People often talk about canine (and feline) “intelligence”; check the internet and you’ll easily locate half a dozen articles describing which dog breeds are the “smartest”. Often, those listed as…

Reba and Rogue, the most memorable pair of coonhounds I ever had the good fortune to know and provide medical care for in my career. They were of the black…

The “clinical” program at the University of Missouri School veterinary school was somewhat unique. We spent 100% of the first two academic years in the classroom; the final two years…

I graduated from veterinary school in 1982 . . . I know that was a long time ago; my staff members constantly point out that most of them weren’t even…

  The term “guard dog” often has negative connotations . . . snarling, vicious canines as portrayed by Hollywood—often Rottweilers or Dobermans—who are all too ready to attack and bite…

“It’s just a spay” . . . how many times have I heard that statement? To set the record straight, spaying a female dog is a relatively (to extremely) difficult…

I wasn’t one of those kids who knew veterinary medicine was my career path from the time I was about 10. How did I end up as a veterinarian? The…

Ten days after completing veterinary school, I left my small (rented) farm in Missouri and headed east; toward my first “real” job as a practicing vet in Boston, MA. This…

This goes back “a few” years . . . prior to applying to veterinary school, I realized that actual veterinary experience would probably improve my resume; so I began work…

Ms. Violette Verdy was one of the few “celebrity” clients I got to know during my early years as a veterinarian in Boston. At the time, she was the “artistic…

Still relatively new in the “real veterinarian” role, I shuddered to see a pet rabbit–”Thumper”, of course—scheduled in the appointment book. However, I managed a real smile when I walked…

Sean was a young, neutered male, Irish Wolfhound—if you know the breed, he was a big boy; probably 36” tall (or better) at the shoulders, and weighed upwards of 150#….

I am not sure how veterinarians survive in “1-doctor” practices. First of all, just for social purposes, it is always nice to have a colleague at your “level” in any…

Mrs. Santos was a very nice Filipino lady, but she was having trouble coming to terms with her dog’s progressive cardiac disease. Rudy was a 13 year old Schnauzer; we…

I had been working in Boston for about a year, and found myself “on-call” this Saturday night. At 11 pm the veterinary nurse at the hospital called to let me…

My Blog: Introduction   In preparation for “blogging”, I was encouraged to do a bit of reading concerning the “do’s and don’ts” of writing for a business website. Much of…