I could have pulled my hair out about ten times this week...all with respect to the subject of dental extractions. No, these were not maybe-I-should-maybe-I-shouldn’t scenarios. These were no-doubt-about-it dental cases requiring either flat-out extractions or tooth-sparing root canals. Yet dental denial dogged me all week long. It was like pulling teeth to get a handful of clients to admit...

It’s an extremely frustrating problem I see every single day of my life. Whether we’re talking about my exam room patients, puppy park players, a neighbor’s pooch or my family members’ dogs, the problem is the same: Their pets are fat and they know it...but they’re scared of offering them too little to eat. 

OK so that’s my personal interpretation of the psychology that underlies the...

I was having trouble finding something fun to write about today until a client asked me to back-date his rabies tag four days so he wouldn’t get cited by the fine-happy powers-that-be at Miami-Dade County Animal Services.

At the time of this not-so-unusual request, I didn’t mention the five-letter word that inevitably comes to mind when I get asked to do things like this. But raising the...

For the past eight months, I’ve been putting together this genetic disease library for Embrace Pet Insurance. It’s a labor of love and a well-paying job––not to mention a great review of the 120 most common genetic diseases we see in companion animal medicine. Problem is, it’s also depressing.

Why? Because every time I get to the end of an article (on, say, spina bifida or elbow dysplasia)...

How much should a veterinarian explain up front before your pet undergoes any given procedure or prescribes any drug or product? It’s a question that came up in this past Wednesday’s post on microchip risks and one we’ve treated here before with respect to non-steroidal pain drugs and the inherent risks of anesthesia. 

Here’s the exchange:

"The problem I have with mircochips is that vets...

I’ve got this problem, you see. I collect and stockpile old drugs. It’s something I feel compelled to do whenever a med on our shelves goes past its expiration date. I’ve also been known to ask clients for their leftover tabs and caps after their pets have passed into the beyond. (Tactfully, of course.)

I know it sounds kind of tacky––not to mention borderline illegal––but I can’t seem to...

Living in Miami as I do, the strains of Haitian suffering in the wake of this devastating earthquake are all too palpable. It’s the rare South Floridian who’s not close to someone who’s suffered a personal loss, consoled a bereaved friend, or considered flying the few miles it takes to reach our Caribbean neighbors to lend a hand and help alleviate the kind of suffering we can only...

Here's a tough one: How would you handle the inevitable onslaught of clueless clients should you ever take the plunge and enter the wild world of companion animal veterinary medicine as a pro? Will you wield rough words when necessary?...or will you have a perpetually soft touch, killing them with kindness regardless of their crimes?

Here's a recent scenario to help test your mettle on the...

It’s never fun and I know I’ll never get used to it...but I am getting better at it.

No, I’m not talking about treating canine bloats or blocked cats. This time it’s all about the nasty-grams I’m a magnet for. Somewhere on my forehead it must say, “Got a beef with veterinarians? I’m all yours!”

It’s frustrating, really––especially when I do my very best to write daily posts and answer...

Today started late. That was my fault. From there, things devolved in ways that evoked Hieronymus Bosch’s version of Hell more than they did a pre-New Year’s Eve weekday. Not so much my fault. But that’s debatable. 

Picture me wearing my veterinary dentist’s hat. This was around 9 AM. First patient of the day. The anesthetics went well. My older patient was doing great. The results of full...