Personal Montreal Vet Stories

The Cookie Ladies of Mayfair – by Dr. Amanda Glew  As a veterinarian, I have always believed that being off leash is the most important thing we can do with dogs.  They learn to socialize, they burn off energy, and my best piece of advice to owners is “a good dog is a tired dog”.  We are so fortunate to …

By: Dr. Amanda Glew  Being a vet has likely been one of my most rewarding lifetime achievements. Fixing problems, making animals healthy again, igniting the human animal bond, are a few of my favourite things to do. Conversely, when things don’t go as planned, I find myself in an area of despair – I question if I should be doing …

Eye for an eye – by Dr. Amanda Glew  If there is an organ that makes people shiver when dealing with it, it is the eye. I have had experienced technicians become nauseated when I perform surgery on the eye. I have seen vets go green at the sight of an enucleation (removal of the eye).  Fortunately for me, I …

It’s a Privilege – by  Dr. Enid Stiles  I consider my time on this earth as a veterinarian a privilege. And the reason why is simple, and yet for some people, it may seem odd. I hear myself and my colleagues using words with clients like ‘it is our duty’, ‘we are always considering the welfare of the patient’, ‘we have …

A dog will be a dog – by Dr. Amanda Glew  Every once in a while, something completely out of the ordinary occurs while working in a vet clinic.  A few months back, I was thrown into a situation which was confusing and uncomfortable – but needed to be addressed. While seeing regular clients, I was pulled out of consultation …

Shish Kebabs – by Dr.Amanda Glew  One of the challenges when doing low cost spay/neuters is when things out of the ordinary arise. Sometimes owners have no idea when we find a problem prior to going into surgery. Sometimes the problem is only found during the surgery.  Common examples would be finding parasites (my animal does not fleas – he …

The Senator  – by Dr. Amanda Glew  Around Thanksgiving last year, on an annual exam, a client of mine from 20 years told me that she was selling her dog facility, the VIP canine center. Louise had been operating her center since she built it, with an open concept of boarding. We had always spoken together, because I had done …

What Comes Around – Dr. Amanda Glew It has been a year since my first mentor Dr. Floyd approached me on behalf of his wife, to use our clinic when needed while doing house calls. Dr. Floyd was an owner of the infamous Baker Animal Hospital for over 40 years, and that day ended up being a great opportunity for …

Pet Insurance and Bogart’s Legacy – by Dr. Amanda Glew  For many years, we have suggested that owners consider taking pet insurance.  My take on pet insurance is the following – you will likely claim on it, much more than we usually do on car or home insurance. Your animal is likely to have a major medical condition in his/her lifetime …

House Calls with Benefits – by Dr. Amanda Glew  There are some advantages to doing house calls. You can set your own time, you need to give yourself ample time to provide for travel as well as delays, you get to visit people and their animals in their home environment. Most of these calls can be sad – often we are asked …