September 23, 2024 • 34 mins
Maria chats with Heart of Chelsea Veterinary Group's Medical Director Dr. Andrew Torchia about the practice, pet care, pet diseases and more.
A new location in Prospect Heights NY is celebrating with a Grand Opening on Nov. 2nd!
Learn all about Heart of Chelsea Veterinary Group on this episode and at heartofchelsea.com.
A new location in Prospect Heights NY is celebrating with a Grand Opening on Nov. 2nd!
Learn all about Heart of Chelsea Veterinary Group on this episode and at heartofchelsea.com.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Maria's MutS and Stuff.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
What a great idea on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Welcome to Maria's Mutts and Stuff. Now, this is a
very exciting episode for me because it's a first. For
the first time in our new studios that we moved
into almost two years ago. I actually have a live
in studio guest with me. It's doctor Andrew Torsia.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Yes, Hi, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Well, thank you for being here and making the time too,
because I know you had to come into the studio physically.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
I'm excited.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
We're going to talk about the heart of Chelsea Veterinary Care,
which is your employer, your place.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
So let's talk about it. So when did it all begin?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Thet's start.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
So we actually just celebrated our twenty fifth anniversary. Wow,
there's one of my veterinary role models.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Doctor Mark Siebert.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
Okay started this place and the way he talks about it,
he was like we were turning butter in the back
twenty five years ago.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
This is tiny, one room, one exam room.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Place with three employees, and one of them is actually
still an employee, Marsha.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
She's an amazing woman. Uh. And he started this just
by himself.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
And slowly, slowly grew it and focused on creating a
culture that was important to him and that had a
good set of core values. And he hired slowly and
I got to be a part of it as of
six years ago.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
So you've also congratulations to you. Six years That very
a long time, no, but that's great. And I know
that you are. You're kind of local. You grew up
in Pennsylvania, correct, with horses and dogs?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Very right?
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Yeah? Yes, so is that when you decided that you
wanted to be a vet.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
That was part of it.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
It all comes back to mom, right, It's always the
month of course. Yes, So my mom knew it before
I knew it. We grew up with animals, horses, dogs, rats,
give it a chance, sure, durabils, hamsters, everything everything that's cool.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
I absolutely love them, huh.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
And she when I went into college, I did some
art things and I did science at the same time,
and she knew that I wanted to be a vet.
So she actually called our vet clinic for me and
got me this volunteer opportunity.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
And then that summer was just the best summer. Oh,
I'm sure they were amazing.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
So what did you do during was I mean it
was like an internship or it was volunteering.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
Volunteering, yes, okay, but in the surgery room actually what wow?
So I would help mostly carry the animals because I
was an eighteen year.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Old, but still were you watching surgery?
Speaker 2 (02:38):
And then I was in surgery from moment one? Wow,
which was a shock.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
I'm sure it was fun, but I think also doing
that was probably a good test for you to know
that you had like the chops for it.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Does that make sense?
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Yes, it's just a little different when you're a little
different right when you're in it. You you just don't
get intimidated by it. When you're there and there's there's
medicine there, there's confident people there, and the guts and stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Well that's what I mean.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Like I might vomit, So that's I love animals, but
I think if I saw a surgery, I would probably vomit,
so that I wouldn't make a good VET. But I
think the fact that you you know you didn't and
you have a good attitude about it, Does that make sense?
Speaker 2 (03:14):
I do a little talking to someone's brand new going
to watch for the first time, you get light headed.
It's over.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Sure, you just have to let us know, right right.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Bring you to a chair. Everything's going to be fine, right.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
But of course you're doing like you know, as they say,
it kind of like God's work in the sense because
you're saving animals, so you know, I.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Mean, nothing is ession. Yeah, ever, yeah, and I think
about it.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
I mean billions of people, not billions, but there were
like millions of dogs and cats and pets. And I
think when the Doctor first started it twenty five years ago.
I mean the pet industry over twenty five years has exploded.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Yeah, I mean it's really changed it. I even remember
when I was a kid, we loved our pets. Sure,
there's just a little bit of a difference. Yes, and now, honestly,
especially New York. Yeah, that dog is the child, of.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Course, family member.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Now you're absolutely right.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
We treat them as a family member, absolutely, and as
a veterinarian. How lucky is that? Of course I get
to work with people that want to treat their pet. Sure,
New York kind of spoiled me. I'm afraid to go
anywhere else.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Well, you can't go anywhere else.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
You have to stay here here, You're here forever, yes,
which is so good. And we're so happy to have you,
and I'm sure all your clients are thrilled with you.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
I again, I'm just so lucky because they want to
I want a partnership. I want to work with someone
that really cares about their animal and it's in it sure,
and they I want them to hold me responsible too.
I want them to understand every single thing that we're
doing with their pet, of.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Course, and that's very important because a lot of times,
I mean, I've had dogs probably the majority of my life,
and I think there are times when you don't know
what's going on, and you know, say, if your pet
needs surgery or something, and it just so happens like
the person who's trying to explain to you, but they're
not really explaining you kind of you know, it's so hard.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
It's so hard, is so far removed from what everyday
person does. Yes, of course, and if you're in it
a lot, you kind of you have to really keep
yourself in check and make sure that you're not missing
that gap correct. And you can tell when you look
someone in the eyes and you talk, you tell things
they understand or not, especially if it's the first time.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Because I started in the emergency room.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
So sometimes I'm talking about these surgeries that are in
a life threatening situation and I just met you, and
I have to talk to you about bringing your dog
into surgery.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
So you have to really finesse that.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
No, it's going to make them comfortable, right, right, And
a lot of times I know people don't ask questions
because they don't. I mean, I think sometimes people don't
ask questions for themselves at the doctor. So I don't, right,
but you should. You're bad.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
At the doctor. Okay, whatever you say.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
No, you have to ask questions. Promise me you'll start.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
I feel like Maria, tell me I have to ask
questions again.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I'll record it. I go to play it.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
I will, or you'll text me. I'll be like, wait,
you go to the doctor, ask this question.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Medical advocate all around, animal medical advocate, human medical advocate.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
No, but it's great that you're a VET because you know,
it's that old saying that you should love what you
do and do what you love. And it's so obvious
that you love it. And I'm sure you're, like I said,
your clients, I know they love you.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
I love you, and I just met you.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
I feel like I've known you forever.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Okay, same time next week.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Yes, let's do it.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
It's just if you have the opportunity to work with
someone that cares about their pets to do that.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Just don't let that go.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Yeah, very lucky. No, it's true. Okay, So let's do this.
Take me what a typical Take me down the road
of what a typical day for you?
Speaker 2 (06:42):
It's oh, typical day, Okay.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Typical day. I'm sure every day is different obviously emergencies
everything else, But what's like a typical day for you?
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Yes, I am currently the medical director. So Heart of
Chelsea has three locations.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Huh.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
And I'm currently the medical director in our health kitchen location.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
And so typical day.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
I'll get there and I get the whole group together. Okay,
I want ever want to wake up. So there's some
kind of question, okay, like what is what can you cook.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Better than anyone else? Or if you had to.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Worry, just like get people to talk like a general question.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Good morning, Let's get right, let's wake up because I've
been up since five A.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
I'm sure so that makes sense okay.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
And then and so the whole group gets together, and
it's nice to just connect with each other, your family,
your team.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Sure, we look at what we're going to accomplish together
for the day.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Right, and excuse me, how many people are on that team?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
About? Right?
Speaker 4 (07:29):
So every doctor usually has about three or four assistance
help them through them. That includes the client service reps,
which are amazing. I couldn't exist without them at the
front down to again, the assistants couldn't exist without them.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
And I'll take my little.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
Team and we'll look at our cases and we want
to I don't want someone to walk in the door
and us to walk up and say, Fluffy, we're ready.
We want to know why they're there. We want them
to address them by name. Sure be ready for them,
Sure know that. Okay, unfortunately this their other pet passed
away in that room. So we're going to make sure
that we bring them to this room because why why
(08:04):
the situation? You don't need to expose them to that
room and customize it to every single person and just
try and show them that we actually care.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Sure, which is why it's hard of Chelsea.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
You know what I'm saying, because no, seriously, but a
lot of vets aren't like that. A lot of you know,
clinics or So I think that is very unique and
very special that you guys do that.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
I think it all started with Mark Siebert, Yeah, and
the team that he built around him. Sure, because we
have a set of core values, and we abide by
those core values. Everyone agrees to that when from the
moment one right, and that includes being happy to serve,
being empathetic, being professional, being though all of those things.
