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
Blog
Can You Feel Thankful for Failure?
I cannot imagine being anything other than a veterinary oncologist. But I did not always know this was what I wanted to be when I grew up. And I failed miserably a few times getting here. I did always want to be a veterinarian. My parents like to remind me of the picture I drew… 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
The Words I Can’t Take Back
“Sometimes I really hate you!” I said to the writhing Dachshund in my arms. He didn’t care. He kept wiggling madly as is his habit when I catch him trying to take off from the yard. Because of his cognitive dysfunction, he sometimes refuses to pee outside. He gets all jittery, tries to run past… Read More
How I Got Past Being a Terrible Person
I have been lucky enough to have survived this field for 14 years. Not only have I survived it, I have been able to keep my passion alive. I wake up every morning knowing I am doing what I love. It wasn’t always this way. There have been several points in my career that I… Read More