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My Fellow Animal Lovers

First of all, I want to start by saying how incredibly sweet you all are for feeling sorry for our unfortunate rat with the tumor.  I posted the pictures so you all might see how crazy my husband's job frequently is and because I'd never seen such a large tumor on something so tiny.  Of course, we were really sad that he didn't make it, especially after we'd tried so hard to save him.  And my husband spent over an hour on an intricate surgery to carefully remove the tumor.  :(

What surprised me about your reactions is that most people say "eewww" to the rodent pets.  And many say that it's not worth paying a vet bill for care on something that only cost a few dollars.  But the owners LOVE these pets just like their dogs or cats.  And we take their health care just as seriously.  My husband actually really enjoys treating the exotics, and many other vets in our area won't treat them.  So, I am excited that my readers have such a big heart for all living things!  :)

Working in a vet clinic has been incredibly fun 95% of the time.  But it is really difficult when we lose a patient.  I've come to realize that there are certainly times that euthanasia is the best choice for an animal who is suffering.  But we refuse to euthanize puppies or kittens just because someone doesn't want them.  And this week we took in both a cat and a pit bull because the owners just couldn't care for them and wanted them put down.  (We've already found the pit a home, and then cat is at our clinic for now).

Several weeks ago, we lost a really sweet dog (another pit-one of my favorite breeds) that had gotten attacked by a neighbor's dog.  His wounds ended up too infected to save him, despite countless hours of care we gave him.  We tried antibiotics, IV fluids, topical ointments, steroids, pain meds, a blood transfusion, and numerous injections.  But it was just too much.  So, that last night when he had really declined, we took him out into the grass behind our clinic and I sat with him in the sun.  And while I petted him and spoke to him, I cried.  I realized at that moment what an incredibly important job veterinary medicine really is.   We even took the big guy home with us that night so he wouldn't have to die alone.

We're with these pets from their first puppy check-ups (occasionally even their births if by c-section) and remain part of their lives until their last breath.  Often, we're the ones comforting them in their final moments.  And even though it hurts and we all cry from time to time, it's all worth it in the end.  If Paisley learns nothing else from us, I hope she feels the same devotion to animals that we feel. 

Comments

  1. I love this..not that the dog passed away but how
    Caring you are for the animals.. And finding
    Those animals homes.. I couldn't even read the post
    With the tumor because it would have made me sad!
    I love animals so much and it makes me so happy
    That there are people like you and your husband who
    Go out of their way to help animals.. :)

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  2. When I was pregnant, I was shocked at how many people asked me if we were keeping our four dogs after we had the baby. I so wanted to ask them if they kept their oldest child when they had their second. Grrr...pets are family and I think it is so sad that some people see them as disposable. Thank you to you and your husband for doing such an important and valuable job!

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  3. I hope by my comment your not thinking that I am suggesting that pets are throw away animals. I am a big animal lover and have lost many pets to old age. What I was trying to say is there are many people who could give a small pet a good home and could feed it. I don't know how often something like this could happen to a small animal like a rat,gerbil or hamster. I don't know how much something like this surgery cost but I am guessing that not all small pet owners can afford such a costly surgery.
    I have had good experiences with vets with my animals but also some bad. My worst was when the vet ran test after test to find out that my 17 year old cat had cancer. We spent 500 for the tests and the only treatment they could suggest was ten dollar pills which I believed made her sicker. Or so it seemed. My cat would have died if I did the expensive tests or not. In the future, if my elderly animal is ill.. I won't do costly test after test when the end result would most likely not be good.
    I have bunnies and I can relate to not many vets offering services to treat them. Both times I have taken a bunny in to be treated he/she died. My first one broke her back and we had to put her to sleep and the second one was sick and died even with treatment.
    Again, I am sorry if my comment came off sounding shallow. It wasn't what I meant to come across.

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  4. I am so glad you love pits!!! We have a pit and she is THE BEST dog. She has no agression and it makes me sad when people assume every pit has been trained by Michael Vock or fights.
    We adopted her after her owner abused her (there is buck shot in her ear still) and then she was hit by a car and he refused to pay the vet bill. After all that she should be awful, but isn't.
    I am glad you share your adventures at the clinic, it seems very interesting!

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  5. What a great post! I am SO SO thankful that there are amazing vets out there who truly have a compassionate heart for animals, and realize that they ARE our family members. That was so sweet of you to sit with that poor dog during his last moments and to give him some love and comfort.
    (I love the 'vet-related' posts that you do - so interesting!)

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  6. I wish your hubby could be our vet, I love the special care and attention your family gives to your patients. As you might remember, we put our "first born" King down in November. My heart still hurts. As you described sitting with that pit, I remember how we sat in the grassy area behind our vet's office as we said goodbye to our precious boy. I was so thankful that our vet office was so sensitive to our needs, and so gentle with him in his last minutes of life. I would never go anywhere else because of that. Anyway, thanks for posting, I am one of those animal lovers and love to hear your stories!

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  7. We have two kitties that we absolutely adore and have been with us for the past four years. We adopted them from our county shelter and they have such a major part of our lives. I remember with my miscarriage both cats were constantly around me as if they knew I was in pain and needed comforting. They were there with me during my pregnancy and have come to really love our daughter. They allow her to pull their tails and grab their fur and are so good with her! We plan to adopt a dog from our county shelter as soon as we have a backyard. I love your devotion to animals it is so important we give them our love and comfort. We also want to impart our love of animals to our daughter and always plan to have animals around our family circle. They are considered part of our family.

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  8. What a great post! My sister is going to vet school in the fall and is currently working as a vet assist so she tells me all kinds of stories like these -- it's so nice to hear of the love vets and their staff have for their patients!

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  9. I love your hearts for pets!! I have no doubt that Paisley will have the same love you both do for your fur patients!!

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  10. I'm so jealous you get to spend all day with animals! So awesome! Working in the cancer care field, we have lots of opportunities to volunteer. But I never found anything I really LOVED like I've loved volunteering with Austin Pets Alive. I love seeing our little fosters get healthy and happy and find a forever family.

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  11. My parents actually paid for a gerbil surgery when I was little. Yes, they paid a good $100 for a $5 rodent, but as a child, I can't imagine NOT doing everything you can to keep your sweet, cherished pet alive. I'm sure Paisley will learn a lot about love, responsibility and compassion from the two of you (not to mention your goat). :)

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