Vet 101: Profile Q & A — Meet Dr. Lorie Huston DVM

Our Vet 101 feature spotlights Dr. Lorie Huston DVM, veterinarian, an award winning blogger, author, certified veterinary journalist and the president of the Cat Writers’ Association.

Q & A with Veterinarian Dr. Lorie Huston

LMW: You grew up in Nebraska, where farmers understand and accept the cycles of life and death. What were your earliest experiences with animals and when and why did you decide to become a veterinarian?

LH: Though I did grow up in Nebraska, I grew up in the city, not on a farm. My earliest experiences with animals was with our family pets, Pepper (the family dog) and Tubby and Midge (the two family cats.) I knew from an early age that I wanted to become a veterinarian. Though I briefly considered other careers, I never really waivered very much in that desire. And I have no regrets now about my decision. I love being a veterinarian.

LMW: In what way did these early experiences prepare you for the reality of veterinary college?

LH: The thing that really prepared me for the reality of becoming a veterinarian was spending time in a veterinary hospital, watching what was done and how.

LMW: What advice would you give a child thinking they might want to be a vet?

LH: Concentrate on your school work and make sure you get good grades. Veterinary school requires a strong science background.

LMW: What are the biggest changes in veterinary medicine you’ve experienced since launching your career?

LH: There are constantly changes in the field. Since I started practicing, we have re-evaluated vaccination protocols and procedures. We now have much more sophisticated diagnostic and treatment options for many diseases as well. Perhaps one of the biggest shifts in the profession has been toward the active promotion of regular wellness care for all pets.

LMW: There are more women entering the field since you were a student. What kind of gender gap did you experience in veterinary college? Have you experienced gender discrimination?

LH:My veterinary class was approximately ½ women, I think. Now, many graduating veterinary classes are predominantly women, from what I understand. I can’t say that I ever felt any real gender discrimination in my career. That’s not to say that it didn’t exist previously or might not exist even now, just that I’ve been lucky enough not encounter it. I should add though that I’ve never had children so never had reason to ask for maternity leave or child care. I’m not sure if that would have made a difference or not.

LMW: Have you noticed differences working in the Midwest vs. the East Coast (where you now practice) in terms of types of issues seen or attitudes of clients?

LH: Not really. I think pet owners tend to view their pets in a similar manner no matter where they are located.

LMW: Statistically, cats receive less frequent vets visits than dogs. Why is that in your opinion and what do you recommend to improve those stats for cats?

LM: That’s very true and there are many contributing factors. There are also many different ways to go about improving those statistics. But those answers are much too lengthy to go into here.

LMW: What are your favorite and least favorite things about being a vet?

LH: My favorite part of being a veterinarian is being able to help a pet owner keep his/her pet healthy and happy. My least favorite is when it comes time to say goodbye to a pet.

LMW: Tell us about your own pets and/or clinic pets. Do your pets at home react to “clinic scent”. Other than washing your hands when you get home, what do you recommend pet parents do after touching pets outside the home?

LH: I live with six cats. They were all rescue pets presented to the hospital where I work. In terms of keeping your own pets healthy if you handle pets outside the home, I would advise keeping your pets up-to-date on vaccines and taking active measures to prevent parasites (both external and internal). Routine hygienic measures (such as washing your hands, as you mentioned) are also critical.

LMW: Vets are notorious for being large-hearted and tend to have numerous pets. What’s your personal limit and how do you stick to it?

LH: My personal limit is the six cats I currently have. That’s primarily because we successfully use Feliway currently to keep inter-cat tensions under control. But I think if any others were added, it would be too many for the size of my home and we would start running into behavioral/territorial issues.

We recommend visiting Lorie’s excellent and informative blog Pet Health Care Gazette