Intensive Care

It's been a really busy week (as always I guess) but seemed more so this time. It is the season for Parvo puppies at work. I work in at a clinic that serves a lot of rural clients and the incidence of parvo is much higher than other places I've worked. People who choose to treat their dogs pay a lot of money and my job is a lot of intensive care to support their bodies in the struggle to fight off this virus. It's a lot of work and it's hard not to get attached to these little guys for the time they are with us. A few weeks ago someone brought in a bin of 5 pups about 8 weeks old they found on the road, all 5 parvo positive. One died while we examined them and another had no blink reflex left and was euthanized. I put so much hope in to those remaining little guys, I put IV catheters into all 3, gave meds, cleaned up and wrapped in blankets with warm water bottles and left for the night. Anyway- long story short they all slowly drifted away over the next few days despite my best efforts. I know there was nothing more we could do but give supportive care but I still felt so useless and angry too, that someone left them, that they didn't vaccinate the mother, that the only one to care they were gone was me. Really this blog has nothing to do with kung fu, just needed to empty my head somewhere. I know all you SRKF guys are responsible pet owners but pass on the education- spay and neuter your animals, and for heavens sake VACCINATE! If you can't afford at a vet clinic go to G&E pharmacy and do it yourself. Sorry, needed to get that out!

Andrea Prince