I write a weekly column for the Miami Herald. I’ve been doing it for two years with nary a glitch. Yesterday, however, I received word that Hartz took offense at a mention of their supermarket-brand, flea product line in one of my recent columns. They subsequently sent a cease and desist letter to the Herald asking for a retraction, an apology and an errata notice. Here’s the column for your...

For today’s post I’d like to share the contents of a reader’s email for your consideration. This is Catherine Shaffer’s story, one she and I believe is worth sharing with other Dolittler readers. My comments will follow.

Dr. Khuly,

In 2006, we had a ten year old English mastiff named Nala. In October, she seemed to suddenly develop a lot of back pain. She'd been increasingly arthritic, but...

You heard right. A team of two veterinarians from Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island in Canada) offered a two week clinic in seal skull crushing.

With a snazzy slideshow and bloody cool pics of exploding seal calf skulls, these two veterinarians made international news when they invited Newfoundland seal harvesters to come on down and watch the show.

But no,...

A few years ago one of my close relatives took a bad dog bite to the face. Plastic surgery––the works. Strictly speaking, there was no doubt it was her fault. He growled at her...and she bit him. 

Yes, you heard right. After years of dealing with this dog’s seizure/personality disorder by the book (neurologists, behaviorists, trainers, acupuncturists) his owner lost it and bit him. On the...

I’ve heard of “Apple Bottom” jeans for those sexy Cuban backsides and Applejack brandy for cold winter nights, but this is the first I’ve heard of “applehead” Chihuahuas.

‘Course it stands to reason that a Chi with a domed head might remind me of an apple, but I’ve never had cause to consider the etymology of appleheadedness in Chihuahuas until I was informed of this breed “type.”

Sad to...

In Florida, where I live, a veterinary practice may be owned by anyone––a veterinarian, a corporation of non-veterinarian investors, a veterinary technician, an animal welfare organization...indeed, by anyone who cares to set up shop and hire a veterinarian. 

In many other states, however, such rules are not in play. Veterinary hospitals must be owned by veterinarians. That usually means...

“Trap, test, spay or neuter, vaccinate and release.” That’s my mantra when it comes to treating stray cats, feral or not. 

If you were paying close attention, serious cat people, you’ll have noticed that my party line didn’t include “ear tip.” Wondering why? Here’s my answer, couched in a recent experience:

In a couple of weeks a group of veterinarians will be getting together at...

Share your home with some intelligently designed indoor fauna? Yeah, me too. 

If you’re anything like me, you’ll understand when I explain how their presence constantly gives rise to thoughts of ancient dogs on the range and slinking cats in prehistoric prowl mode. While my feline ferals may be most reminiscent of their animal antecedents, I can even picture my Frenchies’ forbearers...

Last Thursday arrived sunny and unseasonably cold here in Miami. My morning flew by in a flurry of surgeries and appointments and I was making good time. I had only two procedures left when my cell rang with the urgent message: “Bear on the way. Better be here before the media if you want in on the action.”

That was my boyfriend, intrepid veterinary surgeon Dr. Marc Wosar at Miami Veterinary...

What does the case of the California woman whose womb carried eight implanted embryos have to do with veterinary medicine? Only that the ethical slippery slope is steeper in our sister profession when it begins to approximate ours.

Implanting eight embryos into a woman following in vitro fertilization is not even remotely defensible if you ask most bioethicists. Where does the woman’s psych...