Live, Learn, Vet

07/08/2024

I see you out there! New grads are everywhere, hustling in their internships and new jobs! And, I know you have about a billion million questions about allergic disease in dogs and cats right about now.

Well, guess what? I got you!

Follow my account, share, tag your friends, visit my website, and relax - you have a herd of old grads (who you calling old!?) right behind you who were in your shoes, and are thriving in this profession. You can do it. But, you have to know where and when to get help! Live, Learn, Vet™ is the place to receive information about allergic disease in dogs and cats. Online, affordable, practical, fun CE made just for you by a with a passion and knack for teaching complicated subjects in really easy to understand ways.

Come check it out! And, tell your friends to join you! 🧠🔥🐾🥰

03/08/2024

One of the fun lectures that I am working on right now is about the influence of breed on the development of various skin diseases, including allergic disease. Do you ever see yourself wondering why [most] German Shepherds seem to have explosive, ulcerated lesions when they have allergies? And, why [most] French Bulldogs seem to have the same paw and ear problems? And, why Labradors can develop the world's worst pododermatitis?

Well, I am curious about that too! And, so I decided to pull the papers and write a lecture about it. It is new content for Vet Vacation CE in Hawaii in October 2024! And, I am psyched about it.

BUT - I do talk about this in my renowed Medication Masters course. So, if you want a tasty preview and/or can't make it to Hawaii - check out that course to learn more!

ESPECIALLY you VETERINARY STUDENTS. This course is FOR YOU! Head start on clinics, right here. Link in the comments!

01/08/2024

Just saying. Traveling to a conference is fun and all, but there's something to be said about learning on your own watch, in your own house, in your own pajamas. And, I *promise* that I deliver when it comes to engaging, worth-it CE content. Come check me-owwwwt! 🧠🔥🐾🐾🥰

27/07/2024

Absolutely incredible feeling being in my home city , learning about my true professional passion , and seeing all of my beautiful colleagues 💕💕

26/07/2024

Yes! This is it! Clear and concise. I want to help you, you don't have a lot of time, I am here to just give you the info you need to make informed decisions for your allergic patients. Thank you for the feedback on my Medication Masters course, Dr. Vasilatis! 🧠🥰🐾🔥

What's Medication Masters? Come see for yourself - https://www.livelearnvet.com/medications

24/07/2024

Pretty excited for Congress of Veterinary Dermatology that is happening this weekend in Boston! If you don't know by now, veterinary dermatologists have the best conferences!

22/07/2024

I needed this reminder today. Do you?

What are you waiting for? What are you looking to start?

🐾🥰🧠🔥

Me? How about 39482043 new courses for veterinarians about allergic disease so I can change the face of how veterinarians practice, so that they can like their jobs a little more, and feel more confident in their day-to-day with allergic cases. NBD.

19/07/2024

Hundreds of veterinarians have taken my courses (thank you!). And, not a single one hasn't felt more prepared to up their game as a practitioner. You know how that feels? Really freakin' good.

I love empowering our profession. This is my way to do that. Come learn with me! 🐾🧠🔥🥰

18/07/2024

I'm just still not sure how Winston Churchill got involved in my post yesterday. I love how many of you were concerned that I got tagged for false information. Thank you for sharing that with me. I know who has my back 🥰

17/07/2024

I can't be all about dermatology all the time. I like to sprinkle in some woo, self-care, compassionate practice, mindfulness, and other here and there. Because....YOU DESERVE IT and you can TAKE CARE OF YOU. 🐾🧠🔥🥰

15/07/2024

Any patient with skin and/or ear disease can be referred to a Board Certified Veterinary Dermatologist®! You should never wonder if a patient is severe enough, sick enough, chronic enough, or otherwise worthy enough of our time.

We will take any and all patients that you send to us!

Why?

🐾 Because early management of allergic disease is key to preventing chronic disease progress.
🐾 Because knowledge is power and we can help pet owners understand more about the issue to help increase compliance and persistence.
🧠 Because it might not be allergies.
🔥 Because team work makes the dream work

There are many reasons why we appreciate your referrals! Don't hesitate to send literally any and every allergic case, itchy dog, cat, etc that will come to us. While we know that you CAN MANAGE THESE CASES, we also know that YOU ARE BUSY and doing ALL THE THINGS already. We're here for you!

