Blog

People often say that cancer sucks. It is a pretty crude saying, but I am not sure there is a more simple and accurate description of cancer. I often repeat this same phrase when I discuss a cancer diagnosis in pets with pet owners. Some cancers seen in pets are impossible to prevent or to […]

As a veterinarian, there are many days filled with healthy puppies and kittens, annual wellness checks, itching pets, ear infections, and diarrhea. And then there are days occasionally that a pet is brought in and it is a matter of life and death. This was one of those days. Sadie, who was an eight-year old, […]

Stories about the incredible things all service dogs do for people have always amazed me. These dogs have an incredible drive to perform their duties to comfort, aid, and protect those that they consider to be part of their pack. The most extreme examples of this are the Military War Dogs that our soldiers rely […]

One day a few weeks ago, my animal hospital was suddenly swamped with calls from worried pet owners about reports they had been hearing regarding outbreaks of canine influenza in larger cities in Ohio. Before I even had time to check into these reports, I was getting texts from a sales rep asking if I […]

Last month, I attended the Purdue University Fall Veterinary Conference. I try to go to this every year for a few reasons. First, it gets me away from the scarlet and gray colors that permeate every possible thing in the state of Ohio. I love getting to see the black and gold of Purdue University. […]

For the most part, I love this time of year. As summer turns to fall, it is football season again! There is really no way to miss the start of football season in this football-crazed state. While approximately 89.2% of pet owners coming into my clinic are either wearing some sort of Ohio State apparel […]

This prison dog program has been going on at Allen Correctional Institution (ACI) for many years. The fortunate dogs that enter the program are picked from shelters and each are assigned to an inmate. Inmates can only be in this program if they meet certain criteria. It is a reward for good behavior, but can […]

Over three years ago I wrote an article titled “The Real Problem with Corn for Dogs”. I wrote the article out of frustration regarding the current trend of some pet foods declaring that grain-free foods were without question the best foods to feed pets if you truly wanted the best for them. They proudly declared […]

After many years of having dogs, I finally have a dog with allergy problems. Our eight-year old Labrador, Bea, started showing signs of seasonal allergies last year. Before that she had occasionally had a hot spot flair up, but last year she had a stretch of a couple months of itching that needed treated. During […]

I really don’t like to see them sad. Lately, they just seem to be upset whenever they are around me. I can tell they still really love me, but their hugs last longer and they often have tears in their eyes when they talk to me and tell me how much they love me. I […]