I learned about the effectiveness of silence from my first boss. I’ll be honest with you – he scared me to death. It took me the better part of a year to call him by his first name. Part of the intimidation factor was his silence. He would ask me a question, I would answer… Read More
Blog
Stop Saying Party Hat! Muzzle is Not a Dirty Word
Sometimes when asked how work is going, I answer, “Not too bad. I still have all ten fingers.” It’s my poor attempt at a joke, but I’ve realized that a lot of people unfamiliar with veterinary medicine ask if that’s really a risk of the job. Although we have countless wonderful pets that walk through… Read More
An Open Letter to Perfection
Hello, Perfection. We’re old adversaries, you and me. You’re what I was supposed to be, remember? You bastard. You were what they expected out of me for over thirty years, and I realized eventually that I couldn’t deliver. Lord knows I tried, of course – even as a young child, I wanted to… Read More
Tugs at My Heart Strings
by Robin Dettman, DVM Each day I come to work I think I truly have been blessed To work with dogs and cats and more A joy I have confessed. And though I love my job its true to see God’s creatures well There are those who touch my heart in ways that… Read More
Conversations With My Cat: Peeing Outside the Box
Cats frequently try to hide their illness from their owners but often behaviors are give aways. Dr. Andy Roark sits the family cat down for a not-so-Hallmark heart to heart. [tweetthis]Cats were worshipped in ancient Egypt as gods. And they know it. [/tweetthis] Read More
Why ‘Fake It ‘Till You Make it’ Is Terrible Advice
My senior year of veterinary school, an oncology resident I respected a great deal sat us all down and told us his number one piece of advice: “No matter what you tell a client,” he said, “Make sure you say it with utter conviction- even if you’re not sure you’re right.” We all nodded, wide-eyed… Read More