Pawcurious: With Veterinarian and Author Dr. V

Celebrating the truth that pets make people better.

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Let’s play a game

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I like this game. It's harder than it looks. You'll get a series of hints. Slam the buzzer when you know the answer. An owner calls and says his dog is itchy. BUZZ! FLEA ALLERGIES! Ah yes, very good guess, but you haven't even seen the dog yet. The dog is not on flea control. BUZZ! IT'S TOTALLY FLEA ALLERGIES! Look, I get that is a reasonable assumption, but we need a little more information to make an accurate diagnosis. ... Read more »

Be the Change is BACK! And easier than ever!

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People who have been reading my blog for a while know that I am a big proponent of helping animals in whatever way you can. It's easy to be intimidated by big productions and think, "There's no way I'm going to organize a $200,000 fundraiser. All I have is $5/an old towel/5 minutes to spare." This spring, I was fortunate enough to meet some amazing people at BlogPaws- people who felt, as I did, that there is no bottom or top limit on what determines importance. Anything, and everything, ... Read more »

Product Review: Alopaw Hawaiian Dog Treats

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We recently received a bag of Alopaw Hawaiian Dog Treats for the pups. Founder Shannon created her vegan treats after learning her adorable black lab Kona was born with a liver shunt and would require a very specialized diet. So we receive a bag of treats from a dog named Kona, with a picture of a black lab on the front- is there any question who should get to do the product review? My husband and I were just discussing how Koa deserved to be featured a little more than she has ... Read more »

Double-Dog Dare

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The dogs and I went for a nice long walk this morning. And by, "we went for a walk," I mean "Koa and Brody dragged me around the neighborhood for an hour or so." Brody and I had been working hard on the heel command for a while there, and for the most part when it's just the two of us, he will grudgingly do it. He has the attention span of a gnat, as, unfortunately, do I. Koa doesn't want to leave my side to begin with, so regardless of what I do with her she is attached to me by an ... Read more »

Call of the day: Short Circuit

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Receptionist: Hello, how can I help you? Owner: Hi there, this is Slinky's owner. I have a question. Receptionist: Oh, hi! Didn't we just start her on medication for seizures? How is she? Owner: Oh, that's going great. No seizures at all. Receptionist: Wonderful! So how can we help you? Owner: I wanted to know if you think shock collar training would be ok for her. (technician grabs the phone) Tech: Hi there- were you asking if we recommended shock collar training for your ... Read more »

Wheat Thin Theater: Pinocchio Faces Monstro

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  A scene from Pinocchio, starring Brody, Koa and a tasty Wheat Thin. Upon returning home, Jiminy and Pinocchio find the workshop empty and soon learn from a letter by the Blue Fairy that Geppetto, while venturing out to sea to rescue Pinocchio from Pleasure Island, had been swallowed by a giant whale named Monstro. Geppetto: Pinocchio! Where are you, my boy? Geppetto: Uh oh. ... Read more »

Have dog, will travel

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We have a little family vacation coming up, and I'm trying to decide what to do with the dogs. Normally, I would either board them or have a housesitter, but this is a destination the dogs would really like, I think. My husband's family owns a little cabin on a lake, and we are going to spend a week or so there in August. There's not much two retrievers would enjoy more than hanging out at a lake in the woods. But, it's a long drive. A long, long drive. Almost-Mexico to almost-Canada- ... Read more »