Veterinary Tales

A few humorous animal tales from the adventures of Drs. David MacDonald and Sacha Edgell.

The Origin of Dogs

Have you ever heard of a person being described as either “a dog person” or a “cat person”? According to this personality predictive model, the human condition is polarized into two very different character types. The cat people are aloof and obsessed with fashion and personal hygiene. The dog folks are overly friendly and prone to disgusting habits like scratching their irritated body parts and licking the last bits of melted ice cream out of a bowl. A dog person readily opens the fridge and…  Read More

There's a Cat for Everybody

When I was in Veterinary College, I had a professor named Dr. B. He was an expert in the field of bovine theriogenology –  the study of cattle reproduction. Dr. B was a very practical and learned man who was very good at his job. He had disproportionately long arms and was renowned for his ability to untangle a calf while still inside its mother’s uterus. He had grown up on a cattle ranch in Alberta and he was a highly respected by all the cowboys and cowgirls in my veterinary class. It was a…  Read More

The Art of Veterinary Medicine

I once had a fellow, who I shall call George, bring me his cat who was named Grey. Prior to bringing the cat to the clinic, George had come in to tell me that he would be unable to pay for my services with cash, but that he could compensate me with art. George was a well-known character in the small community where I was working and agreeing to be paid “in art” seemed like a reasonable community service. Thankfully, Grey simply had a bad case of diarrhea and this was easily remedied with some…  Read More

Donkey Dilemma

My wife, Sacha, and I enjoy trail riding with our horses and our pint-sized Blue Heeler named Shroo. She follows us faithfully on our rides and she provides us with endless entertainment. We love our Shroo and she makes us laugh at least five or six times every day. The horses however have a different opinion of Shroo and if they could talk they would tell you that she is an irritating pest rather than a beloved source of amusement. If you know anything about Blue Heelers you would sympathize…  Read More

Wool Ranching

My wife, Sacha, and I are fortunate to have a small acreage here in the Comox Valley. It is a great home for our horses and our donkey.A year ago, I made a pitch to Sacha. “Let’s buy some sheep and try farming,” I said. Sacha looked at me quizzically. “Are you nuts? Farming is hard work and we are already busy enough.” I decided to sweeten my proposal. “Could I have some sheep if I build you a new tack room for your horse gear?”  … “OK that would be nice,” she replied. “But are you sure you…  Read More

California Creatures

In 2001, my wife and I decided to go on a little adventure. We found veterinary jobs in rural northern California. We ended up living down there for three years and had many great experiences. From a purely medical perspective, it was interesting because we got to see many things that we do not encounter in Canada. For example, there are rattlesnakes in California and we kept vials of anti-venom stocked to treat animals that were bitten. There were also unusual parasites such as ear ticks.  Read More