It is safe to say veterinarians take work home in more ways than one. My husband and I are not exceptions as more than one patient has spent a night at “Camp Jones” for monitoring or treatment. Then there are animals, owned or homeless, that find themselves on death row that also get taken home by their veterinarians---and never leave. These animals may be sick, old, defective, or just plain “not right,” and yet they are full of life and lovable.
Imperfection certainly paved the way to “The Good Life” at Welshire Farm for our pets Precious, Bandi, Stinky, and Ruthie. Precious, was our loving, apple-faced, tortoiseshell cat that sustained bite wounds to her hindquarters, leaving her permanently unable to urinate independently. With antibiotics and regular manual expression of her bladder, one would never know she was a “special needs” cat all of her life.
Bandi was a beautiful Border Collie that entered our lives when she was presented to be helped across The Rainbow Bridge. Bandi, you see, was an achy senior citizen with an ulcerated skin tumor whose owners thought she did not want to live anymore.
This golden girl was simply suffering from a broken heart caused by heartworms, and stiff joints associated with osteoarthritis. With heartworm treatment, the wonders of glucosamine chondroitin supplementation, and minor surgery to remove her tumor, Bandi blossomed in to a beloved member of our family. In return, we enjoyed six more years with this grateful dog that asked politely if she could sleep on our chair, instead of in the mulch. Of course, we said “Yes.”
Stinky’s story highlights one of my husband’s greatest weaknesses…kittens! His owner brought this young, yellow kitten to be examined for two reasons. For one, he could not stand or walk; instead, he flopped from side to side. And, did I mention that Stinky’s second affliction was smelly diarrhea? Imagine this little kitten, unable to eliminate while standing...with diarrhea. But, my husband was his veterinarian and so Stinky had a new home.
Stinky was a victim of circumstances. He was born with an underdeveloped cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls coordination. His diarrhea was a parasite problem that was readily corrected, but the inability to stand and walk could not be. For 11 years, this special needs cat was carried everywhere he needed to go, rested in his own cushioned basket (often with companions), and was assisted with litter pan visits on a regular basis. Ironically, Stinky again developed intractable diarrhea at the end of his life.
Our most recent special needs adoption, unlike the others, is still alive. Ruthie, a small, beautiful, fluffy calico kitten also had the good fortune to meet my husband first when she was brought to our hospital by a Good Samaritan. While her size was compatible with a three month old kitten, her teeth showed her to already be six months old.
At the time, my “rodentophobic” husband was feeling like his barn was “cat-deficient” so he readily offered to take this kitten for his own to be a mouser. A few days later, I visited the barn to find Ruthie rolling around on the floor, eyes dilated, and drooling. As a trained investigator, I took one look at her and immediately knew she was not going to live in the barn at all.
This gorgeous, dwarf of a cat was suffering from inadequate blood supply to her liver that was allowing protein she consumed to turn into ammonia-like products in her blood. Her most likely diagnoses were a liver shunt or microvascular liver disease. Ruthie needed special food and supplements to prevent her from being poisoned by the very food that was supposed to make her thrive. Seven years later, she is indeed thriving, and except for her small stature, you would never know she had special needs.
I am sharing these stories with you to bring to light the plight of so many pets that reside in shelters or foster homes waiting for a second chance at life. Visit your local shelters and rescue groups if you feel that you, too, could open your heart to a special needs pet. All too often these pets are prematurely euthanized because they are deemed unsalvageable, especially when compared to healthy roommates. But, I promise you that if you do take a chance on an imperfect pet, the payback will be priceless.
Author: Dr. Bonnie Jones
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