Just no.
Guest Post from Laura Kenyon with pictures of her beautiful dog Lola!
Thank you Laura! This is such an important message! And your dog is GORGEOUS!
People think you have to go to a breeder if you seek an unusual breed. My Standard Xoloitzcuintli adopted from the Nebraska Humane Society would argue with that. We'd be happy to come visit you if you've never met a fifty five Mexican Hairless Dog! She isn't great with strangers, but, she warms up!
This is Lola, aka: Lolita-PITA the love of my life and Pain In My Ass!!
And she is my velcro dog...
Remember, if you want a specific breed, they ALL come through the shelters. Be patient. Don't support breeders out of impatience! Or, only support a breeder that will allow you to see the parents and living situation. Breed-specific rescues will help with transport. Even if they don't, it's cheaper than buying a pup from a crappy store that gets their pups from mills!!!!!!!!!
Adopt. Don't Shop!!!
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Post from one year ago today...
This is Max Dog. He is my favorite patient in the whole world (in a several way tie with your pets). I love him so much. Max's Mom adopted him from Nebraska Humane Society one year ago this month.
Yay Max! Can you think of anything better than a peanut butter bacon cupcake??
It is hard not knowing your rescue pup's actual birthday, so Kelly and Max's Mom picked a day and decided he was exactly an age. Don't you think that day should be celebrated with cupcakes too? Many things should.
Max's family and his vet team have worked hard over this past year to figure out his allergies, and we are almost there. No more itching soon Good Boy!
Max gets a tiny bit nervous with storms and fireworks and vet visits, but Mom has that about figured out too. Good job Mom! This month is not even that scary now.
When Max is in for vet visits, he hides under Mom's chair, and we all agree to say we cannot see him. When he was last in, he got tired of us talking about his medical issues...and okay maybe a few other things...and maybe we were taking a while. He rested his cute little moos-tache on the bar of the chair he was under and watched us talk until it was time to go home. That was about the cutest thing! I mean, I bet it was. I could not see him...under the chair.
Max Dog you are the best. Here's to years and years of birthdays and adoptiversaries and all the days in between. We all love you Good Boy.
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Post from one year ago today...
July 19, 2016
When Lucy the Scottie was a tiny baby dog, growing as best her little baby dog self would let her, and jumping and nipping to say she loved you, she got into my heart, as Scotties do, and has been there ever since. Well, mostly she's been with her Mom and Dad and then with her Mom and Dad and two little girls.
Lucy Then
Here is a link to the note I wrote Lucy and posted on my blog site before Finch DVM, Riley and James...
Note to Lucy, But You Can Read It Too
That was in 2008.
Lucy Puppy with Mom
She was back to see me again after all these years you guys!
Lucy Now
She is as cute as she ever was. I was so happy to see her and her Mom. I almost cried to think that we were beginning arthritis treatment, but truly, that is so manageable, and I hope to know Lucy for several more years.
Thank you guys for bringing her back to see me again! You made my day. Tell Lucy I said "woof." <3
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Post from one year ago today...
July 18, 2016
Tuxie is a domestic shorthaired cat. His family is my cousin Rob and his husband Mike. I hope to meet Tuxie soon! How gorgeous is he??
From Rob, "Here's Tuxie, our cat that thinks he's a dog. He learned to wag his tail like a dog by watching the neighbors pets."
Guest Post by Donna Kay...
What Life with Two Big Fluffy Dogs Has Taught Me
1. Couches belong to the dogs.
2. Muddy paw prints will happen, and that's okay.
3. Dog hair is the best accessory.
4. Give up the dream of wearing black slacks.
5. Long walks/drags are the best way to relax.
6. Amazon sells a special cleaner that removes slobber from television screens.
7. And ceilings.
8. And cats.
9. "New stuffed toy" is just code for "new monster that must be killed and suffer by having guts strewn across the house."
10. Sharing is a foreign concept, so buy two of everything.
11. Naps are an essential part of every day.
12. If someone looks upset, go sit next to them and lick a smile onto their face.
13. Invest in a high top dining room table, or be okay with sharing all meals.
14. Don't bark too long at the people who love you.
This is one of my favorite dogs, Sandestin LaBroad. Jordan LaBroad is a good friend.
Sandestin was not feeling well, just not her usual happy, high energy self. We started supportive care, and Dr. Krapfl scheduled a cardiac ultrasound for her.
Jordan was trying to get home from Manhattan Kansas, and I was trying to keep her up to the minute on how Sandy was doing without falling apart.
Sandy's tail beat wildly every time someone stopped to pet her or talk to her. As tired as she was, she seemed to love this day so much.
