Newsworthy

  • Understanding That New Doodle Data

    In January 2022, Nationwide® Veterinary Analytics released the first of three planned white papers. Before we talk about the key points in this initial doodle data, I thought it might help to discuss big data — what it is, what it can / cannot tell us so that you can interpret and think critically about any big data you come across. I’m presenting the info both regular content and video. Choose whatever works best for you. Scroll all the way to the bottom to see the video.

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    Best Advice for Dogs with Skin Issues

    I still need to publish a real post about Mr. Stix’s full backstory, but this feels more pressing. For nearly 18 months, Mr. Stix’s permanent nakey spot (from unknown injuries before he was rescued, including 15 fractures and this big patch of coat missing) has featured several inflamed, peeling areas. Initially I tried to fix it myself at home with things like aloe vera, vaseline, a veterinary ointment called animax that the shelter had give us while we fostered him most of 2019, etc. It’s sort of a combination of steroids, antibacterial, and antifungal stuff. I took him to see our main veterinarian in spring 2020, when there was a 2-month wait to get into see a board-certified veterinary dermatologist. It has been quite a journey since then, and it’s nowhere near over. Here’s my best advice for dogs with skin issues.

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    When to Spay or Neuter Your Dog

    The veterinary profession continues to learn about the long-term health effects of surgeries done to prevent unwanted canine pregnancies. These insights help Dog Moms and Dads make better decisions about when to spay or neuter dogs. Simply put, our goals must bridge both reproductive protection and long-term comfort and health for the dogs we love. Researchers from UC-Davis looked at associated joint disorders, cancers, and urinary incontinence in 35 dog breeds and offered insights on making this important decision. In some cases, the best option may be leaving some dogs intact.

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    Foster Puppy, Good Deed, Good Distraction

    Yeah. In the midst of everything else, we took on a long-term foster puppy for our local shelter. The new executive director there is a long-time friend and former coworker, and she specifically asked me to get involved. I’ve been wanting to do some fostering now that we have dogs who like other dogs enough to allow a canine visitor, so it isn’t like it happened crazy out of the blue. This little guy needed us, so here we are many months later. Don’t miss the shelter’s video about his case and a little photo montage I made for his first birthday, which the shelter designated as June 1 (based on estimates on his age when rescued).

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    The Story is Not My Story

    If you follow Champion of My Heart on Facebook, you know that we spent the better part of July helping a family spot and rescue their border collie. She went missing in the huge wildland park near us on July 4. The headline? The family rescued sweet Nellie July 24, and she is recovering from her ordeal really well. I want to talk, though, about storytelling — especially in public / social media / online settings. Whose place is it to tell stories like this? In this case, not mine. The story is not my story. Here’s why.

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    Where Everybody Buys Your Dog Name

    While Clover and Tori may or may not ever compete in various dog sports, we are working on earning some Trick Dog titles. In 2017, when I considered Clover’s debut into agility competitions, I did the paperwork for her PAL listing through the AKC. Tori didn’t have an official dog name yet, so I just did hers recently so that we could apply for their Novice Trick Dog Titles. Alas, we hit a snag on choosing Tori’s “registered” name. Somebody bought some of the words I wanted to use in Tori’s registered name so that no one else can use them for like 5 years. Really. So weird. Usually kennel names are more original than that.