Life is interesting and full of surprises in the world of
animals. It makes our work interesting and challenging.
Take the small cat that showed up at my friend, Mike’s home. His
family had recently lost their own kitty (she had lived with them
for almost 20 years). This new feline was cute enough, though she
was small and a little thin. She looked as though she were
someone’s pet, but no one responded to a Lost and Found ad in the
paper. Nor did her previous owners ever call in to the animal
shelter to see if she were there. It seemed as though this tiny
kitty arrived right on time to take over as the family pet. They
named her Little Orphan Annie. What a nice surprise!
Life is interesting and full of surprises in the world of animals. It makes our work interesting and challenging.
Take the small cat that showed up at my friend, Mike’s home. His family had recently lost their own kitty (she had lived with them for almost 20 years). This new feline was cute enough, though she was small and a little thin. She looked as though she were someone’s pet, but no one responded to a Lost and Found ad in the paper. Nor did her previous owners ever call in to the animal shelter to see if she were there. It seemed as though this tiny kitty arrived right on time to take over as the family pet. They named her Little Orphan Annie. What a nice surprise!
In a few weeks, life at their home became routine again. The kids went off to school in the morning, and busy days ended with the family sitting together at the dinner table. One evening, one of the kids noticed that Annie seemed a little larger than she had been. Had she just fattened up? Had they fed her too much?
In fact, Annie had a little surprise for Mike’s family … actually five little surprises! As it turned out, she was pregnant! And she delivered a large litter a few weeks later. This poor little kitty had never been spayed. And she was so tiny that she didn’t look pregnant at first. But pregnancy was difficult for her. She needed to have a Caesarian section delivery. Fortunately, everything turned out all right.
Mike’s family raised these kitties and found homes for all but one. The kids just had to keep the one they named Moose. His name fits: he looks as though he’ll be twice as big as his mother when he is full-grown.
All the kittens were spayed or neutered and the rest were placed in new homes. And Annie? Well, she was spayed a few weeks after the kittens were weaned. No more kittens for her. No more surprises!
Yes, life at veterinary clinics can be very interesting. Besides treating sick pets, we see a large cross-section of the community come through our doors. Our work is special not just because we care for pets, but also because we get to help many of our neighbors and friends. Pets and families and friends. We think they are very important.
Once in a while, some folks seem to forget how important it is to have their pet properly restrained when coming to the clinic. Dogs should always be leashed and cats should be kept in a carrying box. Without these protections, there is a chance for disaster.
All too often, someone comes into our clinic with their pet wandering loose. We’ve had to help several dog owners corner their pooch in the parking lot after it got away from them. And many years ago, a cat jumped out of her owner’s arms as he got out of his car. This frightened kitty ran off and disappeared. It was a devastating moment for this poor guy and it all could have been avoided if he had put his kitty in a cat-carrier. Luckily for this fellow, his cat was later found and taken to the animal shelter. He got her back a week later. And this time, he put her in a regular cat-carrier.
Last month, our staff had a real surprise when a client brought her cat through the door in a very unique carrier. We thought we’d seen it all. There’ve been kitty cats carried in pillow cases and burlap bags (not a good idea for carrying a pet). And small dogs have arrived stuffed in boxes that have been sealed shut with masking or duct tape.
But this time, this cat owner brought her pet into the clinic inside a plastic storage container. You know, one of those airtight ones available at a discount store for less than $5. The lid was snapped on tight, sealing the container shut. There were no airholes!
One of our staff hurried this woman into the exam room to let her cat out of the container. Fortunately, the kitty was all right. Her trip to the clinic had been a short one so she didn’t suffocate.
We reminded the woman that cardboard carrying boxes (with airholes!) were inexpensive and easy to use. She nodded and went home with her kitty in a new container. That was a lucky cat.
And here we go, the holidays are almost here. And with the celebrations comes the customary temptation of all that good holiday food. There’ll be lots of turkey and gravy, stuffing and mashed potatoes, and all those desserts. Ah, yes. I can feel the bulge on my beltline already.
Overindulgence is a common problem for many of us this time of year. Unfortunately, some of our bad eating habits spill over to our pets, and that’s where health problems can start.
In the upcoming months, veterinarians will treat many dogs and cats for pancreatitis, a serious, even life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas. Pancreatitis in pets is usually caused by ingestion of excessive fat. Turkey skin, gravy, and all the other rich foods that we eat are unhealthy for our pets.
Please don’t ignore warnings about the dangers of feeding table scraps to pets. People food is for people. Food from the table is too rich for most dogs and cats and rich food can be deadly. Don’t kill your pet with kindness. Don’t feed leftover food from the table.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Pete Keesling is a veterinarian at San Martin Veterinary Hospital and co-hosts Petpourri, a weekly show about pet health on KTEH in San Jose and a bi-weekly column for South Valley Newspapers. If you have any questions about pet care, please mail them to Vets, 30 E. Third St., Morgan Hill, CA 95037
