by Dr. M.J. Wixsom | Nov 24, 2025 | Blog
On Wednesdays, I teach a group of gifted and talented fifth graders, which means my weeks are rarely quiet and never boring. These are kids who ask big questions and are not satisfied with easy answers. They want to know how things work, why systems are unfair, and...
by Dr. M.J. Wixsom | Nov 10, 2025 | Blog
By MJ Wixsom, DVM Every year, I see dozens of cats brought in for urinating outside the litter box, straining, or making frequent trips to the box with little result. For many owners, these symptoms are frustrating, and for cats, they can be downright painful. The...
by Dr. M.J. Wixsom | Nov 10, 2025 | Blog
By MJ Wixsom, DVM This week, we had the privilege of bringing nine kittens from Guardian Animal Medical Center to a local fifth grade classroom for a hands-on lesson in animal behavior. The goal: teach students about operant conditioning using real, adoptable kittens...
by Kelley Hugeback | Sep 29, 2025 | Blog
By MJ Wixsom, DVM It started like so many quiet medical mysteries do: a tired little white dog and a worried mom. Buffy waddled into the exam room with a sway that wasn’t age so much as effort. She panted even at rest, her belly rounded like a rising loaf, and her...
by Dr. M.J. Wixsom | Sep 15, 2025 | Blog
This past weekend in a single shift, I saw five dogs with parvovirus at the emergency hospital. One was a 7-week-old puppy purchased just five days earlier; the family had an appointment to vaccinate the next day—too late. Two dogs had never been vaccinated. Three had...
by Dr. M.J. Wixsom | Aug 4, 2025 | Blog
I am itching. Not just a little. I mean the kind of itching that wakes you up at 2 a.m., the kind that has you scratching your ankles until they bleed and leaves you wondering if you’ll ever feel comfortable again. As a veterinarian, I’m used to dealing with things...
