Visiting Vet

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

(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...

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,...

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...

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...

“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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Early Saturday morning, an email arrived from another veterinarian who is part of the cooperative system we have for rotating emergency coverage. Dr. One was almost finished with a 24-hour shift on call. One...

It has begun. The season of hot dogs. I’m not talking about the weiners you grilled on the Fourth of July. I’m talking about the endless calls that start like this: My dog doesn’t...

The last time I went fishing was probably 1979, camping with my vet school boyfriend, who liked to trout fish in the Pennsylvania rivers. I was squeamish about baiting hooks with live shiners, and...

One thing about being a veterinarian, it’s rarely dull. Well, honestly, after 40 years I’m a little tired of fleas and ticks, and vomiting and diarrhea, but we are always assured of a little...