The Incredible Dr. Pol - General Discussion

[nitrofishblue]

1 hour ago, parrotfeathers said:

I really like Dr. Nicole!

Yes they definitely need to upgrade the radiograph process and move it upstairs.

The x-ray location was addressed earlier. If I recall there is an issue in getting it safely set. There has to be shielding and other issues that make it impossible to be located upstairs. I hope someone can remember the post that listed this since my old brain can't.

[SRTouch]

16 minutes ago, nitrofishblue said:

The x-ray location was addressed earlier. If I recall there is an issue in getting it safely set. There has to be shielding and other issues that make it impossible to be located upstairs. I hope someone can remember the post that listed this since my old brain can't.

Hmmmmm, no expert, but more than once I've watched vets on tv take x-rays in the field with portable machines

[Rammchick]

They need a bigger, updated facility, period, but at Pol's age, I don't see that happening.  I'm sure the reasoning is that It's worked OK for them thus far, so what's the point of updating everything for, at most, a few more years. 

Edited January 6, 2020 by Rammchick

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, Rammchick said:

They need a bigger, updated facility, period, but at Pol's age, I don't see that happening.  I'm sure the reasoning is that It's worked OK for them thus far, so what's the point of updating everything for, at most, a few more years. 

Absolutely, that's his entire MO -- updated facilities, equipment, and procedures all exist, and the clinic can afford them, but if the old way works, he sticks with it, even where the new way would work better. 

[SRTouch]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

Absolutely, that's his entire MO -- updated facilities, equipment, and procedures all exist, and the clinic can afford them, but if the old way works, he sticks with it, even where the new way would work better. 

True. Anybody else cringe when he grabs an animal's suspected broken leg and manipulates it?  Just because animals usually try to hide pain/weakness does not mean they don't feel it.

[BookWitch]

The season when he went back to the Netherlands and went to the school he trained at. They showed all the new advancements they were doing (especially with the flipped stomach thing). I thought he would bring some of that back home but he didn't.  You'd think he'd want to streamline some things to make it less stressful but I guess not.

[2727]

11 hours ago, BookWitch said:

I thought he would bring some of that back home but he didn't.

Me too! Even something as simple as the electric tooth rasper, but no. He's still out there manually sawing away in horses' mouths. I don't have a lot of confidence that the practice's tools are sterilized between farm visits, either.

OTOH, his methods often work and my assumption is that his fees are also no muss, no fuss.

It also kind of makes the case that perhaps the sterile fields, sedation, drapes, gloves, masks, etc. that other vets use in the field aren't always strictly necessary.  Pol's farmers are likely delighted with a bit of local anesthesia and a two-minute testical removal rather than a full surgical operation.

[Rammchick]

3 hours ago, 2727 said:

Me too! Even something as simple as the electric tooth rasper, but no. He's still out there manually sawing away in horses' mouths. I don't have a lot of confidence that the practice's tools are sterilized between farm visits, either.

OTOH, his methods often work and my assumption is that his fees are also no muss, no fuss.

It also kind of makes the case that perhaps the sterile fields, sedation, drapes, gloves, masks, etc. that other vets use in the field aren't always strictly necessary.  Pol's farmers are likely delighted with a bit of local anesthesia and a two-minute testical removal rather than a full surgical operation.

If you read James Herriot, these are the same techniques he used in the 40s, minus all the drugs.  It worked then, it works now, I guess.  The farmers probably couldn't afford anything much more fancy.

[Lamima]

I loved Dr Emily and sad that she's left. Not a Dr Brenda fan. She is like Eeyore to me. And I always think about that time she had a cow in a shoot thing and it choked to death. Charles and his wife annoy. As does Diane a bit. I like Pol and Emily. Wished they showed Emily's hubby more. He also works at her new vet in VA with her. Looking forward to the new episodes to see if we can find out more about why Emily left. I think she was happy with the work and with the Pols but maybe hated the cold weather and the starkness of that town, just my guess. She's one tough cookie. Will miss watching her. 

