I recently interviewed vet and author Nancy Kay about her book Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life. This is a terrific book with lots of information dog owners will find useful. There are issues for you to consider, advice on how to approach visits to the vet, and a fascinating chapter on the latest treatments available for pets. After talking to Nancy, I wish she was my vet. (If my vet is reading this, you're great too.)
You can find out more about Nancy at her website, and her blog. You will of course be able to hear her in an upcoming episode of DogCast Radio too. Below is a recent post of Nancy's giving an insight into her life as a busy vet.
Victims Come in All Sizes
As I was hanging out in the midst of our busy hospital treatment room during emergency hours a few of nights ago I was impressed at how much was going on all at once. On one treatment table was a pregnant Chihuahua experiencing difficulty passing her pups. On another table was a thirteen-year-old dog in a state of shock after trauma inflicted by other dogs in the neighborhood.An anesthetized kitty with a urinary tract blockage was being tended to on a third table.Things got even busier when a receptionist entered the treatment room with two stray Rottweilers in tow. The woman who dropped them off said she found them in a local shopping center parking lot. Both Rotties were gorgeous with wonderfully sweet dispositions.- their little stub-tailed hind ends wiggled frantically in response to our attention.Additionally, it was apparent that both dogs were profoundly pregnant.
We hoped these two girls just happened to have busted out of their yard- perhaps a gate had been left open.We envisioned an anxious family frantic to find their pregnant dogs.Our optimism quickly dissipated as we discovered no collars, no identification microchips, and no one searching to reclaim their lost dogs in spite of our efforts to let every local shelter, pound, and veterinary hospital know about our new charges.Looking back, it seemed a bit suspicious that the woman who dropped them off happened to have a crate in the back of her truck large enough to hold two large dogs.
We turned one of our visiting rooms into a whelping pen and over the course of three hours our two strays morphed into twelve as one of the dogs delivered 10 beautiful, healthy pups.Some of them looked like mom, others revealed that dad was something other than a Rottweiler.Mama was a natural- licking and cleaning- doing everything just right, including letting complete strangers cut umbilical cords, inspect puppies, change bedding, and take her out for potty breaks while telling her what a perfect princess she was.Thus far, mama number two has not yet whelped.
I find myself longing to know the names of these two dogs (thinking they would enjoy hearing them) and wondering if they are missing their favorite humans.Clearly, both had been well socialized and cared for with sleek shiny haircoats and substantial body weights.And why were they given up?Were all of these dogs simply victims of tough economic times.Perhaps the prospects of finding homes for so many nonpurebred pups was daunting. The good news is that these mothers found their way to a birthing center where they and their pups would be well cared for.
While we are awaiting the arrival of litter number two, plans are in the works to place moms and pups with one or two Rottweiler rescue organizations.The big-hearted people who run such rescue organizations (some are breed-specific, others are not) are intent on making sure that needy dogs get second chances.If interested in an adult Rottweiler (who will need to be spayed) or mixed breed pup, feel free to contact me via my website-www.speakingforspot.com.