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WRVC NEWSLETTER
Winter 06-07 Newsletter 13
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE: |
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Winter Danger |
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New Product Review |
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Pig at the Back Door |
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The Sneezing Cat |
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Peace Within |
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Resolutions |
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Archives |
| In my opinion, one of the biggest problems with winter is not the cold and snow, but the extremely short days. This has relevance to animal health in that there is greater Potential for vehicle accidents due to poor visibility during |
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| SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST: | |||||
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the dark hours. These accidents are never good and often have tragic outcomes resulting in the death of a pet. While driver error is also a common factor, it does not negate the fact that more darkness can mean more accidents. | ||||
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| Every pet owner needs to take a common sense approach to this problem. Pets left outdoors need to be monitored closely so that they do not wander near roadways. Reflective collars or some other form of visible wear should be utilized to provide for greater visibility. In the event of an accident, contact a veterinarian immediately. Delays in care can make the difference between life and death. | |||||
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| A common problem for pet owners is cleaning up messes - urinary accidents, vomit, diarrhea, etc. While unpleasant, this seems to be an essential part of pet ownership. | advice on cleaning up pet messes. Over the years we have tried a variety of products- most very good, but leaving something to be desired. |
product to be very effective in
eliminating pet stains and messes. We are excited to handle this new
product, which has a wide variety of uses. If you have questions about
this product, please stop by and pick up a brochure. It may help to
turn a pet accident into a relatively uneventful event. |
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Recently, we have been handling a product called Odor-Z-Way - technically a
zeolite absorbent crystal. It comes as a granular product which can be
used to treat new and old stains. We have found the |
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are numerous cleaning products on the market for cleaning up pet stains. We
are also frequently asked to give
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| PIG AT THE BACK DOOR | |||||
| One
rainy, cool fall afternoon we received an unusual phone call at the clinic.
The caller quickly told the receptionist that there was a guinea pig at our
back door, and then hung up. When we checked, sure enough, there was a
small black guinea pig in a cage behind the clinic. Animal abandonment like this is, sadly, commonplace. It is a rare person who will not give up a pet for a variety of reasons - some valid, but most not, In this case the person at least figured out that we were likely to care
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the pet, which we are, but
this hardly makes me feel good about the
situation. All too often a pet is acquired with no long term thought
to their needs and care. This is a constant battle for anyone who
works at a clinic, a humane society, rescue organization, etc. I will never quit preaching about responsible pet ownership. I will never stop being frustrated by the segment of our society who see animals as a disposable commodity. At the same time, it makes me all the more grateful for the many
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good
clients who take exceptional care of their pets various needs. They
represent an elite group, and I feel fortunate to associate with them.
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| THE SNEEZING CAT | |||||
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is a kitten with a respiratory infection, but we also see many adult cats
with acute or chronic sneezing problems. Respiratory infections in cats are either viral or bacterial (the differentiation is rarely determined). The hallmark of treatment for a respiratory infection is short, or in some cases, long term antibiotic therapy. While most upper respiratory infections will clear, some do not, and can become a long term frustrating problem. In some cases there are reasons for a chronic |
problem-nasal
polyps, sinus infections, boney destruction of the nasal passages, etc.
Despite the diagnosis, chronic problems are frequently a long term medical
management problem, requiring ongoing or intermittent therapy for the life
of the cat. Every sneezing cat or kitten should be taken seriously. Most, if not all, will require some antibiotic therapy. A veterinarian should always be consulted when an owner observes a respiratory problem. |
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| Cats are incredibly susceptible to upper respiratory infections, the most common symptom of which is repetitive sneezing, with or without a nasal discharge. The most common presentation | |||||
A
number of years ago, I was on emergency call one Christmas Day, and I was called
out to a farm to take care of a prolapsed uterus in a dairy cow. A
prolapsed uterus is a messy difficult situation, and it represents a condition
few veterinarians care to deal with, especially on Christmas Day when you have
to leave your family behind to enjoy the day without you. What made
matters worse was the farmer who called was a grumbling unhappy fellow who
actually would have made an excellent Scrooge.After I arrived at the farm, I commended to struggle to put a massive bleeding mess of uterus back inside the cow, who was determined not to let me do so, as she strained and strained against my efforts to push and tuck and shove. Slowly, but surely, I won the battle, all the while listening to the farmer complain about anything and everything, never once acting like this particular day was any different than any others.
