What do you suppose might come to pass if a spacecraft full of intelligent, decrepit and dying humanoids arrived in Florida today? We’d carve out a center-state site (somewhere near Clewiston or thereabouts) and build them the kind of pre-fab, hurricane-proof housing we’re devising for post-earthquake Haitians. But that would raise lots of issues, right...?

All week long I’ve tuned into...

Here’s one for you: Is it tacky to offer veterinary services to benefit a school fundraiser?

Example: My son’s junior high is hosting an auction to help raise funds for the German International Program (under whose auspices he studies). Which explains why a personal email landed in my inbox, asking whether I might consider donating my veterinary services.

Hmmm....so how would that...

Yes, I’ll write about [just about] anything as long as it reminds me of veterinary medicine. Today’s post is proof. It’s to do with the most salacious, creepy kind of medicine there is (or was): Michael Jackson’s personal brand.

Michael Jackson never was much of a hot topic for me until he succumbed to some IV propofol, served straight, allegedly sans direct observation. That’s when his...

Now that I’ve got two permanent pooches and a foster dog, a couple of not-really-mine-but-they-live-there yard cats, two goats and a flock of chickens (eleven, to be exact), my poop situation is a tad outta control.

Though the “livestock” are confined to the back half-acre of the yard where they can roam to their heart’s content and defecate with wild abandon, the cats and dogs go wherever...

Yes, I will be in Orlando at the North American Veterinary Convention (NAVC) this upcoming week. Some of you will also be visiting the famed Mouse's homeland. As always, feel free to email me so we can meet up, have some coffee, hang out at the piano bar...whatever. And if you’re shy, consider that you can always come and catch me speak about pet insurance and shelter medicine on Monday...

Ever wondered why some people get called “hobby farmers” or “hobby breeders” while others are referred to as pros? I do. It’s both amusing and frustrating to me when those who raise animals in small production settings are characterized as “hobbyists.” 

hob·by (hŏb'ē) n.: a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation.

hob'by·ist n.: one who engages in a...

Here’s a spicy topic I recommend you bring up any time you’re planning on ruining a perfectly good dinner party––one attended exclusively by dog people, anyway. It’s a surer bet than raising religion or politics, even. And all you have to do is mention this: 

Dogs are not the den animals as many of us have long supposed. They spend more than 95% of their lives outside in the open, not huddled...

Last year I followed up the Christmas holiday with a post on belated gifts––books, to be exact. This year I’ll do the same, with another round of crowd-pleasing (or not) mostly animal-themed reads for the new year. To mix things up I’ll include some of my favorite DVDs too.

As always, it’s your job to share your personal favorites in the comments below. And don’t worry if they’re a repeat of...

Merry Christmas from my fam to yours... (scroll down for pic)

OK here's one about becoming a veterinarian. It coincides neatly with one that appears in my USA Today column this week on the merits of pursuing a veterinary education against all odds. 

Q: My daughter insists she’s going to become a veterinarian when she grows up. She’s only twelve years old but never a day goes by that she doesn’t ask what more she should be doing to help reach her goal....