Ode to our veterinarians

In our day to day lives we often pay tribute and publicly thank those who many consider the true heroes of our communities, our law enforcement, our first responders, teachers and others. Recently, I was awakened to the fact that there is one profession that deserves to be recognized in this category as well. This would be our many veterinarians that work so hard to insure our "furry" loved ones are healthy and safe. This past week, my family and I were faced with the task that most of us have dealt with a time or two during our lives. We had to finally make the decision to help our beloved family cat, "Pugslie," find his way to that place they often refer to as the "Rainbow Bridge" after several months of health challenges he so strongly fought. To give a little background here, Pugslie wasn't your typical, every day cat. He was a plump little doll faced Persian that had a personality that touched everyone who met him. He helped two young girls grow up through middle school and into high school, he helped my wife through some difficult times when we first met, and he brought so much life to our home the past few years. There aren't enough words or paper to describe all of the ways this pet was so special. Although Pugslie was only 8 years old at the time, a little over three years ago, he began having some serious health issues, requiring some special procedures that were far beyond anything we had ever dealt with before. We had used a variety of different veterinarians for him previously and then one day we found one that became a very special to us and our ailing cat as well. It was then that I realized the special type of person it takes to be a veterinarian. In our case, we connected with a young lady by the name of Dr. Gloria Frazier, who is on the staff at Folsom's Banfield Animal Hospital. From our first visit to her, it was obvious that she had an incredible love of animals and a special way and a true bedside manner to help their owners make important decisions. Prior to his recent challenges, it's safe to say that our beloved Pugslie had cashed in his nine lives long ago. However, I have to speak for my whole family when I say this particular veterinarian went above and beyond the call of duty to help us give him a good life and a few extra years. This involved looking deeper into his challenges and finding the root cause, oftentimes staying after her shift to do so, sacrificing time with her own family and never rushing us out the door when we had so many questions. I would like to say that our cat and this particular doctor had a special bond, however, I think it's safe to say this type of service is something instilled in most true veterinarians. When we go to the doctor for an issue, normally we are able to communicate to that physician what is hurting and how we are feeling. When it comes to a veterinarian that is something they don't have to their advantage. They must rely solely on human observations and diagnostics, utilizing their education to figure out what is happening in our beloved pets, whether it's a cat, dog, horse or an iguana and everything in between. These are not only animals that live with us, they become part of our family and to have someone caring for them that treats them as such is truly heroic. In our last visit with Dr. Frazier, a few weeks ago, we discussed Pugslie's future and his quality of life ahead. We tried one final remedy to see if it made him comfortable, as he was still so full of spunk and life, he was active, he was busy every day, however, his health just couldn't keep up with his desire. This past weekend when we noticed he had taken a turn for the worse, we made that ultimate decision to say farewell; he was hurting. On this visit, Dr. Frazier was off duty so one of her associates helped us through the process. They welcomed our family to be with him to say goodbye and were more than hospitable and sympathetic. In fact, it was somewhat a blessing she wasn't on duty as it was then that I realized the incredible tasks our veterinarians take on and she had spent so much time with Pugslie that I am sure it wouldn't have been an easy thing to do for her. That final moment with our pet was extremely emotional as we all said goodbye, with a doctor by our side. While they "fix" our pets time and time again, they too are there at the very end, not only for the animal, but for us. This is a career that truly falls under that category of being "heroic." Thank you, not only to this particular veterinarian that is very special to me personally, but to all veterinarians out there that dedicate so much of their lives to do what you do, more for the true love of animals and their families, long before any type of salary. You too are among our true heroes. Bill Sullivan is the associate publisher of Gold Country Media, publishers of the Folsom Telegraph, Auburn Journal, Roseville Press Tribune, Placer Herald, Loomis News, Lincoln News Messenger. He can be reached at bills@goldcountrymedia.com or at 916-351-3750.