I love all the vet and zoo shows. Can't get enough. The zoo show is now doing Tampa zoo. Love it!

Edited January 10, 2020 by Lamima

[Lamima]

 

Warning...gross story...

Also...I have a 13.5 year old cairn. He recently had a bump on his neck that my vet said looked suspicious and should be surgically removed. They wanted to do senior bloodwork and then get him in to surgery shortly after. And they also suggested a teeth cleaning while in there. Cost for all was crazy expensive. But I was going to do it. They needed to sedate him to get bloodwork and so I needed to bring him back another time. And before we could do that I was home one day and gave him a bath and brushed him out. I noticed that bump had opened and was oozy a bit. So I squeezed and it was like Dr Pimple Popper with a cyst. Cream cheese like junk squeezed out. Uggghhh...so my vet led me to think it could be a cancer and I needed to pay hundreds to remove and put under an elderly dog (risky). Dr Pol would have just popped it on the table and shot some peroxide into it and then sent him home with a like $60 charge (just a guess). Um, I'll take a Dr Pol anyday. (though I do cringe at the teat snipping he does on cows)

Edited January 10, 2020 by Lamima

[LittleIggy]

People sending all those coffee mugs (as Diane predicted) was funny! The “I like big mutts” mug was spot on! A St. Bernard, a Newfoundland and several Great Danes! 😮 Luna’s feet were huge. Glad the Pols keep the Danes’ ears natural.

Lambs in onesies are so adorbs! 💕

It must have been “burst mammary tumor night” because The Vet Life had one too. 

[Rammchick]

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-incredible-dr-pol-the-real-reason-dr-emily-left.html/

[RealityCheck]

I'm glad to see it wasn't Dr Pol Emily had a problem with and I'm really glad she and her friends recognized a potentially dangerous situation and remedied it.  My guess had been the terrible weather and having three young children so I was half right.  I will miss not seeing her on the show.  Dr Emily had a great sense of humor.

[2727]

Thanks for the article @Rammchick! Good to hear she's doing well now and wish her and her family the best.

Interesting that payment from the show was twice as much as her vet salary.

Viewers have noticed the rotating door of new vets, too. Can vets stop taking new patients like doctors can? Doesn't seem like Jan's style to put limits on work, but maybe if the practice wasn't so frantic, staff would stay longer.

[Bastet]

Absolutely nothing about Dr. Emily's blog post about growing as a vet that relates the basics of how the Pol clinic is run surprises me.  From saying that when she started at Dr. Pol, she had to learn to work fast because, "we were often quadruple booked every 15 minutes with only 2-3 doctors working. People waiting an hour to be seen was not uncommon," to the details of her growing problems with the business model:

Quote

 

When I first arrived and followed Dr. Pol around, I was absolutely impressed with the shear speed in which he saw patients. He would walk in a room and basically have a diagnosis before examining the animal. I figured that this was just from his years and years of experience and I had mountains to climb to catch up to his efficiency.

It was fun for awhile working as fast as I could, challenging myself to see the most cases every day. Then, slowly, my conscience caught up to me. Was I rushing through cases just to get them done and out? Was I really giving each client their due time and consideration? Was I offering everything I could to the client? I learned along the way that you have NO IDEA what a client is willing to do until it is offered. Dr. Pol’s clinic was in a very low income part of Michigan and you could probably count on 90% of the clients being strapped for money and wanting to try something easy first, but you could never tell which was that 10%. I saw one emergency, a dog that had gone acutely blind that day. I researched and read about it, told him (almost in passing) that the dog would need emergency surgery to save the vision. The man took his dog that day to see the specialist in Michigan, who then referred him to an even bigger specialist in Chicago, and the dog ended up having a $10,000 surgery and saved vision in one eye.

