My dog has a pyometra: What should I do? | Dr. Justine Lee
As a veterinarian, I hear all the excuses for not wanting to spay or neuter a family pet. Some pet owners think it devalues or “de-sexes” their pet. Others want to breed their dog or cat to allow their children to experience the “miracle of life.” Others have had a bad experience with a previous spay, neuter, or anesthesia, making them gun-shy about an elective surgery. When it comes down to it, most veterinary professionals and animal advocates tout the benefits of spaying and...
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How to be a good pet owner and advocate for your dog | Dr. Justine Lee
A few weeks ago, I had to deal with an irate pet owner who thought I had mistreated his dog for mouse and rat poisoning. To make a long story short, this pet owner ignored my recommendations and chose to go to a different emergency veterinarian – only to spend hundreds of dollars (at least $500-700 worth) for things that didn’t need to be necessary performed (including inducing vomiting, giving activated charcoal, doing blood work, giving the antidote, and hospitalizing the dog overnight)....
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What is a veterinary specialist? | Dr. Justine Lee
When people find out I’m a veterinarian, they often say to me “I used to want to be a veterinarian, but I wouldn’t be able to deal with euthanizing animals.” Well, if you must know, that actually annoys us. It’s not like we like euthanizing animals either, but sometimes it just comes with the job. Much to these people’s surprise, euthanizing animals isn’t the reason why we wanted to become veterinarians either. Seriously. What people do really want to know (and we’re happier...
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Can I make my cat a vegetarian? | Dr. Justine Lee
About 15 years ago, I treated a young, 15 month-old cat for congestive heart failure secondary to a severe, rare type of heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). This cat had a 6/6 heart murmur (We grade heart murmurs on a scale of 1-6, with 6 being the worst!), and it was all due to its diet. Turns out, this young cat developed the heart disease because his pet owner made him a vegetarian since he was a young kitten. Thankfully, we don’t see this type of heart disease as much as we...
Read MoreHeat kills dogs! | Dr. Justine Lee
Great poster from @PreventiveVet that you can download and share! Our Heat Stroke graphic now available as a FREE POSTER! Download here: http://t.co/SQ77C9SZ59 Because #HotHappensFast pic.twitter.com/UCFGXIoqer — Preventive Vet (@PreventiveVet) July 24,...
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For love of dog… How much would you pay for your dog? | Dr. Justine Lee
Any dog lovers out there read my book It’s a Dog’s Life… but It’s Your Carpet? In it, you meet the my last pit bull – the best dog ever – JP. JP was my main squeeze for the past decade plus. JP has been my loyal companion and “Justine-supporter” through many a move, transition, job, residency, and boyfriend. JP is named after Jamaica Plain, an up-and-coming (i.e., ghetto) subdivision of Boston where I used to live (This is on the infamous “other” side of the...
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