An earlier post this week on what I wish they’d taught me in vet school prompted a comment on ethics from a vet student. Though I seldom address comments so directly in a follow-up post, I thought this one merited a reprint for fuller discussion.

Here’s the question (and my answer). Feel free to follow up with your own solution to the dilemma:

Q. Speaking of ethics--I'm a second year vet...

Off the Virginia and Maryland coast within the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge there’s a barrier island called Assateague that teems with feral horses.

Every year the Chincoteague Fire Department holds an annual fundraiser. It rounds up a bunch of so-called “Chincoteague ponies” and swims them across the waters between the Assateague and Chincoteague islands so the weanlings can be sold...

I’ve heard tell that the only items that are recession-proof are lipstick and porn. While I wouldn’t know about the latter, the first is one I’ll fess up to. I can always dig up $7 for a new lip gloss when I need a “can’t-afford-nuthin’-else” pick-me-up.

The same, however, can’t be said for veterinary medicine.

The last month has been interesting, to say the least. Never have I witnessed such...

Recent comments from pet owners, vets and vets students on Dolittler have got me thinking about vet school and all I’ve had to learn since...on my own. While the science of veterinary medicine was covered well in school, there are some basics most of us missed out on in our years in school. Here’s my top ten:

#1

Keeping Up 101: If only someone had explained how to properly digest veterinary...

Now that we’ve discussed some of the politics of hip dysplasia in dogs (in last week’s post on the same subject) it’s time to count the nuts and bolts involved in its diagnosis.

Every dog is potentially at risk of suffering hip dysplasia—no matter his or her breed. This post is intended to help those of you who take on new dogs (whether it’s a purebred pup or older mix) learn more of the ins...

“That cynicism you refer to I acquired the day I discovered I was different from little boys.”

This brilliant line, scathingly delivered by Celeste Holme in the classic film, “All About Eve,” is exemplary of sharp-witted 1940’s cinema. It’s also to the point when you consider how female vets might feel when they suspect clients of rejecting their services on the basis of their gender.

Though you...

If you guessed this post would tackle the topic of spaying pets while they’re in heat…you’d be right on target.

In case you’ve missed my other rants on this topic let me first explain: Cats in heat are easily altered. Dogs in heat—especially older, large breed and/or fat ones—can prove a nightmare for any vet (even the most experienced among us).

Granted, I never set out to spay a dog in heat....

Homer was a couple of weeks old when I found him…maybe 21 days at the most. A young couple brought him in after finding him—I can’t remember where.

His eyes were swollen shut. I recall the presence of maggots. Though the couple requested he be euthanized on account of his certain blindness and disgusting appearance...I couldn’t do it.

How can I describe my feelings at the time?...

I was a...

Does your mechanic issue car tags, registrations or drivers’ licenses? Then why is your vet expected to take on tag detail in some municipalities?

Sorry for the automotive analogy (trust me, I know pets are nothing like cars) but it’s been bugging me for years now that my staff and I are effectively obliged to handle the licensing of pets on our county’s behalf.

Apart from telling clients they...

Let’s say you’re a conscientious, careful vet. You undertake a routine procedure with the best intentions and excellent medical protocols. Despite your best efforts the patient dies. Though you know your feelings can’t possibly compare to the grief your client faces, you’re incredibly saddened and shocked, nonetheless.

As a vet you took an oath to heal and protect the animals in your care. Yet...

Here’s an ethical dilemma for you: Does a veterinarian doing cat colony work advocate euthanasia for all FIV (feline AIDS) and FeLV (feline leukemia) positive kitties…yea or nay?

In my personal feral feline colony—the one I manage myself with no other individual stakeholders to satisfy—the answer is a resounding “yea.” I euthanize them.

Granted, the vast majority of these cats is not merely...

Have you ever had cause to marvel at the limited hours your vet keeps? Did you wonder if she was taking a nice nap at lunchtime? Taking in a round of golf?

Why can’t he stay open just one hour longer? You gotta wonder what’s up with a 4:30 drop-dead closing time.

Does it bug you that she closes at five sharp so she can get home to her kids? After all, doing so means she cares less about your...

This past month I’ve seen more hip dysplasia cases than I can recall having seen all summer. Maybe it’s the ever-so-slight change in the Miami weather that’s messing with my patients’ joints. Or perhaps it’s just a rash of bad luck.

Whatever the case, the influx of hip patients has again driven me to the keyboard to explain the disease…and to ponder why hip dysplasia is still so prevalent—and...

The Daily Kibble comes to me...daily. It reports to me on interesting and newsworthy pet products and services available—usually nationwide—but aimed specifically (it seems) at sophisticated and well-heeled New York metro dog owners.

Though I’m not in the target market so-described, it makes me feel like I’m up-to-date on the frequent goings-on of the high-end pet trade, always a bellwether...

Some of you may know that I’ve undergone something of a conversion on the subject of raw in recent years. It’s not that I feed the BARF-style diet you may have heard about (ad nauseum in some cases). I still feed mostly home-cooked with some high-quality commercial supplementation. But I no longer fear the raw—nor the raw meaty bones the BARF diet and others employ.

Since opening my mind a bit...

This is an interesting topic raised by a recent commenter who expressed some annoyance at my preoccupation with issues surrounding the money side of vet medicine. It’s not a charge that hasn’t been leveled against me before—nor have previous comments always been as diplomatic as this last one.