I had also gotten quite sloppy in my record keeping and if I planned on keeping my license for long, I knew I was going to have to be more deliberate with that. So, while at first I was swirled up in the fast pace craziness, I was cheapening my medicine, doing a sloppy job, and also, burning myself out. Working on numerous cases every 30 minutes, juggling multiple cases at once, sometimes even forgetting clients were in the room. It also seemed like the faster I saw cases, the more cases were booked for us to see, so it just kept piling and piling. Finally, after Tony had been working there awhile and saw how the practice was run, he’s the one that instructed me to put on the brakes. Dig my heels in and slow down.

I also joined a DVMoms group on facebook where I was able to air my grievances and get fantastic and supportive feedback. I slowed down, gave my clients more time, wrote complete records and started to restore my sanity. I felt like I could offer clients and their pets much better, quality, care in this way. I would make sure that EVERY client got offered EVERY option with treatment instead of guessing based on the client. I would be sure, though, to not make the client feel bad at all for not being able to afford the most ideal option.

One of the things I liked about working at Dr. Pol’s clinic was that we were able to offer therapies, treatments, and surgeries for much less cost than other vets around – this would eventually bring up the fact that we also didn’t pay staff well. I was able to perform C-sections on dogs and save their lives when the only other option was euthanasia because the surgery was too expensive somewhere else. Our practices were not necessarily the safest or the best, but we were able to give the owner an option other than putting their animal down. Other vets that charge more are able to offer more safety, quality, and options in their care and are able to provide their employees with better compensation. Selfishly, at the time, though, I enjoyed helping the people in need.

 

Then it goes into the part quoted in the linked article that didn't give the full picture.

Good for her walking away from the NatGeo money in order to practice in a better environment, salvage her mental health, and have a proper work-life balance, and good for her how she worked in the interim to break away from the idea that having a diagnosis upon walking in the door is surely a result of expertise honed over decades; it can also be dismissive, designed to get the client out the door with a small bill and move on to the next one.  (If I had a dollar for every time I grumbled at the TV about him saying "probably an infection" and prescribing antibiotics, I'd be retired.  Add in a dollar for every time I do the same about him declaring a bone not broken without an x-ray, and I'd be retired in Hawaii.)

And good for her honesty about the Pol clinic -- not the safest or the best (boy howdy), but also a potential lifeline for the pets of those who can't afford better, in an area where most people fall into that category.  It's not clear cut.

Of course, I'd direct Dr. Pol - with the significant funds he has amassed thanks to this show - to watch Dr. Jeff's show for some tips on how to not cut anywhere near as many corners in providing low-cost care.  Look at how Dr. Jeff upgraded his clinic with Animal Planet money and the zip.point.shit Dr. Pol has done with NatGeo money.  Dr. Jeff has the advantage of being in an area where there are more clients willing and able to pay for services at the full rate, which helps subsidize the reduced-rate services, though, while Dr. Emily estimates it's about 10 percent in Pol's area.  Again, not clear cut.  But Pol could (and should) do better; he's so entrenched in his "my way is good enough" ideology a proud defiance to change has settled in.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm glad Dr. Emily found a clinic practice where she's not on call.  The schedule, and many emergencies at PVS were horrible, because of the farm calls, emergency coverage, and far distances that the practice covers.   The sleep deprivation, and sheer exhaustion that happened during the busy seasons, and when they're short handed must have been very hard on Emily, and her family.    I also saw the episode from several years ago where Emily was kicked in the throat by a cow, and there is always a risk of injury when dealing with large animals.    It must have been difficult to decide to leave a job where her salary was doubled by the TV show salary too.    

I'm sure a lot of the local people simply can't afford anything expensive for their animals.   I bet there are a lot of cases where an animal is put down, because the owner simply can't afford diagnostic tests or surgery.     

