"Room 2 is Freddie," says the tech. "He's been vomiting for a couple of days." I grab the chart of the door and take a peek as I go in the room. "Hi there, Mr....Krueger-" pause- "Freddie Krueger?" I look at the dog, a wrinkly shar pei. The owner grins proudly. "I was going to save that for my first born son, but I figured I'd use it on the dog." Good choice. ... Read more »
Archives for March 2009
The Accidental Veterinarian: I
I want to know why, in a profession where 75 + % of the entering class is composed of women, all the veterinarian memoirs out there are written by men. Vet school memoirs are even more scarce. I find this simply unacceptable. All those doe eyed little girls out there want to know how it really happens, right? I've seen the class pictures plastered inside the dean's office going back a bajillion years, and I guarantee it isn't what it once was, back in the good old days. For a lot of ... Read more »
More news of the obvious
The CDC just released a report estimating 86,000 falls a year are caused by dogs and cats. I wonder if they do a similar report on the number of falls caused by roller skates, weak ankles, wet floors, and banana peels. The report seems to infer that the majority of injuries are to the elderly, caused by tripping over little dogs out on walks. Interesting, but I can't quite figure out what they want to happen. The benefits of having a pet are well documented. Are we going to place warning ... Read more »
True confession
I have a confession to make, and this one is hard. Skippy is no longer with me. This is painful. I feel like a failure, especially since I spend so much time talking about responsibility and how a pet is a lifetime commitment. I still believe that, which is why I also think you should be really careful about the hows and whens of bringing a new pet into the home, and that is where I really screwed up. I knew after Mulan died that I would eventually want another dog, and I had a specific kind ... Read more »
Working on the hyperlichenification process
I.e. trying to get a thicker skin. Today I went into a room to give a little dachshund puppy his vaccine boosters. This was a cute dog. Seriously cute. I had seen him once before, 3 weeks prior, for his first vaccination and he was healthy and adorable then, as he was today. I went in and gushed, trying to ignore the fact of the very stone faced owner glaring at me. Everyone has bad days and bad moods, right? She asked me a couple of questions that I started to answer, and she cut me off each ... Read more »
Cruelty Free made easier
I suppose this isn't directly related to my job, but I think the concept is one that is of interest to many of my 5 readers so I thought I would share this with you. Long before I became a veterinarian, I was a mini animal rights activist in training. I remember being 6 and hassling my mother mercilessly about her rabbit fur coat: "Eeeeeew mom, that is soooo ugly! Why are you wearing dead bunnies? We live in California! Yuck!" etc etc. She actually stopped wearing it because I hassled her so ... Read more »
Yesterday sucked.
As I was leaving the house this morning on my way to work, my phone rang. "Hi, it's Carmen," said my tech. "I know you're probably just about to leave anyway, but I wanted to let you know Comet is here and he doesn't look good." I grabbed my keys and shot out the door. Comet is owned by one of my favorite clients, an extremely sweet woman who adores her cats. Not three months ago, she lost a recently adopted cat to a nasty virus that has been striking hard in the local shelters. It hit very ... Read more »
This is what we call the ‘turf’
My license allows me to legally practice medicine on just about anything- except humans, of course. If you really want to make a vet's hair stand on end, ask them why they didn't become a "real doctor". Most people only ask that once, at least to me. Granted, that's a hell of a lot of species to know. Sheesh, MDs manage to eke out a living focusing on one organ system of one species- OBs, for instance, or dermatologists- and yet somehow I'm expected to be able to handle a cow dystocia as well ... Read more »
Dog Poops Money
That was the headline CNN gave this story. I admit I was a little disappointed to hear it was just a dog who just snacked on some Benjamins. Dogs eating stuff they shouldn't it as newsworthy as "cat barfs hairball in shoe, live at 10." I was hoping it was going to be a modern day Golden Goose, a dog who could miraculously generate currency in their colon. Need some gas money? Feed Fido some kibble and wait. Need a quick $100? Add in some fiber. If you're really desperate and loan sharks are ... Read more »
More reasons to be happy you went to business school instead
