A few weeks ago, while my publicist was asking online dog lovers if they might be interested in reviewing my book, he came back with a question: "Do you recommend Science Diet or raw?" he asked. "It's really not an either/or thing," I said. "The book doesn't talk about nutrition at all." "Well, one of the people we approached said they only write about things from a raw food perspective," he said. "Oh, then they don't want my book," I said. "It's just from a dog lover's perspective." ... Read more »
Health
The vet will see you now- for entertainment purposes only
A year ago, my husband gave me a telephone number and said his insurance company now had phone consults available. 24/7, from the privacy of my own home, I could call in and get "seen" for ear infections, get a prescription for Ambien for travel, even get marriage counseling, should I desire it. I only used it once, but I was amazed that at 10 pm I could just call and talk to some random person and 15 minutes later pick up a prescription at the 24/7 Rite-Aid. I'm not going to lie, I think it was ... Read more »
Wisdom Panel 3.0- the next gen DNA test has arrived
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Mars Veterinary Wisdom 3.0 Panel. Opinions are those of the author. So, if I showed you a picture of a dog, you may be able to tell me a little about him or her. You would often be able to make some generalizations about temperament- Or adult size- Or medical concerns, such as whether or not a dog can tolerate ivermectin. But what about when it's not entirely obvious, as is the case with my friend Karen's adorable dog ... Read more »
Jerky Problems AGAIN: an infographic
Are you kidding me? After years of pressure, people finally get pet stores to agree to stop carrying treats from China only to have a new crop of cases of illness emerge in pets who ate jerky with a "Made in the USA" label. Is it sourcing? Is it weird contamination from aliens? Who cares! Just don't buy it. It's not worth the risk. Feed your pet an apple, or some of their regular food, or follow the link to where I show you how to make it yourself. Or watch the video: Any ... Read more »
How to be happy in 4 simple steps
This month's JAVMA features confirmation of what those of us in the profession for more than a year or two already suspected: veterinarians are a sad bunch, compared to the general population. Consider these stats from the CDC's first-ever survey of the veterinary population: 1 in 6 have considered suicide; 25% of men and 37% of women in the profession report depressive episodes; 1.1% of men and 1.4% of women have attempted suicide; That last stat is the only one where vets figure in ... Read more »
An open letter to Kevin Smith and his dog Mulder
Dear Kevin, I'm sure you get fan letters all the time, from people who love your art: Clerks, Dogma, Chasing Amy. I think Chasing Amy was one of the first movies I watched with my boyfriend, who is now my husband. He thinks you're the cheese. I think you are a great writer, and like all great writers you have an amazing willingness to share things that other people hold close. Painful things, like a humiliating experience with an airline or, in this case, the terribly personal loss of a ... Read more »
Vaccine vs Disease, Parvo Edition: an Infographic
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 »
The SHOCKING TRUTH about cancer they don’t want you to know
Cancer. It's scary stuff. Every day, I hear another story of an elderly dog and cat diagnosed with neoplasia, and my heart hurts for those dealing with it. Without a doubt, cancer sucks, and every new breakthrough is a gift. There's lots of theories and evidence pointing to different causes of cancer. Food, say some. Chemicals, say others. Vets peddling food and chemical-laden vaccines, say many. And I'm here to tell you this: They're right. What? Say it ain't so! It's true. I've been ... Read more »
The Truth About Pet Food Research
About one year after I graduated vet school, I took routine screening chest radiographs of my senior Golden, Mulan. I looked them over, frowning at a small, mottled spot near her sternum. "She has cancer," I thought. It's not an unreasonable conclusion to come to with Golden Retrievers. Before I panicked, I asked my colleague to look at the x-ray, and she agreed it looked suspicious. I was devastated. I took Mulan to the local specialty hospital, where an intern I knew from vet school ... Read more »
How to find your Special Snowflake Vet
"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked. "Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad." "How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice. "You must be," said the Cat, "otherwise you wouldn't have come here." Every time I come across a "how to choose the best veterinary hospital" article, I read it, because it's fascinating to me to see how different authors choose to guide you in this task. The articles exist, presumably, because not ... Read more »
What Your Natural Health Magazine Doesn’t Want You To Know
After the fifth time someone forwarded me "The Shocking Truth Your Vet Is Hiding" type articles in the past week, I had to take a stop from my scheduled 12 Days of Clinics to address it. I debated on a few clickbait titles for this post: alt: "Why Magazines are Getting Away With Murder" alt: "The Shocking Truth These Publishers Are Hiding" It doesn't really matter what the title is or if it related to the content anyway, but I imagine you already know that. But let's step back a moment, ... Read more »
The Twelve Days of Clinics
I miss singing the 12 days of Christmas with you all, so I'm working through the 12 days of Clinics from a clinic perspective. Feel free to toss me ideas- we have 12 days to work through after all. Shall we begin? On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: Tinsel never looked so sinister. ... Read more »
Rumble in the Doghouse: Evil Breeders vs Crazy Animal Rights People
There was a time, back in a pre-internet era known as the Good Old Days, when two people who had different opinions on a topic could talk about it and, even if they did not come to an understanding, could at least part ways with a better grasp of the other person's point of view. People with different opinions were still, at the end of the day, people. I'm not entirely sure that is the case anymore. Lest anyone doubt me, proof enough should be the fact that we've just come off an election ... Read more »
The midwife at the end of life
Like many of you, I’ve been mesmerized by the bravery of Brittany Maynard, a 29 year old woman who is dying of Stage IV brain cancer. After hearing the course of the disease progression from her doctors and considering what the end of her days were likely to be like, she made the incredibly difficult decision to move to Oregon, one of a handful of states in which assisted suicide is legal, and choose the day and manner in which she will die. While her story is compelling and ... Read more »
Knuckle cracking real-time talk here.
This is not about Sophia Yin. I feel the need to say that before launching into a discussion about suicide and depression in the animal community, because the horrible news that she took her own life and the ripples it is causing in the veterinary world is the reason I'm talking about it today. But it's not about her or her situation, which none of us will ever really know; Dr. Yin's legacy is the work she did during her life, and it should remain that way. This is not about one ... Read more »
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 »
Ebola, the real bogeyman, and you
Ever since I was 15, my sister and I have used "Ebola" as a short form derivative of every bad bug we've ever gotten. "Oh god, I've been laid up all day with Ebola," "that taco from last night gave me Ebola," etc, etc. We were able to say it with such offhand tone because we knew that really, Ebola wasn't exactly a threat here in Southern California. It was simply shorthand for "really sick." After reading "The Hot Zone" I stopped saying the word at all. Faced with the visceral reality of ... Read more »
Clean bill of health…
Can we talk about the fainting schnauzer video? We need to talk about it, because if there's one thing I don't get in this world, it's the current trend for pets with a myriad of medical malfunctions or genetic issues becoming internet sensations. You've seen the video, I imagine. A dog is surprised by the owner she hasn't seen in a year or two, and after freaking out for a few seconds she loses consciousness briefly. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the ... Read more »
