This week’s theme is “Rats and the People Who Love Them.” How fun! And today, I got to spend my first day officially working with Morgan Snapp, who is awesome. Stop by and welcome her to Banfield! And here is her gorgeous kitten, Nala…
This week I am back to work after last week’s crazy weather. I prefer a nice 82 degree day as much as anyone, but the crummy weather seemed to bring out the best in everyone in the community last week. Life slowed down, and it was good to have some family time together.
And now it is good to be back to regular life! Two months ago, I was so excited to have my first veterinary article printed in Banfield Journal that I counted the days till I thought it would come out. And then a couple days ago, I was looking through the mail and saw the current issue of Banfield Journal. I flipped to the leadership section and saw another article that I wrote! Haha, what a dork! I should know better what is going on in my own life! Still, it was a fun surprise!
My knack for seeing almost exclusively awesome clients is a strange phenomenon that many, including team members, have commented on. It is true that there are very few people I truly dislike. In fact, I cannot think of any in my life right now! But I do have extraordinary taste, and my clients (you!) really are my very favorite people. Russ thought I should try to explain why that happens. So I tried. And Banfield published it. Fun.
In the article, I group clients into “Satisfied Clients,” “Meanies” and the “Best of the Best” (again, you). The “Meanies” category was inspired by a client who had been really agitated because he was scared about his sick dog. Over the weeks we got to know each other, he became one of my very favorite clients.
And remember when we were kids and the worst word you could think of to call someone out loud was “meanie”? I don’t know what we thought would happen if we said worse, but we knew it couldn’t be good!
So I hope you like the article. I hope if you have a client-based business, it helps you think through what kind of clientele you have and would like to have. Some people have a tougher skin than me and can tolerate meanies better, or maybe we all have our own definitions of what behavior really earns someone a meanie title. And when it comes down to it, we will all tolerate some…stuff for the sake of the greater good…in my case, the welfare of the cute little fuzz head sitting between my client and me.
I am always checking veterinary websites, in Omaha and beyond, to see what other veterinarians have come up with. And I always come back to this one even more in love with the site my brother Dave made for me. They are all ok, but mostly they have a few photos and the veterinary hospital hours. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But as a vet, I like to learn MORE. And I’ll bet clients do too. Anyways, this week, I have found one I love just as much as rileyandjames. So fun! I will ask the doctor who put it together if I can share it, and if so, post a link here.
Hey, thanks Dr. V! Take a look guys. Isn’t it great? Good info, good stuff to think about and fun to read. I have never liked Barbie, till now!
Have a great week everyone!! If you are in Omaha, don’t go out unless you have to!
This week I am working a little more than usual. I saw a super cute Zebra Finch and one of my favorite guinea pig patients. Her owner is making a CD of songs his guinea pig likes for our guinea pig, Piggy! How great is that?
It was so difficult to write, because it seems that the vets who would read it already KNOW to practice with integrity! It’s not like they would read it and say, “Why that’s a great little tip! I am going to start being honest and medically excellent!” Still, when I got over myself and just wrote it, it was a fun piece to write!
About all I have thought about this week and last is this…I thought I would include this picture so you would know why he is all I have thought about. His name is Charles Micheels Nelson, and he is my brother Bill and his beautiful wife Cara’s new baby boy. Sigh…isn’t he perfect?
…finishing my second Banfield blog post, it should be out December 1, I will link it to here…finishing my “what I am thankful for today” stream on twitter and facebook…being SUPER-thankful for my new nephew (Bill and Cara’s new baby) Charles Micheels Nelson and my oldest daughter, whose birthday is TODAY. Happy Birthday Amanda Jean!…putting another fun day in tomorrow, I will let you know what cool pets I see…resolving to learn how to use my new camera more proficiently so I can post more great pictures for you!
Last week I actually WORKED all week, so I didn’t have much computer time! This week, I am helping gather Operation Christmas Child boxes at Westwood church to send out to Mexico. Not pet related, I suppose, but it is also cutting into my computer time (but SO fun!)
Writing projects I am working on include a blog entry for Banfield that should be out by the first of December. I will set up a link to it. It is pretty silly, but was fun to write. And that will be a monthly thing! How fun.
