I’m sick of it. I’m very sick of the law not keeping up with current trends such as Internet reviews and harassment. I’m sick of hearing another story of “they killed my dog on purpose” with the veterinarian unable to give their account of the event. I’m sick of people getting their friends to put… Read More
Perspective
Running from Scissors
From the beginning of veterinary school, I suspected I was not going to be a surgeon. In the first semester anatomy lab, cadaver dogs were issued to groups of four students. Ours was a shelter dog we named Barney. We used him all semester to figure out where muscles, tendons, bones, and organs were. On… Read More
The Gift of Being a Veterinarian
I still remember Curly and Moe’s first puppy visit all those years ago. I had just moved to the community and purchased the small animal veterinary clinic about a month before. I didn’t know many people and was under a lot of stress trying to figure out how to run a business. So, when these… Read More
Media’s Emotional Blackmail Is Killing Veterinarians
A previous version of this article first appeared on Medium.com. Emotional blackmail is the new term being used to characterize the pressure that clients put on veterinarians to care for their pets, to feel guilty about charging, and for making money. It has catapulted our profession into a crisis of burnout, compassion fatigue and suicide…. Read More
What a Vet Sees: Minus Twenty Seven Degrees
It’s March 2nd, and it’s -27 degrees Celsius outside. Minus. Twenty. Seven. And I ain’t even mad. Maybe I should be. I mean, technically spring is only three weeks away. But I’m not. I’m not because I know that spring on the Canadian prairies – our real spring – comes when it’s good and ready…. Read More
What to Do When the Grass IS Greener
Guess what you guys?! After 15 years (yes you read that right 15 years!!!) at my animal hospital, I accepted a new job. I didn’t think it would ever happen, but something came along that made me want to get outside of my comfort zone for a whole lot of personal growth and even some… Read More