Once I was finished, I took my equipment outside and started to clean up as the snow swirled around me and the cold air started to freeze my blood-soaked clothes. As I scrubbed my boots, I looked up to see the farmer standing by the barn door staring at me. Now, however, he stood in silence, and his eyes were soft and gentle, rather than being filled with their usual fire. As we looked at each other, he said, "Merry Christmas, Doc," and with that he turned and disappeared back into the barn.
It does not sound like much, but that Christmas salutation did, and always has, meant a lot to me. It came from the heart, and if only for a brief time, the man came to peace with himself. Such is the magic of the holidays.
Christmas
is a wonderful time, but it can also be a confusing time. People are all
saying, "Peace on Earth," but it can sometimes be hard to find that peace.
I wonder where it is as our government battles itself, and as we bomb a distant
city. I wondered where peace was the other night when I had to leave our
family get-together to try to put a dog's face back together because someone had
shot the dog for being on the wrong side of the road. There are so many
examples of there being anything but peace on Earth that you wonder if the
holidays mean anything.
I am convinced that the holidays only distantly involve peace on Earth. What they are really about is each of us, in our own way, finding inner peace. Each of us does that differently, but it is important that we do so, or else the holidays (or any day) will not have much meaning. If we can do this, then everything else will fall into place.
I used to keep a daily journal. Many years ago the most
important thing that I did was run, so most of my entries dealt with my daily
run. At the end of each year, I would write a summary of the year's events
and try to, at the same time, look to the future. I recently found one of
my old journals -- from 20 years ago. I was intrigued to read my summary
of the years, which went as follows:
"Needless to say, it was the year of years. Everything from A to Z happened-from the worst possible weather conditions to the most beautiful weather imaginable. I suffered long, drawn out injuries as well as legs that were strong and powerful. I had bad races and I had performances I did not know I was capable of. I had many ups and downs, but most importantly I came to the realization that this is only the beginning. During the year I surpassed some of my goals, failed at others and never tried to achieve some. I guess that the most important part of it all is that I discovered a lot about myself. Through many frustrations, a few victories, and a lot mediocrity, I found out that even though I may never be all I want to be, I am at least willing to sacrifice, to fight back, and to work to find my limitations. It was a good year. What the future will bring, no one knows, but next year will be a good year, too."
As I read those words, I could not believe that I wrote them 20 years ago, because they could have been written 10 years, five years, or even a year ago. They could have been written yesterday, and the basic message would be the same. While my life situation is vastly different now, it seems that life's patterns are much the same. You experience the ups and downs, the highs and lows, the successes and failures, and through it all you hope to emerge a bit stronger and a bit wiser.
Every year it is a new game, but every year my resolutions seem to be the same - to do as good a job as I can with what I have, and to maintain the standards and the values that are important to me. Thus my resolutions become more of a mission statement of my life rather than a specific goal (to go on a diet, go on vacation, etc.). I resolve to do my best, to play fair, to not give up, and to try and learn and grow in the process. No other resolution could be more important or relevant.
As the New Year approaches, all of us have decisions to make. We have hopes and dreams to chase, promises to fulfill, and goals we want to achieve. How well we will do remains to be seen. Only time will tell how committed we are to becoming the people we want to be. I wish everyone the best of luck in achieving your resolutions. Like Gordon Lightfoot sang, "May the Lord bless you and keep you, on the road to better things."
Happy New Year!
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