Memorial day and our pets

Our dogs and cats are true companions, aren't they? I believe part of what we love about them so much is the loyalty and love they express for us.

And that is what Memorial day is all about.... the love and sacrifice our men and women in the armed forces give to all of us is a memory that can not every be replaces.

A wonderful man shared this reflection on Psalm 23 with us when we realized that we had done everything we could to keep is beloved dog from suffering.

I also think an armed service division could be code named "Goodness" and "Mercy".

A psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. In green pastures you let me graze; to safe waters you lead me; you restore my strength. You guide me along the right path for the sake of your name.

Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm for you are at my side; your rod and staff give me courage. You set a table before me as my enemies watch; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.

The Lord is my Shepherd… only Goodness and Mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

What if Goodness and Mercy are the names of two dogs? When you watch a shepherd leading his flock, the shepherd takes the lead because he knows where he is going, leading along the correct path, trying to avoid the hazards for his flock.

The two dogs, Goodness and Mercy, are the shepherd's dogs who 'guard our rear'. They help keep us from attack from the rear if we don't keep up with our leader as well as we should.

Our dogs do that, don't they? They show us what unconditional love is, when we do not want to show that love to others. They show us loyalty when we don't always want to show it ourselves.

They show us the gifts of the Holy Spirit as delineated in Isaiah 11:2,3 :

Wisdom,

- they gain their insights from watching other dogs do their 'thing'. Dogs show us this by repeating the good habits they are taught by the shepherd. They remember the lessons, and apply them to the herd at different times.

Understanding

- they know what they can do, and what they can not. You rarely see a chihuahua acting like a retriever, although they sometimes act like a ferocious attack dog.

Counsel

- how is best to act - almost by intuition. Dogs will look for other dogs to 'run with' and will take on those characteristics - good or bad. The Good Shepherd helps the counsel of the group of dogs to understand their mission.

Fortitude

- If a dog is doing something that is his/ her mission, you are not going to stop them. Try keeping a labrador from chasing a stick. They are known to go into heat exhaustion and almost die because they love to chase that stick and bring it back.

Knowledge

- allows us to see our circumstances as God sees them. Certain breeds just 'know' instinctively, and those skills are improved by the good shepherd who patiently teaches the dog how to use those skills well.

Piety

- reverence and willingness to serve The Shepherd

Fear of the Lord

- gives us the desire not to offend God. All dogs show us this with how they adore us, and trust us to lead them along the right path.

What can our pets give us...

Our pets give us so much love, don't they?

That is why we love them so much.

One other 'thing' they can also give us, though, is related to health. And the poop.

Parasites are an 'invisible' problem that dogs and cats can have because the parasite eggs are microscopic in size. We may think of the roundworms and tapeworms which are visible in the stool sometimes. But unfortunately, those parasites are so sneaky, they don't always show their face.

In fact, they send out their tiny eggs to do their dirty work for them!

And if we pick one up accidently, there is a condition called 'visceral larval migrans' that can affect the eye, and you can go blind. I know a colleague in Ohio who has this condition and is blind in his right eye. Last year, 700 individuals came down with this rare disease.

So what do we do?
the CDC recommends checking pet's for intestinal works at minimum every 6 months. For individuals on chemotherapy, or have organ transplants, the pets in the house should also be strategically dewormed every 6 months alternating (so 3 month interval either test or deworm).

Call our office if you have more questions about this easily preventable problem at 699-6443

Weather nice and what do we do

Hello again,

Nice weather brings out the best in us, doesn't it? We want to do new things, try new opportunities, and enjoy life.

Well, we have an opportunity to do that. Mallory, our CVT found some kittens and is now looking for a home for them.
You can see a video of them here on our Facebook page. And while you are there, become a fan, or like us, or whatever Facebook is calling it this week. ;-)

Another note: how do we enjoy our pets. We all know that loving and difficult decision comes much too soon for us. Sometimes, like this week for a few of our owners, it comes much sooner than what we expect.

One of our favorites (and we only have about 400 favorites that come in ;-)) struggled against an illness the past 4 -6 weeks, and is now gone. Our memories do last a lifetime, don't they? If you are like me, you think of all the pets we have had that touch us in a special way when we hear of such a story.

Also, on a side note - we are taking the entire staff to a conference next Tuesday, May 11. The clinic will still be open, and the phones answered. My wife, Kelly, will be in to help 'hold down the fort'.

Does anyone even know what 'to hold down a fort' means?

Maybe that is a Facebook question.