And so that's the employees that work a harder Chelsea,
(08:44):
that's all you're going to do. Yeah, it's the only option,
and that's not a match for you, That's okay, right,
but you have to kind of make that a priority.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
And the fact that you use the word empathy, and
I think that's huge. It's really huge because especially you
know people if they're a first time pet owner and
they're panicking and you just you want to help, but
you don't know what to do because you're not a vet.
So yeah, I think I really think that's what makes
you guys stand out. It's a very big difference.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
Yeah, you once you practice it and you're surrounded by
a group of people.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
That practice it.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
It's the compassion fatigue that the veterinary field talks about
a lot I feel like it kind of dissipates from
your career, which sure really great. Yes, you just dive
into the empathy, lean into it.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Yeah no, but I really think that's so you know
again and you know you know better than I do.
But for me, I just a civilian pet owner, it's
just over years and years and just the big difference
of you meet a vet who has empathy and one
who doesn't, and it's like, dude, you should be in
a university, you know, teaching from a book.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Do some research, need research?
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Yeah, yeah, oh yeah definitely. So okay, so that's how
your day starts. So you do your like gung ho,
get everybody psyched, and then you have like a list
of appointments and it's on and like everybody's a happy
they're awake.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Yeah, and the appointments they just float.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
We want to say yes to everything we can say
yes of course, So the appointment's flow in. It's never
what you expect it's going to be right, there's it's
going to be something listed, but there's always su or
three other things that may have just happened.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
And so we'll.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Sit with the pet parent, will walk through the plan,
make sure they're comfortable with everything because it is not
cookie cutter.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
It needs to be customized.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
That is your dog, that is your ca of course,
of course.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
Essentially your decision, and work with the medical plan that
works for them, right, And we do that throughout the
whole day. And I always try to call basically everyone
that I saw the day before. I'll be calling with
your lab work. It's not in the system that's calling.
And I have the team that lets me do that,
so I can be there. My team's there to do
(10:47):
everything else.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
See.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
That makes it special too. A lot of places don't
do that.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Oh I'll call you with my with your blood work
and you know tomorrow and it's like, okay, we goes by,
it goes by and by the way mine. Yeah. So
that's a very you know, I want to say, it's unique,
but it's also very special that you do that.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Yeah, it's what we strive for.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
And even in the middle of the day, I've had
situations where, oh this this dog needs emergency surgery.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
So talk to my colleagues, which we're all.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
So tightly connected, the veterinarians that work at the I
think I might have said three locations. We have four
locations right now, the fourth ones, and we have.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Three in Manhattan.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
So yeah, let's name all your locations.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
So we have the Hell's Kitchen location, the Chelsea location,
which is the original twenty five years ago, one in
Lower east Side, and then we have one in Park
Slope as of a couple of years ago, and then
upcoming that I'm very.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Four is in Prospect Heights.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Oh nice.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
So it's sixth and Deeton Street. It's right behind the
Barclay Center.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Oh very nice.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
Okay, and I'll be there. I'm locking myself in there.
That's my five year plan. Okay, my ten year plan.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Okay, ready, and when do you think that place will
be open?
Speaker 4 (11:54):
That place is going to start taking appointments on October fourteenth.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Oh wow, it's soon.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
It's now.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
I thought it was next g I literally came from there.
And we have a grand opening on November two. Oh cool,
eleven am to two pm.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Oh wow. So the public's invited to come and celebrate.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
There's everything.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
You can get a free caricature of your dog, Oh
my god, I love those.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
We're trying to get one of those.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
Yeah, one of the three sixty photo things where we'll
play a song about New York and Everything's free.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
I'm writing this down. It's November second. I think I
might have to just like crash it and say, hi.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
If I saw you there, I would die.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
I would die.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Bring your dog one dog? Two dogs?
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Well, I don't. Yeah, it's okay. Yeah, my dog passed
away in April. I know it's okay. You to know. No,
I know it's okay because I honestly, I talked about
it a little bit on the air. I've mentioned it
on this podcast here and there. But yeah, okay, yeah,
it's okay. But I would be lots of dogs there,
which is great because honestly, my neighbors have dogs, and
(12:54):
I've been I dog sit for them and I've offered
to walk them.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
I'm just not ready yet. It's only five months.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Yeah, yeah, so yeah, but but it's okay, it's okay.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
But I'll come. That would be fun.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
I would die, it would die. It would be fun.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
That would be so much fun.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
I'll get you a Heart of Chelsea hat or a
heart of Chelsea.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Oh my god, I'd love that Fanny package, okay, or
something that I could wear around proudly.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
That's so cool. So I have to say on your website,
which I think is really cool on It's heart off
Chelsea dot com, that you have a page for new
pet parents. Yes, oh my god, that I can't. I
haven't really seen that on other vet websites. I just
think because I okay, I just feel like I know
(13:37):
so many people who know nothing about dogs but have dogs,
or know nothing about cats and have cats, which is
not anyone's fault, but it's kind of that old I
look at it, and I know it's terrible, but like, hey,
anybody can have a baby, anybody can have a pet.
And I think, just like we have to go for
a license to drive, I really think we need to
take classes to have kids and dogs and cats, right, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
And it's not that you don't want to do a
good job. People just don't.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
Quite just don't get it, and especially.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
The nuances between species and even just breeds, right, you
just have to do your research.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
That's a lot.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
Message yeah, I would send to new pet parents is
do your research.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Do your research, meaning like if you have a dog,
buy some books that's say New Dog Owner Books, or
go to your website part of Chelsea dot com and
learn about the foods. That's what the foods thing always
gets me. Careful for the fads.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
There are lots of fad diets that comes out, come out,
and then three years go by and we find out,
oh no, that's bad for them, So watch out for
the fad diets.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
Our first appointment at Heart of Chelsea, when you get
a new puppy or a new kitten, someone sits down
with you for a half an hour, one on one
or as long as you need one on one because
you're setting yourself up for success for literally years of course,
so we'll sit down and it will just start up. Okay,
you have a dog, they have to eat this many times, right,
and then it gets vaccines and blood working guys, you
(15:03):
can do and what options you have, and what's your
lifestyle like, because we're.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Gonna sink sure you do with your pet to your
lifestyle of course. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
I think that's really good that you do that, because
there are so many people and I mean, and I
know and people who I know and they're wait, what
do you mean you can't give a dog onions?
Speaker 2 (15:18):
And I'm like, what, yes, good, No, a lot of
people want onions one.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Oh yeah, you know, grapes usually know grapes, they don't
know onions, they don't know gar like, they don't have chocolate, chocolate.
It's like, oh my god, there's so many different things
you should be first of all whatever, I mean, you know.
And then it's like the old school being like, oh,
you know, I grew up with dogs and we always
gave table foods. Yeah, well that was great, but that
was like eighty years ago.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
But still, you know, it doesn't make you well curious.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
And he lived to be twenty nine years old. Dy
exactly You're.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
Like, yeah, okay, maybe not maybe not exactly, but no,
I do love that you have that because I think,
and oh here's a question. So just because I know
I should know more about cats, and I have actually
have interviewed many people, I'm starting to up my cat
because I just want to be an equal opportunity opportunist. Right.
(16:07):
The foods that dogs can't shouldn't have that we know,
like the list, is it the same for cats?
Speaker 2 (16:13):
It's almost the same.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
It's almost the same.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
Okay, I've really never seen a cat try to eat
a grape, but otherwise, basically we don't know why grapes
and we're working on some research, not me but that
world is its toxic. But for the most part, yes,
and cats actually need a little bit more protein. You
might have guessed, but they need a little bit more
protein sort of that I've learned.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
They can't live off of.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Dog food, right, right, right.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
But most of the things that are toxic cats, but
one excuse me, most of the things that are toxic
to dogs cats, flowers, especially the holidays, sure happen.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Are lethal.
