I recommended this book to Whole Dog Journal’s readers more than a year ago. I’m recommending it again, for anyone who missed it the first time.
The subtitle of the book is “Be the Advocate your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life.” You see, Dr. Kay, a highly trained veterinarian and specialist in veterinary internal medicine, feels that owners are the most important member of their pets’ healthcare team – the team captain, as it were. She encourages owners to build a strong healthcare team, in order to foster communication and cooperation among the team members (including specialists and alternative practitioners), and to take charge of the team, acting as a decisive and passionate advocate for their pets. Best of all, she tells the reader exactly how to go about this, with information on:
- How to find the best vet for you and your pet
- What to expect during a vet visit
- The 10 commandments of veterinary office visits
- Veterinary specialists
- The vaccination conundrum
- Important questions to ask your vet and how to ask them
The book also discusses difficult issues such as cancer diagnoses, second opinions, how to discuss difficult money matters, and euthanasia.
I can’t recommend it highly enough: Buy this book!
– Nancy Kerns
