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The Traveling Dogtor

Veterinary Medicine – Mental Health – Pet Advice

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Emergency medicine is hard. There’s no sugarcoat

Emergency medicine is hard. There’s no sugarcoating it (unless you’re sugar coating a prolapsed rectum 😂). Days are longs. People can be exhausting. Things don’t always go your way. It’s loud and you sometimes second guess yourself. Could I have done more? Could I have done something differently?

I beg of you… Stop saying “you’ll get through this” or “don’t be so emotional” or “it was worse for me” etc, etc. Stop gaslighting me and my colleagues. It makes us feel like we are doing something wrong. Shit is real and it’s hard and honestly I think that we deserve to feel (or not) and express (or not) and process (or not) the information we receive in an often >12 hour shift in the way that is best for us.

It’s not a bad thing to cry to your colleagues, or to hug your owners, or to feel sympathy and sometimes empathy for their situation. It’s what makes us human. And honestly, the connections I build at work with my pet owners and staff are some of my favorite parts of my job.

Grateful for both the good and bad shifts. Grateful for my community at @veterinary_emergency_group for creating a positive and supportive work environment and always having their team’s back. And once again, grateful for funny moments of prolapsed rectums and holding hands with @karlieb1287, for 12 hour estimates for oxygen dependent 21 year old cats, and puppies. Always puppies.

As an emergency veterinarian, one of the most comm

As an emergency veterinarian, one of the most common cases I see is a dog who presents for vomiting and diarrhea. In this situation, there are a few things I think about…

1️⃣ Was there a recent change in diet?
2️⃣ Has the dog eaten a high fat meal?
3️⃣ Does the dog eat things around the house?

In all gastrointestinal cases, whether acute or chronic, I send owners home with a gastrointestinal diet. I absolutely love @purina @proplan Veterinary Diet EN Fiber Balance for dogs who have chronic large bowel diarrhea. The added fiber in this diet helps keep the stool firm for long-term management.

Utilizing a therapeutic gastrointestinal diet saves the pet owners from having to prepare a bland meal at home that may not be complete and balanced and gives the gut time to recover.

🌟 If you are a veterinarian, what types of veterinary diets do you prescribe most often?

#sponsored #BrandPartner

Just some baby bunny vibes for this hump day🐇🐰

Listen to your body. Rest when you need to. Get after it when you need to. Stay positive and look for the good in each day, even if things don’t always go as planned.

Taking my own advice today and spending time with friends and resting. Major love to you all!

Drop a 🐰 if you love working with bunnies 😍

The transition to doctor has been hard and I haven

The transition to doctor has been hard and I haven’t been giving this platform as much time and attention as it deserves.

I want to be transparent that a lot of things have been happening in my personal life that have made it difficult to balance everything that I have on my plate.

Every day (especially on days I work), I have decided to name out loud three good things that happened that day. Once I started this, my mental health began to turn around. I started to feel better, more like myself. I am so thankful to be in such a supportive community. Thankful for my friends and family. Thankful for the people who lift me up when I fall.

And today, I am thankful for @wearfigs and their continued support of veterinarians. SO excited to help launch their new electric blue color 💙 Check them out! FIGSxTravelingDogtor for $$ off 💙

It’s Vet Tech Appreciation Week! And we’re giv

It’s Vet Tech Appreciation Week! And we’re giving away @purina @proplan swag!!

I seriously couldn’t do my job without the amazing veterinary technicians, assistants, and staff at my hospital.

To put it in perspective… On day one of my job as a new grad veterinarian I was asked for an IV fluid rate for a dog and I hesitated. I thought to myself, “How do I calculate fluid rates again?” I turned to my vet tech (@alii316 😘) with a blank stare and she said, “Dr. Baden, how does this fluid rate sound?” She knew I was overwhelmed and she helped me succeed that day. There are so many more stories of veterinary technicians stepping in and helping me throughout my career - both before veterinary school when I worked as a veterinary assistant, during clinics as a vet student, and now as a doctor.

To enter the giveaway:

1️⃣ Follow @traveling_dogtor and @proplan

2️⃣ Like this post ❤️

3️⃣ Comment and tag your favorite veterinary technician or assistant and tell them why you appreciate them!

4️⃣ Earn an extra entry if you share this post on your story 🔥

Giveaway ends on 10/24/21 at midnight!

