Puppy Primer, The First Instructions.

Congratulations! 

How incredibly exciting is having a new puppy? 

Those little feet, the happy wag, the endless kisses, and the silly adorable play. It is the magical moments of a new life and the joys of learning about all of the new things to sniff, chew, toss, squeak, and discover. 

Along with the endless entertainment of a new puppy comes the responsibility of a new life. There is a lot to learn, remember, and protect your new pup from. But don't worry there is an army people available to help you. Ask for help, ask for advice, and know that every step of the way there are resources of every kind available to you. Here's the advice from a vet, but seek out friends, family and your puppies first family. 

We are all here to help you build a strong life-long bond. 

My first piece of advice is to see a vet within the first three days of  getting your new puppy. 

Until that time pick up all feces and keep your puppy in your yard and away from other pets. I know it sounds harsh and strict, but I have seen a new puppy become very sick very quickly and then get every other pet in their social circle sick. Play it safe and keep your puppy away from other puppies and dogs for the first few weeks. After they are 6 months old and have completed of their vaccines your puppy is fine to go out and see the world. Until then think of your puppy as having an "immature immune system". Even if you are getting shots every three weeks your pup still may not be able to face and defeat a challenge from a disease, even one that they have been vaccinated for. 

Another small note with the importance of a 'new pet visit'. If the breeder or adoption agency says 'up to date on shots' it is still a very good idea to see your vet as soon as possible. They will help you identify what your vaccine schedule is, whether or not you need any monthly preventatives, and give you lots of helpful advice. Their advice is well worth the minimal cost and the safety and well-being of your puppy.

Even as I ask you to keep your pup sheltered I do not want to tell you to keep them from being socialized. It is very important to expose your puppy to other pets so that they are not afraid of, or unable to interact with them. Most pets develop fear as a result of anxiety. The anxiety in many cases stems from either not having been exposed to other animals, or from not being allowed to learn how to act around others. Puppy classes are a wonderful way to safely introduce your puppy to others, and also how to effectively communicate with your puppy. Invite the whole family to go to class. You can all learn the new language of puppy talk together. And that way you can all help in the raising and rearing of your puppy.

If you have a small dog, the ability to make multiple return visits, or if you have any concerns about a vaccine reaction, I recommend that the vaccines be split up. 
I try not to give more than two shots per visit to the little, young, or sensitive pups. 

A microchip is a very safe, effective way to reunite you with your pet should you ever be separated  Have your puppy micro-chipped at your first visit. Puppy-napping has become a more and more common crime, especially in a depressed economy. A microchip can be easily and quickly placed and will not be painful if done by an experienced person. Remember to register your puppy immediately, and remember to keep your information updated should your puppy need to find you. 

Ask your veterinarian what they recommend for heartworm prevention and flea and tick prevention. At our clinic we advocate they be used monthly. Heartworm preventatives prevent heartworm disease, which can be expensive to treat and fatal. Many preventatives are also monthly de-wormers. Every monthly pill will treat and prevent some of the most common intestinal worms. I tell my clients that "for all that we do for our pets in my opinion you get the biggest bang for your buck with heartworm prevention." I also recommend that it be given monthly year around so your pet is not at risk of getting heartworm disease. If you forget to give your pet a pill for longer than 6 weeks it is recommended that your pet be re-tested for heartworm disease before resuming the monthly prevention. The cost of the heartworm test is often more expensive than the skipping of the three months that you think your pet doesn't need to be treated. These products are dosed by your pets weight. Make sure that your pet is given the correct dose based on their size.

We also recommend a good monthly flea and tick preventative. In our neck of the woods we need this product because the ticks around the Mid-Atlantic region carry of Lyme disease. Along with the yearly vaccine the use of this product monthly will protect them

well against the dangers of Lyme disease.

For dogs less than twenty pounds I recommend using a harness and a leash to walk her. The harness is safer  than a collar, so they doesn't traumatize their trachea if they pull on the leash, and also that if you need to tug them quickly away from any dangers so that it won’t pull on their trachea. Smaller dogs have weaker cartilage so less trauma to the trachea is safer. With this said, discourage them from pulling. Being good on a leash is good manners.

