About this time every year my goats face their existential question: is the grass greener on the other side of the fence? This year’s annual Goat Freedom Rally While Everyone […]
ANIMAL CLINIC
A Veterinarian’s White Whale
On being obsessed with finding one oddball ailment
What strikes one person as gross can be another person’s lunchtime entertainment. That’s certainly true for veterinarians, whose social media news feeds are filled with X-rays of bizarre things animals […]
ANIMAL CLINIC
How Not to Poison Your Best Friend
Alternatives to anticoagulant rodenticides are a good idea
Christine Legere’s article in the Dec. 30 edition of the Independent about Provincetown’s approach to rat control triggered many memories for me. Some were traumatic, like the memories of wild […]
ANIMAL CLINIC
Please Don’t Eat the Ivermectin
Your dog may need it for fighting heartworm
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently sent a notice to veterinary clinics and retailers and asked them to post it for the public. The sign said, basically, “People, please […]
ANIMAL CLINIC
Disaster Planning for Your Pets
Don’t wait for the next tornado warning to start preparing
After watching two people and their big dog being rescued by boat in New Jersey on CNN the other day, it seemed like a good time to write about disaster […]
ANIMAL CLINIC
Toys for Your Technokat
A few of the latest inventions for living with cats in the 21st century
Cats always get the short straw. Drug companies don’t invest as much time and money in cats as they do in dogs. Maybe they know that owners don’t bring them […]
ANIMAL CLINIC
Telltale Signs of the Veterinary Worker
The importance of a sense of humor and a poker face
You can look at some people and know what they do for work. I think that’s true for those in the veterinary world. There are the standard clues: they’re covered […]
ANIMAL CLINIC
As Humans Venture Out, Pets Are Left With Separation Anxiety
Routines that include alone time will build your pet’s independence
Very slowly, our routines are becoming different from what they’ve been throughout this past year. We’re vaccinated, the summer season is approaching, and many of us are anticipating venturing out […]
ANIMAL CLINIC
Socializing a Puppy in a Pandemic
Raising a healthy pet means training it to play well with others
Getting a new puppy might sound like a great idea. But a puppy can suck everything out of you — they are adorable but exhausting. We are wiped out after […]
ANIMAL CLINIC
Your Dog Just Ate What?
The season of holiday treats spells fear at the vet’s office
Halloween is a terrifying time of year when you treat animals who struggle with portion control. Maybe not as nerve-wracking as Thanksgiving, but still anxiety-inducing. We hold our breath waiting […]
ANIMAL CLINIC
Must Be the Season of the Itch
It’s OK to have fleas. Deal with it.
The passing of Labor Day marks the end of our cut-pad-on-an-oyster-shell season and the beginning of the itchy-dog-and-cat season here on the Cape. (This will be followed by pancreatic inflammation […]
ANIMAL CLINIC
A Belly Full of Sand Is No Picnic for Your Dog
Summertime animal eating adventures to be avoided
As a veterinarian on Cape Cod in the summer, I sometimes feel as if I am spying on visitors who are probably here for a short time and trying to […]
OP-ED
The Bias Against ‘Pit Bulls’
Headlines can hide the truth behind dog bites
PROVINCETOWN — The Independent’s July 9 front-page story on the effects of the coronavirus crisis on dogs, “Pandemic Is No Treat for the Four-Legged,” fell into a common and unfortunate […]
