I just spent a day at the Philadelphia Kennel Club show. You know this show; it is televised on Thanksgiving Day. It’s a benched show, one of only a handful in the US at this time. A benched show means that the dogs are on display all day. Honestly, exhibitors hate these shows. It’s a

I have a chronic disease. It’s known by my friends as kittenitis. Never heard of it? Really? Let me tell you about it. This disease occurs when a cat lover’s kitten is all grown up and settled in to the household. The afflicted person just starts dreaming about a kitten. The temporary cure is a new

  Puzzle Feeder       My last blog about Crinkle, my rescued red tabby, mentioned the fact that he has gone from skeletal to portly in the year he has lived with me. I have more than a few cats; none are obese except him. I feed them all Science diet dry

I love Giblet. Giblet is not all that lovable sometimes. He is a big long haired brown tabby that has issues. I know it’s not his fault. Giblet did not choose to live in a house with multiple cats. That environment stresses him endlessly. He is better on medication, but not perfect. Giblet was born

Can you believe it’s been a year since Crinkle was rescued on that hot summer day, dying in a parking lot? It was a tough time, taking a couple of months of intensive treatment to get him healthy.  He survived against the odds for sure. I get asked frequently how he is doing. After all,

It’s been almost two years since Praline and Sprinkles entered my life. It’s a bit of a bizarre tale. I got a call one morning from the office that a couple from Maine had walked in the door. They were  camping nearby. They found an injured mommy cat with three kittens at the campground. It

Last weekend, I went to a dog show. Nothing unusual about that. But, what was different was the fact that I loaded up my car with dogs that were not entered in the show. The kennel club was offering Canine Good Citizen testing, so I decided to have all my Canterbury Tails girls tested. The

People that know me, KNOW  I don’t need another cat. But, the couple of older indoor/outdoor cats I have seem to be retired. They used to provide rodent control in the barn. I realized they are in retirement as the rodent population is swelling. I didn’t add Miracle Grow to make this happen. I am

Most of you know I am obsessed with my cats. That’s not news. Many of you know I have been showing my RagaMuffin, Nougat, since he was a kitten. The cat show year ends in April. Last year Nougat was the top RagaMuffin kitten in the nation. That was fun stuff. This year is even

As a veterinarian, dog sport enthusiast, and breeder, I am always interested in what it takes to breed a quality animal. I have known many breeders over the years, most of them Labrador breeders as that is my breed, but also other breeds and even species (horse and cat). I have attended seminars from both

Crinkle is fat. Not morbidly obese, but certainly chubby. After he started eating well, he didn’t stop for a breather for four months. At that time, he finally tapered off. He still likes to eat, but I don’t have to change his name to Hungry. Since I had originally saved him with the intention of

  I have been asked twice to be the consulting veterinarian for a Pat Hastings seminar. Pat Hastings is an internationally known dog expert. She is a judge, an author, and a former professional handler. Pat is smart and well informed. You might just call me a groupie. I have gone to a number of

Barney, Master of his Domain   When I moved to a property that had a stable for my horses, I realized immediately that I would need barn cats to control rodent populations in the barn. At that time, Ruth Steinert Memorial SPCA was closing its doors in Tamaqua. I went there and adopted

  Crinkle is now 11 weeks past his rescue from starvation. He is a house cat that enjoys napping on couches and beds. He has met his goal weight of twelve pounds and is thinking about attaining more (we are having discussions about that!). He loves to join the games every night of Da Bird

Crinkle’s story seemed to have an effect on so many. After a month of struggling to get his appetite up to par, he is finally eating well.  With medication and a plethora of types of food, he turned a corner. Since his feeding tube came out, I became one of those people with more opened

On a hot summer day in August, Schuylkill Veterinary Hospital got a call from Ruth Steinert Memorial SPCA about a cat laying in a parking lot all day on Route 61 in Pottsville. Good Samaritans brought this pitiful creature to the hospital. A red tabby with a neglected cauliflower ear, he was emaciated, dehydrated, loaded

Fancy and puppies Most people know I am active in dog sports. Some know I also breed an occasional litter. Two days ago, my Labrador Fancy went into labor with her second litter. Last year she had a litter of 6 that resulted in a Cesarean section at delivery, with one dead puppy.

Sugar and friend After classes one day during veterinary school, I went to a friend’s house and sat on the couch to visit. Along came a black cat, well, sort of. She was mostly shaved with suture lines like zippers all over her body.  Her long, black hair on her head was her

When in veterinary school, I wanted a dog. I knew I wanted a Labrador or a Golden Retriever. Another veterinary student, a year ahead of me, turned out to be active in showing and breeding Labradors.  She had at her kennel a dog brought in to breed from a large breeder in Virginia. This dog

    I woke up today to find Dazzle had passed away in her sleep. She was a good dog from start to finish. At the end, she spared me the slow deterioration that many pet owners have to bear, only to have to make the decision to euthanize in order to spare their pet’s