Check out the Find a Dermatologist feature at www.acvd.org

12/07/2024

Heading to Hawaii in October to give three lectures - and this is one of them! I love this lecture because it provides really basic, yet actionable, information for veterinarians when it comes to allergen testing and immunotherapy decisions for their patients.

Can't make it to Hawaii? 😎

That's okay - you can just take my online course and get a more in-depth course on this exact subject! 🧠🥰🐾🔥

10/07/2024

If you are like most veterinarians, you are wondering when and how to use serology allergen testing in your practice. Good thing I created a course for you allllllll about that! This is a practical, 6-hour, online, self-paced, lifetime access, wickedly great course all about allergen testing and immunotherapy for dogs and cats! Come check it out @ www.livelearnvet.com. This course is a must for any veterinary practitioner who sees allergic dogs and cats! 🥰🧠🐾🔥

08/07/2024

I have handouts! For free! Come check them out!

Chances are good that you will appreciate a solid replacement for your current handouts for allergic dogs and cats! 🥰🧠🐾🔥

05/07/2024

Raise your hand if you are asking pet owners about their dog's p**p! I do this for every appointment as a Board Certified Veterinary Dermatologist® and you should too! This is a great way to assess GI health. And, I think it can really help to put that puzzle together as to whether or not a dog could have a food allergy issue.

I use Purina's p**p chart and ask owners to show me what their dog's p**p looks like. That way, they aren't saying "it's normal" when it really is softer than it should be. What's normal? FCS 2 or 3 - one to two defecations/day. 💩

If you don't ask about p**p, who will? 🥰🐾🔥🧠

03/07/2024

This is where it's at! A recent graduate of my Medication Masters course shared these thoughts - and I am so appreciative of the time she took to engage with the course material and learn new things. 🧠🥰🐾🔥

01/07/2024

If you are a veterinarian looking for a solid foundation in treating allergic skin and ear disease in dogs and cats, then this is your new home! I am a Board Certified Veterinary Dermatologist® who loves to bring practical, engaging, and affordable CE to veterinarians far and wide. Come check out my site and what I have to offer. 🧠🥰🐾🔥🧠

30/06/2024

Did you guys know that Live, Learn, Vet (formerly The Allergic Dog) is run by one person and one person only? Me! Meagan Painter, DVM, DACVD. I pride myself on being a small, woman-owned veterinary business --- even if I am not a brick-and-mortar style situation! This is my gig, I started it from scratch, it comes from my brain and my passions, and viola here we are!

If you find little typos - I made those!
If you laugh at my jokes - thanks, I made those!
If you think I am different from the rest - you're right!
If you wonder if I have someone helping me with my social - sure don't!
If you wonder if I am the person who actually makes the courses - sure do!
If you're wondering if I will email you back if you message me - sure will!

I like not being corporate. I like not having some big structure that I have to manage. But, let me tell you - I am a SMALLLLLL FISH. So, help make me a bigger fish by following me and liking my posts. It makes a big difference to me. And, it makes a big difference to the patients who benefit from the knowledge bombs I pass along to their veterinarian (that's you!).

Like. Follow. Visit. Mailing List. Whatever you do. Just support, and spread the word, and share, and know that I typed all of these little words for you this morning at my office in the attic, just me, with my coffee. xo 🔥🧠🐾🥰

29/06/2024

I took a bit of a break from social and course creation to let the next direction of Live, Learn, Vet come through to me. And, it just hit! Calling all ! I see a huge influx of new veterinary schools (exciting!). BUT, few of them have solid dermatology curriculums (yikes!). Also, many of our currently established universities are struggling to keep their dermatology services open. I can help with that!

If you're new here, welcome! I am a Board Certified Veterinary Dermatologist® who makes online courses for veterinarians about allergic skin and ear disease in dogs and cats. My courses are practical, reasonably priced, and encouraging. You will walk away a stronger veterinarian with more advanced patient care skills after taking one (or all!) of my courses. Promise.

If you're not new here, hi! Can we talk about connections to universities? Does anyone know someone who knows someone? Send people to my website and get on the mailing list.

Here's what I am going to build --- a free 2 hour (+/-) course for new . This will cover some basics of diagnosis, disease recognition, patholophysiology, and approach. What do you think? I think it's a GREAT idea and a much needed resource.

What to do now? SIGN UP ON MY MAILING LIST.

1. Go to my website www.livelearnvet.com
2. Sign up for the Allergic Dog Handout Packet - a freebie for you!
3. This will get you on my mailing list
4. DM me if you think you could have an in-road to a new veterinary school to help establish my courses officially somewhere.

