On the fifth day of Petmas my puppy gave to me: FIVE GROOOOODY RIIIIIIINGS! (The idea of bully rings seemed pretty good until they arrived, and I had to open the bag. Man, those rings reeked to high heaven! But Brody was sure happy to get one after the shoot. There's no accounting for taste.) ... Read more »
Features
Four Calling Birds
On the fourth day of Petmas my puppy gave to me: Four yummy birds Three cat snacks Two dog hat doves And a wreath on the head of Brody Thank you Kari! For an alternate picture, check out "Four Falling Birds" on the Flickr group. (And if you like photography, treat yourself to her blog- she just returned from Italy and I'm living vicariously through her wonderful pictures.) ... Read more »
French Hens
On the third day of Petmas my puppy gave to me: 3 kitties snacking, 2 dog hat doves and a Sophie in a stocking! Thank you Darci and crew! We were very fortunate to get a bonus pic for today! Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all are singing this song out loud like I am. :) ... Read more »
Turtle Doves
On the second day of Petmas, my puppy gave to me- And a wreath on the head of Bro-dee! Thank you Rwan, Enzo, and Learned! ... Read more »
Partridge
On the first day of Petmas, my puppy gave to me: ... Read more »
12 blog fans posting
OK, so to solidify this 12 Days of Petmas thing- these are the people who have volunteered. Please let me know by e-mail or here in the comments if you can't get a picture up in time and I will get an alternative. I'm not picky- this doesn't have to be professional, you can use your phone camera, we don't care. Just have fun. This is really entertaining to me too since I have no idea what's going to be submitted; it's like a little present every day. :) I'm going to start these on December ... Read more »
On safari: Ocelot vs Goldenbeast
Our cameraman has spent months, nay, years, stalking the elusive Domestic Jungle Ocelot. His patience has finally been rewarded. He is usually a nocturnal creature. At night, when the denizens of the day have retired, he emerges from the depths of the garage and stalks his prey. Namely, veterinarians. Oblivious to her imminent doom, the veterinarian slumbers. She wakes up to the silent kneading on her chest as the ocelot sucks out her her life's breath and bites her on the ... Read more »
Spay’s Anatomy (featuring Pet Doctor Barbie and a special guest star)
Voiceover: Diagnosing a pet is like fighting a battle in the fog. Without their ability to tell you what's wrong, you don't know your enemy. Sometimes the fog is a mere hazy gauze, easily penetrated with our exam and our instincts, and other times it sits over the field like a big hairy blindfold. Well hello there, Miss Blake! What brings you and Lulu here today? Doctor, Lulu just isn't herself. I don't know what is wrong, but something is wrong. Any changes in appetite or drinking ... Read more »
Sunday Shoutout!
I know, I know. Two weekend blog posts. I'm going to run out of stuff to say this week. I've decided to try something out and see how it goes. On Sundays I'd like to take the time to recognize a company, group, or person who is doing something good for animals. It can be something small, something large, or even just something cool that I thought everyone else might like to hear about too. We spend so much time hearing on the news terrible things about chained up neglected dogs and people ... Read more »
On safari: Goldenbeast cubs
In this episode of On Safari, we follow a curious young Goldenbeast cub as he explores the world around him. Behold the mighty Goldenbeast. Part Golden, part beast, all hunter. We first spot the notoriously elusive beast at the water hole. We sneak in for a better look, trying our best to be quiet. But our paltry skills are no match for the mighty beast's superior hearing! He licks his chops in anticipation! And he springs into attack mode! Oh no! Tell the ... Read more »
It’s summer time at the vet clinic
If there is one thing that is ubiquitous in this field, it is dogs with itchy skin. While many vets shudder at the ever present itchy dog, I kind of like it. Lucky for me, since dermatology represents something like one third of all the cases we see. I don't think it's boring. I think it's interesting. That being said, it's not always the most complicated case on the docket. We're not talking House, here. There are one or two scripts that play out over and over like clockwork starting every ... Read more »
This is what we call the ‘turf’
My license allows me to legally practice medicine on just about anything- except humans, of course. If you really want to make a vet's hair stand on end, ask them why they didn't become a "real doctor". Most people only ask that once, at least to me. Granted, that's a hell of a lot of species to know. Sheesh, MDs manage to eke out a living focusing on one organ system of one species- OBs, for instance, or dermatologists- and yet somehow I'm expected to be able to handle a cow dystocia as well ... Read more »
Welcome to the Big League
Today is a very big day for Dr. Autumn. I had a Barbie floating around that looked like her, but I couldn't bear to put her in the standard Barbie vet getup, so in her honor I created a pair of slightly more appropriate scrubs. Hold on...just a couple more things here... Ah. Much better. I've had the pleasure of working with her previously, as Autumn, the awesome technician, but today is the Big Day for her: her first day as Doctor Autumn, practicing veterinarian. I know she knows the ... Read more »
On safari
Today we venture to the savannah in search of the elusive Goldenbeast. His vibrant coat is in stark contrast to the lush greenery. He is better suited for camouflage in his native environment, the leather couch. He settles down at the edge of the plains with the remains of his latest kill. But the savannah is a popular destination for wildlife viewing, and it doesn't take long for the tourists to swoop in to try and steal a hug. Uh oh. There is a whole busload of ... Read more »
Stick a muzzle on it
There are some vets out there, my 'mentor' (I use that term loosely) included, who don't really use muzzles very often. I think for some, it's a guy thing- "I don't need no stinkin' muzzle! I am brawny and manly and I can dominate this beast!" And two seconds later they tell their technician to go hold the dog. They get bit a lot. Some clients buy into this too. When a pet is looking scared, anxious, or outright aggressive, I don't waste much time in suggesting a muzzle. Most clients are fine ... Read more »
The Trouble with Barbie
For arguably the most popular girls' toy of all time, Barbie sure does seem like something concocted by a guy. May I present to you Exhibit A: Barbie Pet Vet. Because I can't help myself, I own several versions of Veterinarian Barbie-excuse me- Pet Doctor Barbie- starting with her 1996 incarnation in chartreuse hot pants. She's gone through some changes over the years, but this is the first one I've seen actually wearing a miniskirt. Make that, a miniskirt that was then hemmed a few ... Read more »
