Here are a several things I currently believe about animals and veterinary science. They're statements I'll reassess at the end of each year to see how the experience of learning how to practice veterinary medicine affects them.
- Holistic approaches to animal health and illnesses can be as or more effective than traditional approaches, especially when dealing with chronic conditions.
- Vaccinations are important, but it's also important to titer test and not booster vaccines unnecessarily.
- Commercial diets and an excess of various chemicals greatly contribute to the pet issues of obesity, autoimmune diseases and diabetes.
- Factory farms, in general, do not treat their animals with dignity, compassion or respect, and the tight quarters, dirty conditions and general overcrowding, require routine administration of antibiotics which, in turn, contributes to the increase of drug-resistant strains of bacteria.
- I want to work primarily with small animals either as an integrative vet, a veterinary behaviorist or a shelter vet.
- Among all animals, horses have the most smackable butts.
And, that's pretty much it for now. Updates will probably come pretty sporadically, but I'll try my best!
P.S. The name of this blog comes from a professor at one of the veterinary colleges at which I interviewed. He noted that a DVM is licensed to provide medical care to every species on the planet... but one.
