Not having owned a television in 10 years, I’m feeling pretty pop culture deprived lately. So when I heard about a woman who lost her dog to a coyote in the Hollywood Hills, I had no idea this had become something of a gossip rag sensation. After all, coyotes take small pets all the time, right?

Jessica Simpson––whom I’m told is something of a poster child for quintessential blonde stupidity...

Whether you’re a veterinary surgeon or an human oncologist, you rarely have to handle the touchy topic of public health. General practitioners however––regardless of species––are constantly tasked with taking the long view when treating our patients: 

How might our patients’ conditions potentially affect the health of others? Which prevention techniques and tests are in the best interest of...

No, it’s not a typo. “Prebiotics” are distinct from the “probiotic” dietary supplements we’ve treated here before. But they’re not altogether different. They still work at the level of the small intestine where swarms of bacterial colonies reside and feed happily on your pets’ Gi goo.

But instead of supplying “good” bacteria directly (usually in a probiotic chewie or powder), prebiotics...

I get lots of mail like the letter I’m posting below. This one is from a Dolittler reader and pet owner whose pet suffered a fatal reaction––this time from a commercial dog chew. And like most special requests like this one, the questions it raises are many. They’re detailed below this impassioned appeal for your consideration.

Patty,

Here is the letter I sent you that I would like posted on...

It’s popular to report the news as a Friday variety show. Tired as the format might be, this week was so chock-full of news on the animal/veterinary front I figured it would be a shame to let any of it slide by unnoticed.

To that end, Dolittler will run with the wolves this week and offer you a round-up of things playing out in the veterinary arena. Here goes...

Beware blue-green algae––it...

If you’re a regular Dolittler reader you’ll know I’m a big proponent of routine rabies vaccination. I’ll even go so far as to raise the gruesome specter of the disease’s dreaded symptoms and universal fatality to get you to comply. I’m also not above using guilt along with scare tactics. Anything goes when it comes to mitigating the public health risk of rabies.

Why? Because I’ve had more...

Yes, really. If you can’t stand the thought of keeping an ornery, smelly buck and don’t want to ship your doe three hours away for a worthy one, you too can artificially inseminate your goats right in the comfort of your own home.

OK, not inside your home but it doesn’t have to be any farther than your backyard caprine enclave.

I’ve finally pulled the trigger and decided that this year’s...

Yesterday’s telephone call from a major online pet pharmacy was totally unexpected. When I heard it was on the phone, I figured I’d get treated to a sales pitch. The last thing I expected was a contentious phone call over a request for “language clarification.”

It was the pet pharmacy’s in-house legal peeps, calling over last week’s USA Today column. Here’s the “objectionable”...

Since we’ve lately been talking about how to live on the frugal edge, I figured this post was definitely in order. I mean, have you seen the price of dog treats lately? Crates? Toys? Add an “organic ingredients” or “custom-built” label to the item and the price-tag zooms.

And yes, pet food costs 30% more than it did three years ago. That “Rx” stuff? It’s prices have skyrocketed even faster....

Although I worked a 14-hour ER shift last night––definitely not my normal gig––I actually feel pretty great this morning. Energized, even. This fact, along with a few great comments filed under yesterday’s entry, inspired me to put together this post on how to know if your animal ER offers what you need when things go all wrong with your pets in the off-hours.

Though I’ve always loved ER work...