Dr. Buzby—integrative veterinarian, founder of ToeGrips for dogs, and mom of eight—leads with her heart first. And shares love for helping senior dogs and pet people along the way.
A journey of the heart isn’t linear and destinations aren’t planned. So Dr. Julie Buzby’s passion-driven veterinary career, business, and family life have been filled with unexpected adventures. Yet all three share one common thread—they are woven together by love.
This is her story.
A Career Based on Heart
For Dr. Buzby, working in the veterinary field was more than a career choice. It was a life choice.
I never remember wanting to be anything else but a veterinarian,” she explains. “I thought earning my DVM degree was my fairy tale ending. Little did I know, it was only the beginning!”
Early in her career she pursued special certifications in veterinary acupuncture and animal chiropractic. Clients would travel from hours away to bring their senior dogs, who needed help with mobility and pain management, for these treatments. Caring for her grey-muzzled patients quickly became the part of her job she loved the most.
Loving and Caring for Dear Old Souls
Her passion for senior dogs grew when she and her family moved to South Carolina. She founded a solo practice focused primarily on caring for aging dogs.
All dogs have a story. But the story of senior dogs holds a special place in my heart. They are old souls who have shared unwavering loyalty, love, and companionship with their people. They are everyday therapy dogs who have seen their families through life’s darkest valleys. It’s my privilege to help these unsung heroes live their best lives for as long and as happily as possible.”
Ironically, it was through her interest in helping senior dogs that she became an “accidental entrepreneur.”
A Business Grows Out of Helping People Help Their Senior Dogs
It was never, as Dr. Buzby explains, her intention to start a senior dog business.
I call myself an accidental entrepreneur. My plan wasn’t to own a pet product business,” she says. “As a veterinarian, my mission is helping senior dogs. As an entrepreneur, my mission is helping people help their senior dogs. It’s a bit different, but equally fulfilling.”
How did her passion for helping senior dogs change her career trajectory?
When Dr. Buzby first saw the idea of ToeGrips for dogs, she knew it would change the lives of senior dogs and their pet parents. She just didn’t realize it would change her life too.
At our hospital’s Christmas open house in 2011, I remember greeting Morgan, a 15-year old Australian Shepherd whom I had treated as a patient. Curiously, Morgan was wearing these tiny rubber “noodles” on her toenails.
It gave me goosebumps. I saw a very common problem solved. A dog’s natural mechanism for traction is engaging the nails, but hard nails can’t grip hard floors. The rubbery noodles would equip the nails to grip slippery floors. This was a groundbreaking invention. “
Morgan’s dad, an entrepreneur with many other projects on his plate, suggested Dr. Buzby be the one to carry the torch of bringing the idea to life.
I would lie awake at night thinking about this solution for my patients and other senior dogs. My heart couldn’t rest until I’d formulated a plan. I was convinced that ToeGrips would be life-changing for so many dogs and their people.”
Her love for helping senior dogs grew into launching the Dr. Buzby’s ToeGrips product line and then founding her small business, Dr. Buzby’s—The Senior Dog Company.
Of course, adding “build a start-up business” to her to-do list while parenting eight children and practicing as a veterinarian, didn’t come without its challenges.
It’s inherent to the human condition to be faced with discouragement. It’s not easy to keep the faith. I know this is true for every human being.”
Through every challenge and hardship, Dr. Buzby reminds herself that all situations are malleable. While a day may be difficult, Dr. Buzby believes joy comes in the morning.
Keeping it real, some of those mornings turn into afternoons where I’m still in my pajamas because I hit the ground running—packing a lunch, finding the lost car keys, refereeing a squabble, loading the dishwasher, taking a call from a client, cleaning up dog vomit, helping with Hebrew homework, while simultaneously running a business from our kitchen counter.”
Dr. Buzby says she’s grateful for her support team—her family, her work family, and her network of veterinary colleagues—who encourage her through the rough spots. Ultimately, “Faith in God is my rock. In both business and family life, I’ve learned that even when facing the most difficult challenges there’s always breakthrough that follows.”
Celebrating 10 Years of ToeGrips for Dogs
Over time, Dr. Buzby grew ToeGrips from its infancy into a product line sold to 50 countries worldwide. “It only took 10 years for ToeGrips to become an overnight success,” she laughs.
Over the years, ToeGrips have restored traction for over 100,000 senior and special needs dogs who struggled to rise and walk on tile, vinyl, and hardwood floors. The game-changing traction helps dogs enjoy the longest, happiest life possible with better mobility, reduced risk of slip-and-fall injury, and restored confidence.
Each life impacted by ToeGrips brings me so much joy and affirms the wild ride that began that day I greeted Morgan and her dad,” says Dr. Buzby.
But launching ToeGrips for slipping dogs isn’t where Dr. Buzby’s journey ends.
As a mother balancing a veterinary practice, a small business, and a family, she knew the joys as well as the struggles of being a veterinary mom. Through a private Facebook group, she found genuine support and camaraderie in a community of “Moms with a DVM.”
