I love seeing pets with unique and original names, and have tried to keep my own pets from having common names. There's nothing wrong with frequently used names such as Buddy, Max, Bear, Precious, and so on, and I bet most pet owners don't realize how common some names are. But those of us in the veterinary field see certain names happen again and again. So it stands out to us when people pick uncommon names. However, sometimes people go too far.Recently I've been having a discussion with some colleagues about some of the very inappropriate names people give their pets, none of which I can fully repeat here since I try to keep this blog family-friendly. But we're talking about names like Dam**t, Sh**head, Nig**r, B*tch, Dumba**, and so on. People sometimes...
They Grow Up Fast
Summer is here and my kids are out of school. This year they've discovered that there are other kids in the neighborhood that are about their age, and have started playing with them. Since the other children live down the road and a neighboring street, it means that my kids are starting to spread their wings and explore on their own more. This has been an adjustment for me and my wife as we learn how to let go and give them freedom, yet balance this with the knowledge that child predators exist and we don't want our kids harmed.Looking back I can't remember all of my milestones. I know that I learned how to ride a bike at six, but I don't know when I was allowed to go around the neighborhood on my own. I know that my parents looked out for me, but I also remember...
Trying One's Patience
I'm a huge proponent of client service and really try to get everyone on my team to go the extra mile in little ways to show our clients how much we appreciate them. But there are limits to this. And I hate to break it to anyone who has illusions, but your physicians and vets don't like every client they see.I have a particular client whom we'll call Ms. Howlett (not her real name). She can be a real trial to deal with in several ways. She can be demanding of my time and insists on always seeing me. She is reluctant to spend money and has legitimately limited funds, but also wants problems with her cats fixed. She doesn't seem to understand relatively simple things I tell her and I have to repeat myself several times whenever I talk to her. She gets...
A Tragic Double-Whammy
The two c-sections in the last week where all puppies lived were great experiences, and very happy. Unfortunately, not all cases can end on such a high note.Today we saw a pair of puppies that had been adopted from a shelter last Thursday. As soon as the client took them home, they started coughing. A few days later she took them to a vet who diagnosed kennel cough, and put them on antibiotics but was worried about the fact that one of them had a poor appetite. Two days later she was at the emergency clinic with that puppy who was diagnosed with pneumonia and a consolidated lung lobe. They switched antibiotics and hoped for the best.When the two pups (black lab mixes about 3 months old) came in today there hadn't been any improvement. The most severely affected one...
Special on C-Sections
Cesarean sections are not a common occurrence in an average veterinary practice, especially emergency ones. I'll average one every year or two. Some breeds such as English bulldogs give birth through planned c-sections, but even those aren't common. This is why I was surprised today with a second emergency c-section.This dog was a Maltese who started active labor around 10:15 and had part of the amniotic sac coming out of her. The owner called us about three hours later, worried because no puppies had come out yet. We told her to come in immediately, and once she arrive I was able to quickly see the intact sac protruding from her vagina. She was dilated enough that I could gently put my finger up her birth canal and feel a puppy likely in breech position. ...
No Veterinary Hand Models
Today I was on the losing side of a run-in with a particularly evil cat. I ended up with numerous scratches over both hands and arms, though thankfully managed to avoid being bitten. Though not the worst I've ever had, it was the most scratches I've received in a few years. They're more annoying than really deep or dangerous but they're a reminder of what can happen in the business.Injuries from animals are a known hazard of being in veterinary medicine. I've known large animal vets who have had limbs or backs broken by a kick from a horse or cow. I've personally been bitten by dogs, cats, snakes, lizards, birds, hamsters, rats, guinea pigs and just about every species I've ever worked with. Thankfully most of my injuries have been minor, but I've been to...
A Half-Dozen New Puppies
Today I had a very, very pregnant dog come in. We have been seeing her for a while, and had been watching her pregnancy for the last couple of weeks. The timing of the pregnancy was weird, as she either was bred a full month after she should have been fertile or she was over a month delayed in giving birth. Somewhere the timing didn't match, so we couldn't be sure how far along she was. However, it was obvious that she was near term simply by looking at her. Radiographs showed about a half-dozen puppies, so we knew it wasn't just fat. She was getting more and more uncomfortable, and today seemed in particularly bad shape. Yesterday she seemed to show behaviors consistent with nesting prior to labor, but was showing no signs of labor itself. After...
