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Speaking of pets | Animal Care | Animal Diseases | Cats are not little dogs | Creepy Crawly Parasites | Wildlife and exotics | Vet Life and It’s not just a vet life | Out and About | Howlidays
Speaking of pets
OVMA
“Where did you go on vacation last week? I tried to get in and you were out.” “Vacation? I haven’t been on vacation in about 18 months. Oh, last week I attended a conference to get my continuing education.” Actually, most conferences are a lot of work....
World Rabies Day Award!
We won!! “Did you see The Big Fix won the World Rabies Day Award?” I hadn’t seen it. I had meant to check. I knew the award was being announced on Nov 3rd or One Health Day, but I had worked, then ran to The Greenup Holiday Market before it closed at two....
Pets in Uganda
We do not know what poverty is in the United States. We went to Africa to help animals, but what I saw when well beyond the animals. I got in late at night. Ellie and Moses picked me up at the airport with my two fifty pound bags of supplies. I didn't look...
Animal Care
Pet article: The Hidden Lives of Turtles: Rehabilitation and the Importance of Letting Them Be Wild
When a water turtle named Timmy was brought into our wildlife rehabilitation center, it was clear he had been through a harrowing ordeal. Found on the side of a busy highway, Timmy had been struck by a car. His shell was cracked, and he was also suffering from a...
Buy Local
Local purchasing is a preference to buy locally produced goods and services over those produced farther away. It is very often abbreviated as a positive goal, "buy local," which parallels the phrase "think globally, act locally," common in green politics." It used to...
ER Shift
I worked at the Animal ER yesterday. It makes for a long day when I pull a shift there. My morning started at Guardian Animal. There were cases to be checked, wildlife to be fed, and surgeries to be readied to go home. And appointments. Saturdays are hectic in...
Animal Diseases
Miracles
We first saw Rusty in mid August. The 27 pound, red male fiest mix was about nine years old and had been vomiting blood since April. He now had a bloody mucoid stool. The owners had not been ignoring the problem and various things had been tried at another vet, but...
Good Ideas, Or Not
I had a talk with a couple in the exam room. Their dog has a chronic disease and they were asking if they had caused it. My honesty made that a hard answer. Every time we do something we have a choice. We can choose to do something that is good for us or...
Rabies And The One Health Initiative
The One Health Initiative is a movement to forge co-equal, all-inclusive collaborations between all healthcare providers. Veterinarians are used to taking treatments and medications from human medicine, but our important role as human health protectors is...
Cats are not little dogs
How to Make Your Cat Smell Better
Cuddling up with your feline best friend is undoubtedly one of the best parts of being the parent of a cat. When you have had a long day, there is little better than snuggling up on the couch with your furbaby on your lap. Running your fingers through her...
Why you Should Get your Cat a Scratching Post
If you are new to feline ownership, you will probably create yourself a list of all of the essential items that you need to buy when you first bring your new furbaby home. While bedding, a litter tray, and food bowls are almost certain to appear in your...
How to Teach Your Cat to Use a Litter Box
Setting up your litter box One of the most common reasons that cats fail to use a litter box is because it is set up all wrong. Placement is one of the most important aspects of successful litter box usage, so it is crucial to get it right. Each household...
Creepy Crawly Parasites
What You Need To Know About Parvo
It started Monday morning at 8:00 a.m. with two black lab/Weimaraner puppies, Tucker and Tank. They were coming from the ER, where they had been diagnosed with parvovirus. Parvovirus is a very common, highly contagious viral disease that is very resistant...
Gut Feelings
I had a feeling standing in the room. I was looking at a young terrier type dog. The owner was a young, very smart elementary school student. She disliked the poster on parvovirus in my room. I calmly explained that all owners didn’t understand like she...
Wildlife and exotics
Blue-Footed Boobies
Someone asked me what my goal for visiting the Galapagos was. At first, I didn’t know how to answer. The Galapagos is a bucket list trip for everyone, isn’t it? I’d known about the islands for decades, but it had never seemed possible to go before. It was so far from...
Happy, Healthy Iguanas
I can't picture what walking up on their legs looks like. Can you paint a word picture of that? Zee and I just returned from a long overdue trip. Zee had just graduated from Wooster with dual degrees in theater (behind the scenes) and history. I had not been out of...
Dolphins 2 of 2
Sometimes, I miss my former life in the Coast Guard. Although I would not admit it at the time, I loved the time at sea. Although, as a trusted young officer, I often stood the midwatch in the middle of the night, I enjoyed being on deck during the day. How...
Vet Life and It’s not just a vet life
Pet article: Christmas at the Animal ER
Christmas is often envisioned as a day of joy, filled with family, gifts, and warmth. For those of us working in emergency veterinary care, however, it’s another story—a mix of heartbreak, resilience, and the determination to help those who need us most. This year,...
Pet Article: Behavioral Euthanasia
Behavioral euthanasia—a term that often evokes a deep and complex emotional response—is one of the hardest decisions a pet owner or veterinarian may ever face. As veterinarians, we deal with life and death daily, but certain cases cut deeper than others. These are the...
2024 November Gratitude
As the holiday season envelops us in its warm embrace, it’s a time for reflection, connection, and celebration. Christmas has a unique way of uniting communities, bringing families closer together, and reminding us of the beauty in giving—not just presents, but our...
Howlidays
2024 November Gratitude
Many years ago, I started the month of November being for thanks giving the entire month not just the day. Others might have picked it up from me it started the same time. Whatever, I don't need credit, I'm happy for the benefit. Nov 1st: I'm grateful for my team....
A Cat’s Night Before Christmas
(apologies to Clement Clarke Moore) T'was the night before Christmas, when all through the houseNot a creature was stirring, wait, did I hear a mouse?Among the stockings by the chimney did he dare,I mean, really? St Nicholas should soon be there! The children were...
Gratitude 2021
It is November 1st! I almost forgot! It is time to start my annual tradition of daily affirmations of gratitude! I started many years ago to help counteract the negativity that was rampant on FaceBook and other social media. Now, it is just good practice. Today I am...