Speaker 4 (16:49):
I've seen a cat pass away from lily pollen. Oh
that's terrible, and that's I was in the e R.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
So I've seen it a lot. Oh my god, well
little pedal from a.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Really so Okay, So just say someone right now has
a lily at home and doesn't realize it. What is
a symptom they can look for they should look for?
Speaker 2 (17:11):
A great question. It usually starts with stomach upset.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
Most toxicities start with stomach upset when it comes to
things they ingest. Okay, but not eating because you know,
cats are built for survival. Sure, they will hide everything
they can hide for as long as they right, right,
So skipping a meal, skiving two meals, don't wait on that, okay, No,
that they live for that.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
They live to.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Eat just like we do when dogs do.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Yes, just cover your bases.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Come on, come on in the heart of Chelsea, right,
come on in and just check a little blood work
because they can have some other issues with their body
if they're drinking and peeing more than you'd expect.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Huge, that's huge look out for that.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Sure.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
So speaking of that, it's funny that you just brought
up about drinking and peeing more so. I actually had
an email from a note. I'm sorry, it was like
a Facebook message. His name is Jeffrey. He's in Ohio.
He listens, he's a listener and he also listens to
the podcast. And he actually wrote me a note over
the summer and it was a horrible story and I'm
(18:11):
sure you've heard of it, and he said, if you
could you please, maybe it's something to bring up. And
I thought, all right, I have Andrew here, I'm going
to bring it up.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Let's do it.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
So what happened was he had a twelve year old
dog and they went on vacation and the dog was
I guess in a daycare or with a dog sitter. Anyway,
the dog wound up something whatever happened to it, and
it wound up that the dog had diabetes and the
dog died while they were on vacation, and he said,
I think it was a twelve year old dog and
(18:41):
he was drinking a lot, but he said he always
drank a lot, and he said, maybe you want to
talk about that, because, like, would you know your dog
has diabetes.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
It's a tough one.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
A lot of times it's a big surprise for people
when they find out some of the very first signs
that you can identify as weight loss. So what we
do at Chelsea's we say, if you want to pop
into weigh your dog, if there's no cost for that,
of course, just come in, step on the scale. I mean,
I like for people to just walk in and let
us give them a treat, so they're having to be there,
(19:11):
so you can even just weigh them regularly and that's free.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
That's easy.
Speaker 4 (19:16):
And if they have unexpected weight loss when you've been
feeding the exact same thing, right, that would be it.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
It's hard outside of the city.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
A lot of people with what I did growing up
in Pennsylvania, you open the back door and they go.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
And pee, so you don't know exactly.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
Exactly, but weight loss is big for diabetes of course,
I'm really a huge advocate for preventive care. Of course,
So when you're a little bit on the younger side,
blowork once a year. Live on the older side, they
age more rapidly, of course, so we do blow work
twice a year if we can. But there's still some
subtle things you can pick up when you're paying attention,
(19:50):
not performing blow work twice a year.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
So that would be like the main thing, like would say,
diabetes is it's weight loss.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
Weight loss is usually one of the first things that you'll.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
See, wow wow. So yeah, and I would never know that.
I would never know.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
I don't think people would know that.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
I mean, even though like people get become diabetic, but
I guess, I mean, but they get this. You know,
dogs and cats get the same diseases and illness as
we do. But it's just something that we don't really
think about.
Speaker 4 (20:14):
Almost the exact same, and that comes down to people
don't understand what's going on in the medical world. Sure,
the way I explain diabetes is that your body's not
producing insulin, and people know that much, and that's usually
about where it ends, right and or your body's not
recognizing the insulin that it produces. So for diabetes, all
of your sugar is in your blood, just in your blood.
(20:36):
You need insulin to grab that sugar out of the
blood and push it into the cells so that cells
have energy.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Right, And if there, if.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
That mechanism of pushing sugar from the blood into the
cells is interrupted, then the cells are dying. So they
actually call diabetes starvation in the face of energy, sugar
everywhere all of your bodies, and the cells.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
See it right right across their little cell walls.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Can't get it. So just understand the concepts of freakingness.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
You broke it down so simply.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
That was beautiful.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Of course, it could get a little tricky after that. Right,
I had the concept.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
But that's good.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
I don't I don't know.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
You just explained something that I should know, and I
think most people who are listening to this probably don't know.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Well, come on, doll, let's talk about another one.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Okay, all right, well tell me another. Well what's another
I mean? Okay, I had a dog, not this current one.
My last dog had kidney failure and he wasn't. He
died at four of kidney failure.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
He was four.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
At four.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
It was awful.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
Thank you, and not to be Debbie Downer, because that's
the second time I mentioned the not having you know,
having a dead dog, and not to be funny, I'm
just saying, but it's part of life exactly. But he
was like he was ninety pounds. I think he was
a boxer bulldog. I think he might have had massive
in him. He was a giant dog. But he always
drank a lot of water, even when he was puppy,
(22:00):
and I never thought about it because he was a
big boy.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
His name was.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
Carmine, after Carmine the Big Ragou from l Vernon Shirley,
a very old TV show, you know, yeah, from the Verge,
surely right. But anyway, and he died at four And
when he was diagnosed, I mean he lasted a week
and they're like, oh, like they thought it was it
was another dog's blood work, it was whatever. It was
(22:24):
a big mix up, and it wasn't at all. It
was because he was not but he had no symptoms
except he drank a lot of water. So that one's tough.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
That would have been a really tough one is coming.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
We are in the animal even sorry to say it,
but in the animal world, there's not a ton you
can do about that situation.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
That was a really rare one.
Speaker 4 (22:44):
Yeah, we are working on kidney transplants, which sounds wild.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
It is wild.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
They're doing it in cats and with success.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
Cats really deal with some kidney stuff. Actually, that's a
very good reason to get insurance. By the way, Yes,
insurance is pair amount and right now it's and it's prime.
If you get a good insurance plan, it covers everything.
That is very smart as someone that came from the.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Er can be a matter of life or death, I'm
sure because it's thousands and thousands of dollars.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
Honestly because he was rescue because I was rescued dogs.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Amazing when when because it would be terrible if I
bought dogs and I'll do this podcast, you know.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Adopt on shop except for me, you know, like what.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
No, But anyway, And he came from the shelter with insurance.
And when I first when I adopted him, he had
a bit of a cold and it became pneumonia.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
So when I tried to get.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
It and they're like, oh, he had a pre existing condition,
and I'm like, no, insurance company, he didn't.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
It was a cold and it became pneumonia. And whatever whatever.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
You know, that's also not chronic.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Yeah, but at a moment, but it was like, but
this was also you know, I this was like two
thousand and eight, so it was a long time ago
and things have come very far since then, right, Yeah,
that was a long time ago.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
My god, that was like sixteen years ago.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
Yes, things have really come Yeah, it was kind of
caught where it was really rapidly changing.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
Yes, started in the vet field right where it was.
Speaker 4 (24:05):
Really rapidly changing. But for identifying the kidneys they use
the dream being for sure weight loss again. Yeah, okay,
and you just got hit with a rare situation.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
I know.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
I mean it was just yeah, but thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
Yeah, yeah, you know, but and it is and like
you said, you're right, it's the course of life, you
know what I mean. And I'm being I'm not dismissing
it or discounting it, but you mightn't smile or have
a good time for many months because it took me
a long time.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
But it was a great four years.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Yeah. Oh he was great.
Speaker 4 (24:33):
I always say that because I've been faced with that
situation a lot. I've always said it was worth it, right, Yes,
it's terrible. He was a great dog.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
It was worth it.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Yes, yeah, we see.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Them as our children. They are our children.
Speaker 4 (24:43):
He was, yeah, and it's an odd dynamic because you're
not really meant to.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Outlive your children when you have this child that you
know you're going to outlive. Yes, in most situations you do,
and you do.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
But they were worth it, always worth it, no matter what. Yes,
so speaking of that and not to be on the
death side, but no, but it's something that And tell
me if this is true, because I read an article
I don't know a few months ago and it was
written by a vet and the vet said, you know,
like you said, we're going to live longer. And that's
the one thing about our animals. They don't live as
(25:15):
long as we do, and we all always have to
deal with making the decision if they.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Don't die on their own. I mean, I was very lucky.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
My last three dogs all died in my apartment in
their sleep, like hello, thank you God. Okay, yeah, lucky me.
