Being a vet doesn't always seem like an exciting job. Sure, meeting and saving cute and furry friends has its own brand of gratification, but it's not the kind of work that will get your blood pumping. That's not so for Dr Scott Sims, a veterinarian who moved to Hawaii in 2001 to take on a whole new kind of work day.
Through his clinic, the Pegasus Veterinary Clinic, the Kauai resident flits from island to island in a single-seat plane, making house calls, performing surgery, and tending to livestock in trouble.
And even meeting surfing dogs on the beach can be all in a day's work. Sims recently traveled out his local Kauai beach to see Milo, a friendly neighborhood dog who loves riding waves as much as any surfer and paddle-boarder on the water.
"He's got excellent balance, so he rides the nose - you'll see him on the front of the board... and [he] catches some pretty big waves," Milo's owner, Heather, explained to Sims and Nat Geo.
Of course, the dog doesn't surf solo. He rides with his other owner, Keone, but Heather says that of the two, Milo is the far steadier surfer... that is when he's not furiously scratching himself. (Scroll to read on...)
Milo doesn't have fleas, but Sims suspects that the little surfer could be suffering from a skin allergy to local biting insects, such as immature mites called "chiggers," which can cause some incredibly itchy bites even if you're NOT allergic.
And interestingly some experts suspect that long-haired lap dogs like Milo were first raised almost as insect traps - making life that much harder for the beach going canine.
You can learn more about Milo and all of Sims' adorable or incredible patients by tuning into "Aloha Vet," which airs Saturdays at 9 PM ET/PT on Nat Geo WILD.
For more great nature science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
- follow Brian on Twitter @BS_ButNoBS