When I was 4 or 5 years old, my dad’s sister lived with my family for a little while. Because I was only 4 or 5, I don’t really remember the details of how we ended up at a pet store together. I’m sure she must have asked permission to get me a pet, but… Continue reading My namesake turtle

*This post has nothing at all to do with animals, so if that’s what you’re here for, you’ll be disappointed. If however, you like happy travel anecdotes, this is probably for you. I did say the blog was *mostly* about animals, after all. We have a trip coming up, and I am so excited to… Continue reading Perfection in blue skies and quiet

Sienna (fka Noelia- how stupid is that name? Seriously.) was my 3rd year spay dog. We met in the junior surgery kennel area in December 2011. I walked in an excited but nervous student, as I was about to assess my first ever patient for surgery. She was already waiting, a boisterous, approximately 45 lb… Continue reading Sienna Bean

Some days, work is hard. Every pet might be sick on a given day. For some of those pets, there is nothing you can do except to help them move on (or provide the guidance their family needs to say, “good-bye,” with someone else’s help); the world doesn’t care how special the pet is to… Continue reading A little bit of gratitude

Last summer, we had a rising third year vet student work at the clinic for a couple of months. She decided to enter clinics early and chose to schedule an externship for two weeks at our hospital during this time. Those two weeks ended on Friday. As she was leaving, I wished her well with… Continue reading Clinical year flashbacks

I know I’ve said before that training Rook and Magic is a current work in progress. Today is a perfect example of that. When they are together, they have zero impulse control and less than zero recall. In the moment, everything was just chaos. I didn’t see everything happening or take note of all of… Continue reading Rookie and Magic take their show across the road

Before I get to the woods, for those wondering, here’s an update on Elliot: She had her appointment with my friend and was loved by all during her visit. She is a little chubby (seriously… who knows how to score a Bearded Dragon’s body condition?), but otherwise healthy. Her blood work was all normal. She… Continue reading In the woods

I am not an exotics vet. I do love them and have kept many over the years, of various species. In fact, my dream job would probably be treating dogs, bunnies and lizards all day, every day, but I lack sufficient skills and knowledge for the latter two. If I’m completely honest, there are plenty… Continue reading Then “he” was a “she”

Although dogs will always be my favorite species, I’ve shared a home with many other critters over the years as well. Cats are one that I hold some mixed feelings about. My relationship with them varies from cat-to-cat, but as a kid, I very much wanted to be a cat person. At a pretty young… Continue reading Can I have a kitten?

I am a through and through dog person. The only time in my life that I remember not living with at least one dog lasted about six months. The first six months living with Justin, I got my dog fix at work and by sometimes borrowing my mom’s old dog, Joule, to accompany me on… Continue reading The Rookie and Magic Show