You have probably been hearing a lot about canine circovirus. So have I. You may have heard some conflicting things about this virus. So have I. Because I love you all and I want you to know what I know, I've spent the day trying to make sense of the information that's out there. Here's what I know so far and why I'm not recommending mass panic at this time. Part 1: It's the food Here's how the story evolved, as far as I can piece together. 1. In mid-August, P&G pet foods issues a ... Read more »
World’s Most Adorable Degenerate Produce
A grape. So benign. Frozen, so delicious. Dehydrated, so raisin-y. And in large quantities in dogs, the unassuming grape goes Breaking Bad and becomes a killer. Da da duuuuum.... so let's talk toxic foods for a minute. When my friend Lili Chin over at Doggie Drawings asked if I would look over a poster she was designing of toxic foods for canines, I was so excited, because her drawings rock and I couldn't wait to see how she interpreted "bulb of garlic." The idea was to create a simple, cute ... Read more »
Do dogs get headaches?
Humans For Sure Get Headaches A week ago, I decided I was going to stop drinking caffeine. Now if you know me at all, you know I adore coffee, more than almost anything else in life. If you cut my arm, skinny vanilla latte would pour out. The decision to give up my biggest vice was not an easy one by any means, but at the end of the day, health trumps pleasure, and I figured there's always decaf. I did what everyone tells you not to do, and just stopped cold turkey. Big mistake, ... Read more »
Flashback Friday: Depressed Puppy
So I was looking through old Brody photos for a Flashback Friday and found this one: Which was awesome all by itself, and then I realized he was the perfect candidate for some captions. So I turned him into a Depressed Puppy Meme. Hope you have a better long weekend than this guy! ;) (If I recall the true sadness was not being allowed to chase my mom's hellkitty around) Feel free to make your own caption, they always entertain me. :D ... Read more »
Back to School Giveaway: Busy Treats Bag
Remember that Staples back to school commercial, the one where the dad was riding a cart around the store to "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year?" That was me. The sad, dejected faces dragging around behind him? Not my kids. They like school. Brody, on the other hand...Brody is sad. He's lost his summertime playmates to the double whammy of school, plus homework and extracurricular activities. Having me around is OK, but it's not the same as the kids. And if your dog is anything like ... Read more »
The most seriously awesome thing ever: Part 1
Short Version About that champagne thing. Let me tell you what has been going on the last few months. Dr V is writing book in little less than half a year. So all I have to do is write the book, edit it, keep Brody alive, work, and add 4 hours to every day. After I plot the dethroning of the Evil Count AwfulSuperintendent here in my school district. Long Version When I was seven, my mother once punished me by sending me to my room for an hour. Three hours later, she came upstairs and ... Read more »
The Dude’s Guide to Losing a Pet
In my thirty something years on this planet, I've never seen my father cry. I think part of me assumed for a really long time that men simply just didn't feel things as intensely as women did, which of course is not true at all. As a society, men are pressured from the get-go to bottle up any sort of sadness or grief, hammer it down, force it inward. The very word "man up" sums it up: outward signs of sadness are feminine, wussy, and will get you devoured. I don't think it's inherently this ... Read more »
Fear Me: Fear Free Practice and You
My resting blood pressure, I assure you, is completely normal. I have to state this fact again and again every time I wind up at the doctor's office, when the nurse places the cuff and then pulls it off with a thoughtful wrinkle in her forehead. "It's not normally 200/140!" I plead, hoping she doesn't direct me to the closest ER. "I just get this way when I'm in the doctor's office." She nods, and we get on with our day. I have no idea why it happens, but apparently it's A Thing. I blame it on ... Read more »
The One Thing I’m Telling You Before You Have a Kid
There are few situations I dread more than a young couple with a new pet they refer to as "our child". I'm not talking every young couple with a pet, mind you, but specifically those that refer to him or her as a kid. Though you might expect these to be the most involved and conscientious owners, and oftentimes they are, just as often you see them about a year or two later with a stroller and a decidedly changed attitude. And then you don't see them at all. Note to Allison: You Personally ... Read more »
