I was about two-thirds through a phone conversation with a journalist doing a story about microchipping pets when she asked me, “So, you’d say microchips are completely safe?” A big part of me wanted to say, “YES.” I wanted to tell her that everyone should microchip their pets and I wanted to say it in… Read More
4 Subtle Ways Cats Communicate Without Meowing
Cats communicate with their meows, but there are also many meow-free ways that they can get their point across. In this episode of Cone of Shame, Dr. Andy Roark discusses 4 ways our feline friends communicate. 1. Staring via GIPHY 2. Upright or horizontal tail via GIPHY 3. Tongue baths & nose touching via GIPHY 4…. Read More
When a Veterinary Client Goes a Tick Too Far in The Exam Room…
Clients rely on veterinarians and vet techs to teach them how to care for their pets. One day, @KatieJohn173 discovered that some pet owners might need slightly more personal advice. A client asked me to show her how to remove a tick. via GIPHY I went to grab the tick twister and show her. via GIPHY (W)hen I… Read More
The Ugly Truth About Animal Shelters
An article caught my eye the other day. It told the story of a vet, Jian Zhicheng, who worked at an animal shelter in Taiwan. She had euthanized 700 animals in two years – many of whom were healthy and perfectly adoptable. The fact was there was no space to keep them and no one to… Read More
Can You Have a Secret Language with Your Cat?
It’s OK to admit that you think it’d be cool if your pet could talk. With cats, meowing can almost be like a secret language. In this episode of Cone of Shame, Dr. Andy Roark explains how. Cats mostly meow for our benefit. via GIPHY Meows aren’t like barks. via GIPHY Your aunt really may be able… Read More
Ask Andy: How Do I Defeat Dr. Google?
Hey Andy, It seems like every day clients are walking in with worse and worse advice they found online. I cringe every time I open the door and someone is sitting there with a huge stack of papers they (or their breeder) printed out from a random website. It’s getting harder and harder to convince… Read More