postgraduate training was conducted at The Animal Medical Center (AMC) in New York City, which provides veterinary postgraduate education, conducts clinical research and provides health care to over 30,000 individual pets annually.  Currently, Dr. Hohenhaus serves as the Senior Medical Advisor at The AMC.  She has lectured nationally and internationally, most recently throughout Japan as part of the Japanese Animal Hospital Association’s 30th Anniversary celebration.  Her areas of research are vaccine associated sarcomas, transfusion medicine and canine mast cell tumors.

22 Responses to “About Ann Hohenhaus, DVM, DACVIM”

  1. The Animal Medical Center Says:
    December 22, 2009 at 2:46 pm

    Mr. Blackwell,

    The causes of hair loss in cats are many. He might be itchy and licking himself is pulling out the hairs. Itchy skin in cats is caused by infections, ectoparasites and allergies. Cats with overactive thyroid glands may also groom excessively. When upset, cats will often lick excessively and make themselves bald. This time of year, houseguests, parties and the general hustle-bustle of the season may just be enough to make your cat feel anxious.

    I suggest a visit to the vet to determine if there is a medical condition causing the hair loss. If not, perhaps your cat needs some quiet time to cope with the season.

    Ann E. Hohenhaus, DVM
    Diplomate ACVIM (Oncology and Internal Medicine)
    The Animal Medical Center
    510 East 62nd Street
    New York, NY 10065
    http://www.amcny.org

  2. Jim Blackwell Says:
    December 20, 2009 at 11:32 pm

    My cat keeps licking all the fur off his belly? He is a Siamese marked and in good health. Would you know why he is doing this? All his fur is gone from the entire belly area.

  3. The Animal Medical Center Says:
    October 22, 2009 at 12:43 pm

    Yes, your best course of action is to speak to a veterinary oncologist. Additionally, for more information about Palladia, please refer to a recent blog post: http://amcny.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/big-news-in-cancer-treatment-for-dogs/.

  4. Carole Carrier Says:
    October 22, 2009 at 1:09 am

    Thank you for replying to my email..I lost my 13 yr old golden in July to “old age” and now to be facing cancer with my 12 yr old is really devastating…when I read about palladia I was hoping it was something I could try.

  5. The Animal Medical Center Says:
    October 20, 2009 at 3:03 pm

    I am so sorry you dog is sick. Palladia has activity in a wide variety of tumors, but I can’t tell from NYC if your dog would benefit from Palladia. I would suggest you find an veterinary cancer specialist (oncologist) near you to determine if Palladia is right for your dog.
    To find a veterinary oncologist near you go to http://www.acvim.org and click on “find a specialist.”

    Good luck.

  6. Carole Carrier Says:
    October 20, 2009 at 12:36 pm

    My 12 yr old golden retriever was diagnosed with a tumor on his spleen yesterday…I understand these are 90% malignant..he also has arthritis in his hind legs…I have read about the drug palladia and was wondering if there was any available in Florida…my vet didn’t mention it …please advise

  7. The Animal Medical Center Says:
    July 9, 2009 at 2:29 pm

    All I can do is reiterate the results recently published, randomized, controlled clinical trial of Palladia, which was pivotal in winning FDA approval for the drug.

    In that study 60% of dogs with mast cell tumors experienced disappearance, shrinkage or no further growth of the tumor at the completion of the study. Dogs whose tumors responded to Palladia experienced an improved quality of live using a quality of life rating scale. This indicates the side effects of the drug were manageable.

    I hope this information is helpful.

    Thanks,

    Ann E. Hohenhaus, DVM
    Diplomate ACVIM (Oncology and Internal Medicine)

  8. William Bodily Says:
    July 8, 2009 at 7:53 pm

    The biopsy report did indicate Grade 3 and since it grew to be 4.5cm in size it was regarded as a Stage 3 tumor. I have instructed my vet to consult with the oncology departement at Cornell since I’m located in Syracuse.

    I was mainly interested to hear about any experience you may have had with Palladia. I know it’s new so you may not have even prescribed it for any of your patients, but I’m interested in that as a potential option. Thank you for your repsonse.

    Sincerely,

    William Bodily

  9. The Animal Medical Center Says:
    July 8, 2009 at 6:53 pm

    Mr. Bodily,

    Mast cell tumors are tricky. They come in 3 biopsy types, Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3, but no two of the same grade are alike. Some are treated just with surgery, some with surgery and other treatments like radiation therapy, chemotherapy and now Palladia. Grade 3 are the most like to spread throughout the body and Grade 1 are readily cured with surgery. Grade 2 is somewhere in between.

    Stage is different than grade. Stage tells how large and how widespread a tumor is. Stage 3 indicates the tumor is large and it may also involve the lymph nodes.

    Kuruk likely needs additonal therapy beyond surgery to help control his mast cell tumor. I would suggest you and Kuruk see a veterinary cancer specialist (oncologist) in your area to help you determine what treatment is the best for your dog. Ask your regular veterinarian what veterinary oncologist they recommend. You can also find a veterinary cancer specialist at http://www.acvim.org. On the left side click on “find a specialist” and fill in the blanks to locate the one nearest you.

    Good luck to you and Kuruk.

