Christmas time for me has always been more about spending time with friends and family and enjoying good food and good times than about gifts and shopping. This year I've been especially reflective about all of the gifts I've received throughout the year that won't be...

This weekend we remember those that gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. I have had the honor of caring for a number of military, police, and detection dogs over the course of my career. From sprains and strains and broken bones, to heart murmurs, art...

Happy Mother's Day!

In trying to decide what sort of mom theme to elaborate on today I was thinking of all of the momma cats and momma dogs I've helped care for over the years. I thought about one of our cats, Miss Kitty, who saved her kittens from fire ants and birds o...

Tomorrow I'll be speaking to a small group of veterinary technician students, and telling them all about my career as a vet tech. It's taken me 2 weeks to put the presentation together, so I've been thinking a lot lately about the last 15 years and how lucky I've been....

Ask anyone involved with veterinary medicine why they got into it, and the answer will always contain one of the following:

"I love animals!"

"I enjoy helping animals!"

"I want to save lives!"

Rarely will you hear:

"I like it when dogs quiver when they see me!"

"I love the s...

I'm inspired to write about my cats today. I didn't become a cat person until I was in my twenties. I was supposed to bring my first cat Raven to Colorado with me when I moved from Chicago to go to Bel-Rea to learn how to be a vet tech. He was polydactyl and hopelessly...

If you've spent time with animals, you know they have thoughts and feelings just like we do. I'm often asked questions about what I think they feel, or whether something hurts, or if a pet "knows" when it's time. Do they have a sense of humor? Do they miss us when we'r...

One morning, after a particularly "grim" night shift, the ER veterinarian gave me a pep slap on the shoulder, smiled, and said, "Your Rainbow Bridge is going to be standing room only!" I will forever cherish the image that came to mind. By the time I finished my four y...

I learned A LOT about death and dying working at the local emergency clinic, which probably goes without saying! I don't think there is a better way to summarize the time I spent there than to share with you the goodbye letter I wrote to the Cardiology Service. I had t...

Amber was a teenage Shepherd mix with bad kidneys. She was dying of renal failure, and she looked just like Buzzy, the tri-color dog I grew up with. I got involved in her case when she was first diagnosed, and got to know her family through their frequent visits to the...