This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram. Good luck!

P.S. Picture is a throwback to my veterinary assistant days pre-vet school! How time flies 🤯

#sponsored #BrandPartner

As emergency doctors at @veterinary_emergency_grou

As emergency doctors at @veterinary_emergency_group, we also see exotics 🐍🐰🦉🦜 Because we get so little experience with exotic animal medicine in vet school, VEG makes sure we feel comfortable by providing us with training at CSU. I love working with exotic animals and did a lot of supplement training through externships, but even with experience I still learned so much. If you love exotic animals, but also love your dog and cat patients, I highly recommend emergency medicine.

✈️ Now I’m heading to Atlanta to watch my best friend @myfriendpage get married (again 😂). I CANNOT WAIT🔥🔥🔥 #atliens

What experience do you have working with exotics??

Almost every time I am at work, I get asked this q

Almost every time I am at work, I get asked this question: “What food should I be feeding my pet?”

Not every veterinarian feels comfortable answering questions about nutrition. We know the basics: Complete and balanced food is key. Pets need nutrients, not ingredients. And a pet food company with good quality control is paramount. However, did you know that there is a resource for veterinarians to make it easier to provide the information your clients need to make informed decisions when choosing a pet food?

Let me introduce CentreSquare from Purina Institute - a place where veterinary professionals can search for a broad range of information on pet nutrition to facilitate client-friendly conversations. Many resources such as easy to understand infographics are provided to enrich your conversations about pet nutrition. Everything is downloadable and easy to share, whether in person or virtually.

Swipe to see a walk through of the website (recorded from my phone 😂). You can also check out @vet.lauren and I back in the day touring the Purina Institute.

🤓I will definitely be using CentreSquare’s key messages to convey important information that clients need to know on the fly while working as an emergency vet.

🌟How often do you have conversations with clients about nutrition? What do you find pet owners ask about most often?

P.S. Try out CentreSquare next time you are at work and see if it helps!

#sponsored #BrandPartner

First time unblocking a cat ✅ Thankful for the

First time unblocking a cat ✅

Thankful for the opportunity to learn how to doctor with this crew.

Heading to Denver now for part 2 of my training at CSU. Abdominal surgery, more ultrasound, and exotic animal medicine in the ER 😍😍 Cannot wait!

Did you check out my VEGgie talks with @southernpetvet? What did you think?

This is my VEG Tampa NERD (New ER Doctor) Herd (ch

This is my VEG Tampa NERD (New ER Doctor) Herd (cheesy but I love it).

I feel like it’s only appropriate to introduce you to three of the most incredible humans I have ever had the pleasure of working with.

From Left ➡️ Right…

Starting with @sincerelydoctorliane. Liane looks amazing always, which really helps improve our team’s average because the rest of us rarely brush our hair before work. Liane and I both struggled, and I profusely sweated, through our first *extremely challenging* GDV surgery together with our senior doctor (which was also awesome).

Then there’s @downey.lauren who is basically a bro and one of the most down to earth people I’ve ever met. Somehow we didn’t know she was going to be with us at VEG Tampa, and she played it totally cool when we admitted to leaving her out. Also, she broke her hand in Chicago, and pretended it didn’t hurt for 3 days until she was forced to go to the ER. Quite the bada**.

Next, @jmancino1 who didn’t follow me on Instagram until today when I shamed him, even though we’ve been friends since first year of vet school. He is 6’5” so you can see him from anywhere in the hospital, and his dog is broken so he is great with customers who also have broken dogs. If you ever need to feel good about yourself because he is making fun of himself, he’s the go-to.

And then there’s me, who most of you know! You may not know that I can be super awkward. I hate zoom calls but am working on it. I come off confident but also am just figuring it out day by day. I like wine and the beach and am obsessed with my dog and my mom (even though she doesn’t like my dog which is confusing).

Real talk, having these three with me during these initial transition months is everything. We pick each other up and celebrate each other’s successes. I know that these are friends for life and I feel so grateful.

Thank you @veterinary_emergency_group for bringing us all together ❤️

What questions do you have about EET? Feel free to comment or message me 😍

You can also check out my VEGgie talks with @southernpetvet this Monday, September 27 at 7:30pm when I will be coming straight off a day shift so I will definitely be thriving 😂

#sponsored 𝔸𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕡𝕖𝕥 𝕠𝕨𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕤!!

