Years ago when I was seeing pets in a clinic, we had a little Jack Russel terrier mix who came in often.  Jack was like many terriers and enjoyed tearing things apart.  He was also an overachiever and went on to eat whatever the thing was that he’d just torn to bits.  Jack tore up his toys and ate the squeakers.  He shredded up his dog bed and ate the fluffing.  He went through the trash that his owner tried hard to keep away from him and ate everything, fresh or rotten, that he found in there.  Each time Jack’s owner would bring him by for a quick check to make sure his belly was settling down okay.  We were happy to interact with such a friendly patient and the owner appreciated the peace of mind that came from her short walk to the clinic. I appreciated the practice in palpating a belly, doing a physical exam, taking X-rays, and the overall pleasure that came with seeing an owner reassured that her beloved pet was doing well. Things got a little strange one day with Jack and his…

Few people know that Army veterinarians perform ‘sanitation audits’ of food production establishments both in the US and overseas.  A sanitation audit is a very professional way of saying that you look into every nook and cranny of food production. It includes walking through the facility, observing the food-making processes, and reviewing paperwork all while taking notes and asking questions to later write a report.  When assigned overseas, Army vets have the additional duty of inspecting slaughterhouses.  Here in the US, the USDA inspects the slaughterhouses (thank you, USDA!).  Inspecting slaughterhouses has been among the worst part of being a Vet. It’s even worse than emptying anal glands.  The slaughterhouse inspections begin with the animals coming off the delivery truck and end with the packaged goods that my grandmother referred to simply as ‘dead chickens’.  [I’ve mentioned earlier that my family was practical when it came to animals.  They were.  Right down to the honest language.]  Vet school helped me prepare for slaughterhouses by providing the knowledge to identify sick animals, to recognize abnormalities in their bodies, to think critically, and to understand what is and is not humane.  All of these…