Abbott "Pete" Smith, D.V.M.
June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010
Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate the legacy of Pete Smith, D.V.M., and Milliron: Abbott “Pete” Smith, D.V.M. The Biography (Monday Creek Publishing 2017). A graduate of Colorado State University and a well-known veterinarian in southeast Ohio, Dr. Smith continues to motivate and inspire.
Do we take our veterinarians for granted? Maybe. They are on call 24/7, which we must consider the implications of being on call every second, and then weighing which animal requires the quickest treatment, fast medicine, etc. Being a veterinarian is not for the weak of heart, for wimps, or the lazy.
Do we take our veterinarians for granted? Maybe. They are on call 24/7, which we must consider the implications of being on call every second, and then weighing which animal requires the quickest treatment, fast medicine, etc. Being a veterinarian is not for the weak of heart, for wimps, or the lazy.
Last night, my mare, Zubedia, was lame. She was limping on her left front foot. Of course, my mind went every which way, and I put her in her stall overnight, which she hates because she likes being outside at night (sigh). So, I struggled during the night (only a horse owner knows), the thought of keeping Zubedia in her stall when she really wanted to be outside.
This morning, after giving her a once-over, she was still lame. I called my veterinarian. "I'll be there in an hour." He was right on time. I thought maybe Zubie had stoved her shoulder, as she has done this before. The cooler weather made her a little frisky and she was dancing in the corral yesterday morning to the low temperatures; bucking, kicking, having a fun time. I relayed all of this to my vet when he came into the barn. "Well, I'll take a look." He started with her hoof and I asked him why, and he said he always starts there first. After about ten minutes of scrapping and digging, he found an abscess in her frog. A teeny-weeny pinhole that I would never have found.
Zubie winced when he pressed on it. It began oozing pinkish puss and the stuff that abscesses are made of. "Soak the hoof in Epsom Salts twice a day, warm water." You know, the abscess regime (if you're a horse owner). The vet left an anti-inflammatory, as well as a salve to put on the abscess to draw it out.
Zubie doesn't like being in the barn. She's an outside girl. But, until she gets better, the vet knows best. He said it would take about a week for her to be back to normal. What would I do without my vet? I don't know and don't want to know. How many abscesses did Dr. Smith vet in his lifetime? Hundreds. Maybe thousands. Thank your vet today for their loyalty and expert care.
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| Zubedia at Monday Creek. |
Have a great week ahead.
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Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.
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