I have always felt it imperative to like and trust my doctor.  I feel the same way about a vet, maybe even more so since I am not formally Internet trained on veterinary issues, mostly just human ailments.

I love our vet.  I cannot say enough wonderful things about the entire practice as well as our primary vet doctor.  When Max was near the end of his life my biggest question was ‘how will I know when it’s time’.  They assured me they would tell me when all medical options had been exhausted.  They did just that.   Our vet came to our house to put Max down and she sat on the floor and cried with the rest of us. Her compassion was palpable.  She championed his life the same way she gently nurtured his last minutes with me.

Dr. Cleland and all of Great Falls Animal Hospital have also worked tirelessly with Melvin on each of his issues.  Mange, giardia, digestive upset, ulcers, skin allergies and infections (lost count on these) as well as his tail amputation.  The common statement at the vet is, “with most dogs we see (insert comment) but this is Melvin, we never know with him”.  He is not a textbook case but they have always welcomed him (and his issues) with a resounding “MELVIN!” and each of them get down on the floor to greet him when he arrives.  Norm from cheers has nothing on the greeting Melvin receives. Most dogs try to escape the vet, Melvin can’t get in the front door fast enough.

They even forgive him when at each visit he charges at and rams into the front office cage where the tiny, rescue kittens are housed.  Those poor kittens view Melvin as a T-rex and yet he always issues a ‘what are you looking at’ snarl to them.  (Note to Melvin:  They are looking at you, you are 400 times bigger than them and you cast a rather dark, ominous shadow on their dwelling). He of course just views them as lunch.