Did those of you who put plants outside for the summer rush to take them in this weekend, as I did? Just last week, I was talking to one of our Knollwood Volunteers, Tami, who put me to shame with respect to fall plant care. She told me that, before bringing each plant inside and finding a winter home for it, she carefully repots them all, and adds new fresh soil! I immediately started thinking about how my plants would probably do better if I did that, too - and then that brought the next thought - was I going to bring any plant inside that would pose a danger to my pets? I'm always seduced by attractive new plants when I visit gardening centers each year, and once home, they usually they live outside spring through fall, where they are free from doggie nibbles and cat paws and claws. Once inside for the winter however, they are fair game for everyone from Emmett (who is entranced by anything with leaves that hang down) to Jack (who has to mark anything new in the house, just once) to Hebert (who eats leaves when he is nervous) to Bettina (who loves to climb up into the pots of large plants, to bury her toys).
So when not musing about how I just might have the worst-behaved pets in the world, I quite naturally worry about whether the plants that they are batting, rolling in, chewing on, and otherwise traumatizing are safe for them to be around. And there's a great on-line resource from the Humane Society of the United States that you can check, if you are wondering about this, as I did.
Sure enough, I had not one, but two plants that I had to re-home with pet-less friends: a glorious bird-of-paradise plant with big red flowers (the pods are poisonous), and a lovely variegated caladium (the entire plant is bad news for pets).
And as long as we are on the topic of potential disasters and how we'd like to keep them that way - as potentials, not reality - I'd like to share a few tidbits of truly excellent information that Jill presented at our last big staff meeting. Most of you know Jill. She's our only full-time Nurse, and she's always looking for more information to add to her knowledge base. Recently, she completed not just a tremendous amount of pet nutrition training, but a complete course on disaster preparedness. Part of what she learned had to do with how we can avoid potential hardships - even the loss of a dear pet - during any disaster situation, by being prepared with what our pets will need, all packed up and ready to go in a “disaster kit” that can just be grabbed in an emergency as you head out the door with your pet. Two of Jill's ideas hit me especially hard, because they were sensible things that I had not yet done. First, she stresses the need to have, in any preparedness kit, a picture of each pet, with the owner in the picture, also! Now, if you're like me, there are lots of pet pictures around the house, and lots of people pictures, too. But in the event that you are ever separated from your pet, a photo of the two of you can go a long way towards establishing positive identification and the return of your pet. As can, of course, a microchip. Secondly, Jill stresses the need to have a buddy system set up with another pet lover, so that if something happens to you, your pets will still be cared for during a disaster. There's a lot more useful information that Jill put together, and it's all on our Facebook site on the Discussions page.
What else is new? Lots!
For starters, last month I told you that we were seeking a new Doctor to provide some relief during the days when I work alone - and we've found her! Do you remember, in my April newsletter, when I told you that out of all the candidates we interviewed, we had two candidates who were so superior, that I wished that I could have hired both of them? Of those two, Dr. Priya Bhatt accepted a relief position elsewhere, and we hired Dr. Kismartoni, who only wanted to work on a very part-time basis. Dr. Bhatt asked to stay in contact with me because she planned, in the next year or so, to begin some future studies in integrative medicine and she hoped that I would serve as a mentor. It's a common request - I've mentored dozens of veterinarians over the years - and I agreed to do this for her. So when I e-mailed Dr. Bhatt to find out if she had any contacts who she'd recommend for Knollwood, the last thought in my mind was that she herself would be available! She responded promptly, telling me that she had no doubt that we'd have our pick of good candidates, but that she hoped that she would be at the top of the list of anyone I considered for the job. When I told the staff that I was ready to start interviewing again, their recollection of Dr. Bhatt was immediate and very positive - "Talk to her first, Dr. M!" everyone urged. "She was wonderful to work with, the clients who met her loved her, and she brought us COOKIES!"
So.....after several meetings with Dr. Priya Bhatt, and finding out again that she is head and shoulders above any other candidates out there, we've decided to see if utilizing her talents as a relief veterinarian works out as well as we think it will. Starting in October, she'll be working on several of the days I usually work alone. If October works out well, we'll continue to have her work those days as well as on the personal days off that Dr Kismartoni plans to be taking off in the future. What else might you want to know about Dr. Bhatt? We asked her to give you some background information, and here's what she had to say:
"I was born, raised, and have lived as a Chicagoan, aside from the seven years I lived in Los Angeles, where I completed my B.S. in psychobiology at UCLA and my M.S. at California Polytechnic State University. During my subsequent veterinary studies at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, one of my accomplishments was to strengthen the quality of veterinary medicine there by leading the student chapter of the American Animal Hospital Association - of which Knollwood is a proud member. After vet school, I took some time off to care for my two geriatric Shih-Tzus (who have since passed away), and I worked as a relief veterinarian. Now, I'm ready to dive back into daily practice by joining the Knollwood team as a relief veterinarian. I've learned the lessons that my own two dogs have taught me, to help other pets and clients. My passion is to help the public to become better pet owners by focusing on education and preventative medicine. My goal is to bring the ‘family medicine’ aspect from human medicine into veterinary practice."
We hope you'll stop by the hospital on the Mondays through Wednesdays that I am not lecturing this month, to meet Dr. Bhatt and say hello. (Remember, the days that any of our Doctors will be away from the practice are always posted on our Hospital Policies page.) Because October is a busy lecture month for me, you'll also see Dr. Papacek at the hospital more than usual this month, too. We'll be utilizing her fabulous dental skills during this month's Dental Special.....of which there are only a few open spots left......so, if you wanted a spot, and haven't called yet, please do so now!
Lastly, many of you have expressed frustration with how AWFUL traffic is sometimes, as you make your way to the hospital. Please check out this link - our Webmistress Kelly has done a phenomenal job of keeping abreast of how to find ways around Chicago's fall and winter road construction seasons. Her link gives you the best ways to find the most stress-free way to us. As always, we'll have a calming cup of hot herbal tea waiting for you when you arrive. I've ordered up lots of the extra-strength Tension Tamer tea for fall - and who knows? I just might join you in a cup!
Dr. Mitchell