Inspired to support those vet moms, who related to each other with a profound empathy, she decided to give back in a rather unconventional way. A veterinary conference designed to offer encouragement and build community began to take root. And for good reason.
The Mental Health Crisis Among Veterinary Professionals
To say the veterinary profession is difficult would be an understatement.
No veterinarian is working in a detached way,” Dr. Buzby emphasizes. “I lie awake in the middle of the night thinking about your pet, I look into your dog’s eyes and search for the best way to comfort an ailing dog who has no voice to tell me what’s wrong, and I grieve right along with you when it’s time to say goodbye to your beloved senior dog. Our job takes us to the depths of our heart and soul on a daily basis, and there is an expenditure of emotional energy that I can’t really put into words.”
Along with the emotional strain, there is also a physical toll. Many veterinary clinics are understaffed and it can be difficult for veterinary professionals to set boundaries when it comes to scheduling appointments and balancing their home life.
Veterinary medicine is evolving in more ways than one. The percentage of women in the veterinary profession continues to increase, recently reaching 64%, according to the 2020 AVMA Census of Veterinarians. Many of these women are or will become mothers like Dr. Buzby.
The Complexities of the Issue
While stress and discouragement can be found in every field, these feelings of despair disproportionately affect veterinarians. A story published by Time Magazine highlights this problem, reporting that female veterinarians are up to 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than members of the general population.
The profession attracts certain personality types.” says Dr. Buzby. “Most veterinarians love deeply, and they hurt deeply. But we have to get this sorted out, or veterinary medicine as a whole is not going to be a sustainable path for people, and that’s going to affect everyone who has and loves pets. Veterinarians are the foundation of the animal health care ecosystem.”
The empathy that veterinarians bring to the job is often a double-edged sword. They pour their hearts into the profession and may internalize their feelings. The mental health crisis among veterinarians is caused by a combination of factors and stressors both on the job and in life, including:
Financial Stress—Many veterinarians graduate with crippling debt and earn lower salaries when compared to other healthcare professionals, despite having a similar level of education.
Work Life Balance—Veterinary work comes with long hours that are emotionally and physically exhausting. This stress can often follow vets home, and it can be difficult to separate being a parent or partner from work.
Workplace Stress—Aside from the intense and high stakes role of caring for sick and injured pets, veterinarians also have to communicate with sometimes distraught and upset pet parents. These interactions can be draining and lead to burnout.
Supporting Moms in the Veterinary Community
The mental well-being of her colleagues is an issue Dr. Buzby is extremely passionate about. As a veterinarian of 25 years, former practice owner, and homeschooling mom, she understands the challenges of juggling multiple heavyweight roles.
There are many resources and discussions around the need for mental health support for veterinary professionals. Dr. Buzby encourages colleagues to reach out to support groups such as Vets4Vets and The Veterinary Hope Foundation, which are both run for veterinarians by veterinarians.
I have a deep and abiding love and respect for my colleagues,” says Dr. Buzby. “My heart breaks when I hear of the suffering in our veterinary community. I wanted to help in some small way. I wanted to bring people together. I wanted to be part of encouraging other veterinary professionals.”
That’s how Dr. Buzby and her team began a labor of love to build The Veterinary Encouragement Conference, a veterinary conference to fill up the brain and also the heart.
More than just a veterinary conference
Dr. Buzby welcomed veterinarians to “come as you are.” She shared the meaning behind this mantra:
‘Come as you are’ applies to your spirit. It means that whether you feel like your best self or you feel like a shadow of yourself…don’t stay home…come as you are. As vet moms, we bear one another’s burdens. And we lift one another up. And we love, learn, laugh, and sometimes cry together.”
The first conference, held in April 2022, drew 250 veterinarians (and even a few babies), with even more participating online. Attendees heard from world-renowned speakers on a variety of educational and wellness topics. Most importantly, these women were able to share their stories about motherhood and being a veterinarian and where these roles overlap. One attendee summed up her conference experience this way, “I have never felt so rejuvenated from a conference before. This conference saved me and changed my life.”
Dr. Buzby is excited to see how this fellowship continues to unfold and grow. Tickets for the 2023 Veterinary Encouragement Conference are already sold out.
Final Words of Encouragement
Dr. Buzby’s love for animals fills her cup, which overflowed into a veterinary career. Her love for senior dogs fills her cup, which overflowed into her role as an “accidental” entrepreneur. And her love for the veterinary community fills her cup, which overflowed into an encouragement conference where veterinarians can relax and recharge.
For other moms, aspiring entrepreneurs, and veterinary professionals out there, Dr. Buzby offers the same words of encouragement she shares with her children. “Life is a mist in the wind. Follow your heart and chase your dreams with passion. It will rarely work out the way you envisioned it, but that’s not a bad thing. That’s divine intervention.”
Learn more about Dr. Buzby and ToeGrips for dogs today.