Review of "Pick-up Dogs"

This book was written by one of fiance's best friends and is an excellent read for dog lovers.

The book is called "Pick-Up Dogs" (http://pickupdogs.com) and it is a half academic, half personal journey into what our relationship with dogs tells us about our relationship with the world.

Do we try and tame our pets and the world to our every whim, or do we open ourselves up to the experience of wilderness that our pets and the world can provide?

Since it is set in a framework of meandering stories and postulates, the book feels like a journey of emotion and thought.

I think this book will really resonate with any pet owner who has seen how their relationship with the world around them changes after getting a dog. If you've read it, let us know what you think.

Helping with Allergies

As a kid I always wondered why Snowball, our pet Jack Russell, licked her feet like they were ice cream cones every fall and spring. You can see the little brown stains on her paws in her picture. Does your pet do the same thing? Like Snowball, your pet may have allergies.

How do you know if your pet has allergies? What might they be allergic to? Find out below.

Daring to Change the World

Is "Vet Changes World" too daring a blog name?

At first I thought so. Thoughts like "How much of a difference will I really make?" and "What if I don't change things fast enough?" kept pestering me.

Ages ago, as an undergraduate in college at William and Mary, I majored in business as well as biology. At first, business (marketing specifically) was a back-up major in case my veterinary dreams fell through. However, it quickly became clear that the business skills I was learning would make me a much better veterinarian.

Every day, pets live and die based on the cost of treatment and a vet's advice. Vets who communicate well and who are cost efficient save pets' lives.

Vets that have *key business skills* save pets' lives.

When I realized this, I realized I could change the world. If I could teach other veterinarians these same skills, just think of how many pets we could help!

Through the rest of college and veterinary school I realized there were even more ways that veterinarians help change the world. We are shoulders to cry on, protectors of the food supply, and sentinels for new diseases. These discoveries made me feel even more empowered to make a difference.

If I'm so determined to use what I know for good, what's the hang-up on my blog name?

Finally I had to ask myself, "Am I daring enough to declare my intent to change the world and brave enough to let others call me out on it if I don't?"

Turns out that I am.

Hold me to it.