    Ann E. Hohenhaus, DVM
    Diplomate ACVIM (Oncology and Internal Medicine)
    The Animal Medical Center
    510 East 62nd Street
    New York, NY 10065
    http://www.amcny.org
    212 329-8612
    fax 212 888-0266

  10. William Bodily Says:
    July 8, 2009 at 2:59 pm

    Dr. Hohenhaus,

    Last week my dog Kuruk, a 6 year old Alaskan Malamute, had a mass removed from his left flank. The mass turned out to be a Mast Cell tumor. The biopsy report suggests that a reoccurrence of the tumor is high as this was classified as a stage 3 grade 3 tumor. I saw your interview on FOXNews regarding the newly approved drug Palladia. I’m wondering if you have prescribed this drug yet and what kind of results you have seen. I’m also wondering about the cost for this type of treatment. Thank you for your time.

    Sincerely,

    William Bodily

  11. Abbey Ryan Says:
    July 6, 2009 at 3:53 pm

    Thanks, Dr. Hohenhaus!

    The information you provided was extremely helpful, and we look forward to working with you further.

    I just sent you an email follow-up.

    Thanks, again!

    Best,
    Abbey

  12. The Animal Medical Center Says:
    July 6, 2009 at 1:57 pm

    Dear Ms. Ryan,
    I am sorry your dog is sick.

    Because extraskeletal osteosarcoma is so rare, we do not have good data on the optimal treatment for the disease. Those dogs with mammary gland or intraabdominal ESOSA seem to have the worst prognosis. In one study, the median survival for subcutaneous ESOSA was 240 days and skin was 486 days, although that was based on a small number of dogs. In a different and also small study, dogs receiving chemotherapy did survive a bit longer than dogs not receiving chemotherapy.

    It is good the tumor appears to be completely removed, although dogs with skin or subcutaneous ESOSA typically died from tumor recurrence at the surgical site. I would recommend you dog be evaluated for both radiation therapy and chemotherapy during your decision making process.

    I would be happy to see your dog. You may call AMC’s appointment desk 212 838 7053 to book an appointment with me. Thank you for reading the AMC blog.

    Ann E. Hohenhaus, DVM
    Diplomate ACVIM (Oncology and Internal Medicine)
    The Animal Medical Center
    510 East 62nd Street
    New York, NY 10065
    http://www.amcny.org
    212 329-8612
    fax 212 888-0266

  13. Abbey Ryan Says:
    July 3, 2009 at 1:16 am

    Dear Dr. Hohenhaus,

    Our 13 year old Springer Spaniel has been diagnosed with Extraskeletal Osteosarcoma. Two weeks ago, she had a very big tumor removed from her hind leg; we had been monitoring the tumor for about 12 months. (They got clear lateral and deep margins upon tumor resection). She’s such a champ — recovering so well from the surgery. :o )

    But today, when they were removing the stitches, our vet oncologist told us that it is a very bad prognosis, and recommended chemotherapy to prolong her life 8-12 months. We are not convinced if chemotherapy will even affect EsOSA. I saw that you wrote a paper on Canine Extraskeletal Osteosarcoma with the late Dr. Patnaik. Our vet says EsOSA is very very rare, and is saying it should be treated the same as regular OSA. I am researching this and finding conflicting and/or no information about EsOSA in relation to regular OSA.

    If we can make an appointment at the AMC, can you help us? We are very sad and afraid.

    Thank you in advance for your time.

    Best,
    Abbey

    P.S. Thanks for your blog.

  14. Ann Hohenhaus, DVM Says:
    April 8, 2009 at 3:10 pm

    Hi, Eddie!

    Nitrosylcobalamin is a drug undergoing clinical investigation in both human and veterinary oncology. It has recently received widespread attention in the press because some encouraging results were reported when the drug was used to treat dogs with anal gland adenocarcinoma. Research is still being performed to determine if this drug is safe and efficacious in people and animals. When that work is complete, we will know much more about the clinical utility of the drug.

    Thank you for reading the AMC blog!

  15. EddieG Says:
    April 8, 2009 at 12:08 am

    Dr Hohenhaus,

    What is your opinion of nitrosylcobalamin for cancer?

  16. ada nieves Says:
    March 4, 2009 at 2:34 am

    thank you for taking the time to give us a tour today!
    im certainly impressed with the equipment and so hopeful to know that my dogs can have such good medical care in the eventual case needed.

  17. Ann Hohenhaus, DVM Says:
    March 2, 2009 at 2:07 pm

    Thanks for reading our blog! Please feel free to share The AMC Blog with your friends.

  18. Michael Tim Says:
    February 28, 2009 at 5:47 pm

    I love your site!

  19. Ann Hohenhaus, DVM Says:
    February 25, 2009 at 2:08 pm

    Greetings from The AMC!

    I’m glad you found the dental series informative and we would love for you to share this information. It would be great if you could link directly to the blog posts (there are permalinks for each post). Otherwise, if you’re planning on posting the information on your site in another way, we just ask that you credit The AMC and include a link to our website (www.amcny.org).

    Thanks for reading our blog!

  20. Tara Says:
    February 24, 2009 at 3:06 pm

    We like to keep our customers up to date on pet health issues on our website. I found the dental series very informative and was wondering if we may be able to use it on our site! Please feel free to visit our website!

  21. Ann Hohenhaus, DVM Says:
    February 6, 2009 at 2:05 pm

    This would be a nice feature on our site, but it would be extremely difficult to set up something like this due to logistical issues within the hospital (not to mention very expensive). Additionally, we have so many clients that it would be nearly impossible for someone to log onto our website and see only their own pet.

    We do allow pet owners to come in and visit their pets if he/she is admitted for an extended period of time.

    Thanks for reading our blog!

  22. SaSh Says:
    February 2, 2009 at 6:56 pm

    Hi Dr. Hohenhaus,

    Will it be helpful to show live views from AMC on AMC’s website? and for owners to be able to see their pets remotely?

    Please pm if you wish.

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