Apollo and I are so excited to have partnered with @zoetispetcare to share their amazing vet-approved resources for pet owners 🐶🐱 These resources include topics like how to prepare for a vet visit, things your vet wishes you knew, tips for a successful curbside vet visit, and more. Plus, their Vet Visit Prep Checklist is available for pet owners to download!

🌟They are currently hosting a social media sweepstakes for the chance to win $1,000 in Zoetis Petcare Rewards to spend on vet care – visit @zoetispetcare to enter.

Check it all out at the link in my bio ⬆️ #thisispetcare

One of the most common feline emergencies I see as

One of the most common feline emergencies I see as an ER veterinarian are urinary obstructions! We often refer to these as “blocked cats”. There are many reasons for cats to block, and we call this collection of disease processes many names including lower urinary tract signs(LUTS) and feline lower urinary tract disease(FLUTD). Urinary obstruction is an emergency and can be caused by plugs, stones, cancer and inflammation of the bladder to name a few. Dehydration is a contributing factor to this condition, which is one reason why I recommend Hydra Care for these kitties!

Cats evolved as desert animals and, compared to dogs, appear to have a less effective and incomplete response to dehydration. This suggests that almost any cat could benefit from increased hydration. Factors to consider in assessing hydration and considering supplementation are lifestyle and medical conditions.

FLUTD is not the only condition that can likely benefit from Hydra Care. Dehydrated cats can also develop chronic constipation—a condition that can be mitigated with additional fluids. Swipe for more information🐈💧🐈‍⬛

Can you think of any other feline conditions that could benefit from @hydra_care?

P.S. These new @wearfigs scrubs are DA BOMB. FIGSxTravelingDogtor for $$$ off 🔥

#sponsored #BrandPartner

When my own dog developed hip dysplasia at 10 mont

When my own dog developed hip dysplasia at 10 months old and I had to choose a diet for him, there were three things that were important to me in a joint diet:

1️⃣ Does it work?
2️⃣ Does it taste good?
3️⃣ Is it safe for my growing puppy?

After talking to the nurses and doctors at my veterinary school, @Purina @ProPlan Veterinary Diets Joint Mobility (JM) was the favorite by far – both based on taste and results.

Since Apollo’s hip surgery, he has been fed EXCLUSIVELY Purina JM. Trust me when I say, this food is INCREDIBLE. When I don’t feed Apollo his Purina JM diet, I notice a significant difference.

The coolest thing about Purina JM is that this diet was the FIRST to apply molecular level innovation to the development of a therapeutic diet containing specific nutrients, including a high level of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s reduce inflammation and can help slow the progression of arthritis that inevitably develops due to orthopedic disease.

I am so happy that I am part of the Purina family. I will always feed my dog Purina JM because it works AND he loves it.

🌟My question to you is this… Do you feed a veterinary prescription diet to your pet?? Which is your favorite?

Finished my first week as a VEGgie and am absolute

Finished my first week as a VEGgie and am absolutely loving it. ER can be tough, but I am so thankful for the people that make VEG so great. I feel so supported as a new grad doctor, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision to do Early Entry Track. That being said, the program is not easy. It does feel like an internship at times when I am at the hospital for 15 hours. But I am thankful for our days off. Thankful for the positive community. Thankful for actually being paid (lol).

Also, obsessed with these scrubs from @wearfigs. Link in bio has my discount code 💜

(📸 @pupford love you guys)

Training at Colorado State University (CSU) has be

Training at Colorado State University (CSU) has been amazing. I am so lucky to have these two friends in my life. Thankful for the best time seeing a show at Red Rocks and checking off another item on my bucket list. Seriously, if you have never been to a show here, GO!

It’s pretty cool that @veterinary_emergency_group gives us a day off during our training to actually explore the area. One of the other groups actually went white water rafting and it looked incredible! With just a few days left in Colorado, today we are finishing our training on Point of Care Ultrasound, and tomorrow we start endoscopy!

If you are considering emergency veterinary medicine, this training for Early Entry Track is incredible. The team at CSU is really going above and beyond to teach us and I am super grateful for this opportunity.

For my vet friends out there - did you receive any formal training in endoscopy or ultrasound??