For larger dogs I recommend a sturdy heavy 6 foot leash. Big dogs on retractable leashes can be catastrophic. If they lunge or run the leash can break, or it can pull you off your feet. I have seen many dogs hit by cars, run away, or people injured due retractable leashes.

The best thing that you can do for them is take them everywhere with you. Let them be the other kid and show them the world so they aren't afraid of anything.

If you find that your puppy is requiring too much time and attention and that they have too much energy for you to adequately get them tired then I would suggest that you get another puppy. I know it sounds crazy but two puppies can be easier than one. They tire each other out, they have far fewer behavioral issues (because they are happy and tired), and they will take some demands for attention off of your plate. I swear by the two puppy theory. I spend all day working and my puppies have each other to snuggle with, play with, and interact with. I know that they are happier because they have each other. My husband and I are happier too. Watching them play wrestle, sleep cuddled up together and being able to tell them to play with each other so that every so often we can actually spend a few moments together is a blessed thing.

Our Puppies.
Charlie and Jekyll doing their morning wiggle dance.

Take lots and lots of pictures, and please share them with everyone. And never hesitate to call your vet, friends, breeder, or adoption center if you have any questions or concerns. We are all here to help.

If you have any puppy (or any other kind of pet question) you can find answers anytime, and always free at Pawbly, or you can find me on Twitter @FreePetAdvice.

Timber, How could the 2nd dog be more tragic than Ruger?

I introduced you all to Ruger a few days ago. I told you about the long difficult road it was to finally get him a diagnosis, and then the incredible struggle it was to keep him happy and functional once we got it.

In the end, after his struggles with finding his disease and watching him through his ups and downs, he died of malignant lymphoma 2 months after his first sign of illness. His story was agonizing to watch and heart breaking for his parents. Through it we became friends and allies in a war against the disease in Rugers body. He was an "incredibly sweet loveable dog, and he can't ever be replaced."

So were the last words I heard from Rugers parents. They said that Ruger was "one of a kind" and that they "could never replace him," and I knew the pain of losing him would take a long time to heal.

I wished them well, told them to call me anytime, and that they were great parents who had a dog that loved them.

A few weeks later I was elated to see Ruger's dad in the waiting room with a rambunctious bouncing curly locked Golden Retriever puppy. I was so happy to meet that little boy they named Timber. Timber's dad was all smiles as we smothered that puppy in kisses and compliments. I asked how his wife was doing? He said he had surprised her with the puppy and she was feeling better now that he was in the house. They were healing and moving on. But they did have lots of questions about whether Timber was a "normal" puppy. They just didn't remember Ruger being so energetic when he was Timber's age. I told them that "all puppies are diferent, and that he did seem a bit more energetic than the average Golden." Secretly, I thought that he was just what they needed. The busier that Timber kept them, the less time they would have to mourn. But it was apparent to everyone that they loved this pup to pieces.

At Timber's first visit he was 8 weeks old. We started him on his first set of puppy vaccines, flea & tick preventative, ran a fecal to check for intestinal worms, and started him on heartworm prevention. We also spent a great deal of time going over our puppy instructions. These help owners understand what we do, what we recommend you do at home, feeding guidelines, and lots of helpful hints.

I saw Timber every three weeks from 8 weeks to 17 weeks old. He grew into a beautiful bouncy adolescent. He was one of the few puppies who was always happy to come in and visit us. Which is quite a big compliment when you are getting multiple vaccines at each visit.