Here are more pictures of Thaddeus the baby Angora, and his sister Sophia…aaahhh! They are too cute!
Just for this week, I am going to change the title of this post from “What I am Doing This Week” to “What I am SEEING This Week” because I have seen even more of a range than usual of very fun pets! Here is what I have seen…
Papillion Banfield’s Office Manager Cody and I took my family rats, Fuzzy and Wuzzy to visit a daycare. They love kids!
that Dave made of the REAL Riley (Great Dane) teasing the REAL James (English Mastiff). Riley and James belong to the awesome and beautiful Sara and Dave Nelson.
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HOPING…
I have seen about an entire herd of guinea pigs this week! I LOVE guinea pigs, but I am sad they are all sick. One especially heart-breaking case was a guinea pig with respiratory disease who died the same day I saw him, leaving behind a very sad little girl. I believe that every single piggy I saw this week has an underlying Vitamin C deficiency. Piggies and primates are UNABLE to manufacture Vitamin C. PLEASE PLEASE give your guinea pigs 25 mg of Vitamin C every day!! Then I will just see all of you every six months for your BORING WONDERFUL wellness exams!
Read here for more guinea pig care information…
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WAITING BY THE MAILBOX
I am pretty sure an article I wrote about Great Clients (you know, you) is going to be in this month’s Banfield Journal. This is kind of a big deal for me. You would think I would know for sure if it were true.
Friday, September 25, 2009
…visiting a very fun 4H group…skipping puppy class…seeing just how efficient my veterinary team is–they are scary-good…mourning my friend and doggy nephew, Buddy Rasmussen, the very sweet, very cute, very goofy Rat Terrier…praying for Buddy’s family…
…getting Noodle groomed by Alicia Weiland at Maple Petsmart–He looks ADORABLE!! That whole grooming team is awesome…saying HI to Marty Weverka at Maple Petsmart. If you see him, don’t tell him how very much I miss working with him. You can tell him that I said his baby boy is very cute! Congratulations Marty and Jayme!
…cheering for Cancer Hamster…waiting to hear how his tumor removal went…already getting defensive about the just-a-hamster comments that probably will not come because my friends seem to get it…appreciating how very blessed I am to have such a rich network of support at the six area Petsmarts–you guys are great….appreciating how very blessed I am to have the even broader general network of friends and family that I have–you guys are encouraging–I don’t even know if you know all of the stuff you have walked me through just by being kind and standing by me…THANK YOU…
…enjoying time with Mom and her high school friends and my daughters–I love the women in my life…enjoying a night out with my family at the Westroads RAVE theater–THANK YOU for the tickets Paul Hughs! That was so nice of you! Hello to your kitty…already fighting a weekly panic attack about going to church–this has been going on since April, something needs to change…Maybe I need to get over it…admitting a little more each day that I am in a safe situation with a boss who is an ideal medical partner and a kind person…
…enjoying seeing my friends and family and their pets…Janie and the piggies…Amanda and Jayden and her cousins…MY cousin Kris Massengale, who I had not seen for YEARS…Hi…Good to see you…
…planning a Christmas trip to see my brother Bill and Cara and their new baby who is negative two months old…Looking forward to October First because: It will have been three months that I will have been an “official” member of the Papillion Banfield team, though I have been hanging around for over two years, my article on “Best of the Best” clients (you) comes out in the Banfield Journal AND a good friend Jeff Hug starts his October project, String Thing, at Empty Room…
…hoping that if you do not yet know how special you are, you will after you see this article coming out next week…wishing you an incredible week…
We would not choose to love less so that this would hurt less
(You know, if we could choose.)
Goodbye Good Dog. You will be missed.
Buddy Rasmussen
1998-2009
This just in from Riley (Great Dane) and James’ (Mastiff) owner:
“Anyone want two %$#& dogs that steal your food, rub their poopy paws on your clothes, dance on your dining room table and drool all over everything? Why do we feel compelled to live with and provide for these wild animals? They are of no value to society as a whole! They seem to torture me more than anything. Yet I love them! Madness!”
