Veterinary Medicine - August 2007 - (Page 558)

Mind Over Miller musings from Dr. Robert M. Miller I can drive 55 F uel prices are projected to reach $4 a gallon some time in the near future. I was paying that much and more in Europe five years ago, so the price doesn’t alarm me as much as it does other Robert M. Miller, DVM, is an author and a cartoonist, speaker, and Veterinary Medicine Practitioner Advisory Board member from Thousand Oaks, Calif. His thoughts in “Mind Over Miller” are drawn from 32 years as a mixed-animal practitioner. Visit his Web site at www.robertmmiller.com. people. I’m a lot more concerned about our dependence on foreign oil and the environmental effects created by our enormous use of fossil fuels than about the price. Three decades ago, we experienced an oil shortage, and one of the solutions was to create a nationwide 55-mph speed limit for several years. It was rigidly enforced in some states and lackadaisically enforced in others, but even where it wasn’t regularly enforced, average speeds dropped. During those years, driving all around to see my large-animal patients, I noticed how much less fatigued I was at the end of the day. Driving in highspeed traffic is stressful. I also noticed that there were fewer highway accidents. As soon as the 55-mph limit was removed, the number of accidents increased noticeably. Isn’t it interesting that with the present fuel crisis, not one voice has called for a resumption of the 55-mph speed limit? I haven’t heard a single suggestion from the government, the citizenry, or even environmentalists that we employ this simple, logical, and lifesaving solution. It is because we are a speed-obsessed, frantic society. Fast food! Fast music! Onesecond TV commercials! Tennis shoes with wheels! The fastest and most reliable postal system in the world is called snail mail. People e-mail instead of thoughtfully writing because it is faster. Multitasking is regarded as a virtuous quality. You can drive a car, talk on a cell phone, watch your GPS navigation screen, and listen to a CD all at the same time. In fact, some really adept individuals can even put on makeup while doing all these tasks, and others can let go of the steering wheel to give another driver the finger. It is easier for me at my age to be cognizant of this speed obsession because I grew up in a slower era. Milk was delivered in horse-drawn wagons. Western Union was quick, and the Super Chief was the fast train. It took only three days to cross the country! The 1939 World’s Fair predicted that someday airplanes carrying 200 people would fly across the nation in one day. Our no-time-to-waste attitude can be found everywhere. At the supermarket, I was at an express checkout counter, which had a sign that clearly stated, “15 items or less.” The shopper in front of me had 18 items. She guiltily explained to me that five yogurts represented only one item. “I see,” I said. “So if you have triplets that only counts as one child?” She replied, “It’s not the same. I’d explain it to you, but I’m in a hurry.” “I know,” I said. “Everybody is.” O Want to come with me on an alpine adventure? Long-time readers know that Debby and I have been to idyllic Switzerland, my favorite little country, many times. Now we are planning what could be our final visit. We have organized a veterinary tour of Switzerland for June 24th to July 7th, 2008. On this tour, we will see the Lauterbrunnen Valley—the most beautiful place I have ever seen—and we will attend an incredible cattle fair that includes yodeling contests featuring groups in native costume from all over Switzerland. We will visit both veterinary schools. And our CE will cover equine and food-, small-, and zoo-animal medicine. If you would like to go with us on this adventurous, educational tour, contact Dr. Ron Fuller at 1862 Cardiff Road, Newark, OH 43055-1506, or call him at (740) 344-3061. I’m organizing the program; he is organizing the travel. We have been to some great places together, but this CE trip will top them all. Don’t miss out! 558 August 2007 VETERINARY MEDICINE The views expressed in “Mind Over Miller” do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial and practitioner advisory boards or the editorial staff. http://www.robertmmiller.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Veterinary Medicine - August 2007

Contents A Veterinary Medicine Interview Veterinary Voices Idea Exchange Diagnosis and Treatment of Solar Dermatitis in Dogs Diagnostic Imaging for Linear Foreign Bodies in Cats Overcoming the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges of Canine Immune-Mediated Thrombocytopenia Ophthalmic drugs: What’s new? CE Form Product Preview Advertiser Index Marketplace/Classifieds Mind Over Miller

Veterinary Medicine - August 2007

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