A dog boarded at the clinic appeared to become ill and coughed up something that brought everyone running and caused the ladies to blush. It was a red thong panty.

It was closing time when the phone rang. The voice on the other end sounded liked the oldest living human. His prize heifer was down in a difficult delivery. So I headed out on what turned out to be a harrowing, after-dark chase in a 1977 sky-blue pickup truck.

The veterinarian describes his discomfort in leaving his quiet, rural environment to spend a few days in a major city where he and his wife were wined and dined, including an episode at a restaurant where the menu was entirely in French.

The cat's name was Whoops, and it fit the rascal perfectly. He arrived in a pet carrier and would hiss and slap at the cage door if anyone even looked in his direction.

There are some situations in veterinary practice for which no amount of formal education can prepare you.

Tattoos have become quite popular these days. At Texas Tech, where I teach about one student in three sports some kind of artwork.

My grandmother, whom we called Nonny, grew up in a family of five sisters and one brother.

Small-town veterinarians fill a niche that includes more than just putting animals back together.

Some things in this life just aggravate, occurring with no rhyme or reason like a bad dream or a pimple.