30 Days of Gratitude: Excellent Veterinary Care (and the ability to pay for it)
All of my dogs have led active, eventful lives, resulting in the need for specialized, skilled veterinary care. My first dog Molly, a spirited golden retriever, developed a mast cell tumor at the age of 6, tore both ACLs at the ages of 8 and 9 respectively and finished out her life with the unfortunate diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma. Through it all, I was fortunate to have compassionate, skilled care from our clinic, Lyndale Animal Hospital and the University of Minnesota Veterinary Hospital orthopedic surgeons and rehab department.
Josie, my cockapoo, fell victim to a very mysterious gastrointestinal condition at the age of 10. As she steadily deteriorated over the course of a summer, Dr. Marie Koppy of Lyndale Animal Hospital did everything she possibly could to figure out what was happening. One morning in late August, I showed up unannounced at the clinic, sobbing uncontrollably and clutching this helpless little being that was wasting away. She weighed 12 pounds, down from a healthy weight of 19. Dr. Koppy gently gave me permission to let her go. “If she were my dog, I would do this.” She asked for my permission to order a necropsy and the results were sadly reassuring. Josie had a tiny perforation of unknown origin in one of her intestine. There was absolutely nothing we could have done to save her. This discovery helped ease the burden of guilt I had built up over the decision to let her go.
I credit the excellent staff at the U of M ICU with saving Casey Mae’s life in June of 2010. I will never forget coming home on a Friday and she did not greet me with her usual spunk. Instead, after going outside, she remained out in the yard, laying in the grass. I went out and discovered her poop was completely black. I called the U of M emergency line and they suggested I bring her in. Bloodwork revealed severe anemia. I absolutely believe that for the next 5 nights and 4 days they prevented her from dying. She went through a battery of tests and two blood transfusions as well as other treatments before she started to turn the corner. This is another situation where we never got any definitive answers, except for a weak positive on a tick-borne disease panel.
I also appreciate the professionals who have worked with me throughout Casey Mae’s cancer diagnosis and treatment, starting again with Dr. Koppy, who encouraged me to do x-rays in addition to blood work in her first senior dog exam. The x-ray revealed the small lump that later grew aggressively throughout the next six months. Dr. Nate Rose of the Oakdale Clinic performed the lung lobectomy and did a fantastic job. CM was back to running flyball in about six weeks. I also am so fortunate to have had access to the oncology specialists at Blue Pearl Referral Clinics for getting CM and I through chemo. She has made a remarkable recovery.
Finally, I am so happy to have the chiropractors at Chiropractic for Everybody looking out for Jet. We primarily see Dr. Stacie, but Jet has now seen all three of the capable practitioners and they have worked wonders for him. He is a difficult client for sure, because he is so wiggly, but all of them know how to best work with him to get the adjustments they need. Just this past weekend, after taking a dramatic dive off the A Frame at an agility trial, Jet got to see Dr. Kerri, who did some adjustments, but more importantly, gave us the okay to compete the next day. My peace of mind was well taken care of that evening.
When I was in high school, I wanted to be a veterinarian. I even started down that path in college, but had to abandon it after first semester when it was clear I would not have the grades in math and science to get into veterinary school. As I reflect now on my limitations, I am glad I did not try any harder, as I believe I would have been quite ill-suited for the work. It takes a very special personality to be able to do the often difficult and heart wrenching work with the dear souls from the animal kingdom. I am so fortunate to have been able to rely on such wonderful individuals for the care of my most precious friends.