Hi, my name is Carla and I am an animal lover to the very core. I have had pets all of my life; including dogs, cats, birds, rabbits and even turtles. Looking back throughout my life, I hadn’t realized until recently that my desire and passion to help and nurture animals actually stems from my early childhood of raising my pets and the interactions I encountered with them and the other animals I c
ame into contact. It has been through my personal experiences that I came to the realization that I want to aid and assist animal lovers like me, and to help you be the best pet care giver that you can be for your pet family member. As I embark on each day, I continuously find myself automatically doing just that; helping people and animals, and more specifically, assisting and helping people with their pets. My purpose further developed into a mission, after my cat, Callie’s medical experience. Yes, my Callie was the “cat”alyst for me taking the leap into becoming a Pet Care Advocate. It was through our medical care and treatment experience that led me to take a harder look at all that is involved in pet care, from basic well care to the vast and potential medical treatments and diagnoses. There is so much that can be encountered from the very start of the specific animal’s life. The process itself, is not always an easy one to navigate and depending on the stage where you and your pet are, the options and choices may not readily present. Our friendship began when I had found her as a kitten in my parent’s back yard. She was crying for her mommy. I waited patiently, for hours until night time for the mommy cat to come and rescue her baby kitten, but, she never came back for her. So, I picked her up, gave her food and water, and from that very moment we were instantly bonded. I also knew I needed to take her to the veterinarian for a check-up before I brought her in to the home and introduced her to my other family pets. In the short interim period, I kept her outside where she felt comfortable and safe. She had shelter in an outdoor pet house with plenty of food, water and toys, and lots of company from my family. While outside, Callie used to wait for me to come home. She would run towards me in the yard, usually from under the Honeysuckle bush she loved to lay under. I would scoop her up and just hold her. It is one of the happiest memories I have of my Callie. After Callie had been to the veterinarian, been tested and received her vaccines, I began the process of bringing her into the home and slowly introduced her to the other family pets. Callie settled into our home quite easily and was a wonderful addition to the family. Callie was an amazing huntress. You could actually hear the wind as should would take a swipe at a toy or one of the other pets that got out of line. At one point, we were living on a farm and as such the occasional mouse would find its way in. One night, I was sitting down watching TV in the living room and I spot Callie running through with what I thought was one of the toy mice until I saw it move. Yep, she had caught a live mouse. I did the shrieking thing for a moment, but I didn’t want her to kill it in the house so I went chasing after her and picked her up. I opened the back door and tried to convince her to let it go by nudging her mouth without touching the mouse. Finally and reluctantly, she let the mouse go and it went scampering into the fields. In time and sporadically, as Callie got a little older, she started urinating on my bed and other places. I knew this was not appropriate behavior and so I took her to the veterinarian and the blood and urine tests showed all was good. This went on for about a year, and back and forth I would go with her to the veterinarian. I just knew something wasn’t right. Eventually, her blood test came back indicating that she was having kidney issue(s), not simple ones by any stretch. She was diagnosed with Chronic Renal Failure (CRF). By the time the diagnosis had been made known, it was already too late in the process for my Callie. If only, I had had someone advise me that I should have taken her to a veterinarian internal medicine specialist way before the kidney issues started presenting in the blood tests. You see, by the time kidney issues do show in a blood test with cats, the kidneys are already estimated to be about 75 percent compromised. 75 percent! With 25 percent of her kidney capacity, Callie managed to live for a few more years after and eventually, as time evolved, we had implemented the regimen where we were having weekly intravenous fluids administered to clear out the kidneys. This was to allow the remaining kidney capacity to maintain the ability to function and provide quality and compassionate care. She then went blind overnight. I rushed her to the veterinarian and was told she had developed high blood pressure, which can sometimes be a resulting issue with a cat with CRF. She was put on medication for the high blood pressure and her sight did return. Sadly, with time, the strain began to take its toll on her and I could see she was taking a turn for the worse, and I knew, the moment every pet parent fears was upon me. The gut wrenching decision had to be made to have her euthanized. My heart was shattered… even now, as I am writing this testimony, I am crying, because years later the loss of a pet family member still can hurt. I do know, in my heart, that I had done as much as I could for Callie, with what I knew, but I vowed then and there for the future, to make sure all avenues are explored, that I am armed with as much information as I can be to ensure my pet has the absolute best care. I believe, my veterinarian, at the time, had done the best she could for me and my Callie and I certainly don’t fault her for anything. I came to the conclusion and realized after this experience that it is absolutely, okay to go and get a second opinion, just like we do and should for ourselves. It is okay to seek out a specialist and even explore holistic treatments for the best care and quality of life. Because of this experience with Callie, when my cat Sammy also started showing signs of kidney issues, I was able to respond more quickly and efficiently. Between my regular veterinarian’s care, a veterinarian internal medicine specialist along with a holistic veterinarian, my Sammy lived a long quality life with CRF. My Sammy recently passed a few months ago, and it was just as heartbreaking, but this time, I knew I had truly done my absolute best for him and more importantly, I think he knew it too. Yet, even still, I further learned from his experience. I will share more about that with all of you down the road. It is through these experiences that have led me to become The Pet Care Advocate. I want to help you and others that may not know of the information and options that are out there for a particular issue, help you navigate the possibilities, find a specialist, or even an animal therapy center. I also want to provide you with all the many tips I have learned over the years from everything from giving medication to a pet, to getting information on doing a Trap Neuter Release, to interviews with veterinarians, shelters, volunteers, and pet specialists. I welcome the opportunity to take the journey with you and your pet, to afford you the ability to give the best care to your pet, making for a happy and rewarding quality life. Pet Parent to Pet Parent.
