Relaxin. “Oh, so you’re taking the day off today, Dr. Randolph?” No, I didn’t say relaxin’, I said relaxin. Relaxin is a hormone that is produced during pregnancy in mammalian species. Both its function and its importance vary among species,…
Years ago most veterinary practices saw outpatients on a walk-in basis. You went to see “Ol’ Doc” when you had time, and you hoped he wasn’t on the other side of the county working on a horse or cow. If…
The teenaged girl sat crumpled in the floor of our examination room, sobbing loudly. I evaluated the kitten’s problems as her father and older sister sat on the bench, waiting. Instinctively, they all knew the verdict as well as I…
You’ve read the newspaper, you’ve read the news stories: “HMOs are good.” ” HMOs are bad.” You’ve seen the ads that claim, ” We have a new HMO that’s not like all the others.” With discussions about health care for…
This is an ode to Lucy. And to “M” and “J” who took her in. Some low-life dumped Lucy out in their neighborhood. The saddest part about Lucy’s story is we could tell no one cared about her before her…
I saw a sad little case of a sad little puppy and a sad little pet owner involved in a sad little situation this week. A young girl and her mother brought me a puppy they had traveled across two…
“He told of tales of 15 years how his dog and him, they traveled about. The dog up and died, he up and died, after 20 years he still grieves.” The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, 1971. To someone whose pet…
The time is right, you’ve moved out of that cramped apartment and into your family’s first home. You’ve decided to add a pet to the family. The family agrees we want to do the morally correct thing and save a…
“Is that the same as people amoxicillin?” Mrs. Jones asked. It’s a logical question, since most people are under the mistaken impression that there are a lot of differences between people and animals. I learned of mammalian anatomical similarities when…
“I don’t want to.” “What do you mean you don’t want to?” “I don’t want to and I’m not going to do it this year.” “But, but, but…that would be nontraditional. That would be un-American.” “Call it whatever you want,…
