Every time I see that proverbial doggy in the window—the one with the cute cough of the bacterially infected and adorable underbite of the wickedly overbred—I wonder…what would it take to make unethical and animal-abusive places like this disappear altogether?

Before last November, a vision like...

The italicized teaser reads, “Spend Less on Accessories, Purchase High-Quality Food and Shop for Health Needs.” All this in the December 27th edition of the Wall Street Journal’s fluffy Personal Journal section.

Four short columns are adorned with a photo of a chocolate Lab atop a stainless...

Last week’s Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) carried a letter to the editor bemoaning the state of affairs in veterinary medicine.

No—it’s not the often-unprofessional, inter-vet competition or lack of collegiality. It’s not the skyrocketing cost of doing business...

“No. I do not treat snakes. I only do dogs and cats.” I firmly assert when the pillowcased creature arrives sans appointment. “But he needs a wellness checkup within 48 hours—otherwise I can’t return her if she turns out to be a lemon.”

Sounds cold, but this guy’s correctly talking about...

What the h---! Is there a full moon out tonight or have my coping skills been thoroughly depleted by my holiday’s permanent party smile? After a day dealing with relatives and crying (wailing!) children (complete with video game loss due to suspected inter-child thievery) I must have sprung some...

What a terrible day to be in the hospital. It must stink to be sick—especially on a beautiful, balmy Christmas Day like today. (Dare I gloat and tell you I’m sitting outside on my patio wearing a sundress?)

By the way, Merry Christmas for all of you to whom this sentiment applies. As usual,...

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house

Not a creature was stirring except mom and Dart's mouse...

No don't worry. I won't put you (or myself) through a whole personal rendition of the seasonal poetry I'm frankly quite sick of by now.

Apologies for my late (and barely existent)...

And now for my annual pre-holiday gripe session…

1-Why do all the cars have to be on the road at once? I mean—really! Why can’t people just buy their stuff online so we could all save on gas and turbulent traffic patterns. I’m expecting every client to be late today as a result. (God forbid we...

CC the Cat, the first cloned cat in creation turns five years old today. She lives at Texas A&M where she was born, enjoying her notoriety in peaceful seclusion from those who would hurt or maim her for ethical reasons (sounds a bit off, doesn’t it?).

CC (presumably an acronym for “cloned cat”)...

Very soon, our friends across the pond will enact some of the most wide-ranging, animal anti-cruelty legislation in the world. Essentially, this legislation effectively criminalizes pet neglect. Those unwilling to care for their pets properly by failing to provide needed veterinary services (not...

Yesterday’s chemotherapy on a mammary cancer kitty got me to thinking: I see so much cancer among my patient population yet I perform so few chemos—and it’s not just because I send all my cancer cases to the oncologist or internist (I try but owners don’t often choose to comply with this...

Today I was going to offer you a post on the merits of charitable giving with a list of worthy organizations for you to consider donating your taxable income. Unfortunately, the death of Peaches (the puppy with Leptospirosis whose story I’d recounted last weekend) has preempted my attempt at...

Romeo the Rottweiler-mix, four years old but looking twice his age, came in last week for an evaluation after spending a sleepless night seizuring. They’d started last night—short bursts of violent, head-bashing convulsions (the grand mal variety) that eventually landed him in the local...

Sometimes you see a case so obviously infectious that it makes you want to put on a mask and yell for the Clorox as soon as the animal touches the exam room table. This, however, is a bedside-manner no-no. Professional though it might be from the standpoint of protecting your other patients, the...

Today is the 1st year anniversary of my first Dolittler post! In celebration, I’m offering a special opportunity for all my Dolittler friends. Now you, too, can tell me what you really think about Dolittler (not that some of you haven’t held back in the past).

I’m working hard to incorporate all...

Phoebe-the-Cat came in last week with her left paw curled under her sleek black and white frame. It didn’t seem to hurt. It wasn’t orthopedically awry. Every bone and joint felt normal. When coaxed into action, she was unable to bear weight on the paw—it appeared to give way at the wrist. But...

Inspired by today’s Wall Street Journal’s (12/13/06) roundup of shopping blogs I`ve taken the unprecedented step of offering more unsolicited advice. So in the rare event that you’re still stumped on what to give some of the pet people on your list—today you’re in luck. Here are my top ten picks...

OK so I know I shouldn’t have taken this so hard but I did. A couple of weeks ago I performed a surgery that didn’t go just right. And the clients are not completely satisfied. The hyper-pleaser in me abhors this feeling. And so I went home last night feeling pretty low.

The back-story: A...

I’ve heard it said many times many ways by many vets. Holidays are the busiest time of the year…for pet euthanasia. Already this month our hospital has euthanized twelve cases (in ten days). It’s not something we’re proud of (as well you know if you’ve read my recent posts). Nonetheless, it’s an...

Lately I`ve had occasion to dwell [excessively] on how it is I got to where I am today and whether I`ve managed to meet key milestones along the way. I mean, I’m pushing forty! (And my holiday bills are inconveniently at odds with my looming need for a new vehicle.)

On the one hand I`ve achieved...

After yesterday’s depressing tirade I thought I’d loosen myself up with a nostalgic romp through the daisy fields of my youth. No, I won’t rehash my smarmy first pet stories again. Today you get to hear about one of vet school’s most entertaining courses: anatomy lab.

As in medical school,...

Yesterday was not exactly the kind of day we dream of as we file into our classroom on that first day of vet school. Nametag-adorned first year vet students live with another sort of fantasy—one of animal service provided lovingly for grateful parents and their beloved pets.

Yesterday it just...

In vet schools across America today romance is in full bloom. And I’m not just talking about the students. My four years in vet school were very entertaining in this respect, especially with my fly-on-the-wall viewpoint as a then-married person.

Students went with students and occasionally with...

OK, so they don’t brave the traffic or suffer the malls but our pets experience holiday stress nonetheless. That big, threatening tree in the living room? It’s a great excuse to pee outside the litterbox. (I mean, it’s in my favorite spot!) And the stacks of sugary cookies spread all over the...

Yesterday proved eventful—which is why this post comes a little later in the day than most. Three Yorkies presented themselves in varying stages of distress. All three are still hospitalized with extensive records full of lab results and treatment schedules pinned to their cages amid...

My last patient on Saturday scared the heck out of me. No, it wasn’t the scratch marks on my arms (that itched like mad for the whole day) or the shallow bite marks on my hands (which, incidentally, did not break the skin but itched nonetheless).

No, my last patient was especially frightening...

What would you do if your pet was just diagnosed with a deadly disease? What would you do if you knew that treatment of the disease would typically help her live comfortably for almost two more years? Most of us, given the choice (assuming we are in possession of the necessary funds), would jump...

Guess what I found yesterday!? A lost puppy! Actually, my mother saw him first—dodging cars on a busy residential street in our neighborhood.

FOUND:

A gorgeous, almost all-white, male Parsons (Jack) Russell Terrier. About five months old (adult incisors, baby canines). No collar. Intact—of...

Do you ever wonder who the heck volunteers their dog to be the first patient a vet student takes a scalpel to? The answer: nobody.

As a first year vet student at the University of Pennsylvania (back in 1991), I was distressed to learn that when we’d finally get our chance to spay our first dog...