Edited January 12, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[SRTouch]

This popped up on the list of articles Chrome thinks might interest me. Looks to involve multiple cases from years ago. From what I see, it sort of ties in with the recent discussion - mainly about Dr Pol not following sterile procedures, not reading an ultrasound, no intubation of hit-by-car dog during surgery etc. 

[parrotfeathers]

5 hours ago, SRTouch said:

This popped up on the list of articles Chrome thinks might interest me. Looks to involve multiple cases from years ago. From what I see, it sort of ties in with the recent discussion - mainly about Dr Pol not following sterile procedures, not reading an ultrasound, no intubation of hit-by-car dog during surgery etc. 

Thanks for the link.   I don't think vets "gown up" to sew up wounds on a horse in a barn or pasture setting.  At least they never did when I had horses.  But I do believe animals should be intubated and proper protocol should be followed during general surgery procedures in a clinic.

[LittleIggy]

I loved Dr. Nicole taking a pic of the kids she had just delivered. She was so happy! She was cute with that adorable little chihuahua puppy, too.

I’m looking forward to the two new vet series. Can’t have too many IMO. That Corgi pup on the Heartland Vets promo makes me dissolve into goo! 😍

[pasdetrois]

I'm watching "The Farming Life" on BritBox, which is about farmers' lives in Scotland and Ireland. While it's not a vet show, vets are shown working on the animals.

One thing I noticed is the use of an ultrasound in all of the pregnancy checks, which not only affirms pregnancies but also specifies the gender so that the farmers can do their planning. One of the farmers even has a cow-flipper that tilts the cow so that its hooves and limbs can be more easily worked on by the vet.

I also notice how gently all of the animals are handled compared to what I see in other shows, including the beef cows.

Anyway, I think Pol uses rotating young vets because they're cheap. Other practices do the same, but he needs to bring in more fulltime vets and pay them well. Surely there are vets who will work in his understaffed practice for the right salary.

I'm not surprised to read about his business model. I could understand it if he is struggling financially, but he appears to be wealthy.

 

 

[DonnaMae]

Does anyone know if Rocky Mt. Vet has new episodes?  I loved that show but now can't get NatGeo Wild.

[Rammchick]

On 1/19/2020 at 8:47 AM, DonnaMae said:

Does anyone know if Rocky Mt. Vet has new episodes?  I loved that show but now can't get NatGeo Wild.

Not yet -- I just posted this over on that show's thread:  https://newtvseasons.com/will-there-be-a-dr-jeff-rocky-mountain-vet-season-7-release-date/

BTW, did you guys know that Pol is marketing pet foods?  https://www.petfoodprocessing.net/articles/13277-veterinary-tv-star-dr-pol-to-release-pet-food-line-at-superzoo

Edited January 20, 2020 by Rammchick

[CrazyInAlabama]

My guess is many of the rotating young vets are either just there for an internship.   If they intend to stay they can't cope with the on-call schedule, the travel, and the patient load, and not everyone is cut out for a mixed large and small animal practice.     Add in the weather in Michigan, and I'm sure many people rethink staying at PVS.     

I really suspect that when Texas Tech opens it's large animal oriented vet school in a year or so, that some large animal, or mixed animal vets with a few years experience will be applying for instructor positions.    

Edited January 21, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[Rammchick]

Just ran across this, not sure if it was posted before: https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/tv/ct-ent-dr-pol-0706-story.html

 

[DonnaMae]

Very interesting article.  Thank you for sharing.  

[SRTouch]

I'm usually not a fan of rerun clip episodes, but really enjoyed tonight's episode. Dr Pol in his teacher/mentoring role is one of my favorite parts of the show, whether he's teaching new vets, farmers, or kids. Tonight the focus was mainly on his teaching Drs Emily and Nicole - perhaps paving the way for Dr Emily's departure and Dr Nicole taking her place. I actually remembered many of the clips of the brand new Dr Emily. Seeing her sitting on the floor taking the time to relate to the little girl with the puppy reminds me why I love watching her. Then watching Dr Pol tell Dr Nicole how many species he's performed castrastrations on and her quick answer that she hopes she will one day have a like number reminded me of her coming outside to first watch and then perform her first pig castration. 