Then someone took her up on her offer…but it was her husband. :D
Friday, September 18, 2009
This just posted by Nebraska Humane Society on facebook:
Thursday, September 17, 2009
This has been a very rewarding week at work! I have seen two of the cutest kittens, a sweet little black Lab mix, a great little Sheltie, a wonderful Bull Terrier…I can’t help just petting those guys on the forehead. I get so mesmerized by their interesting faces, I tend to ignore the client and they have to repeat themselves. Bull Terrier owners don’t seem to mind though. They know how cool their dogs are!
Aahh! I got sidetracked by him again, and he is not even here! What I meant to say here is that this week, I am working on putting together a newsletter for Petsmart employees that outlines all of the discounts they get at Banfield Pet Hospital. New team members have been asking, and I knew we offered great stuff, but didn’t know what exactly. Petsmart gives Banfield team members 15% off at Petsmart, Petshotel, and the Grooming Salon, which has literally saved me hundreds over the years! THANK YOU PETSMART!
Turns out Banfield offers the same to Petsmart, and more. You will want to work at Petsmart when you see this! It is some good stuff. I will quit rambling and start writing the newsletter! Ok fine people, here it is!
Also, I will be at Papillion Petsmart’s team meeting Monday, September 21, 2009 to tell you guys about it and give you hard copies of the discount information. I would love to take credit, but it is national policies on the parts of both Petsmart and Banfield. So if you work at a different Petsmart or Banfield, I hope the information is helpful to you too.
Hey! Who else needs a printed copy of these benefits? I can bring copies to you this week, or send them to you if you are outside of Omaha/Council Bluffs. Let me know!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Things I love to hear…especially when I need to send a friend in with a poor sick dog on a day I am not at work…“Wow, I just love Dr. Wittler! And your nurses are incredible! It is good to have a good veterinary team when you need one. I have never had that before.”
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Free Nail Trim Weekend at Papillion Banfield was a great success! That was very fun, and good to see all of you and your awesome pets! Smallest was a finch at 13 grams. (Don’t you just LOVE finches?!) Largest was a Mastiff at 130 lbs. ALL were incredibly cute. Let us meet again for a similar event soon! Here is hoping all the beautiful kitties and “Little White Dogs” and Bostons found wonderful forever homes.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
FREE NAIL TRIMS!
Papillion Banfield is partnering with Papillion Petsmart (and all Petsmarts across the country) to celebrate “Fall National Adoption Weekend-Second Chance to Love.“
Today (Sunday) BOSTON TERRIER RESCUE and LITTLE WHITE DOG RESCUE will be at Petsmart. Come see their cute adoption candidates.
Banfield will be providing free nail trims to ALL pets who need them! NO LIMIT! Bring as many pets as you can handle! If you bring your exotic pets, I will mention them here next week, and even post pictures if you would like me to. Bring your dogs and cats too. It should be a fun weekend!
There will also be cookies, frisbees and “free exam” coupons for your next visit. Come on over to Banfield (inside Petsmart and all the way at the back, next to Grooming) during these hours this weekend:
Sunday 2 pm - 4 pm
I have included links to other major fun events going on at Shadow Lake Towne Center this weekend, Nebraska Beer Fest and Arts Alive! With all that and the Husker game, it should be a great weekend!
Information on
Nebraska Beer Fest
provided by Paul Kavulak of Nebraska Brewing Company
Information on
Arts Alive!
provided by Sarpy Arts
AND I JUST FOUND OUT…Papio Bay Aquatic Park is having “Dog Day”
(swim with your dog)
from 1-4 TODAY (SUNDAY)
to raise money for a Papillion Dog Park. Thanks for the info Jody!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
THERE IS A RECALL ON TWO LOTS OF WORMSHIELD. Wormshield is the Banfield brand of monthly heartworm prevention medication. The lot numbers are #090073 and #090095. If you have either of these, call the Banfield from which you purchased it, and you can trade the entire package in for a new one. The affected lots are NOT dangerous, but the levels of ivermectin (the medication that prevents heartworm disease) in them will decrease to possibly lower than effective doses before the expiration date. You should have gotten a phone or e-mail message about the medication if you purchased it. Fortunately, not much was sold before the problem was discovered!
