Dr. Ernie Ward I recently got a bad haircut. I was embarrassed. In fact, it happened the day before I hosted the annual Calabash Christmas Tree lighting and parade. I wasn't happy but I soldiered on. The reason I mention this is … [Read more...]
Anti-Resolutions for your Pet
Dr. Ernie Ward Each New Year we’re inundated with lists of things to do, buy, and become. This year I’m taking the opposite approach: here are the things you definitely don’t want to do, purchase or aspire to be more like. It’s time for my … [Read more...]
Cooking for your Pet during the Holidays
Dr. Ernie Ward Cooking during the holidays? How about including your pets? In case you missed them, I wrote a couple of columns on Vetstreet recently that give you advice on how to avoid holiday weight gain in your pet (and you) as well as … [Read more...]
A Tough Year
Dr. Ernie Ward It had been a tough year. The toughest you can imagine. Two weeks prior to the end of his tour in the Middle East, a road-side bomb had taken her father. She’d been with him a grand total of one-hundred eighty four days her … [Read more...]
Do dogs love us?
Dr. Ernie Ward The little girl looked up at her mother and asked a simple question, “Mama, does Rascal love me?” In nearly twenty years of veterinary practice I hadn’t heard that question before and certainly not from a six-year old. … [Read more...]
The Stressed-out Cat
Dr. Ernie Ward She didn’t looked stressed. Not a bit anxious or even nonplussed. She was a cat, after all. But I was convinced stress was the cause of this kitty’s conundrum. Camo (because she was brown, tan and white) looked quite … [Read more...]
The Most Important Decision You Make for your Pet
Dr. Ernie Ward Pet owners and veterinarians are always looking for that one tip, trick or advancement that will help pets live longer, healthier lives. Me, too. And I found it. The most important decision you make each day for your pet is … [Read more...]
The Cancer Bomb
Dr. Ernie Ward It came up suddenly. One day Boomer was fine; the next he had a dime-sized red sore on his side. At first his owner thought it must be a bug bite. Two weeks passed and even though the angry red lump seemed to shrink a little, it was … [Read more...]
It’s Not Any Better
Dr. Ernie Ward “It’s not any better.” Those four words strike fear into the hearts of any medical professional. As I listened to the owner of the three-year-old cocker spaniel, I reflected that in veterinary medicine we’re typically given … [Read more...]
Buster and the Botanical Brownies
by Dr. Ernie Ward “Uh, Doc, how bad would it be if a dog ate a bunch of brownies?” The late night caller’s speech was a little slow and slurred. “Me and my girlfriend were cooking brownies and our dog accidentally ate some of … [Read more...]