[Raiderred]

On 1/10/2020 at 8:57 AM, Lamima said:

 

Warning...gross story...

Also...I have a 13.5 year old cairn. He recently had a bump on his neck that my vet said looked suspicious and should be surgically removed. They wanted to do senior bloodwork and then get him in to surgery shortly after. And they also suggested a teeth cleaning while in there. Cost for all was crazy expensive. But I was going to do it. They needed to sedate him to get bloodwork and so I needed to bring him back another time. And before we could do that I was home one day and gave him a bath and brushed him out. I noticed that bump had opened and was oozy a bit. So I squeezed and it was like Dr Pimple Popper with a cyst. Cream cheese like junk squeezed out. Uggghhh...so my vet led me to think it could be a cancer and I needed to pay hundreds to remove and put under an elderly dog (risky). Dr Pol would have just popped it on the table and shot some peroxide into it and then sent him home with a like $60 charge (just a guess). Um, I'll take a Dr Pol anyday. (though I do cringe at the teat snipping he does on cows)

I have a bit of an opposite story with my country vet.  We live out in the middle of nowhere Texas and for non-emergency things we have a "Dr. Pol" country vet.  Anyway, my sweet old Dachshund had an anal tumor appear and it was bothering her so I took her to my local vet and he examined the tumor and said, "At her age the tumor will outlive her."  I left there and called my good vet in Dallas and he said to bring her by when I had a chance and I did and he said he would remove it and get her back to feeling better.  Yes, she went under anesthesia but he got her teeth cleaned up and the tumor removed and my sweet munchkin was feeling so much better not wantnig to scoot across the grass with that nasty tumor. She lived another 2 years, 14.5 years old.  We also raise Quarter horses and my cow/horse/dog/cat/pig vet is horrible treating horses for anything more than stitching up injuries, so we go to the racetrack vet who is one of the best in the country.  I wouldn't even take a colic to my local vet because I have heard horror stories of his treatment for colics!  He is also like Dr. Pol and only has one other vet with him at his practice and the place is always jam packed.  

Side note:  My dad is a quarter Dutch and he always says they are cheap skates(my dad being one himself) so I think that is why Dr. Pol doesn't like to spend on equipment or other things he thinks he can get r done all on the frugal side. LOL

[Raiderred]

On 1/16/2020 at 8:52 PM, parrotfeathers said:

Thanks for the link.   I don't think vets "gown up" to sew up wounds on a horse in a barn or pasture setting.  At least they never did when I had horses.  But I do believe animals should be intubated and proper protocol should be followed during general surgery procedures in a clinic.

100% agree.  We have a barn with stocks and when our horses are sutured no vet has ever gowned or masked up.  We mostly treat cuts and such ourselves and we never do any of that and we are quite meticulous about our clean barns. 😉

On 1/16/2020 at 8:52 PM, parrotfeathers said:

Thanks for the link.   I don't think vets "gown up" to sew up wounds on a horse in a barn or pasture setting.  At least they never did when I had horses.  But I do believe animals should be intubated and proper protocol should be followed during general surgery procedures in a clinic.

100% agree.  We have a barn with stocks and when our horses are sutured no vet has ever gowned or masked up.  We mostly treat cuts and such ourselves and we never do any of that and we are quite meticulous about our clean barns. 😉

[LittleIggy]

I started a forum for “Heartland Docs, DVM” if anyone is watching it.

[Rammchick]

On 1/28/2020 at 9:11 AM, LittleIggy said:

I started a forum for “Heartland Docs, DVM” if anyone is watching it.

I am.  Thanks, LittleIggy.