Dr. Krapfl found the reason for Sandy's energy drop, and it was amazing she was doing as well as she was. It was not good news.
I sat down with Sandy and pet her for an hour. I felt so helpless.
I left town, and Jordan made it back to her baby. All of the LaBroad family was there to say goodbye with the vet team.
She was a great dog. There is no ideal way to go. I felt awful that Jordan had to rush home. I felt awful that I left town. I felt awful that Mr. LaBroad was so astute he noticed a mild energy drop and yet did not get to have good news.
In the end though, Sandy had a wonderful, long life with a wonderful family, and her tail was wagging till the very end. I doubt she would change a thing. We - as a vet team and a family - will always take on all of the sadness we can to protect our animal friends.
Would do again. We love you Sandy Girl.
Mom and Dad Nelson's Poodles are one year old today! Happy Birthday Oscar and Felix!
I asked Abby to make them birthday hats, and she did THIS. How cute are these tiny Poodle party hats?? I love them!
Birthday Boy Oscar
Birthday Boy Felix
Don't you think they should each get a tiny slice of a tiny Nothing Bundt Cake? Non-chocolate of course!
You boys are the best puppies, and we love you!
Hats off! It's time to play!
Bailey was my cousin JJ and my Aunt Penny and Uncle Scott's dog. He was the best dog. He was a favorite in our family and around his neighborhood.
If JJ isn't going to drive, Bailey is going to take himself to the dog park.
Try as we might to plan a graceful exit for Bailey, he outdid us all and went peacefully with Penny by his side. His tail wagged to his last day.
This beautiful picture is from Penny and Scott's friend Julie Hansen. I love it so much.
We will miss you Bailey Dog.
Russ and Olive check out the lake together
Arthur ate on the floor all week - it worked great! When you have good food, the more you can spread out, the better.
Robert packed his own bag. When we asked him what he had packed, he opened his backpack and shook it upside down - all toy cars and books. Good job Robert! His Mom packed the boring stuff for him in another bag.
Robert and his grapes
Abby and Mom
Henry wore this great outfit at least half the time! I love the tail.
Bill and Charlie driving the boat
This is my favorite picture of the trip. Cara is an excellent diver! I was too chicken to get into the freezing cold water.
The rule when wearing this hat is if someone says, "Howdy, Partner," you have to tip the hat and say "Yee-haw!" Henry followed this rule very well.
Abby on the tube
Abby and Henry on the Maui Mat - I had never seen one - the kids had fun on it.
We had campfires here in the evenings. It was awesome. One night, Bill, Dave, Sara and I were talking about dog training. Bill and I were having a...discussion. "How do you know you're right and I'm wrong?" Bill asked. "Because I'm the fucking vet," I said. "She has a point," Sara said. Love you Bill Nelson! Wish my clients would let me use this reason as graciously as you do :)
Abby and Henry
Russ, Mom and Olive, as beautiful as ever!
Abby and Henry - bumper cars!
Dad and Olive
I love this one! Grab the wheel Olive! Grandpa's driving can be scary!
Amanda and Charlie. I love these two together. They have fun but both have a calm, serious side that sometimes comes out when they are together, even when trying to smash their family in bumper cars.
Carnival games!
Olive won ALL the games.
Every time Olive had a choice of prizes, she chose a duck.
Wise choices Olive!
I love this picture of Henry! Charlie bought the hat for him with his own money <3
Amanda on the boat
Abby learning to water ski from the best teacher around
Dad and Robert coming up from the boat
Amanda, Olive and me on the boat
Grandpa telling Arthur an exciting story about the lake monster
By the end of the last day, we were all wiped out! It was the perfect family vacation.
The Nelson side of our family spent a week at Okoboji this summer. It was such a great week.
Amanda, Dad and me on the boat. Do I ever tan? NO! Did I wear suntan lotion when Cara reminded me? YES but only after I got this bad sunburn!
Once again, like I did two years ago (yes I need to do it more often - I am working on it!) I put my phone in my nightstand at home after making sure Dr. Bashara and Janna who was watching our pets (enjoying the company of Joy and the fishes and cleaning up after our jerk dog Luna) and our family back home could reach me if they needed.
I opened myself up a bit to let the doctor team see a tiny bit of my crazy by sending them a list of every patient with a serious or chronic issue who I thought might need them during the week. Four pages - it varies from two to five pages and I check half of them weekly and half of them monthly. I was most concerned about Bailey and Bailey who both did just fine because they both have awesome families and an awesome working vet team in Omaha watching out for them.
I rode my first ferris wheel with Finch!
