Success Stories!
Stories of courage, triumph, and hope

There are patients that stand out in the mind of each veterinarian. The dog that overcame tremendous odds after being hit by a car, the cat who has used up a few of his 9 lives...

Sometimes it is the pet's owner that makes a case memorable -- taking a moment to say 'thank you', or for the pure love they show for their pet in trouble. Good Samaritans spending their own time and money rescuing homeless and abused animals stand out in my memories as well.

In no particular order, here are a couple (of many) stories that stand out for me.

Lab with heart of gold
He was a big black lab, out jogging with his owner on a very hot summer's evening. Labs love running, maybe a little too much. He was a victim of heat stroke and could barely stand the day after, when his owner brought him to the clinic. It was Friday at 5 pm, and he just laid there on the exam room floor, tail thumping a hello. Lab work revealed extremely elevated kidney values. Heat stroke is a dangerous elevation in body temperature, and body organs can suffer. In this case, it was the kidneys. I spent a long weekend worrying and caring for this sweet dog, giving him lots of fluids to help out his kidneys. He always seemed so appreciative, even while being poked and prodded, that I would get emotional at the thought of him not making it.

Happy ending: Not only did he 'make it', he thrived and came back regularly to show off his new tricks!

Case of the missing toy
Her cat had been vomiting for a week when I saw him on a Saturday afternoon. Upon palpating his abdomen, he tensed up and began retching on the exam table. Not a good sign -- a red flag for an intestinal foreign body. Radiographs showed a triangular object in the intestines. We headed for surgery. As I opened up the intestines, out popped a rubber rat's head!

Happy ending: Thankfully, the intestines were in good shape and the cat recovered uneventfully. The owner told me that the rat toy had been his favorite toy, but she hadn't been able to find it for a while now...!

Too many cats multiplying too fast
An elderly woman had been given a cat as an act of 'goodwill' by well-meaning friends. As it turned out, the cat was pregnant. Soon there were many cats. The woman was on a fixed income and could barely afford to feed her growing feline family. A good Samaritan client (with many cats of her own) drove by the house each day, and for two years, watched the numbers of cats grow. When she could stand it no longer, she stopped and asked the elderly woman if she could capture the now wild cats and have them spayed and neutered. The elderly woman was elated, particularly since the good Samaritan was going to cover all expenses and return the cats after surgery.

Happy ending: All 77 cats were neutered that winter, after first being tested for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus.

Want More?
See the large collection of viewer-submitted Sucess Stories here.

Your turn!
Pet owners and veterinarians: please share YOUR success stories. What odds did your pet overcome? Why does this patient (or owner) stand out? Submit your story and let's continue celebrating success stories!

Text: Copyright © Janet Tobiassen Crosby. All rights reserved.

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