Having graduated from veterinary school in 1982, this year marks my 30th year practicing veterinary medicine! Wow, that’s a lot of years! What feels most remarkable is that I’ve been able to work at the same profession for so long without becoming bored or complacent. I’m certain the reason is that not a single week goes by without my seeing or experiencing something new and exciting. [More]

The Executive Board of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recently approved the content of the following brand new, hot-off-the-press pet ownership guidelines. Have a look and see what you think. Photo Credit: Elisabeth Sherman Guidelines for Responsible Pet Ownership Owning a pet... [More]

With Speaking for Spot my goal was to teach you why we need to be medical advocates for our pets and how to fulfill this important role. Now, with Your Dog’s Best Health my intent is to take you to the next level by spelling out what is reasonable to expect from your vet. [More]

Anesthesia-free dental cleaning for your pet sounds rather tempting, doesn’t it? Before you jump on this bandwagon I encourage you to consider whether or not this option truly serves your dog’s or your cat’s best health interest.

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I refer to my last week at work as the “Murphy and Ruska Show” in honor of two delightful patients who arrived at my doorstep one day apart, each with a life-threatening disorder called pneumothorax. “Pneumo” means air and “thorax” refers to the chest cavity, so “pneumothorax” is air within the chest cavity. [More]