Augustis

NOVEMBER 2012 PET OF THE MONTH:
Augustis was a birthday present for my wife.  She said he was one of the best presents she had ever received.  We have had Augie for eleven years and each year the love grows.  He has the sweetest disposition of all the dogs we have had, not a hint of a mean streak.  Augustis is a perfect example of truly being man’s best friend.  He is an uncomplicated precious gift that is grateful for small favors.  He is always forgiving.  If you are having a moody day, he feels it’s his purpose to please.  He is a living symbol of faith, hope, love and being a great companion.

He has been a big brother to Theodore, Oscar, Felix, Dillon and Zacharia and loves them all.  He also loved his big brother, Chin-Jai and the feeling was mutual.  They were best friends.  When Chin-jai passed, Augie was depressed and looked for his friend for a long time.

I normally arrive home around five pm.  My wife says Augie starts waiting at the door about four-thirty with a toy in his mouth to greet me.  Knowing that is wonderful.  He is so easy going.  Even when he is not feeling well and children want to play with him, he just lets them do whatever they want.  We are so blessed to have Augustis in our lives.

Ricky Carlson

Admiral Rickover or Ricky is our Jack Russell terrier of 17 and ½ years.  He was born on January 19, 1995 from a breeder in the rural area east of Cincinnati Ohio.  Like the navel admiral namesake, Ricky is a strong willed, fearless, sturdy, energetic little dog who has given our family of four, years of pleasure and enjoyment.  There is nothing that our little family member seemed to fear.  Fireworks, thunderstorms, larger dogs or strangers did not seem to faze him.  (He does become a little nervous on his occasional trips to see Doctor Navin.)

At about 8 years old, Ricky did suffer a slight setback in his health.  In layman’s terms, his gall bladder was impinging his bile duct, which in turn was affecting his liver function.  The gall bladder was removed and he recovered to enjoy many more happy years with us.

An example of his playful spirit was exhibited on football Sundays.  While watching the Bears you could look down at Ricky and say the word Football.  He would take off in a run to his toy stash in the kitchen and invariably come back with his little toy football.  It was now a time for Ricky to engage in a scrimmage of his own.  This was only a small example of his entertaining antics that he demonstrated over the years.

 At 17 and ½ years, Ricky is slowing down quite a bit.  As our family reflects back on our time with him, we can honestly say that our lives were made richer by his presence.  We all love this little guy!!

 We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Doctor Navin for all he has done for Ricky over the years and especially during his troubled times with his gall bladder.   Doctor, you are probably the main factor for Ricky’s long and fruitful life.  Thank you!!!!

Wayne, Carolyn, Michelle, and Lauren Carlson.
 And of course, Ricky

Zoe

PET OF THE MONTH - ZOE HAENNICKE

Zoe is a 12 year old female Jack Russell Terrier.  Her owner, George, who is a policeman, had adopted her after she had been hit by a car when she was 3 years old.  He nursed her back to health and she had been very healthy until recently.  Zoe developed a malignant tumor in her mouth called a squamous cell carcinoma.  The tumor involved one side of her lower jaw.  Since the tumor was malignant, it was questionable whether surgery would solve her problem.  George wanted to do everything possible, so he took Zoe to a specialty hospital to have an MRI done and chest x-rays to check for spread of the cancer.  All Zoe’s tests came back clean, so George decided to go ahead and try to help her.

Dr. Navin performed a surgery called hemimandibulectomy, where one side of Zoe’s lower jaw is removed to eliminate the cancer.  It is a very extensive surgery and Zoe developed complications with her mouth afterwards.  Dr. Navin had to sedate her and put in a feeding tube because Zoe wouldn’t eat on her own.  She finally started to recover thanks to the nursing care provided by the veterinary technicians at All Pets Hospital.
After almost 2 weeks in the hospital, Zoe started to eat on her own and the feeding tube was removed. 

Zoe has a feisty personality which helped her recover.  She lives with 3 English Bulldogs and has learned to protect her food.  She had to relearn how to eat and drink due to only having one half of her jaw.  Zoe’s case is a testament to what can be accomplished with surgery, good nursing care, a dedicated owner, and a patient who wants to live.