Every year at my week-long quilt retreat, I meet up with friends and indulge in my favorite pastime. Even though I am a doctor, and you’d think nothing about quilting could be scary, there are things I’m reluctant to try. Appliqué (APP-lik-ay) was one of those things. I had made a star quilt for a… Read More
Life With Clients
A Vet’s Guide to a Better Life For Your Cat
You have decided to adopt an adorable spawn from hell otherwise known as a cat (I kid!). Cats are amazing, but also very complicated. Many people obtain cats through friends or rescues, but may not truly know what goes into cat ownership. As veterinarians, we often only see cats for end-of-life care. Many times we… Read More
What Running and an Old Cat Carrier Taught Me About Life
James was my heart kitty. He was like a little person. He had stress-induced asthma and I used to sing to him (“Sweet Baby James”) in the car – when we drove cross-country from California, where he was born in an old church, or when I had to take him to the emergency clinic… Read More
My Greatest Service Was Sending You Away
When we met, you were dying. Not in the existential ‘a little every day’ or a slow fade of light, but in the ‘Poo is hitting the fan, move. Now.’ kind of way. I quickly went to work. Your eyes were screaming for help, and you let us. Thank you for letting us, I know it… Read More
When Relinquishment Punishes Everyone
It happened again. A family could not afford the care of their pet and the veterinarian offered relinquishment instead of having to euthanize the animal. It should be a feel-good story. It should make you say, “Wow that veterinarian is so nice to do that for that animal instead of euthanizing.” But instead, people get… Read More
5 Lessons I Learned From Losing My Own Pet
I’ve been working in the veterinary field since I was 15 years old. I witnessed my first euthanasia just two hours into the job. It struck me in that moment, even at my tender age, that this would be the most important aspect of my job. And it is. Saving lives is wonderfully satisfying, and… Read More