Some wins feel extra awesome
When I decided to go to Otovalo, Ecuador for the latest World Vets trip, I knew it had a reputation for being one of the most busy trips. How that idea of being busy actually translates into bone numbing exhaustion is another story entirely. Whether or not it was worth it depends on how you feel about what you have accomplished at the end of the day. Located at approximately 8,000 feet up in the Andes, Otovalo has a long history as one of the most important crossroads in the range. Unlike ... Read more »
The worst situation in the world
A couple of days ago, the wonderful Dr. Nancy Kay posted a story I hope all parents (human and pet) read about the trend of kids and dogs in pictures getting into potentially scary situations. If you haven't read it yet, she punctuated the apprehension she feels seeing pictures like this: And this: with a story from her own practice, where a parent disregards her attempts to help her children interact with their dog more safely. And the story ends, after the dog bites one of the ... Read more »
A Scotsman, a bulldog and a blonde walk into a spa…
I'm having one of those months where I think everything important is weeks and weeks away, and then all of a sudden it's coming up tomorrow and I am caught completely unaware. It's feast or famine 'round these parts. Take the last two weeks, for example. So. Two weeks ago, I went up to Los Angeles to shoot a segment for ABC's The Lookout. It's part investigative journalism, part consumer reporting, and part entertainment. My segment: costly accounting mistakes. Kidding. It's about ... Read more »
Little pink blankie
That thing? That Tuesday thing I've been fretting over for weeks/my whole life? Is now a Wednesday thing. No one in the universe is more anxious about this than me, but in case you were wondering why I haven't posted any pictures of me popping a cork yet....yeah. But in this case, a one day delay is fine and I PROMISE I will explain everything then. And in the meantime, a story. On Friday, I told my colleague Dr. B, for whom I am now working once a week, that I would go to appointments ... Read more »
The Exquisite Pain of Impatience
You know how when you plan a vacation for a year, it's all well and good but the last week before you go is torture? It's kind of like that. I have this bottle of Dom in the pantry. I got it for my wedding in 2001. I haven't touched it all these years, not even for any of the following occasions: 1st anniversary 10th anniversary birth of first child graduating vet school buying house selling house But next Tuesday, I might be opening it. I might be ... Read more »
The Veterinary Film Marketing Team Needs a Little Work
The American Veterinary Medical Association is not known for being on the cutting edge of pop culture or media relations. Like its cousin the American Medical Association, professional organizations like this all tend to err on the side of conservatism. That is just the nature of the beast, and I get that. So it is with some degree of bemusement that I noted the AVMA has recently released a 30 second movie trailer in honor of its 150th anniversary. And why, might you ask, does the profession ... Read more »
Summer Reading List, Vet Version
It says right there on my FAQ that I don't do book reviews. Not because I don't like doing it, but because approximately two seconds after the review book arrives I start to get emails: "didyougetitdidyoulikeitwhensthereview" from the publishing house interns whose job it is to do things like that. Which is completely fine, except for the fact that I don't read very quickly and I just couldn't handle the pressure. I will do book reviews, just as long as no one cares when I get around to it. ... Read more »
Birdsong
Hands "You have surgeon's hands," said Mr. Veri, and I believed him. It was one of the few things my Jon Lovitz-esque physics teacher had said to me all year, and I had no idea what prompted it or what level of experience he had with hand divination, but it sounded like a kickass thing to have, and I held onto it. He saw my hands, but he didn't know my heart. I didn't either, so I can't blame him for setting me up for crushed dreams down the road. I went into veterinary school sure of two ... Read more »
3 Easy Ways to Ruin Your Dog’s Summer
It's summer, hooray! Now that everyone is out with their dog enjoying the sunshine, it's time to revisit some of those top causes of mid-summer angst. Go forth, have fun, and if you want to have a stress free season, avoid my Top 3 Ways to Ruin Your Dog's Summer. 1. Forget to bring enough water I'm working on a pithy catchphrase about the dangers of summer heat. (I think I have it.) We all know that leaving the dog in the car is a Very Bad Thing, but there's many more subtle things we do that ... Read more »
