Visiting Vet

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...

Tired of all COVID-19 all the time? Me too. Since realizing we needed a new way to provide veterinary care for Island animals, I’ve watched endless webinars on telemedicine, social distancing, virology, epidemiology, and...

Every night after dinner, I retire to the living room to watch television, read a book, maybe do a crossword puzzle. As soon as I sit down, Captain Jack Sparrow, our big Maine coon...

“Do you hear that?” my daughter asked from where she sat doing “remote college” homework after dinner. “Hear what?” I asked, ensconced on the couch playing Words With Friends on my phone, trying not...

Even before COVID-19, Vineyard veterinarians were struggling to maintain basic emergency care for all the animals here. Many of us are getting older. OK, we’re all getting older. Especially me. Seriously. I have been...

“I was wondering if you or anyone else may know,” the email began. Of course the questions that followed were about the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Are dogs and cats susceptible? Could the...

Shoes is a happy, healthy, 2-year-old Labrador retriever. Late one evening in January, she was sleeping contentedly in her chair, then decided to hop down. When she reached the floor, her owners immediately noticed...

I readily admit to being a child of the ’60s. Bell-bottoms. Janis Joplin. Peace and love. So I’m no stranger to essential oils — patchouli, sandalwood, rose oil. These scents of my youth make...