For his last puppy visit, at 17 weeks, I spoke to Timber's dad about what the recommendations for Timber's next few months would be. I gave Timber his last puppy examination and then vaccinated him for his last puppy distemper combination shot, and his last Lyme disease vaccination. I then asked the technician to bring Timber back to the treatment area so he could have his blood taken for his pre-op neuter check. Timber was in the back with the technician for about 5 minutes. While they were in the back I stayed in the exam room because I wanted to ask him for his permission to write about Ruger in this blog. He said that it would be fine. Timber was brought back into the exam room as we were talking about the magnificent dog Ruger was. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Timber squat and urinate on the floor..I thought that this was odd, he never seemed scared or nervous around any of us before. Then within 10 seconds his back end went limp and he sort of fell/fainted. Timber's dad said, "Oh, he must be tired?" But my gut knew better. I lept to the floor, put my hand around his heart, and looked at his gums. His gums were pink, but I'll be damned I couldn't feel a heartbeat. Without any word to his dad I picked up his lifeless 30 pound body and ran through a packed reception/waiting area. I looked like a t.v. show, and I was wishing that this was one. I placed Timber on the surgery table, and got my stethoscope on his heart immediately. Nothing. His gums were now purple. I started CPR and swearing. How could I possibly face these owners? God, the devastation of losing Timber would be too much for them. I was thinking all of this and barking orders at my petrified staff. Within 1 minute we had 2 i.v. catheters in. I had him intubated, and I was shoving massive amounts of life saving heart starting drugs in his veins. Yes, a flashback of Pulp Fiction ran thRough my head. I never stopped the chest compressions and his color very quickly became pink again. Within 3 minutes he had fluids, a drug to increase his heart rate (atropine, see Pulp Fiction) and oxygen. Within 1 minute I felt his heart flutter under my fingers gripping his chest. I was determined and desperately pleading to coax him back to consciousness. I was continuing his CPR and then his heart stopped again. I gave a HUGE dose of atropine in his i.v. catheter. It was my last hope and I was losing all hope. Within 30 seconds his heart regained life and started beating fast and furious. Ok, I did get really nervous here. His heart went from zero to 200 beats per minute. But he was alive! Oh! I could breathe again. Within a minute or two he was conscious.

I took a deep breath and walked back to the exam room. I tried as calmly as I could to explain what had just happened. I brought Timber's dad in the back to sit with Timber so I could keep monitoring him. I begged them to stay another hour, until we closed because I was so afraid I would lose him. Within 30 minutes that puppy was up and jumping around like nothing had ever happened.

I went home that night feeling as if I had just lived through one of the most scary, nail biting, near death experiences of my career.

Timber is doing great. Although it has been too long since I ran that pre-op blood work. I bet they are afraid to come back and tempt fate again. I better call them tomorrow.

the lessons we are told and the ones we learn the hard way

 In the long process of getting into vet school (my process has to be the longest on record, I sound like I am proud of that, really, I am chuckling, it was so ridiculous), I had to meet the stringent, grueling, and  exceedingly high expectations set forth by the Veterinary Admissions Committee. I needed to have high grades (another story in itself), a few letters of reference, a GRE score that was almost unattainable, a work history that was longer than the other applicants I was up against, and some experience in a laboratory setting for the purpose of research. It took me many years to get that small list up to par with the rest of the hopefuls. To help bulk up my work history resume I started calling all of the veterinary clinics around me. I had to make a lot of calls. I am sure most of the clinics thought I sounded like a loon. I was asking if I could come in and volunteer my time at their clinic. But there were few stipulations and problems that I had before I could start volunteering. Like, for example, I still had a job, a crazy unpredictable job.

I went to sea for a living, as a merchant seaman. (I know not a common transition, Merchant Mariner to Veterinarian). I was working for AT& T on their fiber optic cable ships stationed in Baltimore MD. I was worked on the ship 7 days a week from 8 am to 4 pm, and then I would head off to the veterinary clinic. But the ship was on standby, which meant that if any undersea cable in the Northern Atlantic Ocean needed any fixing we had 24 hrs to get our ship shipshape and lines aboard, and be heading out to sea. We never knew how long we would be gone, and we never knew when the call would come. In other words I wanted to help but I might be very unreliable. After a few random calls I landed an opportunity to volunteer at a vaccine clinic. It was at that time a very novel idea. The clinic was open 2 hours three times a week for walk-in appointments. The clinic could only provide minimal services, primarily vaccines and examinations, but  I immediately loved this clinic. The medicine was fast and furious. The clients were from all sides of the spectrums, (because I guess everyone is always trying to save a buck?) and the cases were just as varied. Sometimes, most of the time, it was just “hello,” “nice to meet you,” happy healthy cat/dog, place said cat/dog on the examination table, pop vaccine in the butt and then call out “Next!”  It was fast, and furious, and fun. But there wasn’t a lot of intense medicine involved, (not that the admissions committee was going to find out).