My big project today is to get the September Riley and James newsletter out to you. It is going to be BORING. Woohoo! I love well pets.
This week I am doing mostly preventative care. (How cool that I could copy and paste that most every week!) Don’t get me wrong, I love sickies too! There have been some of those guys this week also, among them a gorgeous Ball Python who will not eat. I am anxious to get in tomorrow and see if he has gained weight.
Jack the Rat, who had suffered a serious back injury resulting in partial hind end paresis, is WALKING. Yay Jack!
Bella, the Rat Terrier who has been struggling with a long term neurological condition, is almost back to 100% healthy. About six weeks ago, she came in with severe tremors that she could not control, a very unsteady gait, a heart arrhythmia and vomiting and diarrhea. We had suspected she had eaten chocolate, but still do not know how she could have gotten into any. She may have gotten into a different toxin, though she is very well supervised. We treated her with supportive care and she is still on some medication. My working diagnosis now is idiopathic neurological disorder. Ha! In vet school, they taught us to remember the word “idiopathic” (which means “unknown cause”) because it has the same base as “idiot.” I don’t care about the fifteen-year-old insult, I am just so happy she is well!
haha I just realized I put poor Jack between a snake and a Rat Terrier. Sorry Jack! <:8
Tonight will be week two of Joy the Puppy’s Intermediate Puppy Class with Jeanie at Papillion Petsmart. Very fun so far.
My friend from Oakview Petsmart, Tammy Hall, started in the grooming salon at Papillion Petsmart this week. Yay Tammy! Come tell her hi. (She is the one whose nametag says “Tammy.”) Another friend from Oakview Banfield was sad that everyone seems to be leaving Oakview. I said “Papillion is like a giant vortex, sucking you in.” ha! I only hope I end up working with all the same friends! Until then, I will shop at all six Petsmarts in the area so I can still see everyone!
September 4, 2009
Good news on the Ernie Dog treats! (Science Diet Jerky) They UPSIZED their packages and made them black, but they are the same treats! YAY Science Diet! And Thank You PetCo guy for helping me find them and confirming that they were indeed the same treats Ernie loves. Phew!
(Ernie Dog Looking Happy)
I am working with Dr. Wittler and Cody to prepare for an Open House Saturday, September 12 and Sunday, September 13. You are invited! There are free nail trims for your pets! And I will see what I can do…no promises, because we have not gotten far in the planning, but…there might be cookies.
Papillion Banfield is holding the Open House in conjunction with Papillion Petsmart’s Adoption Weekend. There will be cats from Nebraska Humane Society, same as always, but maybe more than usual, and dogs from rescue groups. I am finally to a point in life that I can go to these fun events and WALK OUT, having merely pet pets, not adopted any. You may find me more credible when it has been more than a year since I have said “Oh, look at the puppy!”…and then brought her home! But really, I am better than I used to be! And I think I can safely spend the entire weekend at this fun thing, and keep our pet number at a barely insane eight.
If you are afraid to even come close to an “Adoption Weekend” for the same reason that I should be, know that all of these pets will end up in great homes. And also, Shadow Lake Towne Center is having an art fair the same weekend WITH BEER (from Nebraska Brewing Company plus other local beers). So make a wide circle around Petsmart and Banfield and check out all the great local artists. At least then the worst case could be that you come home with an adorable picture of a dog that you didn’t mean to get!
From Old Posts…
(on Ernie’s First and Hopefully Only Hardship in Life)
…While I am making the Petsmart rounds, I am hoping I can find Science Diet Jerky treats for Mom and Dad’s Ernie Dog. They discontinued them and they are Ernie’s favorite treats! grr. If anyone knows where they can still be found, would you let me know? And please join me in asking Science Diet to bring them back. Those of you who know Ernie Dog know that he is worth keeping them in production. He is an awesome dog!! I’ll bet if we sent them pictures of Ernie looking sad, they would make them again:
(Ernie Dog Looking Sad)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
This week was a fun week at work. I saw another Yellow Sided Green Cheek Conure-so gorgeous! And such a sweet bird. Now I know two Yellow Sided Green Cheek Conures. If the number of those I personally knew actually did double every week, I would know over a million within the year. How cool would that be?
