If you share your home with an older per, never ignore that tiny voice telling you "something isn't right." If you suspect something-anything-is wrong with a pet over age seven, have it checked out. Recently, I saw a 12-year-old dog that "hadn't been feeling well for the past couple of weeks." Sadly, by the time the owners finally listened to that inner voice, it was too late. Their dog was now bleeding internally from a ruptured splenic cancer. Emergency blood transfusions and surgery failed to save the dog's life. While I don't fault the owners-there was nothing obviously wrong with their pet and they loved him dearly-I can't be helped but be nagged by "what if?" What if I'd been able to diagnose the tumor before it ruptured? What if I'd performed surgery before it had lost over half it's blood volume? I'll never know, but I can be more digilent in telling my clients not to ignore even the most seemingly insignificant signs. The best news you can ever hear is, "It's nothing to worry about."
Fetch Spring/Summer 2010