[parrotfeathers]

On 1/28/2020 at 11:11 AM, LittleIggy said:

I started a forum for “Heartland Docs, DVM” if anyone is watching it.

I keep missing it and need to set my DVR.  It looks a little hokey from the commercials.

[LittleIggy]

That barn cat’s raw tail made me cringe! 🤭 I’m glad he has a sweet lady to take care of him.

I like Charles and Beth and their menagerie.

[Blergh]

11 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

That barn cat’s raw tail made me cringe! 🤭 I’m glad he has a sweet lady to take care of him.

I like Charles and Beth and their menagerie.

While I like the younger Pols, I have to wonder how they can their home at least odor free with all those critters within. Probably just as well the cable packages don't offer 'Smell-O-Vision' upgrades!

[parrotfeathers]

Wonder when they will cover Dr Emily leaving.

[smittykins]

On one of the older episodes during yesterday’s marathon, set at the county fair, a boy was clearly upset over selling his 4H goat at auction, so Dr. Pol bought it and gave it back to him.  I thought that was sweet.

[pasdetrois]

Dr. Nicole has really come into her own. I don't know if she has the pressure of a family, but I wonder if she's going to remain with Dr. Pol.

ETA: Dr. Brenda is as usual all business as she dealt with the mare's placenta. That done to her satisfaction, she had a little grin and and admiring comments for the beautiful foal.

Edited February 3, 2020 by pasdetrois

[Rammchick]

11 minutes ago, pasdetrois said:

Dr. Nicole has really come into her own. I don't know if she has the pressure of a family, but I wonder if she's going to remain with Dr. Pol.

I was thinking the same thing, watching her on the farm calls on this week's episode.  Good for her.  

[LittleIggy]

Those little freckle-faced farm kids were cute with their pigs. I liked how the judge gave them positive feedback.

The great big guy with the little chihuahua...🥰. I hope the lil pup has a few more good years.

[Bastet]

Being out, having shows I like better airing at the same times this show airs when I'm home, and my issues with the Pol practice mean I hadn't made the effort to track down any episodes yet this season, but tonight I was home to see most of the newest one about animals to be shown at the county fair.

It was nice to see Dr. Nicole again; I know there is a dearth of large-animal vets today, so, wherever she winds up (because I certainly wouldn't fault her leaving PVS at any point), it would be nice to see her continue with such animals among her clients; she has a knack.

Surprise, when you breed for an unnatural size, to sell more meat, bad things happen.  It's good it was just an infection with George's pigs, but I was still annoyed.  Nice to see his grandkids so enthused, though.  The worst any of these folks could do is still better than the average factory farm, so the more we can keep family farms going, the better.  And I, who can't stand kids, was enamored of little Chloe's efforts with Chase.

Dr. Brenda's advice on the happy medium to strike with Duke, the Amish farm horse with an injured foot seemed, to this layperson, sound.

And I liked hearing Bear's little girl owner wanting him to feel better so she can feel better, not wanting him to be ready for sale.  It's all so weird to this city slicker to watch kids nurture animals with the hopes of selling them off, but I can understand what the money means to them and the genuine care they give in the interim.

So it was a typical episode.  A show I'll continue to watch and enjoy when possible, but not one I'll seek out.

[LittleIggy]

That puppy mill puppy broke my heart. I hope it survived. Dr. Pol was mad. 
The cat riding on his dad’s shoulder was sweet. 
I liked Dr. Brenda showing the boy how to use the stethoscope.

Dr. Emily’s farewell is next week.

[LittleIggy]

Those dogs aren’t very bright if after two face-fulls of porcupine quills they haven’t learned to stay away from those prickly creatures!

I hope the baby reindeer got better. He was so cute.

Bet that was a long trip to VA with those little kids, multiple cats, and a Saint Bernard! 😆I’ll miss Dr. Emily. I liked how Doc Pol said he liked her dry sense of humor.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I couldn't believe how many quills the two dogs had.    I hope the combined numbers of quills were a record that will never be equalled at PVS.   I wonder if the other dog wised up about massive amounts of quills, or if the other two dogs were just more aggressive about going after the porcupines.   

