Animal Anecdote 36

Animal Anecdote 36.

Queeny is a case I will recount to you that is an example of so many reasons that veterinary medicine is so rewarding. The devotion of some owners and the devotion to a pet’s good health as well as the fact that a noble pedigree is not necessary. Then, too the cooperativeness of members of the human profession and still another I shall save to the end are some reasons.

Mrs. Blink was an elderly wife of a recently deceased elderly veterinarian with a middle aged female mongrel like some farm dogs named Queeny. Queeny had a corneal ulcer. The cornea being the front clear layer of the eye. I used injectable antibiotics as well as every eye ointment I could think of and finally convinced Mrs. Blink to allow me to suture the lids together to prevent the possible defoliation of the cells that were perhaps rubbed away by the blinking lids. A week later and the condition was no better.

I had a secret weapon in that on the mornings of the last Sundays of each month a Dr. from Yale’s department of Ophthalmology, Dan Albert came to my clinic and checked out any eye problems I thought he would be interested in. Dr. Albert made several suggestions as to medications none of which were effective. Finally he suggested a medication that had to be administered every 30 minutes day and night might do the trick but who would do that through the night? I told him he didn’t know Mrs. Blink because she would do exactly that if asked.

The eye responded slightly and looked better than for the last year of my treatment.

Dr. Albert was away and sent another Dr. in his place. The question of steroids to encourage healing had been considered but that would not be indicated if an infection was present. The new Dr. said the eye seemed to him to be healing and I administered the first dose of three times daily on a Sunday morning. Monday morning Mrs. Blink rushed Queeny in with the eye in worse condition than when first presented. More treatment and the eye improved-slightly.

Those were the days of the beginning of contact lenses and Dr. Albert suggested we try one in Queeny’s eye. He mentioned the value of that lens was $75.00. In one week the eye’s infection was gone and I removed the contact lens (with difficulty as I could not find an edge) and Queeny’s eye blinking was gone. The scar took over six months to almost disappear. That last reason for veterinary medicine to be rewarding is the satisfaction of the successful outcome of a problem case.

Birds that dunk donuts. 452 words