Yesterday, I received a phone call from a dear client. He left a message that referred to one of his two cats, a sweet kitty I’d been treating for early geriatric issues over the past year. So when I returned his call, I asked brightly, “How is Mr. Kitty?”

“Don’t you remember? You euthanized him in February!”

Omigod. He was right, of course. It all came rushing back—a few seconds too late....

Thought I’d pass along a brief update on my declaw kitty from last week’s post. I saw him again today for the same problem—apparent discomfort in his feet post-declaw. This time Kitty walked for me and showed me exactly what I’d been waiting to see: his limp.

Sometimes it’s hard for an owner to identify exactly where the problem lies, especially in our stealthy-moving cats—they hide...

Here’s an ethically challenged case for you: Three over-size Maltese dogs in varying degrees of early geriatric distress…owned by perhaps the carpiest client I’ve ever met. These three train wrecks are on their last legs—and far from being tearful over their advanced deterioration, this woman couldn’t be less stressed about their impending demise.

This“retired” owner (I don’t think she’s ever...

[I’m on vacation for four days! (The first vacation I’ve had in over seven months.) So I’m lobbing you two recycled posts for your amusement (Sunday and Monday). I hope they’re new for you. And please excuse the lack of follow-up on your comments. I promise I’ll get to them when I return. –PK ]

Orange has oral squamous cell carcinoma. This disease is a devastating cancer of the mouth. It will...

I know I’m not alone when I concern myself with issues of language and culture in how I practice veterinary medicine. Although I live in Miami (the away-from-home capital of Latin America) other places have their melting pots, too. OK, so Miami is really more of a paella and less like a stew—everyone keeps their individual flavors. But that’s what makes it so much fun to live here.

On any given...

Imagine you’ve had a rough week. Your kid’s been sick again with the same darn upper respiratory thing he’s had since he started preschool and you’ve had almost no sleep since. This is the fourth long course of Augmentin since the start of the school year. And today you received results from the allergist your pediatrician recommended.

The news isn’t good. Strong positives were registered for...

This week was a rough one for one of my clients. Last Monday morning dawned to the recognition that her middle-aged Lab mix had a lump on her leg. She’d been in and out of the car several times on Sunday and her owner assumed one of these ungainly maneuvers had occasioned a bruise. She made an appointment to see the vet on Wednesday, her day off, hoping it would improve by then and she’d have...

I have a great new patient. Her name is Proofy. She’s a Greyhound, as her glamour shot shows. Her racing name was “Proof in the Puddin’” or “Proof of Speed” or some other such insult to her current life as a pampered housepet in a loving home.

Much as I try to retain any semblance of objectivity on the dog racing thing, I have a really hard time with it—as a vet, as a Greyhound fan and as a...

Yesterday’s sickest patient was a perfect example. Jefferson came in at nine AM with no appointment. His owner explained (in dulcet, southern accented tones dripping with apology) that he just wanted to weigh his dog on a proper scale, as he seemed to be losing some weight.

After the technician weighed Jefferson and confirmed a ten-pound drop over six weeks, the client asked if he could take...

Altogether too often, the diagnosis of cancer in pets comes complete with death sentence attached: The vet makes the case, presents the histopathology report or the X-rays, then exits stage left. Or the client exit stage right. Either way, the pet (unless immediately euthanized) is left standing in the middle with no hope of anything except the possibility of eventual euthanasia—at some future...