I don't know why it happened, but I was grateful
for that. And the vet said that when people come
in and he said, and it's a high number. I
don't know if it was like seventy five or eighty
(25:43):
percent of the people who come in and it's time
to put the animal out of its pain, they leave
the room. And he said, that's the one time you
should be there because the pet is looking for you,
because it's always looked at you, and you vote always
been its person.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
And now is that true for.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
It before it happens.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
Yeah, it does happen sometimes, And of course I'm not
gonna I'm not going to pass any judgments because I
don't know what they've run through or what's going to
happen for them.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
But there's also a little ways around it.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Yeah too.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Yeah, I've discovered because I've had to be there a
lot for that, of course, And there are things we
can give where the person's not there for the actual
exact moment, but the pet is already asleep, right, okay,
And so work with your vet and talk about options,
options for everything. If if you're faced with the situation
you don't know what to do, get more.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
Information, right, No, that's true.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
I just think people should be there.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
I would love for that. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
I mean it's also easier.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
I mean I know it's difficult for you for any vent,
for you to be there and you have to do it,
but I just feel like it's yeah, it's horrible, but
you know, life isn't always easy, and you're you need
to be with your pet from the beginning to the end.
Speaker 4 (27:01):
Yeah, I encourage people to Yeah, and I actually have
never had anyone Maybe everyone should hear this. I never
had a single person stay and regret staying.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
Oh see, very good. Thank you for saying that.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
From that experience.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
Sure, sure, yeah, I mean it's difficult, but you know
life is difficult.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
And there's some closure afterwards.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
Well, yes, we have some closure and then and then
there's that moment afterwards where they're sitting with their pet.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
And you just need silence.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
I'll just stand there in silence, right for as long
as I need. Of course, in that moment, it's an
honor to be a part of that, right.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Yeah, Yeah, I'm sure it is.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
And I'm sure it helps people that you're there to
give them strength too.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
They're not alone.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
It's to be in that position.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Yeah, And I really do believe in this. And now
you can be like, Okay, Maria, we're done. This is
you're a kook. But I think that because I think
that animals just like people give you signs. Oh absolutely,
oh really, Oh thank you for saying that. Absolutely, because
my one hundred times yes, because my last Dogfredo, I mean,
and it still happens once in a while. But I
I he's I definitely feel him his presence. And I haven't,
(28:10):
you know, talked to a shrink, not a shrink psych
What am I thinking a medium? An animal medium? Or
why am I saying psychiatrists? I'm not thinking of a psychiatrists.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
What's wrong with me?
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Maybe there's a crossover. There's a psychiatrist that's also a medium.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
No, it's an animal psychic. That's the word psychic. Big difference,
a little bit.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
Oh my god, I'm losing my mind, I really am.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
But anyway, but yeah, I definitely, but you believe in.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
That too, Absolutely believe in that.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
I have had so many I've even experienced it where
people have had pets and they come back with another
pet that just has this quirky quality of their previous
pet that I've literally never seen anywhere else.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
And it's not some kind of nurture situation.
Speaker 4 (28:54):
Uh huh huh, Like this pet likes to sit in
that corner when it walks in and the owner didn't
have it do that, and their previous dog did that,
and there's just signs that's so cool. They just have
a different approach to the life cycle. Sure, if one
pet's present when you have to say goodbye to another,
the animals handle it.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
Sure, well, they're much a better.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
They are pretty they are.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
It's thanks.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
They always say that you should live your life like
a dog.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
You know, don't let things bother you, live in the
present because too many people live with stuff from the
past and you know that was yesterday.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
Move forward.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
And dogs don't live like that, right, they live in
the present.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Exactly the only place you can go forward.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
That's true. That's true. So okay, so let's talk about
all the social media that Heart of Chelsea has.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
It's fun. It is fun, have fun.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
I'm not the one doing the fun because I'm so focused,
but I love that the fund exists outside of it.
I've had a couple of moments where it's just so
a couple of really great moments, like after delivering puppies,
I'm sure, oh my gosh, wow, you have to just
be there for delivered puppies.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
I don't think I've never been. I've never seen that
they're so cute.
Speaker 4 (29:59):
I'm sure they don't come out like little potatoes, like
really really cute puppies, really good as you expect.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
And it's true that Dalmatians aren't born with with spots,
right is that true?
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (30:11):
Yeah, I think that's so cool.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
And I also think it's cool that labs are it
doesn't matter like black labs can have brown labs. Is
that true too, like all different colors like that makes
no sense.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
What was going on with the jeens before recessive? So yes,
that can happen.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
That's really cool.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
But the social media, yes, the Heart of Chelsea has
just this.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
Group of fun, younger than me individuals that I'm I'm
lucky to be around. And they find these moments, especially
when the people are already the pet parents are ready
and into it. We have some really cool animals walking
in the fashion is amazing.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
Oh yes, I mean, do you have people who always
like clying to just always dress up their dogs even
though it's not Halloween.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
Lots of matching, lots of owners come in Leuvaton on
one side, Lubaton on the other.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Love it. I die for it.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
I'm sure fake ostrich feather.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
Oh my goodness, that's great.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
It's lovely and they show up for it.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
I have this one woman that has a pug and
she comes in with a different pug outfit or bag
or something.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
She absolutely loves little ali her. Oh my god, different
pugs paraphernalia every time. Oh my god, I'm handel.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
That's adorable.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
I love pugs. There's something about dressing up a pug
something there's just I wouldn't do it, but when people
do it, it just makes me laugh because they're so kind
of funny looking, even though they were adorable.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
And then you see the book costumes that.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
I'm like, and they always look disgruntled matter what right
that face?
Speaker 1 (31:40):
Oh my god, that's great. So okay. So for people
who are listening, they can follow on Instagram and TikTok
and Facebook. All of that is Heart of Chelsea, NYC.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Yes, Heart of Chelsea, Heart of Chelsea.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
And your website is Heart of Chelsea dot dot com.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Go on there.
Speaker 4 (31:57):
There's opportunities to book your appointments. There's lots of new
pet parent information. There's a really great site that helps
you manage insurance. We don't work with any insurance companies,
but we help our clients figure out what insurance works
for them. This is a brilliant one woman named Jen
Abbattino that can help you and we just want.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
To set you up for success. Yeah, and book an
appointment Prospect Heights.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
I know it's so exciting. So November two is the
big grand opening. So excited I am, actually I will.
I'm going to put it in my book in my phone.
So I want to come.
Speaker 4 (32:31):
And so excited for Brooklyn. I already lived there, but
I'm coming.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
Well, that's excellent mention.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
iHeartRadio. You'll have your first exam for free.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
Oh that's very sweet.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
Look at you.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
Well, this is very exciting. So should we leave.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
This with one one comment?
Speaker 1 (32:49):
One one pearl of wisdom for you from you, even
though I know you have many pearls because you are
very wise. No, seriously, I'm not being funny. You really are.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
You are.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
You're a vague, You're so smart, you're so personable. If
you had to give one piece of advice to anyone
who owns a pet, a dog, a cat, a bird,
a reptile, if there's one thing, is there one thing?
Speaker 2 (33:12):
I can think of? One thing?
Speaker 1 (33:13):
Yees, okay, okay, I know you could across the board. Yes.
Speaker 4 (33:16):
The piece of advice is you can do it. Okay,
and you are doing it. People just feel like they're
not doing a good job with their pets sometimes and
you're doing great. Yeah, and do your research and look
things up. Google things. That's fine.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Sure.
Speaker 4 (33:32):
I love when people google things and bring it to
me and we can learn together and try to keep
an open mind together about what to do. But you
can do it. Just have a pet, care for them.
