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Who will win this intense competition? The puppy who comes home with our family in just one week, that’s who. And who will it be? Even we don’t know yet. Stay tuned.
First in a series Simple Cure? Driving home from Amarillo Richard had his eyes on the road while his wife Diane took in an outrageously beautiful New Mexico sunset. That’s when she saw something moving on the roadside. “Hey, Richard – slow down! That’s a hurt dog!” Rather than a tragic accident this was a blessing, and for more than a canine waif. Diane had suffered with depression for years. Following the death of their dog several months earlier her condition had worsened. She had been diagnosed with depression and was having trouble getting out of bed in the morning.…
We’ll have our new baby in just 2 weeks – already set up for success.
Last in a series Who Knew? I fidgeted, I hoped unnoticed, as I conducted a final exam of Lila, the Boxer mama and the qualifying 6 of her original 9. I carried the tired but stable mother to her owner’s semi truck while Ms. Adler lugged the box of puppies. I quickly bid her adieu and hurried back inside. My partner Dr. Virginia Vader and our nurse Bobbi had been hard at work. I just had to snuggle those 3 white orphans. For Gretchen Adler, our Boxer breeder client, this was just business. Had I known when she called, that…
Third in a series We Accept Rejects I didn’t know it at the time but for a Boxer to compete in the conformation ring, at least 2/3 of its coloring must be brindle or fawn. As I carefully delivered our anesthetized patient, Lila’s groggy puppies by Caesarian, infant number 3 landed in the hands of our veterinary nurse Bobbi. Our client, Gretchen Adler, was busy reviving the pupster I had handed her a few minutes earlier. As Bobbi pulled the placenta off the youngster in her hands we heard a clear order, “Let the white ones die.” Had I heard…
These Border collie puppies play well with others but there is more to life than fun and games. There is also hiking, snuggling, and fun and games. One of them gets to be the new Nichol family dog
Second in a series Caesarians in dogs and cats usually go well. Lila, the Boxer mama on my exam table, was not entirely tuckered out; her vital signs were strong. We started warm fluids IV and administered morphine for gentle sedation and pain control. Lila relaxed and accepted the oxygen mask and gas anesthesia. Once she was intubated and her abdomen prepped she was wheeled into surgery. Gretchen Adler, the owner of this nascent Boxer family, knew exactly what she wanted. Reluctantly donning the surgery cap and mask that I had pressed into her hands she stated unequivocally, with added…
First in a series Boxers in the Night Semi Pregnancy Who doesn’t love newborn puppies? Veterinarians get to turn difficult deliveries into real joy but it’s often difficult. In the early years we tried to close the clinic at 6 PM but late night emergencies were common. It was just after Christmas, at about 9:30 – near bedtime. The Rolling Stones, blasting ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ on my stereo, were interrupted by a call from the answering service. A boxer was struggling to pass her first puppy. I scribbled down the phone number of a dog breeder…
What does it take? The holidays are great fun, aren’t they? Singin’, dancin’, and carryin’ on. For you and me, sure, but badly unsettled pets can engage in some unhealthy behaviors because they’re nervous or scared. Be observant. Tense body postures around visitors or startling at sudden noises, hiding, freezing with ears flattened, the head low, and the tail tucked are important clues. Scared dogs may lick their lips and yawn. Highly stressed cats might over-groom. Worried pets need a break from the action. Hide boxes for cats and out-of-the-way resting areas for dogs can help. A food toy loaded…