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 »
in the news
Pet insurance- the good, the bad, the somewhere in between
I admit I am biased about pet insurance. I like it, mostly. Clients who had it were, in my experience, much more likely to approve necessary treatments. That dog with a case of happy tail who wagged it so hard and so fast he got a nasty deep infection that ended up necessitating a partial tail amputation? Insured. Hit by car? Insured. From my perspective, it allowed owners to focus on the pet's immediate needs and get them taken care of. I also liked it because I didn't have to do anything to ... Read more »
Some Veterinarians Sell Unnecessary Online Memberships By Throwing Colleagues Under the Bus
Some Veterinarians Sell Unnecessary Shots, Tests to Make Extra Money, Says Former Vet Did you see this bit on 20/20 this weekend? Ah, media. Titled "Veterinary Confessions," the piece follows a couple of dogs through a series of veterinary visits where different vets offer different services based on their clinical experience, interspersed with the contrite admonitions of a former veterinarian who says that he was, before he relinquished his license (more on that later), the medical ... Read more »
Why this recall is not 2007 all over again
As you're all probably aware, Diamond Pet Foods is in the midst of a fairly large scale recall due to potential Salmonella contamination. As of this weekend, the recall had expanded from three brands to fourteen, encompassing 16 states.The Diamond Recall page lists all the Diamond brands, as well as the production codes being recalled: Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul Country Value Diamond Diamond Naturals Premium Edge Professional 4Health Taste of the ... Read more »
A brief deviation
I'm not really a football fan. Let me say that from the start. I married a hardcore Chargers fan, so I tolerate it out of necessity, but it's never been a game I had an attachment to. But I was a Junior Seau fan. I grew up in Oceanside, Junior's hometown, and our little town couldn't be more proud of his success. He would come to high school pep rallies. He took care of his family and friends and neighbors and was actively involved in philanthropy. You couldn't find a single person willing ... Read more »
So long, and thanks for all the experimentation
I just randomly happened upon this story about Chimpanzee Island from CNN yesterday, and it was as fascinating as it was distressing. I've mentioned before that it was spending time in a lab that was conducting research on chimpanzees that convinced me I could not pursue a career in lab animal or primate medicine. It felt wrong, deep in my bones. I was not the only one who felt this way. In the past ten years, the scientific community has refined protocols, developed alternatives, ... Read more »
Come Fly the Friendly Skies- as long as you’re not a pit bull
I was quoted yesterday in a Fox News article commenting on the latest crummy decision by United Airlines with regards to dog transport. While I'm happy with the article, I thought it was worth breaking the United policy down in a little more detail because it is confusing. When United merged with Continental, they adopted Continental's PetSafe program, lauded by many for its regard for animal welfare. And on most counts, it's a good program, save the one inexplicable part where they ban nine ... Read more »