I saw the Petsmart Bearded Dragon who is on the tail end (haha) of a long illness. I saw alot of pets for wellness stuff. If I went into the detail I would like to, you would fall asleep! But I LOVE wellness stuff! Cats with no bloodwork abnormalities! Dogs with ear swabs with NO signs of infection! Pets with nothing to report on their pet health report. Woo!
And my personal favorite…My own eight year old Lab mix Ebony is HEARTWORM NEGATIVE!! No, she is not high risk…I am neurotic about her monthly preventative pill. No, it was not more than her yearly test. But WOOHOO! If we can’t celebrate that awesome boring news in this profession, we are going to get dragged down quickly. So YAY for boring preventative medicine! And YAY for Ebony!
I saw one of my favorite dogs for more allergy-related misery. She and the other allergic dogs I love, along with my developing pet allergies this year, have kicked me into an obsession about allergy prevention and cure. Just because we do not live in a world without allergies, doesn’t mean it couldn’t exist! I have been reading everything I can find, mostly veterinary research, but also articles on what is available now, and articles and books in the human medical field. If she does not itch, and I can hug a kitty and breathe at the same time, that is good enough for me for now!
More on “What in the world does this have to do with veterinary medicine?”
In January I started a project of attempting to walk down every street of Omaha before the end of the year - It was the subject of my January 2009 newsletter, Walking Around Omaha. If I had made it a decade-long project, I would just be making amazing progress! We did add a squirrelly puppy to the project (and family) in January, and that has made it both more fun and more difficult. (See the story of the day I met Joy.) Now that the school year has started, I am able to take off with the dogs much more easily, and am back on track, if not to finish, to at least cover quite a bit of Omaha.
I thought I would let you know how you have been swept into this whole crazy, fun project. When I walk, I deliberately pray for the families in the homes I am passing. As I have developed that habit, it is something I find I have been unable to turn off. So when your pet comes in sick, I pray he would get well and that you would not be too stressed through the healing process. When he comes in well, I pray that he would stay well and that your family would be well too.
And if I have not met you? Yeah, you too. And if I do not know your name? Today I prayed for Cat Lady, Nice Power-Walking Person, Person Walking the Cute Dog (and Cute Dog) and all the dogs I saw in backyards. I will assume they all three were named “Dog” until I know otherwise. Last night, I prayed for Poodle Lady (No, not you! Your name is Janet, silly! I prayed for you too…and Jeni.) and Poodle One and Poodle Two, whom we met outside of Scooter’s. Then we actually learned all of their names, so I can pray for them by name. For several months, I prayed for our next door neighbors Doctor Boy and Mrs. Doctor Boy. Turns out they have real names…Andy and Desi Palmer (Mrs. Palmer when we are at school, she was a kindergarten teacher at Beals Elementary!) And our mailman of several years, Tall Mailman, who, it turns out, actually has a real name too. Wouldn’t that be an awesome coincidence if his name were actually Tall Mailman? (It is not.) I call the Sun Conures Guys and the other one Bird. Which reminds me, I need to ask Ashley what their real names are. She gives them good names that they can actually keep for thirty years.
Didn’t mean to let you in on so much crazy! I meant to just encourage you that I am praying for you and wishing the best for you. But sometimes that gets said alot…I didn’t want you to miss it. So be encouraged. Or back away slowly and block me from your facebook and twitter accounts. But I will still pray for you, Blog Reading Stranger Guy.
(on “If all of my clients were people you personally think are awesome, that would be…awesome.”) If you have friends who need a vet, please let them know I am here. Thank you so much! I will keep telling you this so you do not forget it…I LOVE your pets, and my career is awesome because of you!