You're going to save a life, rescue a pet.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
That's perfect.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
That's a great experience. You won't regret it. It is.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
That's a great piece of advice. He did it. I
knew he would. It was perfect.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
Perfect.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
So doctor Andrew Torsha, thank you so much for coming
in here, for talking with all of us and giving
all of your knowledge and wisdom. And you have to
come back again.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Thank you. I would love to. It's been an honor.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
Please honor for me part of Chelsea dot com. Come on,
come on down, see you November two.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
Great yay
Speaker 1 (34:18):
Operator, Just see your raider Lamigator
It's Maria's MutS and Stuff.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
What a great idea on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Welcome to Maria's Mutts and Stuff. Now, this is a
very exciting episode for me because it's a first. For
the first time in our new studios that we moved
into almost two years ago. I actually have a live
in studio guest with me. It's doctor Andrew Torsia.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Yes, Hi, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Well, thank you for being here and making the time too,
because I know you had to come into the studio physically.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
I'm excited.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
We're going to talk about the heart of Chelsea Veterinary Care,
which is your employer, your place.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
So let's talk about it. So when did it all begin?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Thet's start.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
So we actually just celebrated our twenty fifth anniversary. Wow,
there's one of my veterinary role models.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Doctor Mark Siebert.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
Okay started this place and the way he talks about it,
he was like we were turning butter in the back
twenty five years ago.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
This is tiny, one room, one exam room.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Place with three employees, and one of them is actually
still an employee, Marsha.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
She's an amazing woman. Uh. And he started this just
by himself.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
And slowly, slowly grew it and focused on creating a
culture that was important to him and that had a
good set of core values. And he hired slowly and
I got to be a part of it as of
six years ago.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
So you've also congratulations to you. Six years That very
a long time, no, but that's great. And I know
that you are. You're kind of local. You grew up
in Pennsylvania, correct, with horses and dogs?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Very right?
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Yeah? Yes, so is that when you decided that you
wanted to be a vet.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
That was part of it.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
It all comes back to mom, right, It's always the
month of course. Yes, So my mom knew it before
I knew it. We grew up with animals, horses, dogs, rats,
give it a chance, sure, durabils, hamsters, everything everything that's cool.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
I absolutely love them, huh.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
And she when I went into college, I did some
art things and I did science at the same time,
and she knew that I wanted to be a vet.
So she actually called our vet clinic for me and
got me this volunteer opportunity.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
And then that summer was just the best summer. Oh,
I'm sure they were amazing.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
So what did you do during was I mean it
was like an internship or it was volunteering.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
Volunteering, yes, okay, but in the surgery room actually what wow?
So I would help mostly carry the animals because I
was an eighteen year.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Old, but still were you watching surgery?
Speaker 2 (02:38):
And then I was in surgery from moment one? Wow,
which was a shock.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
I'm sure it was fun, but I think also doing
that was probably a good test for you to know
that you had like the chops for it.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Does that make sense?
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Yes, it's just a little different when you're a little
different right when you're in it. You you just don't
get intimidated by it. When you're there and there's there's
medicine there, there's confident people there, and the guts and stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Well that's what I mean.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Like I might vomit, So that's I love animals, but
I think if I saw a surgery, I would probably vomit,
so that I wouldn't make a good VET. But I
think the fact that you you know you didn't and
you have a good attitude about it, Does that make sense?
Speaker 2 (03:14):
I do a little talking to someone's brand new going
to watch for the first time, you get light headed.
It's over.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Sure, you just have to let us know, right right.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Bring you to a chair. Everything's going to be fine, right.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
But of course you're doing like you know, as they say,
it kind of like God's work in the sense because
you're saving animals, so you know, I.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Mean, nothing is ession. Yeah, ever, yeah, and I think
about it.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
I mean billions of people, not billions, but there were
like millions of dogs and cats and pets. And I
think when the Doctor first started it twenty five years ago.
I mean the pet industry over twenty five years has exploded.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Yeah, I mean it's really changed it. I even remember
when I was a kid, we loved our pets. Sure,
there's just a little bit of a difference. Yes, and now, honestly,
especially New York. Yeah, that dog is the child, of.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Course, family member.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Now you're absolutely right.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
We treat them as a family member, absolutely, and as
a veterinarian. How lucky is that? Of course I get
to work with people that want to treat their pet. Sure,
New York kind of spoiled me. I'm afraid to go
anywhere else.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Well, you can't go anywhere else.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
You have to stay here here, You're here forever, yes,
which is so good. And we're so happy to have you,
and I'm sure all your clients are thrilled with you.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
I again, I'm just so lucky because they want to
I want a partnership. I want to work with someone
that really cares about their animal and it's in it sure,
and they I want them to hold me responsible too.
I want them to understand every single thing that we're
doing with their pet, of.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Course, and that's very important because a lot of times,
I mean, I've had dogs probably the majority of my life,
and I think there are times when you don't know
what's going on, and you know, say, if your pet
needs surgery or something, and it just so happens like
the person who's trying to explain to you, but they're
not really explaining you kind of you know, it's so hard.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
It's so hard, is so far removed from what everyday
person does. Yes, of course, and if you're in it
a lot, you kind of you have to really keep
yourself in check and make sure that you're not missing
that gap correct. And you can tell when you look
someone in the eyes and you talk, you tell things
they understand or not, especially if it's the first time.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Because I started in the emergency room.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
So sometimes I'm talking about these surgeries that are in
a life threatening situation and I just met you, and
I have to talk to you about bringing your dog
into surgery.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
So you have to really finesse that.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
No, it's going to make them comfortable, right, right, And
a lot of times I know people don't ask questions
because they don't. I mean, I think sometimes people don't
ask questions for themselves at the doctor. So I don't, right,
but you should. You're bad.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
At the doctor. Okay, whatever you say.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
No, you have to ask questions. Promise me you'll start.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
I feel like Maria, tell me I have to ask
questions again.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I'll record it. I go to play it.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
I will, or you'll text me. I'll be like, wait,
you go to the doctor, ask this question.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Medical advocate all around, animal medical advocate, human medical advocate.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
No, but it's great that you're a VET because you know,
it's that old saying that you should love what you
do and do what you love. And it's so obvious
that you love it. And I'm sure you're, like I said,
your clients, I know they love you.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
I love you, and I just met you.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
I feel like I've known you forever.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Okay, same time next week.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Yes, let's do it.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
It's just if you have the opportunity to work with
someone that cares about their pets to do that.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Just don't let that go.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Yeah, very lucky. No, it's true. Okay, So let's do this.
Take me what a typical Take me down the road
of what a typical day for you?
Speaker 2 (06:42):
It's oh, typical day, Okay.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Typical day. I'm sure every day is different obviously emergencies
everything else, But what's like a typical day for you?
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Yes, I am currently the medical director. So Heart of
Chelsea has three locations.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Huh.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
And I'm currently the medical director in our health kitchen location.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
And so typical day.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
I'll get there and I get the whole group together. Okay,
I want ever want to wake up. So there's some
kind of question, okay, like what is what can you cook.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Better than anyone else? Or if you had to.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Worry, just like get people to talk like a general question.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Good morning, Let's get right, let's wake up because I've
been up since five A.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
I'm sure so that makes sense okay.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
And then and so the whole group gets together, and
it's nice to just connect with each other, your family,
your team.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Sure, we look at what we're going to accomplish together
for the day.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Right, and excuse me, how many people are on that team?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
About? Right?
Speaker 4 (07:29):
So every doctor usually has about three or four assistance
help them through them. That includes the client service reps,
which are amazing. I couldn't exist without them at the
front down to again, the assistants couldn't exist without them.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
And I'll take my little.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
Team and we'll look at our cases and we want
to I don't want someone to walk in the door
and us to walk up and say, Fluffy, we're ready.
We want to know why they're there. We want them
to address them by name. Sure be ready for them,
Sure know that. Okay, unfortunately this their other pet passed
away in that room. So we're going to make sure
that we bring them to this room because why why
(08:04):
the situation? You don't need to expose them to that
room and customize it to every single person and just
try and show them that we actually care.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Sure, which is why it's hard of Chelsea.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
You know what I'm saying, because no, seriously, but a
lot of vets aren't like that. A lot of you know,
clinics or So I think that is very unique and
very special that you guys do that.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
I think it all started with Mark Siebert, Yeah, and
the team that he built around him. Sure, because we
have a set of core values, and we abide by
those core values. Everyone agrees to that when from the
moment one right, and that includes being happy to serve,
being empathetic, being professional, being though all of those things.