Did you know that nutrition was originally what dr

Did you know that nutrition was originally what drew me to veterinary medicine?

That’s right.

I loved how veterinarians used nutrition to help manage chronic disease in their patients. When I first shadowed at a veterinary clinic, I saw veterinarians practice medicine in a way that didn’t require long-term medication… sometimes it just required a diet low in sodium or a diet rich with omega-3 fatty acids.

To be honest, I didn’t know much about Purina coming into veterinary school. I had worked in a hospital that carried two other brands of veterinary prescription diets, so Purina was new for me. However, after walking around the hospital and talking to the veterinary staff, I couldn’t help but notice how everyone was talking about Purina. It wasn’t just that Purina worked – a lot of prescription diets work – it was that their food tasted good too!

I sought out the Purina Student Ambassador position, and patiently waited for interviews during my first year of veterinary school. Thankfully, I got the job. During my time as a student ambassador, I learned so much about nutrition, attended training conferences where students traveled to Purina headquarters, learned from some of the most influential doctors in the veterinary industry, and visited Purina factories where pet food is produced. We were able to go behind the scenes and see what it takes to make high quality food for our pets.

At the end of the day, I love Purina because I trust Purina. I know the company, I trust the veterinarians, I have seen the factories, I have met the quality assurance team. I trust this company enough to feed my own dog Purina (and most of you know I am obsessed with my dog).

I hope you will join me over the next few months as I continue to share my journey as an ambassador for Purina. We will cover so much – from Apollo’s diet (Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets JM) to probiotics, to a new supplement that helps hydrate cats.
To my veterinary friends – please share these posts! Let’s take back the nutrition dialogue & work to educate owners about nutrition. Together, we can help pets live their best lives. After all, that’s the end goal.

Proud #BrandPartner #sponsored

One of my goals for Traveling Dogtor for 2021 was

One of my goals for Traveling Dogtor for 2021 was to participate in more philanthropic activities, so when @dogspotted approached me about the Walk 2 Miles 2 Save Lives Walkathon, I had to say yes!

Bring all the pups and join Apollo & me for a morning stroll on Saturday, 8/21 at 9:00am. All proceeds benefit animal rescue! We will be walking the dogs through Hyde Park, Bayshore, and ending in SoHo at a dog-friendly spot for some food/drinks. Details of the walk to come!

☀️Not in Tampa? No problem, you can participate virtually with our team from wherever you are located, so long as you download the MoveSpring app that is mentioned below.

☀️In Tampa Bay, but unavailable at the time of the walk? No problem! You can do the walk on your own time and still participate with the Traveling Dogtor Team!

☀️Don't want to walk, but still want to donate? No problem. You are welcome to go ahead and donate and not participate in the walk-a-thon, although we will miss you ❤️

To join the Walk-a-Thon, follow these instructions:

1. Click on the link in my bio ⬆️

2. Click "Donate" and donate $20 ($10/mile) to any rescue from the drop-down list. You can find more information about the rescue organizations by clicking on the link above.

3. Select Dr. Shelby Baden as your Team Captain.

4. Check your e-mail and follow their instructions. Download the "MoveSpring" app using the link they provide so your steps can be counted the day of the walk-a-thon. Our team can also communicate easier before the event using this app!

See you there!

I AM A VEGGIE🥕🥦🥬 (featuring shameless sel

I AM A VEGGIE🥕🥦🥬 (featuring shameless selfie in my new VEG gear 😎)

Today marks the end of my first week of orientation for @veterinary_emergency_group’s Early Entry Track (EET) program!

To be honest, I am so freaking happy. I am so happy to be surrounded by peers and mentors in the veterinary community who love their jobs. Who want to make a difference. Who strive for real change.

This week was a week of “firsts”, but the best “first” was walking into the VEG hospital in North Tampa yesterday and introducing myself as Dr. Baden. From a baby bird (as @vet.lauren so eloquently calls us baby vet students in her beautiful IG posts 😍) to a doctor with an actual veterinary license 😱. It is finally starting to get real.

No matter where you end up in life, no matter what you are doing for a job, no matter what situations are occurring that are beyond your control… the best advice I could give would be this:

Surround yourself with people who support you. People who believe in you. People who are kind. People who genuinely want you to succeed…

And you will succeed.

