I am a competitive person. I am the first person to admit this. Although we are doing the Helen Woodward Surf Dog Surf a thon to have fun, there is admittedly some small part of me that is whispering, "But next year we're taking this thing." This year we are just trying to stay on the board for a full set. That being said, I'm not one to turn down a surf lesson, so on Sunday Brody and I headed down to the World's Best Dog Beach (aka Coronado) for our lesson with Evan the Surf Instructor. I ... Read more »
Health
Have a Question?
Health topic you'd like to hear more about? Wondering what Brody and Koa do all day? Dying to know my favorite fruit? I'll be picking questions to answer in the Ask Dr. V section over here. You can send in your questions via the contact form. Questions will be selected at my discretion. That's Spike from Iams, who is mulling over what he might want to ask. As always, if your pet has an immediate health concern, please see your regular veterinarian. I will answer questions about ... Read more »
Surf’s Up Bro! The Hang 20 Surf Dog Experience Part 1
It's a new day, the sun is shining, and this blog is up and running! YES! I can't think of a happier way to celebrate than to talk about our participation in the upcoming Surf Dog Surf-a-thon on September 11th. As you know, Brody and I have given surfing a shot a couple of times, but it's been very casual. So when Eukanuba asked if we would be interested in being sponsored by them to participate, I said "Heck yes!" and then, "But only if you don't have any performance expectations." ... Read more »
It’s National Holistic Pet Day!
I finished a comprehensive course in veterinary acupuncture in 2006. It was intense. Thinking about health from a Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine standpoint as opposed to our standard Western approach is just such a different mindset, but once you think about it, it makes sense. Our bodies are not a collection of closed systems that function independently of one another, yet we're trained to treat them that way. Once you step back and see the entire organism as a collective effort, your ... Read more »
The Litterbox Chronicles: Scoop Free Litter Box Review
As you know, Apollo has some marking issues that have made life rather, well, pungent. That is not a good thing. On the bright side, by following veterinary behaviorist Dr. Yin's advice to create a beautiful, austere, absolutely delightful potty palace for the cat I have been able to reduce a large amount of that behavior. So now that we're in a good place, I think you can understand why I was nervous to mix things up and try a new litter box, but in the name of technological advancement, ... Read more »
Behold the power of the internet
I've spent a lot of time rubbing my temples in frustration at the things people pull off the internet and read as gospel- everything from "How To Assemble a Home Bloat Kit at Home Depot" to "Drug Dosing for your Cat" including, of all things, deadly Tylenol. The DIY instructions out there run the gamut from the harmless-but-useless to the downright killer. On the flip side, the internet can also be an absolute godsend. I say this not only as a medical professional, but as a patient and a ... Read more »
The heart of the matter
I feel very fortunate to be in an area where heartworm is not a huge problem. I say huge because we still see it, though not to the extent of our friends in other parts of the country and the world where it is highly endemic. If you have a dog and you don't know about heartworms, you need to take the time to learn about them. In short, they are teensy little creatures that infect your dog via a mosquito bite. Those microscopic larvae develop into full-sized worms that live in the pulmonary ... Read more »
In Defense of (some) Breeders
I've been following Dog Time's multi part series about No-Kill with interest. Fascinating stuff. Then I saw yesterday's piece: "There are no responsible breeders." I read it, waiting for the twist, waiting for some clarification on the idea, and then I got to the end and realized that the author meant it, as is, in all sincerity. Even responsible breeders who genuinely love and want the best for their animals you ask? I know this statement will raise some hackles, but it needs to be ... Read more »
The long slow descent down the totem pole
I loved this recent post over at PetMd by Dr. Khuly talking about the association between becoming a new parent and having your pet pack on the pounds. I think anyone who has had a new baby as well as a pet can relate. Sure, everyone tells themselves, "Oh no! I know other people put their pets on the back burner but not me! I'm going to carry my kid around in a papoose and just go out with a jogging stroller every day at 5 am and we'll be just fine!" And yes, some people actually do that, and ... Read more »
How do you pick a vet?