Vets are more likely to be boozers. Considering my vet school classmates, I shouldn't be surprised. We were all pretty happy go lucky back in those days, but I imagine close to a decade of stressors has taken its toll on more than a few of us. James Herriot sure made this profession look bright and shiny, bold and beautiful and whatever other heartwarming couplets float your boat. It is, sometimes. Other times it is all things smelly and stinky, green and abscessed, angry and litigious. Health ... Read more »
Shades of silver
I haven't euthanized a pet in a couple of weeks. That is one of the things I like about day practice, as opposed to emergency, less of that sad stuff. But for whatever reason, this sort of thing comes in waves, and the tide came rolling in today. First was a young cat who was horrifically sick. He was so jaundiced that you could see the yellow tinge from across the room. The owner had him euthanized. I never did find out what the cause was. Next was an older cat, who was also horrifically ... Read more »
Good stuff
I'm not a fan of tennis balls as dog toys. Few vets are. One, they're a choking hazard. You would be amazed at what a determined retriever can lodge in their gullet. Two, they are TERRIBLE on dog teeth. When a dog chews on something wiry and abrasive, be it their own itchy fur or the felt on a tennis ball, it has a sandpaper effect. The teeth on a chronic ball chewer can be worn down to the gums. It's called attrition, and it's not pretty. That being said, I may not be a fan of tennis balls- ... Read more »
You’ll just have to trust me on this one.
I saw a REALLY funny looking cocker spaniel today. He had a comb-over! He had the usual short cocker spaniel fur, save one long straight tuft that was swept back and feathered over his head Donald Trump style. "I love his little toupee!" I exclaimed to the owner, before realizing it wasn't intentional at all and the person had no idea what I was talking about. I really wanted to take a picture to put here, but based on his reaction to me I had a feeling it wasn't going to happen. Just imagine ... Read more »
Canine (and feline!) Cuisine, Part Two: Name that ingredient
So in the previous installment of canine cuisine, we reviewed the 4 rules of pet food labelling as pertains to the name of the pet food itself. This time around, I want to give as succinct a description I can of pet food ingredients. I say, "as succinct as I can," because it's a hard topic to be brief on. The rules are nebulous and sometimes ill-defined, and even amongst veterinarians there are some discrepancies and things open to interpretation. There are some great resources on the web if ... Read more »
Welcome to the Big League
Today is a very big day for Dr. Autumn. I had a Barbie floating around that looked like her, but I couldn't bear to put her in the standard Barbie vet getup, so in her honor I created a pair of slightly more appropriate scrubs. Hold on...just a couple more things here... Ah. Much better. I've had the pleasure of working with her previously, as Autumn, the awesome technician, but today is the Big Day for her: her first day as Doctor Autumn, practicing veterinarian. I know she knows the ... Read more »
On safari
Today we venture to the savannah in search of the elusive Goldenbeast. His vibrant coat is in stark contrast to the lush greenery. He is better suited for camouflage in his native environment, the leather couch. He settles down at the edge of the plains with the remains of his latest kill. But the savannah is a popular destination for wildlife viewing, and it doesn't take long for the tourists to swoop in to try and steal a hug. Uh oh. There is a whole busload of ... Read more »
Next time you donate that couch to Goodwill….
Make sure your cat isn't stuck inside of it. That is the sort of thing that would happen to me- my cats are always wiggling under the cushions, trying to spelunk into the depths. I can't imagine how that cat managed to get totally stuck inside the couch, though. Fortunately the story has a happy ending, but that poor cat! He wiggles inside his favorite hiding place and wakes up in a new house! There's no way it would have taken 10 days to find Calypso, though. If I am 10 minutes late in ... Read more »
Pet pick of the week: The Blocky Dog 3 way leash
Walking a big dog can be a big proposition. Without the use of my beloved Gentle Leaders, for instance, getting Emmett down the block without dislocating my shoulder was a dicey proposition. And when Mulan was in the mix? Forget it. So yes, I do love the Gentle Leaders, and that is nothing new. But when I saw my friend the trainer walking her rambunctious German Shepherd on a clever 3-way leash, I had to know what it was. Check this baby out- the Blocky Dog Lock n Lead has two features that ... Read more »