I'll miss Dr. Emily, and hope she's loving Virginia as much as she seems to be on her postings.   

Too bad they haven't been able to sell the Michigan farmhouse yet.  Some places just take a long time to sell, but you only need one buyer, so there's always the spring selling season coming up.    

[parrotfeathers]

Love Dr.  Emily.

I wish her the best at her new practice.

Thankfully Dr. Brenda and Dr. Nichole are still with Dr. Pol.   Will still continue to be a great show.  None of them give off the "oh I have to act now" vibe.  

I hope Heartland Docs gets better but right now it seems too forced.

Edited February 23, 2020 by parrotfeathers

[pasdetrois]

Do we know where Dr. Emily landed in VA? Her father-in-law wore a t-shirt that said "Bristol." Bristol, VA, is in southwestern VA, on the TN border, and is deep in Appalachia. My good friend is a pediatrician there and still occasionally gets paid in produce or eggs!

[Minivanessa]

20 minutes ago, pasdetrois said:

Do we know where Dr. Emily landed in VA? Her father-in-law wore a t-shirt that said "Bristol." Bristol, VA, is in southwestern VA, on the TN border, and is deep in Appalachia. My good friend is a pediatrician there and still occasionally gets paid in produce or eggs!

She's with a vet clinic in Front Royal, VA. Looks like NW Virginia.

I'm new to this show. Don't know why, but never watched it until recently, although it's been on for years now. At least I have a lot of fresh material to binge watch. It's been enlightening to read this discussion. I'd wondered about the economy in the area of Dr. Pol's practice and wasn't surprised to read that it's not overflowing with affluent folks, to put it mildly. I appreciate that the vets do their best to treat those animals as economically as possible. Fancy high-tech super sterile ORs and such, cost money to install and run. 

I'm slow to consider anyone on reality TV a "hero," including vets - although I'm definitely an animal lover and have spent more money than I want to think about on vet care and other care for my dogs and cats during my long life. Nobody's perfect, but overall I'm still enjoying the folks on this show.

[pasdetrois]

Ah, Front Royal is west of northern VA and is a kind of gateway to the Shenandoah Mountains. Famous for its caverns. Great mixture of small town and rural areas. And quite beautiful.

[BookWitch]

The house they left is listed on Zillow for 160k. 5 br. 2 bath on 2 acres(I think) Hobby farm. Looks like a nice house. 

[Minivanessa]

6 minutes ago, BookWitch said:

The house they left is listed on Zillow for 160k. 5 br. 2 bath on 2 acres(I think) Hobby farm. Looks like a nice house. 

She has a blog, which her husband also contributes to. He posted not long ago that she's working some weekend shifts at a vet ER clinic, so they can make the mortgage payments on their Michigan house. Still on the market. Sigh.

Edited February 25, 2020 by Jeeves

[parrotfeathers]

11 hours ago, Jeeves said:

she's working some weekend shifts at a vet ER clinic

That's one factor that led to her leaving Dr. Pol--being on call for emergencies.

[Minivanessa]

8 hours ago, parrotfeathers said:

That's one factor that led to her leaving Dr. Pol--being on call for emergencies.

But in this case she’s working scheduled shifts, and not every weekend. I am sure she would prefer not to take the extra work, but it seems necessary so they can make the mortgage payments on the unsold house in Michigan. As I understand, she just works regularly scheduled hours at her main job and the extra weekend gig. No getting rousted out of bed for unscheduled calls and then working all day on two hours' sleep. I hope the house sells and she can drop the weekend stuff.

ETA, As I recall, her husband said that she works a Saturday shift, vs. working all weekend. And not every Saturday. 

Edited February 26, 2020 by Jeeves