Great to be back! More to come! 🧠🐾🥰🔥

08/06/2024

Happy Pride 🏳️‍🌈

04/05/2024

Plot twist. Dr. Painter wants to move to Beaufort, SC now.

01/05/2024

On my way to the DVMoms Encouragement Conference! It’s an honor to attend this event. Even more an honor to speak at this event! Let’s go!

https://vetmomencouragementce.com

23/04/2024

YES! I love this comment from a recent Medication Masters course alum. Get those patients back in and revisit their medication plan because of your new knowledge. That is the fire right there! WELL DONE, Dr. Brown! 🧠

20/04/2024

19/04/2024

Wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it. Share the love today.

🥰🐾🧠

18/04/2024

The diet trial is a diagnostic test that is used to determine what percentage of your patient's allergic problem is driven by food. This test should last 8 weeks.

ANSWER - C!

There are a few updated studies which look at the use of prednisone to shorten the length of the diet trial. It is not a bad idea to consider this option, but, in general, I feel that it is best to just set your intention at this being an 8-week test for most of your patients.

Why is this important?

✔ We want pet owners to have an understanding of this being a test that is to be performed to a diagnostic standard over a certain period of time. Setting that standard at 8-weeks follows the science and gives us the best chance of determining if food is a trigger for your patient.
✔ I hear a lot of veterinarians saying "let's try a diet trial" and "see how it goes". I really want to shift this language to "we are performing an important test" and "I will see you back at your recheck in 8 weeks to talk about how this all went".
✔ You will miss some patients if you do not go the full 8 weeks - and you probably won't gain much by going longer.
✔ Set up those rechecks and get excited for your patient to be better! I love the potential of a diet trial so much. It never gets old to have a patient improve because of a diet shift. 🥰🐾🐶

17/04/2024

If you are about to graduate or enter your clinical year, I want to make sure you know about Live, Learn, Vet!

I too was once a veterinary student! And, now I am here, as a Board Certified Veterinary Dermatologist® making amazing CE for veterinarians about allergic diseases in the dog and cat.

When you start your first job as a GP, intern, urgent care doctor, emergency doctor, or anything in between you are going to see 937 allergy cases a day (or so it will feel). Get prepared! Get smarter! Get ahead! Get enrolled!

My courses are online, self-paced, and you will have lifetime access to them. I have priced them so that you can afford them, even on your silly student loan budget (been there, still am there, get that).

So, yeah, sign up. It's a no-brainer, promise. SHARE THIS POST TO ALL THE VETERINARY STUDENTS IN YOUR LIFE! 🧠🐾🥰🐶🧠

16/04/2024

We need an improved hydrolyzed canned food for cat diet trials and we need it now! That is all. 🐾🔥🧠

15/04/2024

Here's something to add to your to-do list. Sign up for the allergen testing and immunotherapy course @ Live, Learn, Vet. It's a really useful course for any veterinarian or veterinary student who is curious about allergen testing and immunotherapy. Which...is probably you. 🧠🥰🐾

13/04/2024

Gingival overgrowth is a side effect of the long-term administration of cyclosporine and may also be influenced by other predisposing factors, like bacterial plaque.

I see this routinely, because cyclosporine (modified) is a staple therapeutic for medical management of allergic disease in some of the dogs (and cats!) that I see.

It is important to alert pet owners to the potential for this side effect after you start a dog or cat on this medication. This will empower the pet owner to look out for this development, so we can address it sooner than later.

Some of my tips for this include:

✔ Dose reduce when you see this complication. I will usually go to 25% of the original dose and/or reduce the frequency of administration as well (q48h instead of q24h).
✔ Recheck the patient in about 6-8 weeks to see what progress has been made with this change. If there is no change, consider switching therapeutics.
✔ Address the primary cause of their disease aggressively! It is always better to treat the root cause than to mask symptoms with medication. When we start to see side effects from medication, that provides even more support to this! Make sure you have done what you can to work up the root cause of your patient's allergy.
✔ Consider an alternative therapeutic. This patient might need to switch off cyclosporine entirely. Monitor closely for flare when you do this.
✔ Ensure the patient has adequate dental attention! There is a role of gingival inflammation and plaque for these cases. COHATs are necessary!

Have you seen this before? What do you do? What has worked or not worked? Share, comment, you know the drill. 🥰🐾🧠🔥