Every pet that walks through the door at Amherst Veterinary Hospital is special to us in their own unique way as each pet brings with them their own personality. No doubt the puppies and kittens steal the attention when they visit our clinic. Who can resist a bum wagging, furry bundle of joy? However, it is the senior pets that pull on my heartstrings and makes my work as rewarding as it is.
The most memorable pets are those that we meet as puppies or kittens whom we get to continue to care for throughout their lives. During the annual wellness exams we get to know the pets when they are healthy. This goes a long way in helping us assess their condition when they are ill. Over the years we often get to develop some wonderful relationships with the owners. It is these interactions that can make for a great work day.
As our pets age, many of them develop illnesses that require more frequent visits to the hospital. Whether it is for bloodwork to monitor a chronic condition, for subcutaneous fluids in renal disease or acupuncture for arthritis, we become very fond of these pets and owners during this time.
At the end of our pets life, as difficult as saying goodbye is, I am honored to be trusted to carry out the process and thankful to be able to ease a pet’s pain.
So as senior month comes to an end, we at Amherst Veterinary Hospital want to pay tribute to our senior pets that we had to say goodbye to over the last couple months.
Bao Bao, a sweet orange tabby we met nearly 20 years ago
Henry, a 15 year old German Short Hair Pointer who first started coming to Amherst in 2009
Eileen, a 14 year old retired guide dog who has been a patient since 2003
Arabella, a 15 year old Basset Hound who has been at Amherst since she was rescued by her forever owners in 2005
Baxter, a handsome 14 year old Weimaraner we have known since 2002.
Hector, a sweet 16 year old Beagle who first walked through our doors in 1999 when he was 8 weeks old.
Nikki, a beautiful 15 year old tabby we met for the first time in 2000.
Murphy, a 10 year old Newfie who’s bundle of fur we first saw when he was 12 weeks old.
We will miss these wonderful characters and are thankful to have known and cared for them over the years.
Dr. Loretta Yuen D.V.M