The Dog Doc Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

The Dog Doc Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 19, 2020

There have of course been innumerable tragedies during this so-called annus horribilis of 2020, with countless people across the globe suffering as they've never suffered before, if they were "lucky" enough to survive in the first place. As relatively insignificant as it may well be when compared to what others have gone through, one of the worst "Covid moments" for my family personally was when we had to put our sweet dog of 13 years down early in the pandemic, just adding to the overall misery of what we were just then (unknowingly) only beginning to experience, leaving us without at least one dog for virtually the first time in our decades' long family life. I couldn't help but think of our furry companion as I watched The Dog Doc, a surprisingly moving piece featuring a maverick veterinarian (yes, there are such things) named Marty Goldstein. Goldstein came under some pretty blistering fire earlier in his career for suggesting what has increasingly become a mainstream opinion in both animal and human medical care: that sometimes "alternative" remedies need to be explored, not necessarily to replace "traditional" cures, but in order to augment those cures.

The fact that, as readers of my reviews may know, I'm in Oregon, long a world center for alternate healing practices, might make me more prone to accept some of Goldstein's theories as expounded in The Dog Doc, but what's kind of astounding about this piece is how completely reasonable Goldstein's ideas seem. This is not a guy out to "remake" veterinary medicine over in his own image, as has evidently been alleged by some of his more vocal critics, but instead a very concerned guy whose own personal health problems led him to the realization that things like diet and various supplements could make huge impacts on his quality of life. The fact that Goldstein initially at least encountered such resistance to trying similar techniques with animals is actually kind of mind boggling.

Despite the obstacles, Goldstein persevered in his efforts and now has a ton of perhaps arguably anecdotal but still medically documented evidence that his techniques actually work. The Dog Doc is filled to the brim with examples of pet owners bringing in sometimes supposedly mortally ill dogs (the documentary focuses mostly on canines) who are then subjected to the Goldstein regimen of alternative techniques, with sometimes (but not always, as Goldstein himself admits) near miraculous results.

The Dog Doc Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Dog Doc is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of FilmRise and MVD Visual with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This is a perfectly competent presentation of a documentary that doesn't have much in the way of visual "wow" but which offers generally good detail levels, especially in close-ups (there are some passingly slightly gruesome shots of various issues some of the animals are suffering from, as well as some brief shots of actual surgeries taking place). Contrast is a little anemic at times, leading to a slightly blanched look. I noticed no major compression anomalies.

The Dog Doc Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Dog Doc features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 tracks. Both tracks serve this talky documentary perfectly well, though the surround track does open up some scenes, as in the busy veterinary office or the echo-ish convention hall lobby where Goldstein meets with one of his contemporaries. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Dog Doc Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Deleted Scenes

  The Challenges of Being a Vet (1080p; 3:50)

  
  

  Dr. Jenna and Shadow (1080p; 5:24)

  
  

  Dr. Marty on Owners Searching for Answers (1080p; 2:01)

  
  

  Dr. Marty's Positivity (1080p; 1:29)

  
  

  Dr. Shane Receives a Gift (1080p; 1:08)

  
  

  Kathy Empathizes with the Animals (1080p; 1:49)

  
  

  Katy Cat (1080p; 14:30)

  
  

  Smith Ridge Philosophy (1080p; 1:07)

  
  

  Sophie (1080p; 6:17)

• Photo Gallery (1080i) is authored without a timecode, but does advance automatically, so have the Pause button on your remote handy if you want to linger on any given image.


• Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 1:58)

The Dog Doc Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While there's probably a slightly self serving aspect to this piece, some of its central points seem to be well delivered and frankly inarguable. When our dog was ailing, we actually met a woman in the local dog park who recommended a "natural remedy" for one of our dog's problems, and there is no doubt in our mind that it demonstrably helped. Technical merits are decent if not mind blowing, but for dog lovers in particular, The Dog Doc comes Recommended.