An Ever Changing Job
One of the hardest things to do in veterinary medicine is keep up with all of the changes. It can be quite confusing at time, and require constant learning. My practice is currently in the midst of revising our vaccine protocols, which we did just one year ago. New data on immunizations and recommendations from specialists has changed our thinking on which vaccines to give, which ones to recommend to specific pets, and which to not give. In my 13 years in practice, I have seen numerous discussions and opinions on vaccines, and with new technology and research the viewpoints change.This is really true of every aspect of medicine. I have seen the names of microorganisms change from what I learned in school. New technologies have become much more common, such...
The Importance Of Mentors
When I was growing up I had a great mentor in veterinary medicine, Dr. John Strasser. He took a chance and hired me as a 14 year-old slightly bratty kid. I'm not sure what he saw in me, but he was a good judge of character and knew there was potential in me. I worked for him off and on for 13 years, until I finished vet school. Many of the best lessons I learned about being a vet came from him, even though I haven't worked for him in 14 years and haven't seen him in about 5 years. Though not the sole factor, he was a large part of developing me into the veterinarian I am today.That kind of mentorship is very important to newly graduated veterinarians, and something we don't always get. Though my first employer as a doctor was a great guy and gave me great opportunities,...
Final Step Into The 21st Century
I've enjoyed computers and electronics as far back as I can remember. When I was young I had an Atari 2600 video game system with around 40 or more games. I had an email account as far back as the early '90s, and was regularly posting on newsgroups on the old Usenet before the current Internet really got going. I've had laptops for several years, and as a family we have a total of four computers (two aren't really working, so I don't know if they really count). I've had a blog for over a year, and know my way around computers and the web. Thought I don't own every little thing (not going for an iPhone or iPad, thank you very much), I consider myself fairly tech savvy. But there was one little thing that for whatever reason I never transitioned to....digital music.Sure,...
Starting Them Young
As a veterinarian and a pet lover, it has been very important for me to raise my kids to be responsible pet owners. I have worked hard to teach them to treat animals gently and with patience and care. I have also made sure they understand the work involved in keeping a pet. When we got Inara last year, we did so with the understanding that the kids would take care of her, feed her, clean up her messes, and so on. And for the most part, they have done so. Feeding all of the pets is part of their daily chores, and my daughter is learning about the proper care of bearded dragons.Now, this is easy for me with my own children since I get to see them and interact with them every day. It's harder to do this with other children. Some of the children of my clients seem...
Celebrity Clients?
Isn't it funny sometimes how certain names become associated with specific people? I feel sorry for people with a similar or same name. Just today I saw a client named Pamela Andersen. Yes, slightly different than the actress/model Pamela Anderson. But the name made me look a few times to make sure I saw it correctly. I also went to school with a Steven King (as opposed to the author, Stephen King).Now sometimes you do get real celebrities in private practice. I once had a local morning radio DJ for a client, as well as a woman who had a minor part in a new TV show. A friend of mine had the singer Bobby Brown as a client (yes, the real one!). I think this is an interesting part of veterinary practice, because you get to see a completely different...
Do Grades Matter?
Haleigh has this question....I am a freshman in college and have had a little bit of a shaky first year. my first semester i got all A's and B's with one D that i am making up this summer to exchange grades. my second semester was very difficult for me and may not have very outstanding grades.will vet schools judge me harshly on my first year of college or do they take into account for the transition period of incoming freshman? i appreciate your time and energyFirst of all, each veterinary school has different entry requirements. Yes, all of them share some common factors, but you really should look at what you need for each one. I would recommend getting catalogs from any schools you may apply for and see what their criteria are. You can also talk to someone...
Ch-ch-ch-changes!
Nope, I haven't fallen off the Internet. Between doing two plays and all of the rest of normal life, I haven't been on the computer very much and haven't had much time to blog. But I'm back! And some big changes at work.I work for a practice that has normal operating hours seven days per week, as well as evening hours. The idea is to be there when clients need us rather than keep to traditional doctor's hours. It can be a bit tough on family life, as I normally don't get home until 7:30-8:00 at night, but the trade-off is that we don't have to do any after-hours emergency work. It's definitely not "traditional" veterinary hours. Also, I manage the location for a multi-location practice and don't own it. For the past two years it's been me and...
Meningitis in a dog
Meningitis is a life-threatening disease involving inflammation of the layers that protect the brain and spinal cord. I treated my first case of meningitis in a nine-month-old chocolate labrador retriever that was presented to me a few days ago (day one) for inappetence and lethargy, that's it. Being a labrador with a history of having eaten six rawhides in the few days preceding the visit, I treated her symptomatically for stomach upset. The following day (day two), her symptoms were much more specific. She had a stiffed gait and would not dare budge her neck or allow me to manipulate her head. Her temperature was normal.I got on the phone...