The owner of the vaccine clinic was Dr. Lou Applefeld. He was a tall, dark, handsome, smart, witty, and friendly man. I loved him instantly too. He was great fun to be around, and a great mentor to have. I got lucky. I stayed volunteering there for about 3 years, and I actually learned as much about veterinary vaccines as I did about being a veterinarian and business owner. He was patient, kind and generous with both his time and advice. He loved veterinary medicine and his patients but he was tired of struggling between the ability to make a living reflective of a doctor/veterinary expert, and the pressures owners placed on him to give away his time, expertise, goods, and services. He told me over and over that the amount of time, effort, and money you had to put into the process of getting a DVM wasn’t worth it in the end. He pleaded with me to change my mind. He was trying to save me from the internal frustrations and challenges that his 40 years had given him. It was a lost cause. I had wanted this for too long and I had invested too much into it already, that and I am destructively stubborn. I had to learn this lesson on my own.

In 2001 I started vet school at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. I was so proud. It seemed like it was the culmination of a lifetime of effort. (I was an old lady comparatively speaking to the rest of my class, 31, (grimace, shock, horror).  It was four long hard years of school. And let me tell all of you who are debating starting vet school it’s really hard to do anything else while you are trying to get through.

 I had the support of a wonderful man that I had just met 3 months before vet school started. The odds of any relationship, especially a new one are not stacked in your favor, but it turns out he is almost as stubborn as I am. So he stuck with me for the 4 years of vet school, drove 4 hours each way every weekend just to hold my hand, hand me hankies, clean my house, and buy the weeks’ worth of groceries. He really helped me get through vet school, and I am not sure I could have done it without him. (Thanks honey, I owe you a million).

Fast forward 10 years or so and now I am in about the same position Dr. Applefeld was, (well minus the 30 years of experience) and I now understand why he harped on me as hard as he did. And damn him if he wasn’t right. It is a difficult career to pick. Juggling the pressures of making a living, looking into the eyes of a patient whose life depends on someone intervening on their behalf, and in many cases an owner who cannot, or will not pay for their care. Veterinarians either stop caring, stop listening, go broke, or burn out. I struggle to stay standing as I walk the high wire in between all of these. I tell myself everyday that the last part of me that I will let go is my sanity, followed by my compassion, and lastly my business. (But if my husband asks please tell him the reverse order). 

Here is one of the stories where I got burned by my desire to do the right thing, take care of a critical pet and learn another lesson the hard way. One of my technicians came to me one day to tell me that her boyfriend’s ex-wife had her dog in the emergency hospital and she could not afford the care there that her dog needed. I told her that if she couldn’t afford the emergency clinic and her dog needed care she should bring it over for us to look at. A short time later I met the ex-Zaremba and her very sweet pit bull mix dog Freckles. Freckle’s was in a terrible state when I met her. She was obese, unable to walk, lethargic, and very ill. She was one of those cases that break your heart in 5 minutes. For as sweet and gentle as she was she had essentially been ignored all medical care for at least 4 years. The list of possible diseases that could be causing/contributing to her current state was long and the investigation to get to her diagnosis was not going to be cheap. I discussed all of this with her owner and she explained to me that she would do whatever it took to get her well. We began the long process to identify the cause(s) of her condition. Within 30 minutes we knew the following; She had a terrible case of Lyme disease (if left untreated, or if found in the advanced state, this will often be fatal), She had a very large distended urinary bladder that might burst at any moment and could kill her if not resolved immediately. She was not spayed (leaving the real possibility of having a pyometra, or infection of the uterus, another big killer is not treated immediately). A very low protein, (also life threatening), and she had a severe case of both whipworms and hookworms. I made it very clear to her owner that she needed immediate emergency care and that regardless of all the treatment and care she was given she may still not survive. Her prognosis was grave and her condition severe. Her owner Ms. Zaremba pleaded with me to do everything I could for her and she pledged to pay for her care even if it meant making payments on her account for months to come. I provided her with an estimate of about $1000 which I hoped would take cover of her three days of hospitalization and care.

