Pawcurious: With Veterinarian and Author Dr. V

Celebrating the truth that pets make people better.

Features

Summer is Coming! Travel Tips for Pups

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  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 »

Here’s Who I Blame for the High Cost of Vet Care

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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 »

The Truth About Media Mobs, Vets, and You

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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 »

Why I Tell People I Sell Life Insurance

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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 »

Pet Doctor Barbie and the Pet Food Dude

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It's been a while since I've done a Pet Doctor Barbie post. It's past due for a new episode, yes? I think it's time for Pet Doctor Barbie to meet one of her self-appointed arch nemeses, Pet Food Dude.   Episode 8 Hi Mrs. Sandford, good to see you and Muffin. It's been a while! I'm really glad you're doing housecalls now. I want to get Muffin's bump looked at again. OK, I'll just look at my notes here- 1 cm, top of head...mm hmmm... So where we left it one year ago was that you ... Read more »

Painting the Roses Red

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It's pub day! The book is out at long last! I really hope you all enjoy it- All Dogs Go to Kevin has truly been a labor of love. (That link goes to my new website. Did I mention I have a new website? It's been so busy around here I think I forgot.) Last weekend I went to Warwicks to sign the preordered books. Brian and the kids were at ComicCon, so I went to Warwicks by myself. It was a short task, no more than 20 minutes, so I couldn't figure out why I was so bummed about going alone, and ... Read more »

Grand Opening: The Pawcurious Surgical Training Centre

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So, every year I attempt some form of creative teaching enterprise at the kids' school, and some years go better than others. This year, in a school I really like, I think things went well. I was asked to do a "veterinary science station" for the annual Science Fair, and I thought back to what I was excited about when I was a kid:   Playing with guts! And I thought to myself, I bet I could create a dog version of this anatomical model. So I went to Joann's, bought a bunch of ... Read more »

Two things people always say when a pet dies at home and other DeathLord lessons

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Life is weird in lots of way. Things happen for a reason, and you have to kind of be open to what life's going to throw at you because you certainly aren't going to expect most of it. Even the good stuff. Especially the good stuff, which is often hidden in bad stuff. When I go to a house for a euthanasia, people invariably say one of two things: 1. This must be so hard. 2. I wish we had this for people. The answer to both is "I agree." The interesting part is that they ... Read more »

Vaccine vs Disease, Parvo Edition: an Infographic

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Vaccines are a complicated topic, let's start with that. It's impossible to break down the conversation into something so simplistic as "Vaccines: yes or no". Some are more effective than others, some prevent more severe diseases than others. There are some vaccines I did not recommend (hello, FIP) and others I was adamant about (parvo!) when I was in general practice. This is why you should have a good relationship with a vet you trust, who is willing to have a dialogue. On the other hand, ... Read more »

Candy Pee and Me: How Big Pharma Seduced Me at NAVC

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It's been entirely too long since I've posted, and for that I apologize. I've been terribly busy responding to nastygrams depositing my checks from Big Pet Food sneering at plebians going to a continuing education conference this past week, and what a week it was. Like many of you, I read the Indy Star's expose about the loose strings of pharmaceutical companies (or, in internet conspiracy parlance, Big Pharma) at continuing education conferences such as the one I was going to attend, and ... Read more »

On the eighth day of clinics

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Hey everyone, thank you for all your kind words and your sharing the piece I wrote the other day. All of the commenters coming on here and talking about how much they love their vet and feel they have a wonderful collaborative relationship is the best Christmas present you could give me. Truly. OK! Now I have to get back on schedule so we're done by Thursday on the 12 days of clinics! My Newfie gave to me:   7 mites a-swimming 6 Old Souls Graying 5 Moldy Rings! 4 Gastric ... Read more »