This call came in after I was gone for the day. Receptionist: Hello, how may I help you? Person: My dog ate some glass. What should I do? Receptionist: You should go to the emergency room immediately. Do you have the number? Person: Actually, I was researching it on the web and it said just to give cotton balls and metamucil. I was wondering if there was anything else I can give at home. ....bread....? Receptionist: I don't have any recommendations for at home remedies for your dog ... Read more »
Blog
That was a *close* one
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 »