And now.... SEE YOU ON THE FLIP SIDE! Taking the weekend off to celebrate 🔥🔥🔥YAS!

𝔻𝕒𝕪 𝟙 𝕠𝕗 𝕍𝔼𝔾 𝕆𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 is over & I am so excited to officially start (although Apollo is less than excited that we will have less cuddle time 😂)!

I have my Early Entry Track (EET) schedule for the next few months and it is intense but do-able. Today, we heard from some amazing VEG doctors and other VEGgies, and I feel so grateful to be starting my vet career with this company.

This week, we are shadowing and completing VEG orientation. We also have some pre-course work to complete for our RECOVER certificate (Basic & Advanced Life Support), as well as for our Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) course that will be at Colorado State University next week. All EETs will be traveling to Fort Collins, Colorado to be trained on CPR, POCUS, and GI endoscopy for 10 days before we start our first real in-hospital shifts.

So far, I am very impressed. VEG is investing a lot of energy and funds to make sure we are confident and successful emergency doctors. They have also emphasized that although EET will be challenging, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨 and will work hard to make us comfortable during our training.

What questions do you have for me as I start EET? Let me know and I will do my best to answer!

P.S. Shout out to @abbbatar and @veterinary_emergency_group for the stellar VEG swag 😍

𝑭𝒊𝒈𝒔 𝑮𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚

𝑭𝒊𝒈𝒔 𝑮𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 CLOSED! Huge congrats to @blakelymbrown ❤️❤️ Check out @vet.lauren and @southernpetvet for the other two winners of our giveaway! And thank you to everyone who entered 🙌
________________________________

And I have teamed up with two awesome ER docs to bring you guys three pairs! 🤍

Ashley, Lauren, and I all love being 𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕪 𝕧𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕟𝕤, and we each have our specific 𝕨𝕙𝕪…

Why ER? I quickly realized that I thrived in a fast-pace environment (like ER) while in my clinical year of veterinary school. During my externships, I loved that emergency medicine integrated so many different specialties, from orthopedics to cardiology to neurology, and that I could work with a variety of animal species. When I found @veterinary_emergency_group, I knew that they were the right fit for me and my goals as a new grad veterinarian. I am super excited to begin my new grad ER vet journey, and am so thankful for the amazing VEGgie mentors in my life, like @southernpetvet and @vet.lauren <3

To ENTER:

1️⃣ FOLLOW:
@wearfigs
@traveling_dogtor
@vet.lauren
@southernpetvet

2️⃣ LIKE this post. 🤍

3️⃣ TAG a friend in separate comments - unlimited entries y’all!

4️⃣ SHARE to your story and tag us to get an extra entry.

Giveaway ends 7/23 at noon. Winners will be chosen at random and announced later that evening. For 🇺🇸 and 🇨🇦 only.

This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram. Good luck 👍🏼🤩

Last week, I traveled to Utah to film a Dog First

Last week, I traveled to Utah to film a Dog First Aid and Health Essentials Course with Pupford as part of their Pupford academy. 🐾 Swipe Right to see the promo video ➡️😍➡️.

I absolutely loved every minute of my experience with Pupford, and am so excited to share this course with the world. My passion is to help people and their pets live healthier and happier lives through education and awareness. And I am grateful every day that I can serve this community through collaborating with companies like Pupford.

This course is everything I wish I would have known before I became a veterinarian, and it is a great opportunity for dog owners to learn the reasons why veterinarians recommend the things they do. This course is also a great refresher for veterinary students who are thinking about going into emergency or general practice!

Topics covered include:
▫️Vaccines & Preventatives
▫️Tips for Dog Owners (dental care, nail care, dog-proofing, etc.)
▫️OTC remedies for common concerns that don’t require veterinary treatment
▫️What to do in the event of an emergency
▫️How to know if your dog needs to go to the ER
▫️AND MORE!

🌟We are offering a 10% discount for full access to this course for a LIMITED TIME only. This discount will expire on August 4th, so check it out at the link in my bio and use the code TravelingDogtor10 for 10% off!

P.S. This code works for the ENTIRE Pupford website, so if you would like to purchase something else, this discount code will also work!

Can’t wait to hear your feedback!

#pupford #dogtraining #dogmom #dogdad #veterinarian #pethealth #doghealth #dogadvice #petadvice #pettips

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