However it’s delivered, it’s clear that many of you are concerned with why Dolittler dwells on the...

Some vets are charming soft-talkers who recruit your involvement in your pet’s care with their winning, whitened smile and a penchant for flattering, incandescent lighting. 

Others might well be better vets (or not)…but their delivery leaves much to be desired.

We vets can’t always be all be all things to all people. But some clients demand the whole package—on every visit. And that’s not...

It’s true that I’ve never considered myself a deeply religious person. Yet I also fancy myself unusually tolerant of others’ beliefs. This past week’s case of a dying puppy, however, put this latter claim to the test. Here’s the story:

A litter of three foundling puppies arrived at the hospital six months ago. Two robust boys with one scrawny girl rounding out the bunch. Sickly though they all...

Fear and loathe veterinary anesthesia though you might (and I wouldn’t necessarily blame you), the answer to the above question is a no-brainer for me: the so-called “anesthesia-free” dental cleaning is NOT an appropriate approach to managing our pets’ dental health.

A variety of companies are now offering this service in a bunch of states. California seems especially targeted (according to...

"Shih-Corgis." Ever heard of ‘em? They’re a cross between a Shih-tzu and a Corgi. As in, all that blowout fuzz and big-dog personality in a smaller package—with less shedding.

Now, don’t laugh. After all, a Shih-Corgi ("Shorgi"?) makes about as much sense as a Puggle—with a less catchy name. (But then, mixing any breed’s name with “Shih-tzu” is bound to be fraught with some difficulties.)

I...

A few months back I penned a post on this topic and received a clutch of angry emails suggesting that by writing about do-it-yourself euthanasias, even disparagingly, I was encouraging others to try it out. Here’s another post on the topic that illustrates, yet again (hopefully more forcefully), exactly why you should never try this at home.

A woman in Colorado was arrested by the police last...

You know, I’ve got no problem with someone trying to make a buck. I also don’t mind receiving an email about a new product for pets (and I get zillions). But I definitely draw the line when someone tries to sell me a product over and over again. It’s just not cool anymore—it’s spam.

You know the emails I mean…the ones about penile implants (as if I could accommodate one) or about Viagra...

My fifth-grader has an idea. He’s appalled at the practice of ear-tipping feral cats when it comes time to spaying, neutering and vaccinating them. He thinks it’s barbaric and he wants to put an end to it.

That’s what compelled him to come up with a science project-worthy idea to use ear tags to identify cats as owned, vaccinated and altered.

Granted, I’m OK with the ear-tipping thing. Sure, I...

The scenario’s not uncommon: You left an industrial-sized bar of baking chocolate out on the counter. You fed her the leftovers of that spicy oxtail stew. You were careless with an open bottle of Aleve. Or worse…you ran her over in the driveway.

Yeah, sometimes the guilt can be unbearable. It makes you want to do anything to save the pet you’re at fault for having crippled or poisoned—even if...

Even those occasional people we meet who claim to dislike cats intensely would agree: kicking them is wrong.

It’s pretty clear-cut. Most humans understand that hurting cats, even if you consider them “vermin” as many do, is a foul and unnecessary deed. So too, inflicting pain on rats, seagulls, pigeons and other creatures you happen to prefer not hang out with you in and around your home....

If you read Dolittler regularly you’ll know that I have a thing about physical examinations—as in, no test, no matter how sophisticated, is quite so crucial to your pet’s health as a FULL physical exam. 

Recently, that prompted some of you to ask (in not so many words), Well, what’s in that almighty physical exam?

And so, today, I offer you an abbreviated answer—or, at least, my version, since...

You know that elephant quip, the one about how a pachyderm is best consumed? Well, I have the scar to prove it’s true…this time, as it applies to the Sisyphean task of treating the pets of inner-city Miami’s homeless population. Here’s the story:

Last Sunday three vets and three assistants ventured out to Camillus House, the most well-attended and centrally located homeless shelter in the Miami...

Please excuse my extremely late Saturday evening post. I was attending the Florida Veterinary Medical Association (FVMA) Conference in Orlando…just a stone’s throw away from the Mouse King’s lair.

Somehow I was able to exit the city in less than 24 hours without paying Disney dues—or the $500 conference fee, for that matter (press credentials are golden), but I did manage to spend $100 on gas,...

To celebrate this week's bailout fiasco I'm offering these additional points on how to save money on your vet care. Unlike Part 1 of this post (referenced below) this one addresses the needs of slightly more sophisticated owners. Enjoy!

I know some are persnickety points some vets will roll their eyes at but here’s my list anyway:

1-Ask for scripts on antibiotics: When many big-box stores will...

Titers are antibody level measurements we often use to determine our pet’s level of immunity against diseases they’ve already been vaccinated against. Drawing blood to check these titers in lieu of vaccination has become increasingly popular over the past decade in veterinary hospitals across the US. The idea is to lower a pet’s risk of exposure to too many vaccines…but is it really an...

One of our technicians brought in her unhappy kitty named Gizmo last week. Gizzie had been pawing and scratching his chin raw. Beyond the common chin acne some cats can get, this feline patient sported an abundance of bleeding pustules beyond the pallor of the standard blackheads and pimples we often see secondary to ingrown hairs (all that chin rubbing sometimes takes its toll).

Though not...