Perspective Changing Book - The Mount by Carol Emshwiller

What is it like to be an underestimated domesticated species?

This fascinating science fiction book gives you a little better idea of what it might be like to be a horse or a dog.

Domesticated by an invading alien species humans deal with conflicting desires for loyalty and freedom.

With a great story line, this is an intriguing and thought provoking read for any animal lover.

Check out The Mount by Carol Emshwiller

World Changing Book - Do You Believe in Magic by Dr. Paul A Offit

This book is the package insert that should come with any alternative medicine treatment. 

A must read for any medical professional today. 

Don't misunderstand, the book discusses the potential and sometimes scientifically validated benefits of some alternative therapies. However, like any form of treatment there are always benefits AND risks. 

Even as the holistic veterinarian I work with knows, just because something is called "natural" doesn't make it safe. 

As this book describes, just because something was the way people did things for a long time doesn't mean it was the right way to do things. He cites statistics that less than 18% of Chinese rely on alternative therapies, and acupuncture is almost exclusively used by the rural poor. 

Any treatment should not be based on whether it is "natural" or whether it is ancient but on its own merits - what are its risks and does it work or not?

The book describes what big business alternative medicine is, what lobbyists they have to support them, and what tools they use to prey on the vulnerable - especially individuals with cancer and parents with sick or autistic children. He describes clear set of guidelines for when alternative medicine has crossed the line from something "probably not harmful" into true exploitation. 

He talks quite a bit about supplements specifically and especially how the 1994 supplement act has crippled the FDA's power to protect us. 

Since the FDA cannot require safety studies, cannot recall products, cannot require label changes, or require the company give warnings about product dangers, the FDA has *less* ability to protect us from supplements than they can protect us from unsafe foods. 

He describes the system that so often drives patients to alternative therapies. He suggests that one of the biggest draws of alternative practitioners is their ability to comfort patients and make them feel like they are getting individualized care in a medical system that feels ever more like an assembly line. 

We have to remember to be healers of people not just of diseases. 

He also talks about the very real power of the placebo effect and how we might harness that power to help people without exposing them to the potential risks of some alternative therapies. 

An absolutely compelling book and vital for anyone willing to know the whole story about alternative medicine. 

Practice Like the Best

Practice Like the Best

Last year Veterinary Team Brief asked me to write a set of articles about how veterinarians can adapt some of the best practices of companies like the Mayo Clinic, Starbucks, Apple, and Southwest, to their clinics.

I learned so much while writing these. The most fascinating part was how the Mayo Clinic emphasizes practicing medicine and making medical decisions as a team.

You can find the articles in the May/June issue of Veterinary Team Brief and here online.

How Riley Changed My World

Two weeks ago, my fiance and I put Riley, our amazing 11 year old, orange, fluffy, lionesque border collie mix, to sleep.

The word "heartbroken" has never felt so shallow.

Riley was the happiest dog. His previous owners called him "smiley Riley" and a wave of his curvy, fluffy tail drew you magnetically from across the room. He would gently lay his head your lap if you sat beside him. I was teaching him to "give kisses" before he got sick.

I still expect to hear his collar jingling up the stairs when I come home.

Riley reminded me of a pet's power to change our world.

He reminded me why I'm a vet.

In his memory, I'd like to share 3 lessons Riley taught me.

Complicated Contracts Of Dog Walkers Continued

After my last post, I was able to reach out to Pet Sitters International (PSI) with the guide Kim Fields, Chris Wooten, and I developed to help educate and protect pet sitters.

After reading my "Complicated Contracts of Dog Walkers" post, the PSI president Patti Morgan put me in touch with an expert on insuring pet sitters, Mr. David Pearsall of Business Insurers of the Carolinas. Mr. Pearsall has been working with PSI for a decade to protect pet sitters and pet owners.

He was able to give me some additional insights into these complicated contracts.

Animal Safety Pt. 3

Here is the next installment of the Animal Safety series. This document is adapted from the Pet Sitter Safety Handout I, Kim Fields, and Chris Wooten created. Learn more about what inspired this document in my blog The Complicated Contracts of Dog Walkers.

I have just learned I will be speaking at the Pet Sitters International conference in September in North Carolina on these topics.

Our last post (Animal Safety Pt. 2) discussed how to identify pets that are scared or agressive. In this installment we discuss how to safely handle scared or aggressive pets.

Animal Safety Pt. 1

I am proud to finally present Introductory Animal Safety.

This document is a labor of love, created over the past 8 months originally as a resource to help keep pet sitters safe.

You may remember my post in February, The Complicated Contracts of Dog Walkers, where I said I wanted to create training resources for new pet sitters to help them stay safe on the job.

Two excellent pet sitters, Chris Wooten of One of a Kind K9 and Kim Fields at Everything and the Dog generously gave of their time to make sure this document would be helpful to new pet sitters in their field.

I would also like to thank Lili Chin, Dr. Karen Overall, and Elsevier Publishing for making the animal behavior images in the document available for non-profit use.

Since I could not find any similar documents available through the two major pet sitting organizations I will also be sending this handout along to them in the hopes they can use it for their members.

Since this safety information is helpful for all pet lovers I will present it here too. It will be split into at least 3 posts. This first section focuses on how to avoid catching animal diseases: