In a recent editorial in Veterinary Medicine magazine, a California veterinarian named Dr. Robert Miller had a thing or two to say about the red-headed stepchild of the veterinary profession that is “behavior medicine.”

In it, he bemoaned the dearth of knowledge and available services at the high end of the spectrum—at all levels of the behavior spectrum, in fact.

While more and more...

Ouch. Hits home on this, my Sophie’s first week of radiation for her brainstem tumor. This article was emailed to me by a dozen or so supportive parties, some shocked, some impressed that I’d agreed to submit my dog to brain cancer treatment.

None of us here should be too shocked, however, that owners are willing to pony up—big time—for their pet care when conditions prove treatable. It’s a...

At the risk of stealing thunder before you catch the lightning, let me just tell you how the cover story in today’s New York Times Magazine unfolds:

This glossy “Animal Pharm” piece has a mouthful to say on the so-called “modern phenomenon” of using psychoactive pharmaceuticals on our pets, railing at times against their use but more often against the sentiments that provoke humans to apply...

At the outset let me state that I am largely in favor of gun control measures. Like you, like nearly everyone, I favor legislation that would keep guns out of the paws of my country’s criminal elements.

With that in mind, it seems reasonable to assume I'd be disappointed by yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling essentially supportive of less restrictive gun control measures. But considering my...

Ever wondered why Dolittler’s logo sports a Great Dane with a generous ear crop? The answer: Because it’s by far the best logo my design guy presented.

When I first saw it, I knew it was a masterful design—visually, that is—but I had trouble with the purebred dog thing (why a Great Dane?)…and the ear crop, of course.

After another few logo attempts using different dog and cat images it became...

2008’s Kentucky Derby disgusted us all. Its Preakness flew by like a blur. Finally, against the prevailing “wisdom” of racing’s spinners, this year’s Belmont gave proof to the sport’s lack of soundness. The "cripple crown" played itself out, culminating in the whimper its detractors uncomfortably anticipated.

With over-hyped one-liners promising glory as hasn’t been seen since a star lit up...

It seems some New York RNs don’t want veterinary technicians calling themselves “nurses.” A complaint to the New York State Veterinary Board was advanced to ensure naming rights to the term and to limit its proper usage to the human nursing profession.

NY’s vet board has apparently caved and is letting its licensees know they should refrain from using the term “nurse” when alluding to their...

OK, you know I’m going to send this guy to you-know-where on this issue. I really don’t think I’ve ever heard an opinion uttered by a high-ranking veterinary official which relied less on science than on good old-fashioned fear-mongering.

Dr. Fred Landeg thinks we humans shouldn’t bed down with pets or let them in the kitchen(!)—just in case they carry diseases. He cites the Hendra virus from...

With discussions on Big Brown’s doping and his trainer’s freewheeling use of the still-legal muscle-bulkers still in the press, I thought it would be appropriate to delve a little deeper into this topic. After all, it applies to pets, too—and I have one current case that might raise your eyebrows a centimeter or two.

So you know, there are two kinds of steroids we veterinarians can use in our...

I know there are individuals far more exemplary of thoroughbred racing’s dark side…but none (that I know of) are vets. And since Dolittler is a pet health blog authored by a veterinarian, Dr. Bramlage’s role in racing’s recent round of media prominence will be the subject of this post.

On-call veterinarian, veterinary surgeon and representative of the American Association of Equine...