Blog Entries

Random Thoughts On File Entries

toonfull@aol.com — Tue, 08 May 2012 05:00:00 +0100

During our day-to-day activities we use a lot of short-hand things to simplify our lives - acronyms, abbreviations, etc. We do this when writing in files when taking histories or putting down our diagnositic findings. Some computer programs, for instance, may only allow you a certain number of characters to input in the problem line when making appointments. If an owner is going on and on with description after exhaustive description of what’s wrong with the pet, we may, perhaps, end up [...]

Prosaic Animal Clinic

toonfull@aol.com — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 05:00:00 +0100

It was the dog days of summer and after a great weekend I was feeling pretty good about myself, having partied ‘til the cows came home the night before. Thinking the goose hung high and being as happy as a pig in slop, I was naturally surprised to hear a catfight break out in our treatment room. I hurried like a bat out of hell to take the bull by its horns. Two of my technicians were going at it like cats and dogs. The bone of contention ended up being trivial, whether to fold the cag [...]

Random Thoughts On Pet Names Revisited

toonfull@aol.com — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 19:20:28 +0100

Please check out our 2009 blog about pet names. These are the ones I’ve been keeping track of since. Though I’m not above such tactics for the sake of humor, I’d like to remind everyone that I did not make up any of these names.
Anyone else have a problem when you get the owner’s name confused with the pet’s name because the owner’s first name seems like it should be the pet’s name? It doesn’t happen often, but recently we had an owner who’s name was “Tikelia” (pronoun [...]

5th Annual Cartoon Idea Contest Winners! AND Random Thoughts From NAVC 2012!

toonfull@aol.com — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:57:14 +0100

We are pleased to announce the winners of FunnyVet.com's 5th Annual Cartoon Idea Contest!

First Prize goes to Jean Erichmann!

Second Prize goes to Barbara Lewis!

Third Prize goes to Terri Johnson!

Prizes will be going out to the winners soon and their winning cartoons can be viewed and admired forever on the website. It should be noted that Terri Johns [...]

Frisbee Dog Competition

toonfull@aol.com — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

In trying to bring you the best, we here at Dog Leisure Magazine sent our best reporter and photographer to catch the highlights of the most recent International Frisbee Dog Competition held in Washington, D.C. This is a three-day test of agility and endurance, weeding out the least capable before the Championships to be held six months from now in Paris, France. Hank the Tank, a three year old Border Collie qualified at this competition last year, yet suffered a torn cruciate ligament just [...]

Veterinary News Items

toonfull@aol.com — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:17:46 +0100

Vet Loses It - Doesn’t Want It Back

Dr. Jonathan Michaels recently left The Loving Hands Veterinary Hospital in the middle of a particularly frustrating day yesterday. The other veterinarians and staff told reporters that he had been acting increasingly erratic the past few weeks. “He really lost it,” veterinary technician Dana Meadows said. Dr. Michaels was having a conversation in which it was observed that he, for about twenty minutes, was patiently trying to explain [...]

Sentient Lipoma Discovered!

toonfull@aol.com — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:24:36 +0100

It was a typical day, a typical surgery, on a typical Monday morning at Phoenixville Animal Hospital. Max, a seven year-old, seventy-pound neutered black male Labrador was in to have a large lipoma removed from the right side of his chest. Through fine-needle aspirate a diagnosis of benign lipoma had already been reached, but its growth in six months had been dramatic and surgical removal was opted for before it could become any larger. The surgery was uneventful, though the lipoma had a m [...]

2011 Veterinary Olympics!

toonfull@aol.com — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 05:00:00 +0100

“Welcome to the second day of the 2011 Summer Veterinary Olympic Games coming to you live from the convention center in scenic Terre Haute, Indiana! Let’s start with a recap of yesterday’s events.
As you know, the veterinary version of the Marathon is still going on and entering it’s twenty-fifth hour. In this event, veterinarians are sequestered in a dark, frigidly cold room as one lecturer after another presents their most boring material. While short breaks for food, water, [...]

Hospital of the Century Part 3

toonfull@aol.com — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 02:36:12 +0100

Over the days of our tour of this immense facility we gained a better appreciation for its magnitude. Seven stories high it contains 92 exam rooms, a 200 run boarding facility, 5 grooming suites, a hundred cage ICU, 10 isolation rooms, an MRI, CT scan, 5 radiology/ultrasound suites, rehabilitation therapy for large and small animals equipped with a full sized pool, blood bank, an employee gymnasium as well as library, 20 surgical suites, and 40 treatment rooms with out-patient cage space in ea [...]

Hospital of the Century Part 2

toonfull@aol.com — Tue, 10 May 2011 05:00:00 +0100

As our tour continued, the scope of Dr. Cissus’ concept continued to unfold. A cafeteria is provided as in human hospitals, but the difference here is that there is a separate section for meals made for the patients. “Though we have clear signs showing the meals for people and the meals for pets as different, we still, sometimes, get clients who try to purchase food items prepared for pets. Honestly, though, it probably wouldn’t hurt them. I’ve had the hypoallergenic Chicken Brea [...]