And then I SLEPT. I slept on the way there. I slept in the cabin. I slept in the boat. My Sister-I-Love Cara, seeing that I could not stay awake, said, "It must be exhausting making medical decisions for pets all day every day." And THAT is the closest anyone has ever gotten to describing what is hardest about veterinary medicine. I love it, and the snuggles unique to our career sure do help, but I - like every other veterinary medical professional - get worn out.
I slept fourteen hours the first day we were home, then twelve, then ten and now I am trying to sleep eight hours a night. EVERYONE knows they need downtime. I keep trying to not need downtime. It has - I am not overstating this - almost destroyed me more than once.
The days off, the nights at home, the early afternoons, the vacations, they can all offset the physical, mental and emotional exhaustion if I let them. It is a GOOD exhaustion - a rewarding, worthy, where I am supposed to be doing what I am supposed to be doing sort of exhaustion, but draining just the same. Everyone - my family, my friends, my vet team and my boss - is looking out for each other, and we do what we can to make sure we are all well, but it is all for naught if the lifeline is not grabbed when it is offered.
THANK YOU. Don't forget. I will not (again) either.
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Post from one year ago today...
July 11, 2017
Erika Singh is one of my closest friends and favorite people. Erika is a licensed veterinary technician - one of the best in the industry! We are once again working together - Erika has been a veterinary technician at Gentle Doctor for over a year. Yay. The following is a post of Erika's wise and encouraging words...
Being a Vet Tech is Hard
"Being a vet tech is hard." These are the words I woke up with in my head after I came home from my twelve hour shift and passed out, sore, tired and mentally and emotionally exhausted.
Erika's Tiny Taffi doing what she does best
I gave my husband a kiss, snuggled my pets who were all excited to see me and then was out cold.
A few weeks ago, I posted a funny picture of one of my best friends and an amazing vet at my hospital on our Facebook page with her funny quote "Being a vet is hard. I need, like, seven calculators!"
Dr. Aly Taplett working hard!
Being a vet is hard.
Being a vet tech is hard.
Being a veterinary assistant is hard.
Being a veterinary receptionist is hard.
Being an animal care attendant is hard.
We wouldn't be doing this years later if we weren't the strongest of the strong. We wouldn't get up every day, knowing that our bodies, minds and emotions were all going to take a beating if we weren't strong.
Dr. Taplett, Hannah and Erika at Nebraska Humane Society's Walk for the Animals 2016
But what about the days we don't feel strong? When we don't feel like we can get up and do it all again tomorrow? These are the truly hardest days. The ones where we feel defeated. The ones where we're not sure we can do another hour, let alone another day.
But we do.
Because we are the heroes of four-legged family members, and the humans they own.
So for the days when you don't feel strong, remember you are. Remember you're amazing. Remember you are a lifeline to countless critters that wouldn't have a fighting chance, a happy, healthy life or a peaceful transition to the rainbow bridge.
Stay Strong.
Erika is a veterinary technician at Gentle Doctor Animal Hospitals and a server at Romeo's. She and her husband live in Omaha Nebraska. They have three beautiful cats and a beautiful tiny dog.
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Post from one year ago today...
July 10, 2016
Recently a group of us went an hour or so outside of Omaha and spent the night in a big gorgeous cabin. It was so much fun. I love that you can literally step outside of Omaha and be in the country.
The best part - of course - was being with friends.
We just wanted to pet the lambs.
The mamas did NOT want us to pet the lambs.
The highlight of the night - AMY GOT TO SEE A BABY CALF BEING BORN! BEING BORN YOU GUYS! We got to meet Mama and Baby within the hour, which is still the youngest calf I have ever met.
We wanted to pet the newborn calf too. Mama said no.
The next coolest thing was the double rainbow.
"Are you coming inside to play cards?" half the group asked.
"When the sky stops being pretty," the other half of us said.
We never got to play cards all together because it would not stop being gorgeous outside, but we all had a very good time.
Recently we went to a beautiful Nebraska vineyard, Glacial Till Vineyard and Winery, to hear our brother in law Shane play guitar with On the Rocks. He is super good. The band sounded great.
We called to ask if we could bring the dogs. "They need to be well behaved and leashed and you need to pick up after them." We figured two out of three isn't bad, and headed out.
Here are pictures from the night.
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Post from one year ago today...
July 8, 2016
Abby painted this painting of Luna for Russ for his birthday. I love it so much.
Abby found an inchworm at Jazz on the Green.
Russ and Travis arrived at a work site and waited for Jeff to arrive.
A kitten came up to the window and meowed at Travis.
"No, you cannot get in the cab, Kitten," he said. Not because he is mean - he is not - but because he and Russ are both very allergic to cats, and also kittens.
"Meow!" said the kitten.
"No!" said Travis.
