For me, medicine has always had a deeply spiritual component. I often say little prayers for my patients and their owners, and it is for this reason that I started to think about what I would pray for if I were a mere pet owner, and not a veterinarian asking for medical miracles. Here’s what… Read More
10 Things Dogs Can Teach Us About Relationships
I was already married to my wife when I became a veterinarian. We quickly discovered that a career as a vet can put some stress on a marriage. I can’t tell you how many dinners I have missed because a patient needed me, how many social occasions I’ve attended at which I’ve arrived covered in cat… Read More
Are You Loving Your Pet to Death?
In the winter of 2010, I was living in Leesburg, Va., with my wife and our 2-year-old daughter. When a snowstorm blanketed the area, my wife and I decided it was time for our daughter’s first snow experience. First time parents that we were, we bundled her up like a little Michelin man, wrapped in… Read More
Is It Your Vet’s Job to Keep the Cost of Care Down?
“Veterinarians are in it for the money. If it was just about caring for pets, they wouldn’t charge so much.” This is one of the most common misperceptions I’ve heard from pet owners. And let me tell you, it hurts. Personally, I’m not in this career for the cash. Like most of my colleagues, I… Read More
Should Vets and Clients Be Facebook Friends?
It just happened again. The little head-shaped silhouette in the top left corner of my Facebook page lit up, and a wonderful pet owner I recently helped reached out to be my online friend. I have seen Mrs. Morgan a half dozen times in the last six months, and she is delightful. She has two English… Read More
Are Annual Exams Really Necessary?
Last year, in a much-discussed New York Times article titled “Let’s (Not) Get Physicals,” a physician reporter named Elisabeth Rosenthal argued that annual physical examinations for human patients are pointless. She cited a Canadian government task force recommendation to abandon annual physical examinations because they are “nonspecific,” “inefficient” and “potentially harmful” (in that they may lead… Read More