Spider-Grooming and Other Inspirational Stories
These three pet-parents stand out for their devotion, hope, optimism, and dedication to learning to offer whatever their pet needs to be happy and comfortable.
You’ve Come a Long Way, Mommy
This first pet parent is a single woman on her mid-forties, divorced, with two beautiful Persian cats. She loved her cats, but she did not realize her older cat, Simon, was in complete and utter kidney failure, with hypercalcemia and hypertension until he needed intensive care just to get him through the first night.
Does not sound very impressive, right?
Listen to this: not only did Simon get better. Mom gives him his subcutaneous fluids, special food, hypertension meds, kidney meds, and vitamins every day. This cat has such a poor prognosis (Phosphorus of 24, people…the vets out there know what I’m talking about), that the internist called Doc Truli to ask what the autopsy showed!
“What autopsy? He’s fine,” said Doc Truli.
“You’re kidding,” said the internist.
“Nope. Even went home,” said Doc Truli.
Six months later, mom is now a medication/treatment pro. Simon lays in the kitchen sink calmly for his subcutaneous fluids. (He used to scream and hiss and a home nurse had to come to the house to get the treatments into him.) Simon has gained four pounds and even stopped two of his medications!
Simon’s mom inspires VirtuaVet.
You Never Give Up
Lucky’s mom is a 64-year-old electronics technician. She’s precise, skilled, and invaluable in getting the city going after a storm. Lucky’s mom does not understand medicine at all. She tries to comprehend when Doc Truli explains the medications and what they are for, but really, Lucky’s mom just wants to follow instructions and see her bouncing Boxer boy get better. Why does Lucky’s mom inspire VirtuaVet?
She’s nursed him through two cancer surgeries (4 years apart), several gastritis, and esophagitis episodes. Lucky just finished his chemotherapy for his second cancer (now in remission.)
Lucky’s mom tried to give him away when he was about 10 months old.
“Doc, I just can’t do it. He’s so energetic. He needs a bigger house, with a family who’s home more. I just don’t think I’m a good home for him,” said Lucky’s mom.
Nine years later, do we have any doubt how “lucky” Lucky truly is?!
Lucky’s mom inspires VirtuaVet.
You Can’t Get a License to Care
The #1 most inspirational pet mommy also happens to be a veterinary nurse. She is so multi-talented she can place an iv, massage your pet, and teach the other mommies on this list how to be better pet parents (which she did). But all of that does not come with the title of veterinary nurse. This woman was born to inspire.
She cares so much, as a girl, she used to brush a 2 inch wide spider who came to the bathroom sink every morning, with the only comfortable sized brush available, her own toothbrush! How many kids do you know who would imagine a spider would like some grooming, let alone not smoosh the spider immediately? She did. The spider came to her for grooming each morning for several years, until it disappeared one day.
Adopted brown tabby cannot walk, but lives happily!
She cares so much, half of her pets only have three legs, or half of their calvarium (skull), or half the ability to move. They were each brought to animal hospitals where she worked for euthanasia. Each time she refused to give up, asked to adopt, was granted guardianship, and saved the pet. Most of these pets live until they are almost twenty, decades after other people had given up on them!
If this nurse tells Doc Truli something is wrong with a boarding pet, Doc looks twice to find the problem. This nurse is never wrong. Sometimes, though, she knows something is wrong before the laboratory equipment can detect the problem!
You cannot grant a license to care. You cannot train a person to be inspirational to others. This nurse inspires VirtuaVet every day. What a privilege to work with such a wonderful human being!
Do You Know an Inspirational Pet Parent?
Have you met someone, your neighbor, a friend, a relative, your spouse, a client at your animal hospital, that takes your breath away with their dedication, hope, and persistence? The world needs to know about these people! They are quietly working every day to make a better world through love and caring. It doesn’t take riches, just devotion.
