Pawcurious: With Veterinarian and Author Dr. V

Celebrating the truth that pets make people better.

Blog

Shelob’s Web

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One day about a month into my career, I was in an exam room with a client when a large-ish spider skittered across the exam table towards my hand. "Eeek!" screamed the client. "Eek!" screamed the vet. I grabbed the nearest book (I believe it was Miller's Anatomy, a nice, dense tome) and dropped it on the table with a thud. Silence. Then, from the client: "Guess you don't love all the animals, huh?" I felt kind of bad about that one, truth be told. I haven't done it since. I've ... Read more »

Help! My lab ate an M&M!

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It's Halloween time, and that means one thing: everyone stuffing their cabinet with chocolate under the guise of "just stocking up for Halloween." Except then you have to open the bag for inspection, just to check that it didn't melt or anything on the way home from the store, and that no one put razor blades in it. Safety first, after all. So by October 20th, you've exhausted that first bag, and then you have to get a couple more; can't wait until the last day, since of course the stores ... Read more »

Who’s a little pumpkin- Giveaway!

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Congratulations to the winner, Melanie! If you didn't see my Sunday post, I'm trying to post daily reader pics of pets in costumes from now until Halloween. If you haven't uploaded yours yet, I have a group over at Flickr (non-Halloween pictures are welcome too!) That is also where I will have participants upload their pictures for the 12 Days of Petmas, which I will be doing again this year because it was so much fun last time around. If you don't have a costume for your pet, there's ... Read more »

Building up strength

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It's a little paradoxical, but one's caloric needs can actually increase after surgery when you're in that low-activity healing phase. It takes extra energy to rebuild tissue and heal. So because of that, I increased Koa's daily ration since her Wednesday surgery. Her lipoma that turned out to be a nerve sheath tumor involved a pretty yucky surgery- I took out a good deal of tissue over her shoulder, and even with that I'm not sure if my margins were adequate. Her body has some work to do to ... Read more »

Picture of the Day

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Over the weekend, I asked if anyone wanted to add some pictures to my sad little Flickr group to make it a happy place- and you came out in force! In return I thought I would share a picture a day, now through Halloween, of your dogs in costumes. If I have enough interest (and pictures) I'll make this a regular feature! (That will let me include those non costume pictures too.) So to kick us off, the Super Starlet herself! ... Read more »

Water Creatures Need Love Too

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Before I was Dr. V the vet, I was Jessica V the vet student. And before that, I was Jessica M (see, I wasn't married yet) the nerdy biology major with an emphasis in marine biology. Before realizing my constitution wasn't nearly hardy enough to tolerate life out in the field, I was sure I was going to be a wonderful conservation biologist. Sadly, I shrink from the sun like a sparkly vampire so field work was not to be. I tell you this so that you understand that despite dedicating my career ... Read more »