I don't do birds. I just don't. I vaguely remember the stuff I learned in vet school, about air sacs and weird one way diagrams of their lungs and bumblefoot, but mostly I view them with the same untrusting wary eye I use for furtive men in trenchcoats skulking down the street. When someone calls wanting to come in with a bird, I refer them to our local veterinary exotics specialist, who actually likes birds. He can have them. The last time I saw a bird, I was in the emergency hospital and my ... Read more »
Puppy Mill Awareness Day
Saturday, September 19th marked Puppy Mill Awareness Day. I know people are generally aware of what puppy mills are, but is everyone aware just how deplorable these operations are? To say it's heartbreaking is an understatement. At a previous job, one of our duties was to inspect the animals that a local mall pet store acquired from a, erm, "breeder" as they arrived from the airport. They were always sick. The pet store owner always got mad when I documented their maladies. Eventually he ... Read more »
Sunday Shoutout!
I know, I know. Two weekend blog posts. I'm going to run out of stuff to say this week. I've decided to try something out and see how it goes. On Sundays I'd like to take the time to recognize a company, group, or person who is doing something good for animals. It can be something small, something large, or even just something cool that I thought everyone else might like to hear about too. We spend so much time hearing on the news terrible things about chained up neglected dogs and people ... Read more »
Bark like a pirate!
Argh! September 19th be Talk Like a Pirate Day, me hearties! And far be it from me to keep ye from celebratin' with your favorite sailor. Aye, I be talkin' about yer four legged first mate, as faithful a crew member as ye ever can find. If ye have a dog by yer side, ye'll never be forced to walk the plank by a scurvy scum swilling scallywag. Aye, dogs be loyal and true. But if you're addled enough to trust one of THESE bilge rats to man yer helm while ye sleep, ye be on yer own. ... Read more »
On safari: Goldenbeast cubs
In this episode of On Safari, we follow a curious young Goldenbeast cub as he explores the world around him. Behold the mighty Goldenbeast. Part Golden, part beast, all hunter. We first spot the notoriously elusive beast at the water hole. We sneak in for a better look, trying our best to be quiet. But our paltry skills are no match for the mighty beast's superior hearing! He licks his chops in anticipation! And he springs into attack mode! Oh no! Tell the ... Read more »
Sometimes I really despise people
I've never been a Jessica Simpson fan, but I really feel for the girl. She goes from It Girl to dumped divorcee, ridiculed as a clingy has-been with a long over career. And then to add insult to injury, a coyote steals the dog her ex husband gave to her right in front of her. She posts on her Twitter: "Still holding out hope despite the !$#@! that say is it a dumb thing to do. Daisy is my baby...why would I stop searching? I'm a mom." Which, well, I can understand. I still look for my ... Read more »
How to heal a broken heart
I had some fantastic clients go through some horrible circumstances this year. It comes with the job, the grief and the sadness, and you get used to it to a degree, but there are some stories that hit you even with your walls in place. A couple of weeks before Emmett died, one of my favorite clients lost their beloved 3 year old dog. That dog was, for lack of a better word, their kid. They had no human children, and they funneled all of their energy and emotion into her. She was their life. ... Read more »
Uh oh oh
If there is one thing I think I do fairly well, it's helping people say goodbye to their pets. I don't know if it's gauche to say that you are good at euthanizing dogs, but it's the truth. I feel like I am pretty compassionate and I go out of my way to make the experience one as minimally traumatizing as I can. I have a procedure that works pretty well, and it's almost always exceedingly peaceful and quiet. Today, I saw an owner who had made the decision to say goodbye to his 17 year old ... Read more »
Dog Beach Redux
September 13th marks the third annual National Pet Memorial Day. I didn't even know there was a National Pet Memorial Day, and it took a bit of digging to determine how this day came about (it appears to have been designated by the International Association of Pet Cemeteries), but just so you know, it's the second Sunday of September. I wrote a post about Emmett's last trip to Dog Beach before I knew it was his last trip to Dog Beach, and I never did post it. It seems like as good an excuse ... Read more »
We have a winner!
I put "blog", "facebook", or "twitter" on the left of each entry with the name of the entrant on the right so I know which place the winning comment came from. And the winner is: Congratulations Olga! If you can send your e-mail address to drv@pawcurious.com, I'll get your e-certificate out to you ASAP! ... Read more »
Contest update
Thank you for all the entries! I just went through the process of documenting all the entries, adding in the extras- everyone who gave me a joke got an extra one. :) Tomorrow I will have the 5 year old pick a name at random. ... Read more »
September 11, 2009
It's a little surreal to think that it has already been eight years since the events of September 11th. The coverage over the past couple of years has been quieter and quieter, as those sharp visceral memories have faded into sad remembrances of a horrible time in our history. I was far from New York at the time, in my last year of vet school in California. My mother woke me up with a phone call, telling me to turn on the TV. We silently sat and watched the towers fall; both of us alone, ... Read more »
Sometimes the solution is worse than the problem…
Picking my daughter up from kindergarten is an adventure. We have no bus service, so one has to either walk a short 15 minutes, or drive. I'm fine with walking, personally, but my 3 year old who has to accompany us has a different view on things. I'd like to say I just told him to deal with it, but with temperatures over 100 for the past two weeks, I can't say I blame him for complaining. I also have to contend with the fact that I have this puppy. A puppy with separation anxiety. A puppy who ... Read more »
Win some free stuff!
My original intent was to use any ad revenue from this site for giveaways. Well, no one wants a $2.50 gift certificate to anywhere (I have to come up with a better setup there) but in the meantime, I have to celebrate all the amazingness that is the people reading my blog so off we go! Thanks everyone. You all make my day every day. :D Win a $50 Gift Certificate to Planet Dog! I have no relation to this store, other than someone on Facebook suggested it and they have a great online store of ... Read more »
Wednesday wonders
I love different things every week. This applies to pet items, favorite shoes, and what website I'm going to waste time on after work. This week it's utilitarian stuff that appeals to me, things I have been reaching for every day this week and are quickly becoming indispensable. Perhaps you enjoy these items as well. 1. A yoga mat. Aside from having a way to catch a quick downward dog when needed, yoga mats are actually a big help to have in the clinic. I often look apologetically at a ... Read more »
Not to be outdone….
Apparently the dogs were offended by my last post and decided to show me what's what when it comes to bad behavior. Round 2 of the rodeo comes courtesy of one miniature pinscher, who was recently given up for adoption due to enough neighborly noise complaints to threaten eviction for his previous owner. I believe, had we been able to translate, he would have been shouting, "I HATE THE WORLD" over and over and over. His new owner, a kind and sweet woman who seems to have no idea what ... Read more »
Welcome to the rodeo
I admit it hasn't been the best of weeks. My cat's still gone, I have a cold, I'm in the middle of a plumbing nightmare that involves 4 trucks, 10 fans, punched out drywall and 5 guys named Joe looking solemnly at my wet walls saying, "This isn't good." So you will forgive me for not being my usual cheery self when I tell you about the cat rodeo this weekend. I arrive at work, itchy nose, empty wallet, crabby mood, only to be greeted by not one, not two, but four hissing cats who are just as ... Read more »
Dedication, personified
I have spent several weekends volunteering with the Humane Society of Tijuana, an incredible grass roots organization. In the States, we have thousands of well organized rescue groups who have access to funding, PR, and hope. In Mexico, a short hop across the border, there are no such resources. It started with one man who wanted to make life better for the street dogs and cats, and has grown solely through the efforts of volunteers to be a great success in helping animals in need. Unlike here, ... Read more »
