Visiting Vet: The case of Wynken’s ear
After a visit to a local rescue operation, a couple of my clients who had lost their elderly cat in January went home with not one, not two, but three new cats: Wynken, Blynken,...
Visiting Vet: Terrier Tyson and Hounddog Holyfield
Throughout the pandemic, I have taken our dog Quinna for regular playdates with her buddy Fergus. We humans sit outside in the fenced backyard, 10 feet apart wearing masks, while our pups play. Last...
Visiting Vet: Vaccines for your cat
Like many people, I’ve been thinking a lot about vaccinations lately. When will everyone be able to get one? How to navigate the challenges of making appointments? Will they work well enough that life...
Visiting Vet: Cause and effect
The night before my father died, he had liver and onions for dinner at the Howard Johnson’s where we were staying in Milwaukee. My dad was raised poor in Brooklyn by immigrant parents, which...
Visiting Vet: Touchy toes
Sally, the Australian shepherd, was out with her owner on a nature walk when something happened. One minute she was completely fine, leaping and bounding about. The next, she was lying down, not wanting...
Visiting Vet: Southern charm
Two kittens, Hope and Joy, born down South, somehow found their way to a South Carolina branch of the Humane Society. Arriving as “strays,” no one could say exactly how old they were, or...
Visiting Vet: Baby, it’s cold outside
My weather app assures me temperatures will soon creep back into the 40s, but I suspect that will not last long. As I write this, it’s 15°F in West Tisbury. My cats steadfastly refuse...
Visiting Vet: Our aging pets
Pre-pandemic, when I got to be face-to-face with my clients, here’s what would sometimes happen. An appointment would end. The cat would be back in her carrier, the dog off the table, tugging on...
Visiting Vet: The jury is still out
One of my favorite families lost two dearly loved dogs in recent years, so I was delighted when they arrived at my door, pre-pandemic, with Joy, their new 5-month-old golden retriever. In the past,...
’Twas the Christmas of COVID
(with apologies to Clement Clarke Moore)
’Twas the Christmas of COVID, and all Island pets
Were snug in their houses, while down at the vet’s
The IVs were hung by the cages, prepared
In case curbside emergency patients...
Visiting Vet: French bulldogs
A framed photo of Lili Colette still hangs on my office wall. She was a sweet little French bulldog, one of the first of the breed I came to know well. Back in 1998,...
Visiting Vet: Slippers and gratitude
Last week Slippers, the dog, woke up with a swollen face. This time of year dogs with swollen faces are common, often caused by yellowjacket stings. In autumn, nests of these little wasps reach...
Visiting Vet: Open-and-shut case
Sundance, an 8-year-old Golden Retriever, had been increasingly lethargic over the last few days and not eating well, a dramatic change from his usual disposition and appetite. It was a Thursday, my day to...
Visiting Vet: Long distance calling
“I think my dog ate a pack of gum,” the caller said when I answered the phone at 9 pm. I had already worked a 12-hour day, but I was still the veterinarian on...
Visiting Vet: A tale of two goldens
This past June, I saw my old friend, Zaatar, for his annual physical exam. He had a few minor issues, common in middle-aged golden retrievers. An ear infection. A tendency to pack on the...
Visiting Vet: The call of the lily
The call came in around 7 pm from a longtime seasonal resident who had recently moved here year-round with her cat, Coral. Coral enjoyed exploring the garden outside, but tonight she had done more...
Visiting Vet: Annual Labor Day awards
It’s time for Dr. Jasny’s Almost Annual All Creatures Great And Small Labor Day Awards. OK, I’m a little late but, as one Islander said recently, September is the new August. And the Vineyard...
Visiting Vet: Dogs being dogs
My assistant had just gone home at the end of a busy day when I got an urgent call about Ricky, an almost-2-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Ricky is a service dog who had...
Visiting Vet: Pandora’s box
Like many pets we see on an emergency basis during the summer, Pandora is a seasonal resident. A sweet 3-year-old cat, she eschews cold Vineyard winters, spending the off-season in sunny Mexico instead. When...
Visiting Vet: No picnic
Not long ago, some people called with an urgent question. I always start these emergency telephone conversations by getting basic information. Name. Phone number. Who’s your regular veterinarian? The family paused when I asked...