Michelle Gerhard Jasny V.M.D.
Visiting Vet: Bored cats can overeat
A few years ago at her annual appointment, I mentioned to Augusta’s owner that the cat was a little chubby. OK, maybe I said...
Visiting Vet: Gemma’s dilemma
Thursday is my day providing “Urgent Veterinary Care” on the Vineyard. Despite the fact that I haven’t taken on new clients in years, for...
Visiting Vet: The saga of heartworm meds
In 1977, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first canine heartworm preventive medication. I was just starting veterinary school. The drug was...
Visiting Vet: A heart murmur can mean many things
Smurf is a classic example of what veterinarians call an LWD. That’s a Little White Dog. He happens to be a Maltese–toy poodle cross,...
Visiting Vet: On call
I wasn’t too concerned about being short-staffed, even though it was my turn on call for “urgent care.” A small group of veterinary practices...
Visiting Vet: Let’s try happy
It’s January. I’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions, but if I had to pick one for 2024, it’s simply this: Happy...
Visiting Vet: Onions and garlic are toxic for cats and dogs
Every time my friend Gail brings her pup for a veterinary visit, she also brings me a little bag. Usually when clients do this,...
Visiting Vet: Aging gracefully
I only met my little friend Beulah two years ago. She was already a senior citizen, with bilateral cataracts (meaning both eyes were affected),...
Visiting Vet: Cats in the cradle?
I’ve been watching with both empathy and amusement the trials and tribulations of Facebook friends with their various cats and kittens. I wish all...
Visiting Vet: Dog behavior
“When you walk your dog, you are on a date with him,” the speaker said in his charming Italian accent. “You wouldn’t like it...
Visiting Vet: Helping Geezer get around
My recent articles have been about depressing topics. Sudden death. Home burials. Constipation. I promised my editor I would write something more cheerful soon....
Visiting Vet: The last call
It’s raining. And cold. I was on call last night. I was tired from a busy day of appointments. When the phone rang, I...
Visiting Vet: Beach tummy
“What a sweet face,” I thought as Havilah, a 2-year-old golden retriever, bounded into my office. Havi’s family had been here on vacation for...
Visiting Vet: Constipation in cats
Lavender, a sweet middle-aged cat, has lived an idyllic life. Pampered by her people. Far from the road. Acres of woods to explore. But...
Visiting Vet: The ball is all
“One last question,” the client said at the end of her dog’s visit. Rafa, a big, goofy, good-natured, golden-retriever-poodle-and-maybe-something-else mix, had just been in...
Visiting Vet: Legg-Perthes disease
When Flash, a sweet little Yorkshire terrier, was less than a year old, he started limping one day. Now, when young dogs get too...
Visiting Vet: Porch histories
Lately I’m trying to go out on the porch whenever I can, to talk to clients in person. That’s right, I’m still practicing curbside....
Visiting Vet: Urgent-care day
“There’s a sick Bernese Mountain Dog coming in with a bloody discharge from her vulva,” my assistant told me first thing that morning. My...
Visiting Vet: Neutering your cat
Achilles, an 18-month-old male cat, was asleep on my exam table. Well, not really asleep. He was anesthetized, and being prepped for neutering. “When...
Visiting Vet: Late-onset dirt eating
When my first child was a year and a half old, we traveled with dear friends to the Caribbean island of Culebra. Our companions...