Doc Smith's Blog

Clients ask me all the time, “If this were your pet, what would you do?”

I appreciate your question, and yes I hear what you are asking of me. However, it is an unfair question and I sweat a little each time someone asks me. I do not want you to be offended in any way by my saying it makes me nervous because I truly am flattered that you have that much confidence in me to ask.

So, yesterday I was looking at a dog in my exam room when I made a horrible statement that got me in a lot of trouble. After I said it, I got “The Look.”

I know that the holiday season is upon us, and with the cold snap coming on strong it's easy to forget about grooming issues. However, you can never let your guard down, especially on those "haired" breed dogs like Poodles and Cocker Spaniels. These guys, even in winter, need special grooming care. There is nothing wrong with having long hair, but the more length, the more care it needs. Damp, dirty, long, matted hair spells trouble for our canine companions. It's important that you maintain the hair or trim it to the appropriate length to avoid problems. 

It's that time of year again where we enjoy family, snow and a host of banquets. Inevitably, there will be food that won't get eaten. We hate to see food go to waste so a grand idea pops in our head, "I'll bet the dogs will enjoy this left-over turkey!"

I know it's tempting, but you need to slow down and think for a minute. Is feeding that entire turkey carcass really good for your pet? The answer is no. 

As the Fall season quickly approaches, it is very important to remember that fleas and ticks do not disappear. With the movement of deer and wildlife, ticks are actually worse in the fall than they are in the spring. Seed ticks are nasty creatures that are hard to identify, but can wreck your dog's health, not to mention yours.

August 26th is designated "National Dog's Day" and so we honor man's best friend. Time Magazine today has a great little article on the history of man's relationship with dogs. According to the article, dogs have been domesticated for approximately 8,000 years and kept as pets as early as Roman times. Today, there are at least 78 million canine pets in the U.S. alone. That's a lot of love.

This is the season that we hear, find, and see many abandoned kittens for one reason of the other. Inevitably, the questions come flying about how to take care of babies.

If you are a softy, let someone else do it. We at Cumberland Valley Animal Hospital do not take stray kittens and try to hand raise them so I provide some Commandments here that you can know what you’re getting into and how to do it. So let’s dig in, shall we?

Spring has finally arrived with all of its glory. Cabin fever has set in, so here I come, you great outdoors. I feel the warmth deep in my bones. My joints ache less. I don’t want to wear my coat. The sunshine makes me wanna do something…anything.

Yes, I have a fat cat. Alright, you caught me—he's obese.

Look, it's not all my fault. I only fed the guy once a day, as in every morning when I got the kids out of bed for school. Of course, My son Alyn fed him, too. Then Ken fed him. I have two daughters who fed him.

Hello Blog-o-sphere!

Dogs were meant to move. They were not born to be chained up in your backyard for weeks on end doing nothing but looking at the sky, laying in dirt, and eating that bowl of food you bring once a day. Seriously, does it take a rocket scientist to know this fact? My Grandpa Smith wasn’t exactly the greatest dog care-taker on the planet, but he knew this. In the off seasons from squirrel and rabbit hunting, he took the dogs out 2-3 times per week to just let them run until they couldn’t run anymore. Dogs are not backyard ornaments! Alright, I’m getting a little preachy here but I’m wanting to share with you the joy that comes from walking your dog.

Here we are at the end of summer. I am crying (literally). I love the summer with all its activities and the warm air on camping trips. My dogs love having the kids home too. The poor critters seem lost without the constant attention they were enjoying. Of course, Echo might not look back fondly on the dresses FaithLynn made her wear, but who knows?

I love my dog more than I love some people. However, when you are trying to sell your home, buyers are not always as accepting of your pet as you are.   How do you prepare your home for sale when you share you home with furry friends? I offer a few tips below: Professional cleaning. This includes your carpeting and air ducts. Buyers that are sensitive to pets will most likely smell them from a mile away. I’ve had buyers who wouldn’t consider a house because of carpeting and pet allergies. While it’s not always reasonable to tear out flooring, it is likely more feasible to have your house serviced by professionals before listing it for sale.  

I want to introduce you to one of the best patients I ever had as a veterinarian at Cumberland Valley Animal Hospital.  This is Phoebe Carter, owned, loved, and cared for by a great lady, Sandy Carter.  Phoebe was born December 1, 1997. Let’s put that  date in perspective. I was 27 years old when Phoebe was born. Bill Clinton was the president of the United States and the twin towers were still standing. When Phoebe passed away last month, she was 20 years and 7 months old.

No, I’m not talking about swimsuits and movie stars. I’m talking about the weather. We went straight from winter to the dog days of summer. Here in the great Commonwealth of Kentucky, we have been dealing with high humidity, and smoldering afternoon heats. I mean, I’m not complaining because it is much better than the snow.

This is a great time of the year. Dogwoods are blooming, flowers are bearing their beautiful bounty, and everywhere we hear the humming of those stinging, biting, flying insects! Yes, I know you are thinking, why did you have to ruin such a beautiful thought of summer? Oh hush your whining! You could be under a foot of snow! (which, by the way, was only 3 1/2 months ago.) Besides, we've all had the unpleasant experience of being stung by something. Too many times I have had the personal honor of being the victim of a brutal dive-bombing attack by a hornet, wasp, bee, or even a horsefly.  Even my poor dogs have had to fend off the vile nature of this evil as it exists in the world around us!

It’s that time of year again. Time for the 100°F days and the warm comfortable nights. Time for tornadoes and budding flowers. Time for the sweet smell of spring and summer and the last dying memories of winter past. (Yah know, the back-to-back one-foot snows and a month out of school for the kids.) It’s also time for the arrival of Mosquitoes.