(on twitter) Still trying to figure this out. My name doo-dah is “Finch93″ because 93 is my favorite number. I don’t know why! It always has been. Twitter is fun, but I don’t quite get it yet! Till then, meet me here! Or on facebook, or at finch@rileyandjames.com. Have a great week!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
The three Conures are out of quarantine and on display at Papillion Petsmart! Gorgeous! I have been getting to know the two Sun Conures. I think we will be good friends. The other (around the corner to the left of the Sun Conures) is a Yellow Sided Green Cheek Conure (I wrote it down so I wouldn’t forget.) Also gorgeous, but he was sleeping so I didn’t start up a conversation. I will catch up with him next week if he is still there.
One guinea pig left from the herd! Very cute. Also, see if you can find the Chameleon. He is hiding. (haha) I met Mary from Nebraska Humane Society. She brought a bunch of new cats and kittens into Luv-A-Pet. Don’t worry. The Banfield staff did a Cat Intervention before I could adopt my four favorites! Angela and I helped Mary match up the kitties with their descriptions. The papers had gotten shuffled on the way to Papillion!
I met some pre-veterinary Iowa State students who stopped by. I felt bad I didn’t have more going on to show them, but on the other hand, I am glad I didn’t have more going on to show them…that is a good sign pets are home and well! I met some more of the business people at Shadow Lake Towne Center.
Saturday, August 8. 2009
So when I went to write you an updated newsletter yesterday, I got called in to work to see what became a very sad case! This week is hard! But you are awesome! Thank you for your encouraging words! I would rather have this week than miss an opportunity to stand by a sad friend or help a hurt or sick pet.
And there were happy experiences too…some of my favorite ratties and ratty owners came in…my awesome family and friends brought their awesome dogs (from Ernie Nelson at four pounds to James Nelson at 132 pounds! That’s James, in the top right corner of the website.) Mom took us all out to lunch Wednesday…We started to get the word out to business owners in the area that Banfield is close to them…well, from the perspective of an extreme introvert, that I showed up at
Bull Feathers and gave them some free exam coupons and said I was glad they were neighbors…phew, that sort of thing usually makes me have to sleep for a week! Worth meeting great people but completely out of my comfort zone! So that’s all I’ve got for now. The work week
was awesome, and I had planned to tell you more about it, but I am emotionally spent (No, not from being an extrovert for five minutes! From all of the sad pet events this week!)
Last night we went with friends to the art show at
Secret Penguin, which is a graphic design company started by my brother, Dave Nelson. It was a great show and such good art. All of it was done by skateboarders in Nebraska. Great talent and great variety. Also, Dave has some of his cutout art on display at
Urban Outfitters and it will be for sale there during the month of August. If I had a favorite (which I don’t!) it would be the little blue guy with the comb in his back pocket! haha He is awesome!
So now you are caught up to today! Today I am writing you this newsletter, which I am able to do because it is in the middle of a fun weekend, and because of the friends and family rallying around me thing and because the girls are still sleeping. The rest of the fun weekend consists of going to the
Farmer’s Market and to a “Welcome Back to Omaha” open house for Shorty and Heldred Brown, friends who have been gone for a year. I am happy they are back, and THAT is all I have to report. Have a great week. I will come back next week less scattered and ready to write you more stories that deal more directly with pets!
Thursday, August 6, 2009 - Read quickly! It’s getting archived…
Having had three special pets pass away this week, all suddenly, I am in a bit of a dark mood. I will tell you this may be a “What I am doing this afternoon” post, and I will change it this evening to tell you about my actual work week. Because that has been awesome. And that will be fun to read about, I think. But in my sadness now, I will tell you what I am struggling with, and get back to the other as soon as possible. Because this is not necessarily your grief to process, or even mine. But I am trying to process everything anyways.
First of all, two of the pets who have died this week were very old cats, and while logic would tell us…well you know what logic would tell us…you have probably heard it all if you have had an especially elderly pet pass away. But after 18 or 20 years of age, I assume cats are immortal. I know that is not logical, but I don’t spend much time on logic. I am mostly wrapped up in heart issues. And I will never, never, ever get used to friends losing pets, or tell you it is a natural process or bound to happen. Max the Cat is thirteen. Because I am so close to him, and probably alittle because he has had a relatively healthy life so far, I have already assumed immortality for him. I would rather live here than in the inevitable reality, but it hurts so much when (every time, of course) I am wrong again.