And so that's the employees that work a harder Chelsea,
(08:44):
that's all you're going to do. Yeah, it's the only option,
and that's not a match for you, That's okay, right,
but you have to kind of make that a priority.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
And the fact that you use the word empathy, and
I think that's huge. It's really huge because especially you
know people if they're a first time pet owner and
they're panicking and you just you want to help, but
you don't know what to do because you're not a vet.
So yeah, I think I really think that's what makes
you guys stand out. It's a very big difference.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
Yeah, you once you practice it and you're surrounded by
a group of people.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
That practice it.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
It's the compassion fatigue that the veterinary field talks about
a lot I feel like it kind of dissipates from
your career, which sure really great. Yes, you just dive
into the empathy, lean into it.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Yeah no, but I really think that's so you know
again and you know you know better than I do.
But for me, I just a civilian pet owner, it's
just over years and years and just the big difference
of you meet a vet who has empathy and one
who doesn't, and it's like, dude, you should be in
a university, you know, teaching from a book.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Do some research, need research?
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Yeah, yeah, oh yeah definitely. So okay, so that's how
your day starts. So you do your like gung ho,
get everybody psyched, and then you have like a list
of appointments and it's on and like everybody's a happy
they're awake.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Yeah, and the appointments they just float.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
We want to say yes to everything we can say
yes of course, So the appointment's flow in. It's never
what you expect it's going to be right, there's it's
going to be something listed, but there's always su or
three other things that may have just happened.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
And so we'll.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Sit with the pet parent, will walk through the plan,
make sure they're comfortable with everything because it is not
cookie cutter.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
It needs to be customized.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
That is your dog, that is your ca of course,
of course.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
Essentially your decision, and work with the medical plan that
works for them, right, And we do that throughout the
whole day. And I always try to call basically everyone
that I saw the day before. I'll be calling with
your lab work. It's not in the system that's calling.
And I have the team that lets me do that,
so I can be there. My team's there to do
(10:47):
everything else.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
See.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
That makes it special too. A lot of places don't
do that.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Oh I'll call you with my with your blood work
and you know tomorrow and it's like, okay, we goes by,
it goes by and by the way mine. Yeah. So
that's a very you know, I want to say, it's unique,
but it's also very special that you do that.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Yeah, it's what we strive for.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
And even in the middle of the day, I've had
situations where, oh this this dog needs emergency surgery.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
So talk to my colleagues, which we're all.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
So tightly connected, the veterinarians that work at the I
think I might have said three locations. We have four
locations right now, the fourth ones, and we have.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Three in Manhattan.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
So yeah, let's name all your locations.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
So we have the Hell's Kitchen location, the Chelsea location,
which is the original twenty five years ago, one in
Lower east Side, and then we have one in Park
Slope as of a couple of years ago, and then
upcoming that I'm very.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Four is in Prospect Heights.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Oh nice.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
So it's sixth and Deeton Street. It's right behind the
Barclay Center.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Oh very nice.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
Okay, and I'll be there. I'm locking myself in there.
That's my five year plan. Okay, my ten year plan.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Okay, ready, and when do you think that place will
be open?
Speaker 4 (11:54):
That place is going to start taking appointments on October fourteenth.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Oh wow, it's soon.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
It's now.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
I thought it was next g I literally came from there.
And we have a grand opening on November two. Oh cool,
eleven am to two pm.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Oh wow. So the public's invited to come and celebrate.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
There's everything.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
You can get a free caricature of your dog, Oh
my god, I love those.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
We're trying to get one of those.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
Yeah, one of the three sixty photo things where we'll
play a song about New York and Everything's free.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
I'm writing this down. It's November second. I think I
might have to just like crash it and say, hi.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
If I saw you there, I would die.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
I would die.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Bring your dog one dog? Two dogs?
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Well, I don't. Yeah, it's okay. Yeah, my dog passed
away in April. I know it's okay. You to know. No,
I know it's okay because I honestly, I talked about
it a little bit on the air. I've mentioned it
on this podcast here and there. But yeah, okay, yeah,
it's okay. But I would be lots of dogs there,
which is great because honestly, my neighbors have dogs, and
(12:54):
I've been I dog sit for them and I've offered
to walk them.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
I'm just not ready yet. It's only five months.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Yeah, yeah, so yeah, but but it's okay, it's okay.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
But I'll come. That would be fun.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
I would die, it would die. It would be fun.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
That would be so much fun.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
I'll get you a Heart of Chelsea hat or a
heart of Chelsea.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Oh my god, I'd love that Fanny package, okay, or
something that I could wear around proudly.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
That's so cool. So I have to say on your website,
which I think is really cool on It's heart off
Chelsea dot com, that you have a page for new
pet parents. Yes, oh my god, that I can't. I
haven't really seen that on other vet websites. I just
think because I okay, I just feel like I know
(13:37):
so many people who know nothing about dogs but have dogs,
or know nothing about cats and have cats, which is
not anyone's fault, but it's kind of that old I
look at it, and I know it's terrible, but like, hey,
anybody can have a baby, anybody can have a pet.
And I think, just like we have to go for
a license to drive, I really think we need to
take classes to have kids and dogs and cats, right, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
And it's not that you don't want to do a
good job. People just don't.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
Quite just don't get it, and especially.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
The nuances between species and even just breeds, right, you
just have to do your research.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
That's a lot.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
Message yeah, I would send to new pet parents is
do your research.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Do your research, meaning like if you have a dog,
buy some books that's say New Dog Owner Books, or
go to your website part of Chelsea dot com and
learn about the foods. That's what the foods thing always
gets me. Careful for the fads.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
There are lots of fad diets that comes out, come out,
and then three years go by and we find out,
oh no, that's bad for them, So watch out for
the fad diets.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
Our first appointment at Heart of Chelsea, when you get
a new puppy or a new kitten, someone sits down
with you for a half an hour, one on one
or as long as you need one on one because
you're setting yourself up for success for literally years of course,
so we'll sit down and it will just start up. Okay,
you have a dog, they have to eat this many times, right,
and then it gets vaccines and blood working guys, you
(15:03):
can do and what options you have, and what's your
lifestyle like, because we're.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Gonna sink sure you do with your pet to your
lifestyle of course. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
I think that's really good that you do that, because
there are so many people and I mean, and I
know and people who I know and they're wait, what
do you mean you can't give a dog onions?
Speaker 2 (15:18):
And I'm like, what, yes, good, No, a lot of
people want onions one.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Oh yeah, you know, grapes usually know grapes, they don't
know onions, they don't know gar like, they don't have chocolate, chocolate.
It's like, oh my god, there's so many different things
you should be first of all whatever, I mean, you know.
And then it's like the old school being like, oh,
you know, I grew up with dogs and we always
gave table foods. Yeah, well that was great, but that
was like eighty years ago.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
But still, you know, it doesn't make you well curious.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
And he lived to be twenty nine years old. Dy
exactly You're.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
Like, yeah, okay, maybe not maybe not exactly, but no,
I do love that you have that because I think,
and oh here's a question. So just because I know
I should know more about cats, and I have actually
have interviewed many people, I'm starting to up my cat
because I just want to be an equal opportunity opportunist. Right.
(16:07):
The foods that dogs can't shouldn't have that we know,
like the list, is it the same for cats?
Speaker 2 (16:13):
It's almost the same.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
It's almost the same.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
Okay, I've really never seen a cat try to eat
a grape, but otherwise, basically we don't know why grapes
and we're working on some research, not me but that
world is its toxic. But for the most part, yes,
and cats actually need a little bit more protein. You
might have guessed, but they need a little bit more
protein sort of that I've learned.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
They can't live off of.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Dog food, right, right, right.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
But most of the things that are toxic cats, but
one excuse me, most of the things that are toxic
to dogs cats, flowers, especially the holidays, sure happen.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Are lethal.
Speaker 4 (16:49):
I've seen a cat pass away from lily pollen. Oh
that's terrible, and that's I was in the e R.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
So I've seen it a lot. Oh my god, well
little pedal from a.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Really so Okay, So just say someone right now has
a lily at home and doesn't realize it. What is
a symptom they can look for they should look for?
