I have a list of what I call "chum" topics on the blog, topics that are guaranteed to bloody the waters and bring in the sharks and ruin my little oasis of calm and rational discussion. While I don't mind talking about controversial things, it's not worth it unless we're trying to find some common ground- right? Which is why I've waited a good long time to say how I feel about declaws, because it never seemed to accomplish anything. But times change, and I think based on what I'm seeing around ... Read more »
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Here’s Who I Blame for the High Cost of Vet Care
In 2014, I got a whole bunch of people fired up by writing a piece called "No Obamacare for Dogs" that spoke to the issues people face when they arrive at the vet ER without enough funds to pay for a pet's needed care. And here we are now, three years later, same old same old. Somewhere, in the United States, a pet has arrived at an ER and the owner was unable to afford the estimate. Chaos ensues. Nothing new, really, and here we are again waiting for someone else (read, the veterinary ... Read more »
The Truth About Media Mobs, Vets, and You
Once upon a time, a man brought his dog into the veterinary clinic for a routine procedure. While under anesthesia, the dog died, probably due to negligence. The veterinarian called the owner, left a cruel message, threatened him to pay the bill anyway, then refused to return the body. She was callous, indifferent, and verbally abusive, and didn't even care what happened to the much beloved pet. Naturally, the man was tremendously upset, so he called the local media outlets and told them the ... Read more »
Is It OK To Text a Vet Friend For Free Advice?
I know, I know, it's been quiet here. I've been super busy doing the life thing and working on the DrAndy site and trying, yet again, to get my next book proposal done. But in the meantime: I'm taking a roadtrip to Seattle with Brody again! I can't wait to share those stories and pictures, but in the meantime I'd like to present a brand new flowchart. I'm on a few veterinary Facebook groups, and the sorts of behaviors they post about still keeps my jaw dropping. Potential paramours who ... Read more »
Why I Hate That Stupid Mom Pie Quote
"A mother is a person who, seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie." -Tenneva Jordan Last week, my husband sold the U2 tickets he bought for us back in January because it conflicted with my daughter's school play. I'm not gonna lie, it was painful, but sometimes you have to put things aside when you're a parent. I say sometimes, though, because I think that's an important distinction to make in the Pinterest era where everyone ... Read more »
Pets and Cancer: What This Vet Wants You To Know
Tonight I spent ten minutes feeding Brody peanut butter on a tongue depressor so I could remove some staples from his chin. 10 days ago he had yet another mass removal. I think we're at four mass removals now, maybe five. Five masses and one ear. At least two of those masses represented dangerous cancers in their early stages, and according to the pathology reports, they are gone. It is one of the things you do when you have a pet, especially a Golden. I do this willingly and gladly, ... Read more »
How Not To Kill Your Cat This Easter
Happy Easter! Are you ready to make sure everyone survives the weekend? We have the usual dangers of course, the ham that sends the dog to the ER with pancreatitis, the Easter basket grass that winds up tangled in the small intestine, the Cadbury overload, all the good stuff. But the Big Daddy of Easter dangers, as more and more people are realizing, is the dreaded Easter lily. Lilies will kill your cat. No mercy and no quarter- the leaves, petals, stems, even the little bit of pollen that ... Read more »
How TSA Turned Me into a Hardened Criminal
You ever have one of those moments where the stars align just so and you say, “I’ve poured my heart and soul into this thing and I just know there’s no way it will live up to my expectations” and yet it does and you’re left in shock? That was my weekend at Uncharted Veterinary Conference, and I’m not saying that just because I helped plan it. It was that good. As good as the conference was, the travel sitch getting to and from was equally bad. It brought balance to the force with extreme ... Read more »
The Reason I’m Glad I Stopped to Smell the Flowers
My routine was off today. I got distracted with work and emails and life, and before I knew it, it was 11 am. I like to walk Brody in the morning while it's still cool out, so we rarely find ourselves out in the midday sun where it gets really hot, really fast. I debated whether I should still go. Brody solemnly sat on my shoes and breathed on me until I decided that the decision wasn't really up to me- this was a dog who wanted some air. He gets so excited when he sees the leash, like he's ... Read more »
Mars Bought a Bunch More Vet Clinics- Now What?
We welcome our veterinary overlords! Well, kind of, but not really. Yesterday's announcement that Mars PetCare acquired VCA for 7.7 billion was a shocker to everyone I know in the pet care industry, which just goes to show you us peons are always the last to know. Disclosure: I am speaking only for myself here and from my own experiences. I spent part of my career at Banfield, which is part of the growing Mars empire. That wasn't the case when I joined, when veterinary clinics were almost ... Read more »