I am going to turn our garden veggies into runzas and soup and pickles and expect to meet you back here soon refreshed and healed enough to not drag you down into any vortexes.
Thank you for stopping here. I think today I will mostly wander outside, and hang out with my daughters, and cook, and stand next to the friends who have lost their three friends. Please know that just being here to listen has helped so very much.
Sunday. August 2, 2009
Yesterday Dad and I met at Petrow’s for a “business” meeting. If you know my Dad, you know that even if you spent several decades learning by example about business and ethics and how to treat people kindly, you would still absolutely jump at the chance to spend an hour over breakfast with him, trying to learn more. And I did. GREAT start to the day. Thank you Dad!!
Every once in a while, I have the chance to work on a Saturday, and yesterday was one of those days. Here are some of my favorite things about working on the weekend…
The store (Petsmart) is super busy, and even though I am a complete introvert, I like to see so many families and dogs who are there just for fun. So I came out whenever I had time, just to see everyone, but especially the Petsmart team, which I love. Still, being super shy, I would then “retreat” to the treatment room of Banfield, and work on stuff there.
There is an incredibly cute “herd” of guinea pigs at Papillion Petsmart now, so while I wait for the three Conures to come out of quarantine (They keep new pets in a safe room while they make sure they are healthy) I have been hanging out with the piggies. If you talk to them, they come to the edge of their habitat to see what you are doing…they are so fun!
And yes, I actually worked! I saw one of my favorite cats EVER, who is a quarter of a century old!! I love her! And two of my favorite ratties ever. I get a kick out of “downsizing” medication for very small patients. In the late afternoon on Saturdays, most veterinary hospitals are closing, so we see quite a few urgent and emergency visits, which, though I prefer seeing healthy, happy pets, is also very rewarding. I am happy to report that everyone left yesterday in better shape than they came in!
You’ll notice I am careful about not putting your pet stories on the website here unless you give me the ok! So that is why no details…except when I have permission…or stories and pictures of my own pets…or stray kittens…But I love telling you about the awesome people and pets I know, so if you would not mind me sharing your stories, please let me know! Here are a couple fun photo albums…
“Pets We Love”
And a few more… (for when you have time!)
“Oodles of Poodles”
“The Big Orange Kitty We Love”
“Joy The Puppy”
Dad and I talked some about expanding my practice. I would like to eventually see more clients and pets and add a couple of days to my “official” schedule now that the girls are older and I have found a practice I love so much. So if you have friends who need a vet, please let them know I am here. Thank you so much! I will keep telling you this so you do not forget…
I LOVE your pets, and my career is awesome because of you!
This coming week, I will be working Wednesday, August 5 from 9-7. Have a great week!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
This week I am working Saturday, August 1 from 9 am till 5 pm. Saturdays at Papillion Banfield are fun because there is alot going on, sometimes Petsmart has dog rescues visit, there are lots of kids in the store…it is just a different feel than the rest of the week. So come say hi if you are out shopping or have time.
And Wednesdays are pretty constant. I will almost always be there 9-7 Wednesdays. Call first if you aren’t sure. Sometimes I will switch schedules so Dr. Wittler can travel.
Petsmart and Banfield worked together on a doggy gift basket for a charity this week. All of the proceeds go to orphanages in Guatemala and Sri Lanka. Jordan, the Papillion Petsmart manager, said he would like to work on things like that together more often. Ha! He may come to regret saying that! Not really! That will be fun.
I have been seeing a large number of patients for “wellness” issues…health exams, vaccinations, heartworm tests…that is my very favorite. And many have been friends and family and new clients who are very fun to get to know.
I have been driving around Papillion, trying to get a feel of the town, and walking around Shadow Lake Towne Center. I love the area. I have a natural inclination towards older, “family” type businesses, so it was fun to ”rediscover” downtown Papillion. Shadow Lake Towne Center is awesome and shiny and new, but alittle overwhelming…not like an old dark bookstore you can sit in the corner of and read. But who am I to state preferences? I work in Banfield in Petsmart for Pete’s sake! And I love it. I come home to Midtown Omaha and my world balances again. I guess I wouldn’t trade one for the other.
