All the mammals in our house, except my daughter Laura, are spayed or neutered. Yes, every last one of us, except her. I'm the first of us, of course. I was fixed about 35 years ago, right after giving birth to my 3rd. Ginger was fixed when I picked her up from the shelter, as was Frodo the cat. However, the others had to be taken to the vet to have the job done.
Dr. Sam Crosby Sr. has been our small animal vet for over a decade, and his son, Dr. Sam Crosby Jr., is our large animal vet. We no longer have large animals, but when we did, we couldn't have found a better horse veterinarian than Dr. Sammy, as he is affectionately known around these parts. His dad, Dr. Sam, is probably going to retire soon. I think he's just about that age when he finds someone to train so he can rest a while, go fishing, and recall all the nonsense he's had to endure for these past 50+ years -- I've heard a few of his stories. No, thank you.
It's really not the animals, I'm sure, but their owners. I know I try really hard to not give the man any direction. I feel that he's more than capable of doing what he does without me pretending my dog or cat deserves extra care or better treatment -- no, they're normal; he's exceptional. I prefer to just drop them off, wave at them, and let the doctor's staff know the check will clear on my way out the door.
Rose and Kiba went this past Monday, and I have to say, I think if any of our pets did decide to go see Jesus and then, of course, decide not to return, I would not get another one that needed to be fixed. It's expensive, it's time-consuming, and it's a huge inconvenience, really, when I can just pick up a dog or cat from the shelter after it has been taken care of -- so much cheaper. Dr. Sam is very inexpensive compared to others, but it was still $525 for the two of them. They were given their necessary shots as well -- just saying; it's not something I'd like to do very often.
When we picked the dogs up, Kiba (a 7-pound Chihuahua/Pom mix) hardly knew he'd been snipped. Dr. Crosby said he was up and moving within 10 minutes, somewhat curious about it, but not overly upset. Rose, on the other hand, (a Rhodesian Ridgeback cross) was cross-legged, dropping her head, trying to make eye contact, but couldn't stop the stars from swimming around long enough to focus on our faces. She dropped into the backseat and had to be peeled off of it when we got home. Kiba basically asked for a treat and told us his butt hurt a little.
We, of course, brought home the cones of shame. Kiah had to wear her every minute for those first four days, but Rose and Kiba haven't even thought about tearing into their stitches. They haven't itched, scratched, or begged for medication. Kiah whined a lot, rolled over, and tried to rub herself on the couch to itch the area; she was a mess. I don't remember if Bilbo (cat) did anything special - he was only 3 or 4 months old when he was fixed - I don't think he skipped a meal. Bilbo hasn't really skipped any meals -- ever.
If more people would spay and neuter their pets, we wouldn't have the sad stories of shelter euthanasia that we have now. Over a million animals a year are put down in our country alone; there truly is a better way to deal with these statistics. I remember hearing Bob Barker say it at the close of The Price is Right: "Remember to spay and neuter your pets." It may sound easy to say, but getting people to do it is another matter. Pet insurance is beginning to take a foothold in our nation, and that will help -- look into it if you haven't already done so.
A GIANT thank you to Dr. Crosby and Dr. Crosby, who together have made such a vast difference in our lives, and the lives of those we love.
Rosaleigh "Rose"
Kibawww.judestringfellow.com
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