As I prepare for my third year at IAAHPC, the veterinary hospice conference, I've taken pause to reflect on this journey and how it affects the way I view veterinary medicine. Personally, I have only euthanized a personal pet in a clinic (versus at home) one time. It was Nuke, my vet school coonhound, and he was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma just a month after I graduated and came back home. The veterinarian was lovely and did as great a job as one can do in that situation, but so many ... Read more »
Daily Life
How To Age Like a Rock God
Last night I got to rock out at the last North American stop of the Guns n Roses "Not in This Lifetime" tour. In a moment that made me realize just how old I've gotten, I realized the last time they played San Diego- in 1992- I was also there. I was in high school, high on life (and probably a few other things unintentionally, as tended to happen at those arena shows), idealistic about the future. Guns n Roses was the biggest name in rock at the time, at the height of their fame and the zenith ... Read more »
Does Anyone Know If Elon Musk Has Pets?
Dear Elon, Hello! I would like to congratulate you on the roaring success of Tesla, in particular the Model X. I see them driving around when I'm out walking my dog and I spend a lot of time daydreaming about one day driving one of my own out to the dog park, with my dog's one ear flapping in the breeze as we race down the road. Perhaps you might be saying to yourself, "Goodness! What's keeping you from buying one, then? Aren't you a veterinarian? I hear they're rolling in dough!" ... Read more »
One Basic Household Item You Need if You Have a Pet
I've teamed up with Clorox to bring you some pet health and safety tips for the summer. Over this week and the next I'll be sharing some info on Facebook and Instagram about household germs and infectious disease prevention. Bottom line for me is, keep it simple! This post is sponsored by Clorox. “Simplify the problem of life, distinguish the necessary and the real.” – Henry David Thoreau, 1848 We spend a lot of time in our lives looking for the next biggest thing that’s going to ... Read more »
Chasing Butterflies
If you're ever in need of an escape to reset your head and find a little bit of peace in the chaos that swirls around you, I highly recommend Thailand. I have lots of stories and photos to share about the elephants I met, but today I have a different story to tell. Although not quite intentional, when I planned this trip I realized I was returning the day before my son's tenth birthday, which is also the one year anniversary of my mother's death. To spend the two weeks leading up to it in a ... Read more »
NatGeo Wild, Here I Come! (For real!)
Yay, big news I finally get to announce- I'm a Season 3 Expert on Nat Geo's Animals Gone Wild! I shot the episodes over several days at the end of last year, giving commentary on a bunch of wild animal videos. (None, by the way, showing people harming or doing irresponsible things, which was a condition of accepting the gig.) It airs Fridays at 9/8 C on NatGeo Wild starting this week- please tune in!! I hope you enjoy it! And for those of you who are in on the bandwagon of the Instagram ... Read more »
This is Why I Now Wait in the Car at School Pickup
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The Awful Case of Kristen Lindsey
In April 2015, Kristen Lindsey, DVM, shot a cat through the head with an arrow and then posted a picture on Facebook with the following caption: “My first bow kill … lol. The only good feral tomcat is one with an arrow through it's [sic] head! Vet of the year award … gladly accepted.” These facts are not in dispute. Why she did it, however, is. This is why she is currently testifying in an administrative hearing in order to try and keep her veterinary license. At its heart is the question, "Is ... Read more »
Coco’s Bad Breath: April 20
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The New Doc
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Why I Tell People I Sell Life Insurance
What do you get when you cross a Dr V with an Apple pencil? (Aside from bad art, but that goes without saying.) A new set of cartoons, that's what! When I was in vet school, I was (rightfully) proud of my fledgling career choice. I shouted it from the rooftops: I'm about to be a vet! It's so cool! Check it out! Tell me everything about your guinea pig! But of course, with age comes both wisdom and boundaries, as well as an understanding that many people lack both. So without further ado, ... Read more »
How To Avoid the Bends
When I was in college, I decided to conquer my fear of drowning by getting certified in scuba diving. In retrospect, I really had no business being there, but I guess that's what your twenties is for. At one point during the training, you have to take your mask entirely off and then get it back on. No biggie, right? I was not a water person and had no idea what was going to happen. When I removed it from my face, my nose filled with water and I found I couldn't inhale through my regulator. My ... Read more »
Why You are More Powerful Than Any Counselor
The phone rings, and I answer it with an admittedly impatient voice since someone sold my phone number to a marketer and I've been getting deluged with spam calls all week. I have the phone in one hand and Brody's tail in the other, as he chewed up his bandage when I wasn't looking and now I have to re-wrap the whole thing. It's Chaplain Gary this time, calling as he does, every few months, to see how I am doing. I met him once, when he came to the house to talk to the kids when my mom was ... Read more »
Cancer Is Fun
That's sarcasm, by the way. Cancer sucks, I hate cancer, cancer can go suck it. Anyway. When you have a dog, but especially when you have a dog who is a breed with a 50% occurrence of cancer in their lifetime, you learn to be vigilant. And by vigilant I mean you pick over your dog like a chimpanzee searching out ticks, and with good reason. So far, as you know, I've lost one dog to lymphoma, one to probable melanoma, and Brody's had the following removed: low grade melanoma on his lip ... Read more »
Top 5 Ways Being a Vet Prepared Me for Parenthood
It took me a good decade, but I can finally say I think I’m getting this motherhood thing figured out. It was not intuitive for me, not easy or instantly amazing the way it was when I brought home my first pet. With my animals, I knew no matter how challenging things were, we would figure it out and it would be ok. I don’t know why I lacked that confidence with the kiddos. Maybe I’m just part dog. But no matter! We all have our strengths in life, but the one thing I wish I knew a lot earlier ... Read more »
How To Spot an Animal Social Justice Warrior
There's something happening in the animal world, something sticky and kind of ugly, and we need to talk about it. You learn to spot patterns when you've been around long enough, trends that start in one area but quickly pick up steam in your own neck of the woods. And that, my friends, is what I'm bringing up today: the emerging trend of the Social Justice Warrior, and how that relates to people in pet care. I think it's pretty clear that I am a big proponent of animal advocacy, from ... Read more »
I Think SoCal is Pretty Much Screwed This Winter
If you haven't heard the news, we here in Southern California are finally starting to see the effects of the massive, gargantuan El Nino the likes of which we have not seen in our lifetimes. And I think it's going to be ugly. Every time we deal with a natural disaster, everyone runs out and gives people tips for preparing and being ready and most people do one or two things but the reality is, there's only so much time in the day and so many disasters one can prepare for without going ... Read more »
Life is a macaron
My mother was not a great cook. I think she would happily cop to that. She made spaghetti, burnt steak, and stuck underseasoned chicken breasts in the oven until they turned rubbery. Her mother was not a great cook either. She was Irish, so I guess that was part of her legacy to boil everything until it fell apart and all the taste seeped out, or so she claimed. However, her father was French, so she inherited a different type of culinary genius: boy could she bake. If I had to choose one of ... Read more »
