Top of my book list!
Rarely do we publicly cheer the many superb vets in practice.
Having moaned about some of the profession in my last post it seemed right to show another side. Just as in any other profession, vets come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and ability... and finding a really decent vet can literally be a life or death choice.
I was immensely lucky to spend many years with not simply a good vet, but a great one. I walked into his clinic one day with a cat whose tumour had been misdiagnosed by another local vet, and he promised me then that if I was working with him he would always listen when I said there was something "not right" with one of my animals...owned or rescued.
He was as good as his word for 15 years, and not only listened but had the humility to admit when he did not know something.
Sadly for the UK, Nico has now left the UK with his family for pastures new. He took with him a sizable Siamese cat, and I have always considered it a mark of mutual respect that he chose to have a kitten from my breeding as his companion.
Nico Maritz now offers a Youtube channel, (click "Videos" at the top, when the page opens). It is packed with no-nonsense advice on many common conditions found in both dogs and cats.
He has also written two outstandingly useful books: "Your Sick Dog" & "Your Sick Cat".
It is not quite the same as having his advice in person, but I still heartily recommend a visit to the Amazon Bookstore to invest a couple of pounds in a volume worth its weight in gold.
Here is a short excerpt:
Your Sick Dog: A Dog Owner's Guide to Understanding and Managing Breeding, Illness and Injury
What's wrong with my dog? Each chapter is written as if it was a consultation with your vet and enables even the vaguest symptom to be diagnosed with a specific treatment. This book does not try to replace the vet or prescribe how individual medical conditions should be treated but empowers the owner to meet the vet on more equal terms and to be able to discuss the care of the dog more fully.
Nico Maritz BVSc MRCVS Your Sick Dog: A Dog Owner's Guide to Understanding and Managing Breeding, Illness and Injury