*Warning: mentions suicide* As I sat on the couch with Ollie sprawled over my lap, I sighed and mentioned to my husband that, yet again, another veterinarian has died by suicide. She was a mother with two little boys, a practice owner, and by all accounts seemingly happy. We can guess all we want about what desperation, what chemical lies, were swirling in her brain- but we will never know. This sort of thing was shocking once, but now it’s a dejected “oh no, not again.” You’ve probably ... Read more »
Daily Life
What You Should Know About the FDA Alert on Grain Free Dog Foods
A recent FDA alert about the possible connection between grain free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy has been gaining momentum. I'm getting tons of questions about it, and I'm learning as much as I can too. Let me start by saying this: we ALL want what's best for our pets. We might have different approaches for getting there, but that's the goal. For the video version, check out my interview with Dr. Lisa Weeth, DVM, DACVN: You can tell by my intense face we were having a GREAT ... Read more »
Two Words With Anthony Bourdain
My interaction was limited to two words and they weren’t very exciting ones. I’m not impressed by celebrities. I lived in LA for five years surrounded by them, and other than looking over my shoulder and saying, “Oh, you’re right, there’s Ashley Judd” I kept my interactions to a minimum. I guess I should say I’m not impressed by Hollywood celebrities, because there are other people with whom I am very much starstruck, people I would wait in line for hours to meet and ... Read more »
Summer is Coming! Travel Tips for Pups
Every summer, our family makes the trek from San Diego to Seattle for a little family vacation. Usually we fly, but twice in the past years we’ve driven so the dogs could come as well. I’m not going to lie- it takes some preparation and work to manage a road trip with kids and dogs, but the fun of having the entire family together at our little lake cabin makes it all worthwhile. And as it turned out, dear Brody passed away this winter, so I am even more glad we put in the ... Read more »
This One Little Tip Could Save Your Dog’s Life
At pawcurious, we’re both saddened and bemused when scrolling through the clickbait pseudoscience of “natural pet advice” websites. We decided, initially, to post a Top Five List of some of the just plain bad advice commonly dispensed by people with no formal education in veterinary medicine, science, or critical thinking. But after getting through just one, I was so exhausted by cutting through the garbage caked on like tartar on the teeth of dog who’s had nothing but anesthesia-free dentals ... Read more »
6 Myths About Veterinary Telemedicine We Need to Get Over
The very first time I used my insurance program's telemedicine service to call and get a prescription for a minor problem that nonetheless couldn't wait for Monday, I had two thoughts: This is awesome (Friday night at the ER is no bueno). I wonder when this is going to be a reality in veterinary medicine. This was, hmmm, maybe 2015 or so. I asked the people around me what they thought and they all laughed and said it was never going to happen, just like they said to me in 2010 when I ... Read more »
Here’s To New Adventures: Meet Dakota
What a first quarter. I lost Brody in January. I am still mourning him, deeply. He unequivocally answered the question of whether or not you can have more than one heart dog in your life. The answer is yes. My husband (and my son) asked me, shortly after Brody died, if we would be getting another dog. It seemed a silly question to ask me of all people, sitting there with my puffy eyes holding my chest like pressing it would somehow staunch the bleeding. Of course we would. Two weeks ... Read more »
Did You Know?
Did you know when we woke up this morning how things would end? I doubt it. I went to the gym and you hung out with the kids, because it was a Saturday and they were home. We vacuumed, because as usual pieces of you were starting to accumulate on the ground where you lay. Did you know how hairy you were? Did you know that yesterday, I was supposed to go to spin class but when you saw my shoes you got so excited I stayed home with you instead and we took a walk? It was the longest walk we took ... Read more »
Merry Christmas from Brody
Whenever I've lost someone close to me, I have the same dream within a month: in this dream, they return to me, healthy and whole. We have just that moment to be in each other's presence once more; and then they are gone. It has happened with pets, with my grandparents, and with my mother. It is comforting to think in some form, they are well. Then I wake up with a bittersweet taste on my tongue. In that brief moment it was real, my brain fooled into thinking they were there with me: ... 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 »
Giving Tuesday- I’m Giving to You!
Hey guys- long time no talk, right? I miss you all. I'm here, though as you probably noticed less so than I used to be. It's by design- lots of stuff in the works as always, and figuring out how this little blog fits in to all of it is always something I think about. People are reading fewer words these days, looking at more pictures, listening to more podcasts. How do we continue to stay in touch in a world whose canvas is ever-changing? Do I even want to try? (Yes. You should always try.) ... Read more »
An ER Euthanizes a Beloved Pet. This is What You Should Know:
There are certain calls to news editors that prove irresistible. I imagine in this day and age of ratings and clicks mattering more than actual investigative reporting, nothing makes editors salivate more than the tale of a devastated family and the greedy, lazy, and/or incompetent veterinarian responsible for the death of a pet. It neatly checks all the boxes modern day news websites are looking for: sad family. Adorable pet. Terrible situation. Having fulfilled these requirements, the ... Read more »
