I sometimes wonder how the Dingos of Australia and the wild dogs of Africa get around the issue of heat exhaustion. They are built on the same game plan as all other successful canines, but they live, run and hunt in a much less temperate climate. Do they mostly hunt at night? I should be […]
Author Archives: Doc
We tend to think of a "spay" as a routine operation. It’s usually routine for me, as I’ve done hundreds of them — I know what I will do first, what I’ll do second, etc. For the patient, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime major operation — a complete hysterectomy, removing the entire uterus and ovaries. Sometimes it’s […]
Between thirteen-hour days, night meetings, CASA volunteer work, and hauling 18-foot spars to Camp Lewallen, I’ve gotten a little behind on my paperwork this week, including the blog. My desk still looks like a mare’s nest, but hey, "A clean desk is the devil’s workshop", and at least the critical stuff is caught up…finally. I […]
I must say, that though I was a champeen speller in 1967, I’m not even sure that Bug-Eyed is a word. Maybe a superfluous apostrophe would help it out: Bug-eye’d? …Nah. I talked a bit about Bug-eyed dogs in a previous post. I addressed some of the hazards of the condition, and how to recognize […]
This is the special outlet where my new dental X-ray machine will soon be installed. I had to get a dedicated circuit put in (I can hardly wait for the electrician’s bill). There are lots of good reasons to take dental X-rays when you’re working on a pet’s teeth, but I’m only going to talk […]
Old Yeller Alert "Doctor, doctor, my feet hurt all the time." "You’re too fat. Lose weight." "You quack, I want a second opinion." "You’re ugly, too." Nothing like starting a post with an old vaudeville joke, is there? But, seriously, folks… If we are given a diagnosis that we don’t like, or don’t agree with, […]
This one has nothing to do with the Chinese wheat gluten. Castleberry is a company that manufactures a lot of canned chili and junk, and some Natural Balance canned dog food. They have had a little bit of a botulism problem. Not enough to make the cans bulge up and scare you off, but enough […]
This post has nothing to do with "pets and vets", but it is something I’d like for more people to read. Since it was in the print version of the Wall Street Journal, I can’t just "link" to it. It really speaks to the incredulity I feel when I hear someone say, "There’s nothing to […]
There’s an old cowboy saying: "Don’t tell people about your troubles — half of ’em don’t care and the other half are glad you’ve got ’em." If you’ve looked at my bio links and old posts, you know that I’d be interested in old cowboy sayings. Still, if someone asks "How are you?" I’m likely […]
The "wellness exam": what is it? It’s a good physical examination, plus or minus some diagnostic tests, when you think you’re in good shape and don’t need it. In terms of my own health, my insurance company pays for bloodwork each year, sends me a survey to fill out, and then advises me of what […]