PEDIATRICIANS

In light of Fun with Fizziology week and a nod to so many of our friends that have needed to spend a bunch of time with a doctor of late, including S'Milo, today we talk about Pediatricians.

Can I have a show of paws how many of you out there have children?  I raise my paw of course because I had 8....  'course Ditto n' Dufus didn't but they're boys.  Dawg only knows how many illegitimate puppies Dufus has out there.  Remember...he was quite the Cassanova dog when he descended on my kingdom.  Or so he thought.  He even, uh, managed to get himself in trouble physically too, if you recall.  *howl*  But...like my beloved teacher and brother Bear, I digress.....

Anyway, so lots of us have had puppies.  But how 'bout a show of paws how many of you have human babies?  Or had human babies?  Do you remember when they were tiny and they couldn't talk?  Yeah, I know you probably remember with longing.... But do you remember when you didn't know much about them?  And do you remember what it was like when they got sick?  Or did something you didn't understand?  Do you remember how frantic you were, how concerned you got, when something was wrong and they couldn't TELL you?  Who did you call? 

Well of course it wasn't Ghostbusters... *HOWL*  (I can be as funny as Bear too, y'know).  But who did you go to when your baby was sick?  Their pediatrician, right?  That magic doctor who seemed to know all the answers.  Who calmed you and assured you Junior would be alright.  And, most of the time, Junior ended up alright.  You loved your pediatrician didn’t' you?  There were probably times when you loved your pediatrician more than anyone else.  Well except for Junior.  Your pediatrician didn't make you feel stupid.  He was empathetic.  She was caring.  A special kind of person.  Because he treated your baby and he treated you.  Right? 

So, how many of you have fur babies?  I'm gonna guess a whole bunch of you since you're actually READING this blog.  Show of paws?  Yup, I guessed it.  Doesn't matter if your fur babies are dogs or cats or horses or birds.  Doesn't matter if they're really "babies" or if they are grown up fur kids.  The fact is,  your fur kids are not too much different than human babies.  They really can't tell you what's going on, they can’t verbalize pain or illness.  So, aside from knowing some of your kid's repetitive behaviors, and things that you've come to expect, it's kind of hard to know what's really going on, right?  So who do you rely on?  Yup, the vet.  Your fur kid's pediatrician.  The one person who knows the questions to ask and the things to look for.  The one person who understands your baby.  The one person who doesn't think you're an idiot or being neurotic or overprotective.  And that doctor, if they're really good, treats not only your dog but YOU.  Because remember what Bear always said?  Us fur kids can read you--like a book!  So if you're upset, then we're upset.

Yes, a good vet treats your dog very well.  A good vet fixes what ails your baby, and answers your questions.  But.... a great vet?  Well, they treat you.  A great vet makes you feel good, or at least better, even if your baby isn't 100%.  He doesn't demean you even if you did something wrong.  She is patient.  He is kind.  He treats your dog like it's the only one in the world and the best one at that.  She trusts you.  And a great vet celebrates your joy and suffers your pain with you.  A great vet is gentle with your baby and gentle with your soul. 

In my time I've been around a lot of vets.  My foster mommy loves her vet.  She took me there first when I was sprung from jail.  Of course my mom loves our Ohio vets a whole bunch (we had three remember--our "family vet" and Bear's ER vet and Heart vet), likes our horse vet, too (I’m not sure why them things hafta have a vet*sigh*), and is really liking our new Michigan vet.  It’s really nice to go to the vet when mom is happy.  It makes us happier. 

Fur Pediatricians.  The only difference?  At adolescence we don't have to switch doctors! *howl*   So next time you take your fur kid to the doctor, remember this conversation.  Do something nice for your fur pediatrician.  Send a nice note.  Say a kind word.  Bake them a batch of cookies.  A great vet is something you never want to be without.  I, for one, am grateful for my fur pediatricians.  And so is mom.

Thanks for reading everyone.  Feel free to share your fur pediatrician stories.   And may happiness Reign on you today and always.