Pet 411 with Dr. Cathy Meeks

Being a veterinarian really isn’t all that different than being a detective. 

I should know. When I started college, I planned to get a degree in criminology with an eye toward becoming either a criminal investigator or an FBI agent. But then I started volunteering at a local pet rescue and veterinary clinic. When I realized I was spending eight hours or more each day there – without getting paid – and was always excited to go back, I knew I had to make a switch.

Now, as a board-certified internal medicine veterinary specialist, I solve mysteries all the time.  I have to gather all of the evidence I can to figure out what’s wrong with a patient who can’t talk to me.  That means learning to really listen to pet parents, understanding which tests to run and knowing which clues will offer the most meaningful insight. It’s a lot like solving a puzzle. It’s not always easy but it’s really rewarding.

The other part of veterinary medicine that I love is developing relationships with both my furry patients and the humans who love them. Many of the patients I see have chronic conditions, which means I see them several times over the course of their treatment. I really enjoy those interactions and giving hope to worried pet parents.

Veterinary medicine has progressed so much over the last 10-20 years, and many people aren’t aware of the treatment options that are now available.

That’s why I’m really excited to start this column.

I love sharing everything I’ve learned about the best way to care for pets. I’ll be writing to you every other month and using your questions to produce short videos on topics that are interesting and relevant to pet owners.

You’ll see me on BluePearl’s social media channels as well as on bluepearlvet.com. You can also write to me at [email protected].

My goal is to provide you with a trusted resource for your questions about your furry friends. I also want to dispel some common myths about pet care.  As we all know, there’s a lot of misinformation floating around on the Internet these days. And I hate it when I meet owners who feel they don’t have any options because of something they’ve read on the web.

We’ll go wherever the conversation takes us, from how to help your pet stop itching during allergy season, to what you can expect if your pet is diagnosed with cancer, to the best ways to care for your senior pet.

I’m writing to you not just as a veterinarian but also a devoted pet owner. My husband (an equine veterinarian) and I are the proud parents of two rescue dogs: Lainey, a Doberman pinscher who is hyper and loves to eat everything, and Scrappy, a wire-haired Jack Russell Terrier who just wants to lounge around.

I’m looking forward to using my investigative skills to solve your questions! Together, we’ll sleuth out the best answers and make the world a little safer for our four-legged friends.