Recently in veterinarians Category

There's good news and bad news in all this.

I have the best veterinarian. Ever.

The bad news? He's getting very popular these days and I, along with so many of his long-time clients, may have to learn how to share him a bit.

In the beginning, I sort of  "inherited" Dr. Richard Palmquist.

When my mom died unexpectedly 20 years ago, she left behind a couple of dogs that I decided to keep. I remembered how enthused she had been about the young "new vet" who had just recently taken over the local practice she'd been using for some years.

But I really had no intention of staying with Centinela Animal Hospital in Inglewood since I lived probably 30 miles away. I took the dogs there at first simply to check on their records and to get brought up to speed on their medical histories.

So much for that plan. After that initial appointment, I knew we'd be coming back.

Dr. Palmquist is a 30-40 minute drive away for me, depending on traffic, but I wouldn't think of going elsewhere. And he'd better not go anywhere, either (unless it's closer to where I live).

I love the personal attention of a small veterinarian office and a staff that personally knows you and your pet.

Dr. Palmquist has literally sat down beside me in the exam room or waiting area as I've agonized over an unexpected diagnosis or when I was stuck in indecision about making that "ultimate" call for a terminally ill pet. 

He's called me back on his days off when I've needed advice.

He's coached me through home care for canine diabetes, severe allergies and lymphoma -- and all the stuff that goes with doggie old age.

He's made me laugh when I wanted to cry. With his clients he shares both the grief and the joy that comes with caring for a pet through the years.

Smart with a winsome personality, Dr. Palmquist keeps up with the latest research and literature and isn't afraid to consider something new. But just as important for me, he genuinely loves animals, people -- and his vocation.

Despite a crowded waiting room, he always takes the time during appointments to listen and then explain issues in lay terms that we pet owners can understand. He educates us, encourages us and, when needed, consoles us. He's funny. But with old-fashioned common sense and compassion combined with medical expertise, he also helps pet owners critically think through the myriad of decisions they face.  

He has the gift of making you feel like you're his only client when he walks into the exam room. 

So the good and bad of it, for some of us, is this: Because of his pioneering work in holistic treatments, integrative medicine, vaccination titer studies and nutrition for pets, Dr. Palmquist is rightfully getting some attention from the wider media world.

Most recently, he was called by the folks at the Huffington Post to do a new blog/column on holistic approaches for pets  once a month or so. His first column is on the link.

Late last year, he was featured on the local CBS news for his work with pets with cancer (check out this video of the news clip).  

And here's another video on animal nutrition that features Dr. Palmquist with some of his colleagues.

A few celebrities have even found their way to his modest clinic door at 721 Centinela Ave. in Inglewood. 

(I want to tell them all to go away, but that wouldn't be very generous or charitable of me, I know.)

Dr. Palmquist, who co-authored a veterinary textbook a few years ago, also has a new book out titled "Releasing Your Pet's Hidden Health Potential."

 

He's long been a featured speaker at veterinarian conferences. But now he seems to be getting more attention from those outside the professional circles, and deservedly so. 

This is a good thing. Or at least I keep telling myself so.   

 

 

He posts links of interest in the holistic pet field now on Twitter -- you can follow him at  http://twitter.com/DrRPalmquist.

 

 

For real -- $20 veterinarian visit vouchers being offered online (click our link) by Bayer HealthCare. Available from Feb. 16-28.

Log in between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. eastern time for your chance at one, they're giving 80 vouchers per hour.

The site also features money-saving pet care tips.

My vet told me once about how when veterinarians get together they have a grand old time comparing X-rays of the weirdest things pets have swallowed (see my earlier post Vet Tales).

Now for the real-deal illustrations:

Here are some X-rays of strange things dogs have eaten .

My favorite? The toy engine. Can you say indigestion?

Many of our South Bay readers probably knew Dr. Christine Omoto Beezley, a much loved local veterinarian who died last year at the age of 56.

She owned and operated PV Village Pet Clinic, 201 Palos Verdes Blvd., Redondo Beach, in Riviera Village, but also worked with police K-9 units.

