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 »
Blog
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 »
Food Rules for Dogs
It's generally accepted that of all the controversial people food trends out there, the paleo/raw/low carb/low fat rules of ingestion, the one thing everyone seems to agree on is Michael Pollan's Food Rules, which at its core is this: don't eat so much processed food, and don't eat so much food in general. Agreed, and you can certainly extrapolate this to pets too. However, with over 50% of US pets overweight or obese- a condition with definite and real consequences- I'm more concerned with ... Read more »
In the Game of Boys, you win or you die
Every once in a while I find myself remembering just how similar we are to our primate relatives; how, when the trappings of modernity are removed from our dextrous fingers we regress to our most primal of behaviors with nary a glance backwards. You don't even need to travel to a different continent to explore indigenous tribes or venture out with an anthropology researcher intent on dissecting human behavior. You just need to go camping. Preferably with a large group of young boys. When ... Read more »
Who’s Jimmy Moses? And other dog show musings
This winter marked my third trip to the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship, and while I've learned a great deal more about dog shows over that time (mostly due to the instruction of my friend Susi Szeremy over at DogKnobit), I think it's fair to say that I'm still mostly clueless about that world. Which is fine, since I'll never show a dog; I just need enough knowledge to be able to watch. I know a bit about the point system and the actual play by play of showing a dog, like how you're ... Read more »
Community
I grew up in a small New England town, surrounded by what by today's standards would be considered 'nosey' neighbors. To this day I remember their names, the Kerrys and Kellys and Jeffreys and their parents who had no problems doling out discipline, dinner, and hugs in equal measure. I've lived in many places since then. I can't tell you what my neighbors' names were; I'm not sure I knew it even then. When I was in vet school, a five year old boy down the street drowned in his pool. When a ... Read more »
