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| My dad's girls. Ida, top right, chewing her cud. |
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), including his wife Jody (1938-2021).
"My cow is not pretty, but she's pretty to me."
My husband became very ill last Saturday and I had to call the emergency squad. Long story short, he had acute appendicitis. After two days in the hospital, he had his appendix removed. He is doing well and recovering. Family and friends have been in touch, wondering how he is and we are thankful for their thoughts and prayers.
Many of my friends are former Milliron Clinic clients or employees. The first thing they ask, “Did you give your husband a tablespoon of yogurt? You know, he needs it to eliminate the hospital medicines and help soothe his stomach.” My husband, the Italian-American that he is, would never (ever) come close to a container of yogurt. Milk, yes. Yogurt, no way!
How does this tie-in with Milliron Monday? It reminded of me of Dr. Smith and his complete confidence in yogurt to heal the stomach and digestive tract. Years ago when I was a kid, one of our Hereford cows, Ida, lost her cud. Cows have four stomachs and need their cud to digest food. Without their cud, cows will stop eating. It can be life-threatening. My dad always produced quality silage, so he was dumfounded how this could happen. Dr. Smith thought possibly it could have been that Ida was old and maybe stressed due to losing a calf several days before.
I remember going to the local grocery store with my mom to buy gallons of plain cultured yogurt. I don’t know how many gallons of yogurt Ida ate, but it seemed like a lot. Dr. Smith said, “Give her yogurt, as much as she’ll eat, every day.” After three days, Ida was chewing her cud.
At Milliron Clinic, they made their own yogurt. One employee remembers, “Pete had us make yogurt almost daily. We gave it to animals after surgery to stimulate digestion, especially after colic surgery in horses. Sometimes clients would stop at the clinic to pick up a pint of homemade yogurt for their dog or cat.”
We’re all different and whatever works for cows like Ida may not work for you, but it’s a good story of how Dr. Smith believed in simple, holistic medicine to heal. I am sure many of Dr. Smith’s clients have similar stories.
My Ida story didn’t convince my husband. He emphatically replied, “I’m not a cow.”
Note: Before feeding your pet yogurt, check with your veterinarian. All pets are not the same – what may be okay for one may not be okay for another.
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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