Speaker 2 (17:11):
A great question. It usually starts with stomach upset.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
Most toxicities start with stomach upset when it comes to
things they ingest. Okay, but not eating because you know,
cats are built for survival. Sure, they will hide everything
they can hide for as long as they right, right,
So skipping a meal, skiving two meals, don't wait on that, okay, No,
that they live for that.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
They live to.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Eat just like we do when dogs do.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Yes, just cover your bases.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Come on, come on in the heart of Chelsea, right,
come on in and just check a little blood work
because they can have some other issues with their body
if they're drinking and peeing more than you'd expect.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Huge, that's huge look out for that.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Sure.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
So speaking of that, it's funny that you just brought
up about drinking and peeing more so. I actually had
an email from a note. I'm sorry, it was like
a Facebook message. His name is Jeffrey. He's in Ohio.
He listens, he's a listener and he also listens to
the podcast. And he actually wrote me a note over
the summer and it was a horrible story and I'm
(18:11):
sure you've heard of it, and he said, if you
could you please, maybe it's something to bring up. And
I thought, all right, I have Andrew here, I'm going
to bring it up.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Let's do it.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
So what happened was he had a twelve year old
dog and they went on vacation and the dog was
I guess in a daycare or with a dog sitter. Anyway,
the dog wound up something whatever happened to it, and
it wound up that the dog had diabetes and the
dog died while they were on vacation, and he said,
I think it was a twelve year old dog and
(18:41):
he was drinking a lot, but he said he always
drank a lot, and he said, maybe you want to
talk about that, because, like, would you know your dog
has diabetes.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
It's a tough one.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
A lot of times it's a big surprise for people
when they find out some of the very first signs
that you can identify as weight loss. So what we
do at Chelsea's we say, if you want to pop
into weigh your dog, if there's no cost for that,
of course, just come in, step on the scale. I mean,
I like for people to just walk in and let
us give them a treat, so they're having to be there,
(19:11):
so you can even just weigh them regularly and that's free.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
That's easy.
Speaker 4 (19:16):
And if they have unexpected weight loss when you've been
feeding the exact same thing, right, that would be it.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
It's hard outside of the city.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
A lot of people with what I did growing up
in Pennsylvania, you open the back door and they go.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
And pee, so you don't know exactly.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
Exactly, but weight loss is big for diabetes of course,
I'm really a huge advocate for preventive care. Of course,
So when you're a little bit on the younger side,
blowork once a year. Live on the older side, they
age more rapidly, of course, so we do blow work
twice a year if we can. But there's still some
subtle things you can pick up when you're paying attention,
(19:50):
not performing blow work twice a year.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
So that would be like the main thing, like would say,
diabetes is it's weight loss.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
Weight loss is usually one of the first things that you'll.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
See, wow wow. So yeah, and I would never know that.
I would never know.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
I don't think people would know that.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
I mean, even though like people get become diabetic, but
I guess, I mean, but they get this. You know,
dogs and cats get the same diseases and illness as
we do. But it's just something that we don't really
think about.
Speaker 4 (20:14):
Almost the exact same, and that comes down to people
don't understand what's going on in the medical world. Sure,
the way I explain diabetes is that your body's not
producing insulin, and people know that much, and that's usually
about where it ends, right and or your body's not
recognizing the insulin that it produces. So for diabetes, all
of your sugar is in your blood, just in your blood.
(20:36):
You need insulin to grab that sugar out of the
blood and push it into the cells so that cells
have energy.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Right, And if there, if.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
That mechanism of pushing sugar from the blood into the
cells is interrupted, then the cells are dying. So they
actually call diabetes starvation in the face of energy, sugar
everywhere all of your bodies, and the cells.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
See it right right across their little cell walls.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Can't get it. So just understand the concepts of freakingness.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
You broke it down so simply.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
That was beautiful.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Of course, it could get a little tricky after that. Right,
I had the concept.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
But that's good.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
I don't I don't know.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
You just explained something that I should know, and I
think most people who are listening to this probably don't know.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Well, come on, doll, let's talk about another one.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Okay, all right, well tell me another. Well what's another
I mean? Okay, I had a dog, not this current one.
My last dog had kidney failure and he wasn't. He
died at four of kidney failure.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
He was four.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
At four.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
It was awful.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
Thank you, and not to be Debbie Downer, because that's
the second time I mentioned the not having you know,
having a dead dog, and not to be funny, I'm
just saying, but it's part of life exactly. But he
was like he was ninety pounds. I think he was
a boxer bulldog. I think he might have had massive
in him. He was a giant dog. But he always
drank a lot of water, even when he was puppy,
(22:00):
and I never thought about it because he was a
big boy.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
His name was.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
Carmine, after Carmine the Big Ragou from l Vernon Shirley,
a very old TV show, you know, yeah, from the Verge,
surely right. But anyway, and he died at four And
when he was diagnosed, I mean he lasted a week
and they're like, oh, like they thought it was it
was another dog's blood work, it was whatever. It was
(22:24):
a big mix up, and it wasn't at all. It
was because he was not but he had no symptoms
except he drank a lot of water. So that one's tough.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
That would have been a really tough one is coming.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
We are in the animal even sorry to say it,
but in the animal world, there's not a ton you
can do about that situation.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
That was a really rare one.
Speaker 4 (22:44):
Yeah, we are working on kidney transplants, which sounds wild.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
It is wild.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
They're doing it in cats and with success.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
Cats really deal with some kidney stuff. Actually, that's a
very good reason to get insurance. By the way, Yes,
insurance is pair amount and right now it's and it's prime.
If you get a good insurance plan, it covers everything.
That is very smart as someone that came from the.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Er can be a matter of life or death, I'm
sure because it's thousands and thousands of dollars.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
Honestly because he was rescue because I was rescued dogs.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Amazing when when because it would be terrible if I
bought dogs and I'll do this podcast, you know.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Adopt on shop except for me, you know, like what.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
No, But anyway, And he came from the shelter with insurance.
And when I first when I adopted him, he had
a bit of a cold and it became pneumonia.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
So when I tried to get.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
It and they're like, oh, he had a pre existing condition,
and I'm like, no, insurance company, he didn't.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
It was a cold and it became pneumonia. And whatever whatever.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
You know, that's also not chronic.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Yeah, but at a moment, but it was like, but
this was also you know, I this was like two
thousand and eight, so it was a long time ago
and things have come very far since then, right, Yeah,
that was a long time ago.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
My god, that was like sixteen years ago.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
Yes, things have really come Yeah, it was kind of
caught where it was really rapidly changing.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
Yes, started in the vet field right where it was.
Speaker 4 (24:05):
Really rapidly changing. But for identifying the kidneys they use
the dream being for sure weight loss again. Yeah, okay,
and you just got hit with a rare situation.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
I know.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
I mean it was just yeah, but thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
Yeah, yeah, you know, but and it is and like
you said, you're right, it's the course of life, you
know what I mean. And I'm being I'm not dismissing
it or discounting it, but you mightn't smile or have
a good time for many months because it took me
a long time.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
But it was a great four years.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Yeah. Oh he was great.
Speaker 4 (24:33):
I always say that because I've been faced with that
situation a lot. I've always said it was worth it, right, Yes,
it's terrible. He was a great dog.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
It was worth it.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Yes, yeah, we see.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Them as our children. They are our children.
Speaker 4 (24:43):
He was, yeah, and it's an odd dynamic because you're
not really meant to.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Outlive your children when you have this child that you
know you're going to outlive. Yes, in most situations you do,
and you do.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
But they were worth it, always worth it, no matter what. Yes,
so speaking of that and not to be on the
death side, but no, but it's something that And tell
me if this is true, because I read an article
I don't know a few months ago and it was
written by a vet and the vet said, you know,
like you said, we're going to live longer. And that's
the one thing about our animals. They don't live as
(25:15):
long as we do, and we all always have to
deal with making the decision if they.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Don't die on their own. I mean, I was very lucky.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
My last three dogs all died in my apartment in
their sleep, like hello, thank you God. Okay, yeah, lucky me.