After three intense days of aggressive medical care, multiple x-rays, blood work, a urinary catheter, and hospitalization Freckles walked out of JVC a happy healthy dog. We started her vaccines and spayed her a few weeks later. Everyone was relieved that she was such a wonderful success story. She remains one of the happiest patients we have ever cared for. It was wonderful to see how incredibly resilient and miraculous her recovery was. That kind of case is the payback all vets live for. For as many terrible endings it is the one or two miraculous cases that keep us going.

But back to Dr. Applefeld. After Freckles received all of her care, she had amassed a bill of over $1500 dollars. In the very beginning, when Freckles still needed follow up care, Ms. Zaremba followed through with her established payment plans, but after we stopped seeing Freckles we also stopped seeing payments. To this day I have not been reimbursed for her care. Do I regret it? No, I did the right thing for a wonderful dog. Do I do payment plans anymore? Hell NO! They don’t work, and I need to maintain some tactics to preserve my burn out potential.

So Ms. Zaremba I know that you are still out there, (there are also a few others, you know who you are, that took advantage of JVC) I hope that someday your sense of responsibility and descency bring you back to our door to make things right. And I ask myself do these people exist in every small business? Yes, no doubt. Do I expect people to be fair and descent still? Yes. I still believe in people, I just don’t put the staff’s payroll on the line for them.

 It is an ever evolving process to figure out how to walk the line. I wish I had Dr. Applefeld around to get advice, but very sadly he passed away a few years ago. He had 6 years of retirement, which he enjoyed much more than working, and I feel that the words of advice and his life lessons live on with me. I remind myself to enjoy the successes, learn from the failures, love my patients as if they were my own pets, and follow my heart. That and I never deny care,( because I won’t let myself become a hardened uncompassionate soul), but these days I take collateral, multiple forms of id, signed promissory notes and I have a great collections agency. Or you can sign your pet over to JVC and then we can provide all of the needed care without the frustration of trying to collect payment afterwards. So far it has worked. But it means we always have a pet up for adoption, and jewelry in the collateral bag. If you see the neon sign in the door with the three balls and the “pawn broker” words in the window you know that I have fallen one more tier down the ladder of desperation. I hope that it is still a long way down. I miss you Lou, and I say a big loud “THANKS!” I am a better person, veterinarian, and business owner because of you. I am very grateful.

Levi's Luck, and why we don't get a DVM degree online.

Levi’s story began very oddly.

Our first meeting.

I was called to the front desk one afternoon because, "There was an older gentleman in the reception area who had walked into the clinic and requested to talk with me."

I always get nervous when someone walks in off the street and asks for me by name. I knew I didn't have any appointments with anyone and he obviously was not a drug rep. (They, for reasons still not understood by me, always show up unannounced). I went out to the reception area and introduced myself with a hand shake, a smile, and a "hello." 

The man stood up, shook my hand and told me that we had already met and asked me if "I remembered this meeting?"

I slowly and quizzically said “No.” 

“I was here a few years ago with a friend who was here to euthanize his beagle.” (Still no recollection of any of this on my part). “You talked him out of euthanizing the dog because you believed he had a treatable medical condition and you said you would not euthanize the dog unless he was suffering and not treatable. I was so impressed by your compassion that I wanted to talk about my daughters dog with you.” (There was no dog with him. First red flag... Check).  

