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Suffield Veterinary Hospital
June2006 Patient of the Month |
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Runners Up Ryan Englander Sean Emmons Brady Schoner Bekki A. Judkins . |
Finalists Angeline Smith Holly Uzell Krista Campisi Olivia Raum Robin Nadeau Sarah Currier |
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Beamer By David Biederman
My dog’s name is Beamer, but I call him Boopboos. He is a special member and hero in our family. Beamer is a hero because we got him 2 days after September 11. One of the people on the plane who stopped it from crashing into the White House was named Todd Beamer. My brothers and I have written letters thanking the Beamers, telling them we feel sorry their husband died and telling them we named our dog Beamer. That’s only one, but probably the biggest reason Beamer is a hero. He comforts us by putting his neck over our neck when we lay down. He always lays against my Mom’s legs in bed at night too. Beamer can do tricks like turn around, up, sit, catch and I put a treat on the ground and say, “stay…go get it!” Another cool thing is when I say “Beamer want a treat” in a high pitch voice and he dashes right over tot the cupboard. Beamer is a long haired miniature dapple dachshund and weighs 12 pounds. That’s why Beamer is a special hero to me.
Yet when the McKenna’s saw her it was love at first sight. It took only two weeks of feeding good quality dog food for her great plume of a tail to grow back. Though she came with an array of medical problems, including heartworms and digestive issues, medical treatment and TLC from a loving family allowed a full recovery. However, her inauspicious beginning isn’t what landed her our Patient of the Month showcase. As you can see in the adorable portrait above, taken by the photographers at Motophoto in Enfield, Lady recently developed an eye disorder. Last year on Lady’s regular visit to Suffield Veterinary Hospital, Mrs. McKenna and Dr. Sabellico discussed the odd appearance of Lady’s left eye. It appeared that there were holes in the iris. Dr. Sabellico suggested consultation with a veterinary ophthalmologist, and the McKenna’s took her to Dr. Alan Bachrach, Jr., in Petersham, MA. He diagnosed iris atrophy, a benign condition, usually seen in smaller dogs, in which the iris (the colored part of the eye that is usually brown or blue in dogs) develops gaps and open spaces. The cause is unknown. Since one of the main roles of the iris is to protect the retina from overexposure to light, iris atrophy leaves dogs painfully unable to tolerate bright lights. A solution to this dilemma is seen above: “Doggles”! Lady has both Doggles and a fetching sun visor, and has to wear one or the other whenever going out for walks on sunny days. She finds the visor a little more comfortable, and you may have seen her out for walks in the center of town wearing it. Don’t be confused and think that the Doggles and the visor are fashion statements – she really needs to wear one or the other. Like almost all dogs rescued as adults, Lady has fit extremely well into the McKenna family’s home. She gets along well with the family cats, plays joyously in the snow, and nudges family with a nose to the elbow when she wants her favorite Scooby Snacks. But frankly, it was simply knowing how utterly delightful she looks in her Doggles that made us proud to select Lady as our April 2006 Patient of the Month. |
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Suffield Veterinary HospitalDr. Ann Huntington - Dr. Anita Sabellico - Dr. Dawn Burke Dr. Jean Herrman – Dr. Tracy Powell 577 East Street South (Route 159), Suffield, CT 06078 (860) 668-4041 |
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