Dog care, symptoms, health issues, and dog health advocacy from an owner's perspective. In loving memory of Jasmine.
Choosing the right veterinarian and knowing when to seek a second opinion can be the difference between sickness and health, and sometimes the life and death of your dog. If there is a single take-home point of my blog, it is this—your dog’s health is ultimately in your hands. Making the right decisions for your dog is your responsibility, and…
You may have heard the phrase “defensive medicine” used during the recent health care debate in the United States. Defensive medicine describes the situation where a doctor decides a patient’s care not simply based on what is best for that patient but also considers a perceived need to cover his or her white-coated backside in case things don’t go well.…
How do you feel about large veterinary hospital chains? Do you like them or hate them? I have always been partial to smaller veterinary clinics. My instinct tells me that corporatization and good care don’t mix—what do big corporations care about more, their profits or the end-user? One of my veterinary friends has left such a chain specifically for those…
As is true for all healthcare professionals, veterinarians sometimes develop tunnel vision. Now and then, they become so focused on test results that they fail to consider whether or not these results actually make sense in relation to the animal sitting atop their exam room table. When the patient’s appearance says one thing and test results indicate something different, astute…
Except for emergencies, what is your preferred way of communicating with your veterinarian between appointments? What is theirs? A phone call seems most convenient, and you can discuss things in greater detail. But your veterinarian has other things to do during their day than sit at the desk and wait for the phone to ring. Sometimes you do need to…