Pet Memorials

How Veterinary Specialists helped Scarlett

I adopted a black & white boxer from the Humane Society on 7-13-96. She was about 5 months old, and a happy and sweet puppy. Being a vet tech, I soon noticed that she ran and walked funny. It kept getting worse as she got older and seizure-like activity started. The veterinarian did bloodwork and x-rays but did not find any thing, so they referred Scarlett to the University of Florida on 1-26-98. There they did a spinal tap, x-rays and other neurologic tests. I was happy to finally get a diagnosis; they found she had spinalbifda of the thoracic vertebrae and a possible sleeping disorder. She was always happy and played all the time even though she had some limitations. I worked at an emergency veterinary clinic and she would visit the people while we worked on their animals. She would try to mother anything that was a baby (kitten, puppies or geese). She was my shadow, I didn't need a leash or anything!

I was heartbroken when I found out she had mass cell tumor on her vulva; it was a grade 2 on 12-4 -03. My veterinarian referred Scarlett to Dr.Ward (oncology/internal medicine) because of the location of the tumor. Dr. Ward gave her medication to avoid it from spreading, which worked, however Scarlett started not acting right again around 10-06. I took her to the vet because she seemed in pain and was showing neurologic symptoms. I was referred to Dr. Chauvet (Veterinary Neuro Services), who found 2 discs bulging (L6-7 and L7-S1) on a MRI. She recommended surgery, so I scheduled it for 11-3-06. She did very well and she went back for rechecks. She was back to her old self in 2 weeks!

July '07 she started not acting right again, so I took her to my veterinarian and she found Scarlett had arrhythmia of her heart. She referred me to Dr. Arsenault (Southwest Florida Veterinary Specialist) for a work up. Dr. Arsenault did a cardiac workup and she found cardiomyopathy. She dispensed medications to help Scarlett, and she improved in 1 week. She went back for rechecks and I believed she saved her life!

Through Scarlett's life she also saw Dr. Wolf (ophthalmologist) for eye ulcers, because boxers sometimes have problems healing eye ulcers. On 7-6-08, I woke to find Scarlett seizing at 5:55 a.m. I called my boss and she met me at the vet clinic where I work. We did blood work and everything seemed normal even though she seized 2 more times in a 4 hour period. I called my boss again she met me at the clinic and gave her medications but Scarlett was pacing and had mental stasis. We called Dr. Chauvet at home and she said with what it sounds like it may be a brain tumor because of Scarlett's mental stasis. She recommended giving her medication, but that only helped 5 minutes out of the whole night. I brought her back to the clinic the next day where I had to make the hardest decision in my life: I had to put my best friend down. However, if there was no specialist to help Scarlett, I would have lost her a long time ago. I am so grateful we have these resources like in human medicine- we need specialist to help us when regular physicians can't. I hope Scarlett's story helps anyone and their furry best friend. ~Dawn Wagner

We Have a Secret

We have a secret, you and I
that no one else shall know,
for who but I can see you lie
each night in fire glow?
And who but I can reach my hand
before we go to bed
and feel the living warmth of you
and touch your silken head?
And only I walk woodland paths
and see ahead of me,
your small form racing with the wind
so young again, and free.
And only I can see you swim
in every brook I pass
and when I call, no one but I
can see the bending grass.Author Unknown