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Pet Doctor Barb, Relief Vet: April 19
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The New Doc
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Why I Tell People I Sell Life Insurance
What do you get when you cross a Dr V with an Apple pencil? (Aside from bad art, but that goes without saying.) A new set of cartoons, that's what! When I was in vet school, I was (rightfully) proud of my fledgling career choice. I shouted it from the rooftops: I'm about to be a vet! It's so cool! Check it out! Tell me everything about your guinea pig! But of course, with age comes both wisdom and boundaries, as well as an understanding that many people lack both. So without further ado, ... Read more »
How To Avoid the Bends
When I was in college, I decided to conquer my fear of drowning by getting certified in scuba diving. In retrospect, I really had no business being there, but I guess that's what your twenties is for. At one point during the training, you have to take your mask entirely off and then get it back on. No biggie, right? I was not a water person and had no idea what was going to happen. When I removed it from my face, my nose filled with water and I found I couldn't inhale through my regulator. My ... Read more »
Why You are More Powerful Than Any Counselor
The phone rings, and I answer it with an admittedly impatient voice since someone sold my phone number to a marketer and I've been getting deluged with spam calls all week. I have the phone in one hand and Brody's tail in the other, as he chewed up his bandage when I wasn't looking and now I have to re-wrap the whole thing. It's Chaplain Gary this time, calling as he does, every few months, to see how I am doing. I met him once, when he came to the house to talk to the kids when my mom was ... Read more »
Cancer Is Fun
That's sarcasm, by the way. Cancer sucks, I hate cancer, cancer can go suck it. Anyway. When you have a dog, but especially when you have a dog who is a breed with a 50% occurrence of cancer in their lifetime, you learn to be vigilant. And by vigilant I mean you pick over your dog like a chimpanzee searching out ticks, and with good reason. So far, as you know, I've lost one dog to lymphoma, one to probable melanoma, and Brody's had the following removed: low grade melanoma on his lip ... Read more »
Top 5 Ways Being a Vet Prepared Me for Parenthood
It took me a good decade, but I can finally say I think I’m getting this motherhood thing figured out. It was not intuitive for me, not easy or instantly amazing the way it was when I brought home my first pet. With my animals, I knew no matter how challenging things were, we would figure it out and it would be ok. I don’t know why I lacked that confidence with the kiddos. Maybe I’m just part dog. But no matter! We all have our strengths in life, but the one thing I wish I knew a lot earlier ... Read more »
How To Spot an Animal Social Justice Warrior
There's something happening in the animal world, something sticky and kind of ugly, and we need to talk about it. You learn to spot patterns when you've been around long enough, trends that start in one area but quickly pick up steam in your own neck of the woods. And that, my friends, is what I'm bringing up today: the emerging trend of the Social Justice Warrior, and how that relates to people in pet care. I think it's pretty clear that I am a big proponent of animal advocacy, from ... Read more »
I Think SoCal is Pretty Much Screwed This Winter
If you haven't heard the news, we here in Southern California are finally starting to see the effects of the massive, gargantuan El Nino the likes of which we have not seen in our lifetimes. And I think it's going to be ugly. Every time we deal with a natural disaster, everyone runs out and gives people tips for preparing and being ready and most people do one or two things but the reality is, there's only so much time in the day and so many disasters one can prepare for without going ... Read more »
Life is a macaron
My mother was not a great cook. I think she would happily cop to that. She made spaghetti, burnt steak, and stuck underseasoned chicken breasts in the oven until they turned rubbery. Her mother was not a great cook either. She was Irish, so I guess that was part of her legacy to boil everything until it fell apart and all the taste seeped out, or so she claimed. However, her father was French, so she inherited a different type of culinary genius: boy could she bake. If I had to choose one of ... Read more »
Thankful
I've spent a lot of time the past few weeks thinking about gratitude, and what it means to me. I was worried that this, the first holiday season without the person who defines it for me, would be horrible and that I would have no interest in celebrating anything. Which is a valid response for sure, but I was hoping I could dredge up enough energy to participate for my kids' sake. And then a funny thing happened. I totally was into the whole gratitude thing. Although my life has had its ups ... Read more »
Five Things You Need to Know About the Delta Pet Policy
The internet was abuzz this week with word about the changes to Delta's pet flying policy. And as tends to happen, people got about 75% of the way there before they took a sharp left turn and read it incorrectly. Here is what you need to know: 1. Headlines saying "Delta no longer allowing pets as cargo" are wrong. As of March 1, 2016 pets will no longer be allowed as checked baggage. This does not mean pets over 30 pounds will be allowed in the cabin. It means they must fly as cargo, ... Read more »
CucumberGate, Terror, Abuse, and You
So by now you've all seen the videos, right? A person places a cucumber behind a cat who's blissfully chomping away on some food. The cat turns around, spots the sinister gourd, and jumps about five feet in the air. The first thing that happened was that a bunch of people thought it was funny and shared it all over the internet. The second thing that happened was a bunch of experts chimed in warning about how this wasn't a benign thing, that cats could be permanently scarred, and that ... Read more »
I’ve Got Thick Skin, and a Fuzzy Heart
I was certain when I had kids that my motherhood chip would finally kick in, that I would finally start to react to babies the way I reacted to dogs and cats. Because surely that maternal instinct in my heart had merely been misdirected all these years, and was simply in need of a little oxytocin and fine-tuning to point it to the appropriate species upon which I should lavish my affection. Now my kids are 11 and 9 and I can say this with absolute certainty: not so much. Don't get me ... Read more »
Thank you Veterans
Dogs have been members of the military for many, many years, but they weren't always seen as soldiers. At least to the leadership. During the Vietnam War, when the troops withdrew, the dogs were left behind as 'surplus equipment.' To this day, that fact haunts many of their handlers, who knew without a doubt that these loyal canines were nothing short of soldiers themselves. It is not an easy job. More than 500 dogs are deployed serving the military at any given time. They protect, serve, ... Read more »
Trick or Treat with Brody One Ear!
A special day calls for a special ear. And a poem, of course. Trick or treat! I lick feet. Give me something that has meat! If you don't, just beware- I'll eat up your underwear! Have a great day and be safe all! I get to go see Danny Elfman perform the Nightmare Before Christmas tonight at the Hollywood Bowl so I've got Jack Skellington on the mind :D ... Read more »
An Open Confession to Every Vet Tech I’ve Ever Worked With
Dear Amazing Veterinary Technicians of the World, It's sad that you only get one week to celebrate you and all that you do. The unsung heroes, the client counselors, absorbers of abuse, veterinary emotional support offerers, and in general people without whom these clinics would fall to pieces. I'd like to offer to you this week an open apology for the transgressions of my past years. I ate the last M&M. I'm sorry. I know now you probably hadn't eaten in 12 hours and really needed ... Read more »