I don't know why it happened, but I was grateful
for that. And the vet said that when people come
in and he said, and it's a high number. I
don't know if it was like seventy five or eighty
(25:43):
percent of the people who come in and it's time
to put the animal out of its pain, they leave
the room. And he said, that's the one time you
should be there because the pet is looking for you,
because it's always looked at you, and you vote always
been its person.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
And now is that true for.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
It before it happens.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
Yeah, it does happen sometimes, And of course I'm not
gonna I'm not going to pass any judgments because I
don't know what they've run through or what's going to
happen for them.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
But there's also a little ways around it.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Yeah too.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Yeah, I've discovered because I've had to be there a
lot for that, of course, And there are things we
can give where the person's not there for the actual
exact moment, but the pet is already asleep, right, okay,
And so work with your vet and talk about options,
options for everything. If if you're faced with the situation
you don't know what to do, get more.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
Information, right, No, that's true.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
I just think people should be there.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
I would love for that. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
I mean it's also easier.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
I mean I know it's difficult for you for any vent,
for you to be there and you have to do it,
but I just feel like it's yeah, it's horrible, but
you know, life isn't always easy, and you're you need
to be with your pet from the beginning to the end.
Speaker 4 (27:01):
Yeah, I encourage people to Yeah, and I actually have
never had anyone Maybe everyone should hear this. I never
had a single person stay and regret staying.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
Oh see, very good. Thank you for saying that.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
From that experience.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
Sure, sure, yeah, I mean it's difficult, but you know
life is difficult.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
And there's some closure afterwards.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
Well, yes, we have some closure and then and then
there's that moment afterwards where they're sitting with their pet.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
And you just need silence.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
I'll just stand there in silence, right for as long
as I need. Of course, in that moment, it's an
honor to be a part of that, right.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Yeah, Yeah, I'm sure it is.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
And I'm sure it helps people that you're there to
give them strength too.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
They're not alone.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
It's to be in that position.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Yeah, And I really do believe in this. And now
you can be like, Okay, Maria, we're done. This is
you're a kook. But I think that because I think
that animals just like people give you signs. Oh absolutely,
oh really, Oh thank you for saying that. Absolutely, because
my one hundred times yes, because my last Dogfredo, I mean,
and it still happens once in a while. But I
I he's I definitely feel him his presence. And I haven't,
(28:10):
you know, talked to a shrink, not a shrink psych
What am I thinking a medium? An animal medium? Or
why am I saying psychiatrists? I'm not thinking of a psychiatrists.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
What's wrong with me?
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Maybe there's a crossover. There's a psychiatrist that's also a medium.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
No, it's an animal psychic. That's the word psychic. Big difference,
a little bit.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
Oh my god, I'm losing my mind, I really am.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
But anyway, but yeah, I definitely, but you believe in.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
That too, Absolutely believe in that.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
I have had so many I've even experienced it where
people have had pets and they come back with another
pet that just has this quirky quality of their previous
pet that I've literally never seen anywhere else.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
And it's not some kind of nurture situation.
Speaker 4 (28:54):
Uh huh huh, Like this pet likes to sit in
that corner when it walks in and the owner didn't
have it do that, and their previous dog did that,
and there's just signs that's so cool. They just have
a different approach to the life cycle. Sure, if one
pet's present when you have to say goodbye to another,
the animals handle it.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
Sure, well, they're much a better.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
They are pretty they are.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
It's thanks.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
They always say that you should live your life like
a dog.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
You know, don't let things bother you, live in the
present because too many people live with stuff from the
past and you know that was yesterday.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
Move forward.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
And dogs don't live like that, right, they live in
the present.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Exactly the only place you can go forward.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
That's true. That's true. So okay, so let's talk about
all the social media that Heart of Chelsea has.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
It's fun. It is fun, have fun.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
I'm not the one doing the fun because I'm so focused,
but I love that the fund exists outside of it.
I've had a couple of moments where it's just so
a couple of really great moments, like after delivering puppies,
I'm sure, oh my gosh, wow, you have to just
be there for delivered puppies.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
I don't think I've never been. I've never seen that
they're so cute.
Speaker 4 (29:59):
I'm sure they don't come out like little potatoes, like
really really cute puppies, really good as you expect.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
And it's true that Dalmatians aren't born with with spots,
right is that true?
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (30:11):
Yeah, I think that's so cool.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
And I also think it's cool that labs are it
doesn't matter like black labs can have brown labs. Is
that true too, like all different colors like that makes
no sense.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
What was going on with the jeens before recessive? So yes,
that can happen.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
That's really cool.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
But the social media, yes, the Heart of Chelsea has
just this.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
Group of fun, younger than me individuals that I'm I'm
lucky to be around. And they find these moments, especially
when the people are already the pet parents are ready
and into it. We have some really cool animals walking
in the fashion is amazing.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
Oh yes, I mean, do you have people who always
like clying to just always dress up their dogs even
though it's not Halloween.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
Lots of matching, lots of owners come in Leuvaton on
one side, Lubaton on the other.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Love it. I die for it.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
I'm sure fake ostrich feather.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
Oh my goodness, that's great.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
It's lovely and they show up for it.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
I have this one woman that has a pug and
she comes in with a different pug outfit or bag
or something.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
She absolutely loves little ali her. Oh my god, different
pugs paraphernalia every time. Oh my god, I'm handel.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
That's adorable.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
I love pugs. There's something about dressing up a pug
something there's just I wouldn't do it, but when people
do it, it just makes me laugh because they're so kind
of funny looking, even though they were adorable.
Speaker 3 (31:35):
And then you see the book costumes that.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
I'm like, and they always look disgruntled matter what right
that face?
Speaker 1 (31:40):
Oh my god, that's great. So okay. So for people
who are listening, they can follow on Instagram and TikTok
and Facebook. All of that is Heart of Chelsea, NYC.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Yes, Heart of Chelsea, Heart of Chelsea.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
And your website is Heart of Chelsea dot dot com.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Go on there.
Speaker 4 (31:57):
There's opportunities to book your appointments. There's lots of new
pet parent information. There's a really great site that helps
you manage insurance. We don't work with any insurance companies,
but we help our clients figure out what insurance works
for them. This is a brilliant one woman named Jen
Abbattino that can help you and we just want.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
To set you up for success. Yeah, and book an
appointment Prospect Heights.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
I know it's so exciting. So November two is the
big grand opening. So excited I am, actually I will.
I'm going to put it in my book in my phone.
So I want to come.
Speaker 4 (32:31):
And so excited for Brooklyn. I already lived there, but
I'm coming.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
Well, that's excellent mention.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
iHeartRadio. You'll have your first exam for free.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
Oh that's very sweet.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
Look at you.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
Well, this is very exciting. So should we leave.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
This with one one comment?
Speaker 1 (32:49):
One one pearl of wisdom for you from you, even
though I know you have many pearls because you are
very wise. No, seriously, I'm not being funny. You really are.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
You are.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
You're a vague, You're so smart, you're so personable. If
you had to give one piece of advice to anyone
who owns a pet, a dog, a cat, a bird,
a reptile, if there's one thing, is there one thing?
Speaker 2 (33:12):
I can think of? One thing?
Speaker 1 (33:13):
Yees, okay, okay, I know you could across the board. Yes.
Speaker 4 (33:16):
The piece of advice is you can do it. Okay,
and you are doing it. People just feel like they're
not doing a good job with their pets sometimes and
you're doing great. Yeah, and do your research and look
things up. Google things. That's fine.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Sure.
Speaker 4 (33:32):
I love when people google things and bring it to
me and we can learn together and try to keep
an open mind together about what to do. But you
can do it. Just have a pet, care for them.
You're going to save a life, rescue a pet.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
That's perfect.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
That's a great experience. You won't regret it. It is.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
That's a great piece of advice. He did it. I
knew he would. It was perfect.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
Perfect.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
So doctor Andrew Torsha, thank you so much for coming
in here, for talking with all of us and giving
all of your knowledge and wisdom. And you have to
come back again.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Thank you. I would love to. It's been an honor.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
Please honor for me part of Chelsea dot com. Come on,
come on down, see you November two.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
Great yay
Speaker 1 (34:18):
Operator, Just see your raider Lamigator
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