I never met her, but I was impressed by the outpouring of love and respect for her when she lost her battle with cancer in 2007. One of our Daily Breeze photographers and his wife took their dogs to her and told me at the time they'd be at a loss to find a vet they liked as much.

From 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday (Oct. 4), Dr. Chris's many friends and admirers are hosting the 2nd annual Chris Omoto Beezley Dog/Pet Walk as a way to raise awareness for the many animal clinics that operate in the local area.

Participants meet at MIramar Park, 201 Paseo de la Playa, Torrance, and walk to the PV Village Pet Clinic. Bring your pets -- or not. All are welcome.

I took Cowboy to my vet (Centinela Animal Hospital) yesterday, he was due for his annual check and some shots (although Dr. Palmquist does vaccine "titers," a blood test to see if the previous vaccination is still active, in order to avoid over-vaccination).

Most of my dogs have been well behaved at the vet's. But not all of them.

Pilgrim, the Australian shepherd I lost about a year ago, was always quite anxious (and he had to go to the vet's A LOT). He'd whine and fidget in the waiting room and was known to take a nip at the doctor once inside the examining room. His chart bore a bright orange sticker: "CAUTION."

The dogs I have now, Cowboy and Tess, are so good they make ME look good. But they're both just incredibly low-key, submissive, quiet, and friendly.

The vet's office, which is tiny, was crowded yesterday after a couple emergencies backed up the afternoon appointments by close to two hours. Cowboy and I wound up in the parking lot, where some extra chairs had been set out for waiting clients.

But I don't really mind waiting, it's always fun to talk with other pet owners. Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time talking with Mrs. Williams who was there with her Shih Tzu who had allergy problems. I liked Mrs. Williams because she told me how much she liked reading the Daily Breeze.

There were a couple of cocker spaniels, a Bouvier Des Flandres (which you don't see every day), a poodle and several cats in their carriers. Several folks commented on Cowboy's eyes, which are a color mixture of blue & brown, marble like. (That's why his eyes look sort of spooky in the photo above.)

Cowboy, despite being as good as gold (he even reluctantly rolled over for the vet to do a tummy inspection), was glad to leave when it was all over. Dr. Palmquist sent us home with a prescription for an antihistamine. It is allergy season and Cowboy has had a hot spot and some skin discomfort.

I think the hardest part for Cowboy was leaving Tess behind at home. They've been pretty much inseparable since I adopted Tess last spring, so both dogs seemed confused when I had to tell Tess to "stay."

If your dog has behavioral issues going to the vet or groomer, here's an article on how you can help your animal prepare for the sometimes intense experience.

And do tell us: Does your dog like going to the vet? Or not? How do you help your dog or cat get through the experience?

Who says vets don't know how to have a good time?

When I had Tess in for her checkup earlier this week, the conversation in the office at one point turned to the weird things dogs can eat.

Well, turns out that there are these in-house contests veterinarians like to hold to see who can report the strangest things ingested by a pet.  Submitting X-ray entries, they all gather together and vote for the winners. Two of this year's standouts: 

• The boa constrictor and the frozen rabbit: The owner of a boa constrictor was thawing out a frozen, dead rabbit for his "pet's" dinner. When he returned, everything was gone. An X-ray shows the side profile of a crouching rabbit -- sitting on a heating pad complete with wires still attached -- all perfectly intact inside the happy snake's stomach.

• But here's my favorite: The Best Hiding Place: A family dog, a golden retriever I think they said, was experiencing repeated ear infections. No one could figure out why the flare-ups kept returning and were so persistent -- until the family vet peered deep within and discovered, smiling from way inside the dog's ear, one of these:                           The family's preschooler had apparently found the perfect hiding spot for her tiny Mighty Mite doll. And it worked. Her little brother never did find it. Problem is, she forgot where she'd hidden it, too -- until she gasped in surprise when the vet told the family what she'd found. So: Mystery solved, ear infection = gone..