My How Things Have Changed!

Many, many, years ago, dogs and cats were important members of the family (just as they are today), but not many owners gave much thought to their diet and health beyond the basics, like rabies vaccines.  Visits to the veterinarian were few and far between.

When I was growing up we had a spaniel cross named Butch (back then you could call dogs Butch and nobody blinked an eye), who loved playing hide-and-seek in the tall grass and going for long walks with my brothers.  As was common back then, Butch was un-neutered (or intact as veterinarians like to say).  This was no big deal, until our family moved from a lot on the edge of town to a subdivision in another town.  Butch liked to go “looking for the ladies”, and, as a result, was picked up quite often by the dog-catcher.  So often in fact, that said dog-catcher finally stopped putting Butch in the back with the other dogs and let him ride up front with him AND delivered him home to my mother.  No doubt he felt some sympathy for my mother who, at home with four kids and a husband often away on business, had other things to do besides making frequent trips to the pound to pick up our dog.

We know so much more these days about the benefits of neutering/spaying.  In addition  to the decreased risk of testicular cancer, uterine infections (pyometra) and mammary cancer, neutering/spaying helps to prevent roaming, aggression and unwanted pregnancies.

Butch also had the odd ear infection.  Back then, Butch would come home from the veterinary clinic with a cardboard box on his head.  Thank goodness we now have new and improved methods of preventing self-injury with plastic collars designed like cones.  They work AND they are inexpensive.

We are discovering more about the connection between food allergies and ear infections, and ear medications have come a long way from 50 years ago.

Pet diets have improved greatly over the years. It used to be that your pet’s food was purchased at the grocery store – a kind of “one size fits all”.   We now have specially formulated diets for urinary, liver, and kidney issues as well as diets to help with dental health, obesity, cognitive function and even diets for pets with no issues at all but who need a high quality, maintenance diet.

Fleas!  My, how things have changed!  Do you remember flea powder?  Ugh! I clearly remember petting family pets who had been liberally dosed with the vile stuff.  If I was repulsed by the smell and powdery texture, you should have seen the expressions on their faces. With oral and topical flea/heartworm medications, our pets are so much happier and healthier these days.  No fleas or flea infestations in the house, fewer intestinal parasites and protection from heartworm – all in one convenient medication.

Back in the day, our dogs frequently received bones from the butcher at the grocery store.  We didn’t worry about fractured teeth or intestinal blockages.  They were dogs after all.

Our dog, Mukluk, (brought home as a husky puppy by my father who was working in the Arctic at the time) was perturbed one day because my mother had neglected to “bring home the bones”.  No worries – Mukluk simply walked up the road to the grocery store, right through the doors and followed her nose to the meat counter, sat down and waited.

Eventually, the butcher gave her one, and with bone firmly clasped in her jaws, Mukluk trotted out of the store and back down the road to home.

These days, we know more about the benefits of healthy teeth and gums (like how a healthy mouth can extend the life of your pet) and an intestinal system free of foreign bodies and obstructions.

So, you can see how things have changed. What hasn’t changed, however, is the significant role our pets play in our lives. They live forever in our hearts and in the family stories we like to tell over, and over, and over. 

Patty, Receptionist 

Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic