For thought.. health care reform and veterinary health care

I just read this great blog on Fully Vetted, by Patty Khuly, DVM, about human medicine learning lessons from our veterinary colleagues. As a practicing ED doc, pet shop owner and professed dog lover, I couldn't agree more! Here was my response:

As a practicing ER doc, pet boutique owner and dog owner, I couldn't agree with you more! I recently went through the "end of life" process with my 14 yo Norwegian Elkhound. My decision to allow her to end her life in a loving environment should be the model for humans as well. Far too many times, I have seen the dwindling of human life, far beyond what we would consider "humane" for our animals, yet we persist. Thus, health care costs for humans skyrocket, creating a vicious cycle that has not yet been broken. We should stop, look and learn from our furry companions and veterinary medicine colleagues

Please chck it out and let me know your thoughts! Here's the link:

http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2010/march/human_medicine

Spring Gardening Dangers for Your Dog

I've officially been bitten by the "Spring Fever" Gardening Bug....and my dogs have been outside as much as they can be during the warm weather the past few days.  So it got me thinking about dangerous, poisonous plants...since the puppy, Callie, is 6 months old and crazy about the backyard plants.  So here's a list and some resources that might be helpful for all of you dog (and Cat) owning gardeners out there!

Common Toxic Plants:

Asparagus Fern                           Animal Poison Control (888) 426-4435, 24/7www.beachtailsonline.com
Clematis
Daffodil
Easter Lily
Elephant Ears
English Ivy
Foxglove
Geranium
Lily of the Valley
Morning Glory
Narcissus
Rhododendron
Yew