He went on to tell me that he had a 2 year old yellow lab that had had 2 seizures. He explained that his daughter was having some personal difficulties and that he and his wife were taking care of the dog, named Levi, for her. He went on to describe that Levi was a very active dog and they kept him outside in a chained enclosure. 

Somewhere in this discussion I asked him if he "was a client of ours?" 

“No, we bring our dogs to the clinic up the street.” (Red flag number 2. Check). He mentioned several times that he and his wife were “on a fixed income.” (I always secretly laugh at this. I mean, who isn't?) He went onto tell me that he had diagnosed Levi’s disease already. 

I asked "who had done this for him?" I expected he would tell me that the vet down the street had. 

Instead, I got “we found it on the internet.” (Red flag number 3. Check). Every vet in the world cringes inside when a client tells them that they have been doing their own vet school training online. 

When I asked him "What he based this diagnosis on?" 

He told me, that "Levi has had 2 seizures. The last one had lasted over 2 hours." And, that “it was really hard to watch him seizing for 2 hours, so he thought it would be better to euthanize him then let him suffer through another one of these.”

It was very clear that Levi needed a veterinarian to look at him. I told him that I would be happy to set up an appointment.

He asked "whether Levi’s presumed diagnosis was treatable?" 

I told him that "it certainly could be, but Levi needed an examination and work-up before anyone should diagnose him."

He then told me he was going to go back to the vet up the street and have him put down. He thought it would be cheaper than treating Levi.

I told him that "I believed this was immoral and unethical." I told him it was "$50 for a euthanasia here, which we would not do, and $45 for an examination." He once again repeated "that they were on a fixed income and he was sure that Levi was not treatable," and "he wouldn't put a penny out for him."

I had to take a deep breath and get out of the reception area. I was about to internally combust. 

"What the hell?" I thought. Did this man seriously just walk in here to tell me he was going to euthanize his dog? Was he asking for a professional opinion? Or a consent to his medical diagnosis? God help me not castrate him, or start screaming obscenities to him.  I asked him to follow me into the exam room. (Note to self, need to install sound proof walls in examination rooms). 

I realized that this dog, whom I had never met, owned by this man who wasn't a client, had no hope unless I agreed to do everything for free. I am happy to do pro bono work, but, I am indignant to provide it to people who can pay but would rather buy a new car, gun, cell phone, tattoo, or new replacement dog than help their companion when they need them most. 

I told him that he "could bring Levi in and sign him over to us and we would give him an examination, blood work, and come up with a treatment plan." He reiterated to me that he "would not pay for anything!" (I am not sure which part of free he was confused about?)


He left. I went to my office to settle my nerves. (Usually this means I take my dogs for a long walk). 

He came back the next day with Levi. I knew the minute I saw Levi that this was the right thing to do. Levi came bounding in the clinic door, tail wagging, tongue lashing out air kisses to everyone and everything he saw. I stopped thinking about how disappointed I was with this man and I reminded myself why I never choose the easy road. When I saw Levi I knew instantly that I loved this dog. He was all love but no manners. He looked like he had just escaped from dictatorship lead solitary confinement. Oh my goodness was he the worlds happiest dog!

As soon as the legal papers were signed we began performing every test we thought relevant, made up a treatment plan and observed him very closely. He had a seizure within the first few days with us. After a week I began calling clients to see if I could coerce someone into fostering him. I was very worried he might be having seizures at night that we weren't privy to. 

A seizure is a disorder at the level of the brain. In simplest terms it is what happens when the internal wiring and circuitry of your brain goes haywire. I remind my clients that it is always a life threatening event. I always make sure that my clients with pets that have seizures have an emergency plan. This includes emergency medications they can administer at home, and directions to the emergency facility if the medications don’t work.

Levi was tested for Lyme disease and was strongly positive for it. I was hoping that the seizures were a result of the Lyme disease. He also had a lot of discharge from his right eye. His right eye had what we call entropion. This means that the (lower eyelid in his case)rolls in and rubs the eye. If you have an eyelash, or other foreign body in your eye, you know it immediately and you try to remove it immediately. Think about having a whole bunch of hair rubbing your cornea (eyeball) every second of every day. You would do what he was doing, squint and tear, a lot!