What a deceptively simple-sounding question. I got an e-mail the other day from a friend asking me if I knew any good vets in her area for her new puppy. I responded with the name of a vet I knew in the area, a vet who practices good medicine and knows his stuff. Had she not had me to ask, how would she choose? I doubt she'd pick up a Yellow Pages. Maybe Google the vets in the area, check out Yelp reviews, go from there? Look for a clinic with a Facebook account or website to check them ... Read more »
Virtual Vets: A Guest Post from VetLive.com
You Google your pet's symptoms. I know. Everyone does. Sometimes you get a helpful nugget of info, other times you find yourself dousing your pet with kerosene or Lysol spray, all because you read it on the net and it seemed like a good idea at the time. The internet it here to stay. Any vet who thinks their entire client base is going to rely on them to be their sole source of veterinary health information is either sadly misinformed or has an incredibly trusting group of clients. There's ... Read more »
The Tube of Awesome
After 5 days back in the comforts of home, I've become mildly alarmed at the state of my arms. I thought my various bites and lesions would be resolved within a few days, but here we are Friday and I still look like I have chicken pox. Yes, it's better, but it's still enough for me to get the stink eye if I don't cover up when I go outside. They're getting better, no doubt, and within another week or two I'm sure I'll be back to normal- but I'm over wearing long sleeves and pants. It's in the ... Read more »
Medicine Man
When I was 7, I was stung by a honeybee while floating in the pool in the backyard. My grandmother, ever resourceful, put a poultice on my back to draw out the venom. She had a home cure for everything, which seemed quaint at the time before I appreciated just how much she knew: honey tea for sore throats, orange juice for a cold. Before we took the knowledge away from people and sequestered it behind white coats and books, everyone knew how to minister to their health. Here in the river ... Read more »
Guest post: 5 Reasons to love a kitty with the wobbles
Today I'm happy to feature a guest post from Amanda Maurer, discussing one of my favorite topics: the joys of adopting a special needs pet. Cerebellar hypoplasia is a common condition that- well, wait, I'll just let her tell you. Enjoy! Special needs pet owners view their pets as just that: special. They're an extraordinary group of pets that are often overlooked because they're different and consquently may have more needs than "normies." But here's a secret: They make great pets -- ... Read more »
Easter Bunny Tales
I'm very excited to share with you all a Very Special Guest Post by a veterinarian who knows much more about rabbits than I do: exotics veterinarian Dr. Baebler! Like many vets, I'll grudgingly treat these little guys, but I know less about them than I wish I did. So without further ado, here's some Easter advice from our buddy Dr B! With Easter just around the corner, ‘tis the season for cute little bunnies, chicks, and ducklings to start appearing in pet stores and farm & feed ... Read more »
The Litterbox Chronicles, Part 3: A Nightmare on V Street
Apollo is 13 years old now. He had never marked the house as a kitten, not with the introduction of a new dog, or even a new cat to the home. When I moved after vet school, he would very occasionally mark, but only when my mother-in-law brought a package over that must have smelled like one of the cats in her household. No big deal. It wasn't until we moved into our current home that his marking behavior picked up significantly. I've ruled out medical problems for him- multiple times, so I'm ... Read more »
The Litterbox Chronicles, Part 3: The Box Buffet
While the world has been in chaos and disarray, I haven't had a whole lot of time to spend pondering the smaller issues in our household: namely, Apollo and his marking. But I have been passively conducting an experiment with the litterbox, otherwise known as the Litterbox Buffet. When you are trying to make your cat's bathroom the Happy Place, one of the key questions you need to ask is "What kind of toilet do you like?" It would certainly make it easier if you could simply present the cat ... Read more »
The 3 C’s of Pet Emergencies (and why that dog CPR video drives me nuts)
OK, I wasn't going to comment on that "Dog trainer saves dog with CPR" video that's floating around the web, but enough people have seen it that I think it warrants it. It's gotten enough play in the last day that I actually decided to postpone my vaccine post. Despite the fact that the man neither saved the dog nor performed CPR, I would be OK with not bursting his bubble and letting him carry on this wave of adoration were it not for this one simple fact: I don't want you all to do the ... Read more »
