Archives: Pets

Veterinarians Smile And Play With Animals All Day…Not Quite!

It can be quite humorous when I am reminded how so many perceive what it is like to be a veterinarian.  Like the picture here may imply, being a veterinarian in the eyes of many is treating cute and fuzzy creatures all day with owners that are always so grateful that you have the compassion to use your scientific and medical knowledge to care for their innocents.  And of...

Veterinary Medicine and Diagnostic Purgatory

Raised in the Roman Catholic faith, I was introduced with the concept of Purgatory, a place in the afterlife where a sinner must linger while undergoing a cleansing or purification before being allowed full ascension to Heaven.  It is neither the torment of Hell nor the bliss of Heaven, but a state somewhere in between neither here nor there.  I use the term in veterinary...

What Is Pancreatitis And Why Should Every Dog And Cat Owner Be Aware Of It?

Having admitted my 5th pancreatitis case in 2 weeks yesterday, I felt the universe was sending me a message that I need to spread awareness about this common disease in dogs and cats.  There may not be a whole lot you can do to prevent a first time bout of pancreatitis, but awareness and recognition are very important in heading off this disease while it is still manageable...

Veterinary Medicine Has Health Care Right With Integrative Medicine

Veterinary medicine seems light years ahead of human medicine when it comes to combining the best aspects of traditional veterinary medicine with proven alternative medicine.  When I have asked M.D. friends of mine why they turn such a blind eye to alternative medicine proven to work in animals (who are not susceptible to placebo effect), the answer is surprising.  They do...

Veterinary Hospital Offers Clients An Invaluable Glimpse Of Daily Operations

My proactive and visionary practice manager, Ingrid Culver, conceived the idea of having a hospital open house for fall 2016 and with the coordination our cherished medical team, pulled off a memorable and enjoyable event for all that were involved.  An open house is an event where we open the hospital to client tours, pets and families are all welcomed to attend, and there...

Extractions Are Not Called Pulling Teeth For Nothing!

Pet owners are occasionally surprised when I quote them the price of dental extractions.  I think some people have the impression that the extraction of a tooth is simply yanking on it with a set of pliers, while others tell me that they has their last vet only charge $10 per tooth or some other ridiculously low price.  To the former, I say that extracting teeth is intricate...

Decided To Gift Your Family With A Family Pet This Holiday Season? Choose Wisely!

In my previous post, I discussed that giving a pet as a gift is not a good idea, with the exception of a mutually agreed upon step of taking on a new family pet.  This is acceptable but to facilitate a favorable outcome, this article has a few important precautions to take. Dog/Puppy If you have a family with small children, you really need to give strong consideration for...

Pets Are Not Smart Holiday Gifts!

I write about this once a year, so if you have read these sentiments before, my apologies…but since you stumbled across this article anyway, be sure to share the article and these sentiments with everyone you know! And I actually do not apologize, redundancy is the best way to get points across and this is one of the most important points I will make all year! Aside from...

Keep Thanksgiving Enjoyable And Safe For Your Dog

We are all so very thankful on Thanksgiving.  We are thankful for our careers, thankful for our health, thankful for our families, and many of us are thankful for our beloved dogs.  Naturally, given our love and gratitude for our furry family members, we want them to partake in the enjoyment of the Thanksgiving feast.  I understand.  And this is okay, provided you follow...

Guidelines for giving insulin to pets

I can’t think of a disease that causes more owner anxiety than diabetes. Something about having to give a shot twice a day, every day, to an animal you love is very daunting. Then you do it a couple times and suddenly, it’s a breeze! I’ll try to help you get “breezy” fast! Insulin is kept in the refrigerator. Some pens made for humans can be left out for periods of...