Levi lived at the front desk for about three weeks. For every client who approached the front desk Levi would jump up, wag, and greet them. It was impossible to miss him, and impossible to dissuade him. He wanted to announce to the world that he was free and friendly. For one of our visiting clients Levi's hello caused her to fall in love with him even faster than I had. 

Within minutes of that smile she announced that she was "going home to tell her husband about him!" And, that she "was coming right back for him." She announced that she wasn't going home to ask permission, (the respectful thing to do in your marriage), but she loved Levi and needed to break it to her husband without the four legged bouncing boy breaking the news not-so- gently for her.  She came back a few hours later and took Levi home. I gave her a large supply of anti-seizure medications, explicit instructions, my cell phone number and an emergency plan. Levi did great in their home. He is still having seizures and is being treated for epilepsy (not the dreaded "untreatable" disease the internet had diagnosed him with). We also surgically corrected the eyelid deformity. His new family loves him immensely. He comes to visit often, tail wagging, kissing, and cuddling up to all of us. I am grateful everyday that he found a great home and that they love him in spite of his life-long disease. Levi has a great support system and medical team, dedicated to his well-being.

It has been about 6 months since Levi came to us. Last week the receptionists came to me, again, to say that there was "a man here to see me." This time I asked "whether or not I wanted to talk to him?" As soon as I saw him my heart sank. 

I trudged toward him and muttered a reluctant muffled “Hello.” 

“Do you remember me?” This time my answer was a definitive “Yes”.  

“I know I am not supposed to ask, and, you don’t have to tell me.” (the transfer of ownership papers he signed state very clearly that once JVC takes responsibility for a pet we do not give the former owners any further information on that pet). I took a deep breath again. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of relieving his guilt, (although now that I think about it, maybe he wanted to feel as if his medical diagnosis had been correct?). 

"He’s dead right? You had to euthanize him because he wasn't treatable. Right?”  

I confessed to him that Levi was doing very well. He had a wonderful family who loved him very much. After which he told me that he was going back to the breeder to buy a new puppy. 

I shed my professional composure suit. “You have no right to ever own another pet. You dumped Levi. A pet, just like every other living thing, requires time, care, AND, it might even  cost you a nickel if anything happens to them.” 

He stood up, said to me, “I knew you would be tough,” and left.

I am rethinking the walk in and request to see me thing.

If you would like to learn more about seizures, please see my blog on "Seizures What I Tell My Clients."

If you would like to learn more about entropion please see Corky's Story.


Meet Levi. This is pre-op for the eye. I will post post-op pictures in a few weeks, (after it has healed).

Happy Birthday Levi

"There is no such thing as too big to be a lap dog. Is there?"

Shotgun

Another grueling long day comes to an end.

Everybody needs a shoulder to lean on.

Pets With Santa

It has been over three years since I first met Levi. He is still a sweet, gentle, loving boy to a family who lost their son fighting overseas for our country a few years before Levi came into their lives. Levi remains at their side, helping to shoulder the grief of a loss that is deep and intensely painful. He has brought love, life, humor, joy, and levity into a family. His former family has no idea of what a wonder this boy is. To see one family purchase, chain, and then abandon and then another adopt, rescue, love, and honor the same dog is a true miracle and reminder of what the best of humanity looks like. 

There is always love to be found out there. Never give up on the power of second chances.

Update January 2016; I still see Levi every few months. I has been 5 years of watching him wag his way in the door. Many giggling visits with his family. Many tales of lab antics, silly dog capers, and he has remained the joy in a family who believes that the love he spreads far out weighs the condition he came with.

If you have a pet in need please join us on Pawbly.com. We  are a free pet information network with the sole purpose of helping pets live longer happier and healthier lives.

Levi, January 2016.. he had a long day of playing in the snow.