So Kitten jumped into the bed of the truck and inspected all of the things.
His person came out from next door and got him out of the back of the truck. He is strictly an indoor kitten.
The next day, the kitten visited the guys again to help them build. They appreciated the help, but did not want him to get hurt or his family to worry, so now, knowing where he lives, Russ returned him to his family.
Every day since, Kitten has stayed in his house like a good kitten. He has left the offer open to help the guys build things if they ever need his help.
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Post from one year ago today...
July 5, 2016
Happy Independence Day!
Before you light the really impressive fireworks, consider the veterans and dogs and cats in the vicinity. If you can go out to the country, or light quiet fireworks, do.
That is not this crowd for the most part though. We are the ones under the bed with the dogs telling them all is well and will be over soon.
Next year we will start together in the spring. We will spend days taking the Thundershirts on and off our scardy pets with many treats involved. We will test medication before it is needed - with our vet team - to see what works best and at what dose. We will spray every surface with Adaptil and stuff all the Kongs. We will figure out the quietest, calmest rooms in our homes and stock them with blankies and toys and treats. And we will buy every edition of every album made by "Through A Dog's Ear."
Artwork by Abby
Today...
Use antianxiety medications that have been prescribed for your pets if they have helped in the past. Give a dose before the day gets crazy.
Stay home with your pets if they are nervous, anxious or phobic if you can.
Do not bring the dogs to fireworks shows or even outside. Even the calmest dog can develop a noise phobia if they are exposed to the loud noises. This is the number one day for lost pets. And the fireworks are no safer for dogs than for a high energy toddler (most likely because of their many similarities :))
Make sure dogs have a quiet, dark place to retreat if they want to and that cats have a high and a low place to go (this is always a good kitty rule of dewclaw).
Hide under the bed with them if you need to. Tell them This Too Shall Pass.
Do whatever it takes to calm their anxiety...and yours.
Have a great holiday Friends. Let me know tomorrow how it went.
I love how photogenic Luna is, but this is one of my favorite pictures of her yet! Photos by Abby, too :)
Today's post is a guest post from Brendan Howard. He is one of my favorite people and an editor at dvm360, one of my favorite veterinary groups. Great post - Thank you Brendan!
Enjoy!
The first selfie I ever took - with Brendan at CVC in KC
I am Not You, But I am You
I've worked in the veterinary industry for eleven years or so.
I've never cleaned a cage, but I've written to the kennel attendants who do and suggested that doctors should pitch in and not observe too much job hierarchy in practice.
I've never helped hold and pet an anxious dog for a physical exam, but I written to the veterinary assistants who do and suggested they might enjoy their day better if they'd send really anxious dogs home to come back and try again another day.
I've never managed anesthesia for the veterinary surgeon, but I've written to the licensed veterinary technicians who do about talking their bosses into buying newer, better machines for the job.
I've never worked on ProSal for a practice owner, but I've written to the associates who do that they need to negotiate their percentages better and argue for themselves in practice.
I've never managed a hospital full of veterinary team members, but I've written to the practice managers who do and given them advice to save their business-frightened bosses from themselves.
I've never built a veterinary hospital, but I've written to the practice owners who do and spend all year (and a three-day conference) helping them make that dream happen.
I've never answered a phone or faced a busy veterinary reception area, but I've written to the client service representatives who do and offered them different communication strategies and emotional coping techniques to make a busy, bad day better.
I've never done any of that, but I've spent eleven years putting on continuing education conferences and presenting data and writing articles and cultivating relationships with the smartest people in veterinary medicine and management so I could help all the kennel attendants and veterinary assistants and veterinary technicians and practice managers and associates and practice owners.
I hope it's helpful.
Now I have to get back to work ...
Remember Veterinary Economics? I do. I worked there for years and remain dedicated to its practice management message. That great thinking and help is all over the CVC shows now as well as dvm360, Firstline and Vetted.
Brendan Howard is in charge of business-related content at CVC, dvm360.com, dvm360 magazine, Firstline and Vetted. Shawn Finch is one of his favorite people in the industry.
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Post from one year ago today...
July 3, 2016
One of Omaha's summer farmers' markets is at Aksarben Village on Sundays. It is our favorite one, and when we go, we bring the dogs.
This is my favorite thing that has happened there this year...
We were walking past one of the musicians - they play on the corners of the Farmers' Market just far enough away from each other that they will not interfere with each other's music. He is an amazing guitar player, but I do not know his name.
He stopped playing and watched Abby and Luna cross the street. He yelled, "You and your dog match! You have matching pink hair! That makes me so happy."
He started playing again, and Abby and I smiled at each other. We smiled for most of the rest of the day. I hope he did too.
