Tofino, British Columbia: a dog’s and child’s paradise
Still Learning
“Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.”
My name is Dr. Ashlee Albright, and I am a companion animal veterinarian. I am the co-owner of PenVet Mobile Veterinary Services, which is a mobile practice focused on providing in home end-of-life care for pets in the Saanich Peninsula and Greater Victoria Region of southern Vancouver Island.
This blog is the culmination of my inner ruminations, excitations and frustrations after years of trying (and sometimes failing) to educate others about my learnings in veterinary medicine. As a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), it is my job to relay my knowledge and professional advice to fellow “hoomans”, so that they can assist their furry companions to live healthy and happy lives. As a general practitioner in small animal medicine and surgery, I by no means claim to know everything in my field! Aristotle himself said, “the more you know, the more you know you don’t know”. One of the best parts of my job is that I get to dig for new information every day….although even the “old information” must be learned and re-learned and re-learned some more!
Working in a busy urban small animal practice means that I often don’t have the time to discuss certain disease processes or heated medical topics (eg. nutrition!!) in an organized and thorough manner. I often find myself engaging (or wishing I hadn’t engaged) in emotionally charged debates online (did I mention nutrition?!) with people who I know mean well, but who are making arguments based on opinions alone or just plain misinformation or even incomplete information. This blog is meant to catalog well sourced information so that I can quickly and easily pass it along to my clients, family/friends, and to complete strangers who I may or may not have met online. I will do my best to summarize reputable, science-based information and to provide citations whenever I can. I also hope to provide additional academic and educational resources. I welcome all comments from subscribers/readers regarding any information I may have missed or erred in, as well as any suggestions on future content/topics to be discussed! In addition, there will be some opinion pieces so that I can express my perspective on hot topics.
I must add the following disclaimer: the information provided in this blog is not meant to be a substitute for regular, personalized veterinary care, however, I hope that it compliments the information and advice provided by your own veterinarian.
Happy reading!