It was a typical busy night in the ICU. Patients were coming in several at a time, procedures were piling up and multiple animals needed to be hospitalized for immediate treatments. As I rushed from patient to patient, filling in my technician on what needs to get done, receiving results from blood/ urine tests and… Read More
Care
How Responding to My Own Cat’s Code Helped Me Become a Better Nurse
“You don’t understand.” This is the statement given to me by anguished owners responding during their most difficult hours. My empathy sounds empty, as though I could never know or understand their pain. I glance into the corner of room five and quickly look away from the spot I last held my beloved pet after… Read More
10 Ways to Love Your Dog this Valentine’s Day, Without the Calories!
There is an epidemic going on. It’s an epidemic of high caloric proportions. Holidays are often a time where food is seen as love and the number of calories being given to our beloved dogs can skyrocket. Unfortunately, holiday calories (yes, even Valentine’s) do count for our pups – as much as we wish they… Read More
I’m Allergic to My Patients, But That’s OK
Growing up, I was the kid who was constantly outside – running around in the grass with my dog, eating dirt, rubbing dandelions on the tip of my nose to be Rudolph the Yellow-Nosed Reindeer… and yet, by the time I left elementary school I was allergic to trees, grass, dust and cats. Once I… Read More
Why I’d Rather Do Just About Anything Than Work on My Own Pets
I’ll tell you two secrets: I hate taking care of my own (including my family’s) pets I rarely let anyone else do it. This isn’t an indictment of my family members, their pets, or my pets. It’s an acknowledgement of the pressure (all self-induced) I feel when I don’t have that one step of distance… Read More
Why Age Is Not a Disease
“They are too old for surgery!” “My other vet said they can’t undergo anesthesia because they are over 10.” “I’m afraid she won’t survive because she is so old.” “He is just old – I don’t think he needs pain medication.” I hear these words almost daily and every time I have to give owners… Read More