Hospital of the Century

toonfull@aol.com — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Nestled in the northern hills of New New Hampshire is a veterinary practice that has changed the viewpoint of what veterinary medicine has to offer. Dr. Mark Cissus, owner and innovator of Chimera Animal Caring Health Services, is quick to point out, “We prefer the term veterinary performance not veterinary practice. We’re so good at what we do, we no longer have to “practice”. Practice is for amateurs.” In order to cover the broad scope of this new direction and the audacity o [...]

Guest Blog by Tina Marconi

toonfull@aol.com — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Tina Marconi's writings can also be found on the website vettech.org
Five Pet Peeves of Being A Vet by Tina Marconi
I’m not a vet, but I’ve worked closely with many of these intrepid doctors; and from what I’ve observed through the years, I know that although they’re mostly satisfied with their work and the nature of their job, they do have a few complaints as well. They wouldn’t be human if they didn’t, so if you want to know more about the pet peeves of a vet, read on for a humor [...]

Guest Blog by Beau Whitaker, DVM

toonfull@aol.com — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 05:00:00 +0100

This is our first guest blog as seen originally on Dec. 15th, 2010 on the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AEEP) blog called Stable Living.

The "S" Makes A Difference by Beau Whitaker, DVM

As you may have read in the very first blog I wrote, my daughter Peyton pronounces horse without the “s”. Thus, I am a hore doctor in the Whitaker household. With this in mind, here is a Peyton-style blog on some happenings at the AAEP Convention. This is not meant to make light of any s [...]

Verbal and Estimate Therapy: A Study

toonfull@aol.com — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 05:00:00 +0100

Summary of Retrospective Study Analyzing the Efficacy of

Verbal and/or Estimate Therapy In Comparison With

Traditional Veterinary Medical Therapies

By Drs. Howard, Fine, and Howard

This twenty year retrospective study was undertaken due to the preponderance of client's belief in alternative modes of therapy. Veterinary clinics and hospitals state-wide, as well as the state's veterinary teaching hospital contributed cases that were then put through a rigorous scree [...]

Random Thoughts On Random Thoughts Part IV

toonfull@aol.com — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 05:00:00 +0100

Recently I came across my career planning profile from my freshman year of high school. I’m sure most of you remember having to do such a thing at some point in school. These are designed to help guide you in determining what you are able to do, what you want to do, and what you are capable of doing. Having known I wanted to be a veterinarian since I was a blastula, I felt the whole thing was a bit of a waste of time. Not that there was choice in the matter. So, filled out the questi [...]

Random Thoughts On Random Thoughts Part III

toonfull@aol.com — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 05:00:00 +0100

Does anyone understand the importance of the nodding technician? I don’t mean just mindless, bobble-head nodding, but directed assent. It’s an art. You think the client is listening to you in the room? Pfft. No. They are, however, looking toward your technician as a third party in the room and a well-timed nodding to whatever it is you’re saying can mean the difference between compliance or applying the figurative brakes. Oddly, clients may resist what your technician has to [...]

Random Thoughts On Random Thoughts Part II

toonfull@aol.com — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 05:00:00 +0100

Has anyone else looked up reviews about themselves or their business on the internet? C’mon admit it. You know you have. I have and found them to contain the most useless of information. One of the first things you’ll notice is either they love, love, love you or hate, hate, hate you. There seems to be no middle ground. No real discerning or parsing or analysis of positive and negatives. They’re very synaptic: all or nothing. The funny thing about these reviews is you can m [...]

Random Thoughts On Random Thoughts Part One

toonfull@aol.com — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 05:00:00 +0100

I received my monthly newsletter from our friends at AVMA PLIT with its prerequisite number of horror stories to prove why we need insurance. I always get the impression that the insurance companies are just contemporary Mafioso enforcers. They come to your business and say something along the lines of, “You got a nice place here. I’m sure you wouldn’t want anything to happen to it. It would be a tragedy. You know we could provide you some…..protection, if you know what I mean. [...]

Random Thoughts On Conferences Part IV

toonfull@aol.com — Sat, 15 May 2010 23:18:32 +0100

Saturday Jan. 16th
8 CE hours Equine Medicine emphasis

In this last segment, let’s discuss a process that has been implemented in keeping track of CE credits. Now, this won’t be inclusive as I’m not conversant in what all vet conferences are doing in thi [...]

Random Thoughts On Conferences Part III

toonfull@aol.com — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 05:00:00 +0100

My next thoughts are offered as both complaint and advice regarding those that put these lectures on. Jazz it up, people! I mean, really, is it that difficult to come up with ways of educating others in a stimulating manner? It’s like the lecturers are in a competition to see how many attendees they can lull into somnolence and how fast. I can get the same results with a moderate dose of valium and the Home Shopping Network on low volume. I don’t think I’m going out on a limb her [...]