Taking care of our four-legged family members is very much like taking care of our children, especially the canine species. If there’s something they can get into that will cause them harm, they’ll find it. Age or size doesn’t make a difference; just like our children, a teenager can get into just as much mischief as a two-year-old.

Two recent cases handled by Uncle Lennie, and of course some great vet, will prove my point.

Teddy is a white Husky mix belonging to Melissa, a vet tech at Landrum Veterinary Hospital. Teddy is not quite six months old but he’s nearly full sized for his breed.

It all began when Teddy went for a ride in the cab of his parents’ pickup truck. Like most other dogs, Teddy loved to go for rides. At their destination, Teddy got himself full of mud and was tethered in the truck bed on the return trip. All went well until they pulled into their driveway and unhooked Teddy. He leapt out of the truck and broke his leg. It was a freak accident; it was a jump a dog his size and age can do safely 10 times out of 10.

Now, Teddy couldn’t just have an ordinary fracture, which would be too easy for him to become one of Uncle Lennie’s kids. His leg was broken so badly I had to enlist Dr. Keith Allen at Upstate Veterinary Specialist, and of course a large fee, for his care. Teddy has been mended and is back home recuperating.

Next case is Ruger, a 10-year-old Lab mix who has a tendency to swallow blankets, towels or any sort of material he can get hold of. Ruger is owned by my dear friend, Lisa. (More than one of my Special Cases involves Lisa. The two most prominent are Dusty and Bruno.)

Anyway, Lisa usually catches Ruger in the act and the one time she didn’t, it cost her around $400 to go in and unblock his stomach. This time, Ruger managed to block himself so badly major surgery was needed. They sent the bill to Uncle Lennie, which I agreed to pay for Lisa, totaling nearly $1,200 (and that was after a nearly $300 discount the vets give for Lennies’ Kids). Ruger is also back home and thus far things look good for the old boy.

Just like with our own children we can never keep them safe from all the things they can get into, be it by accident or intentional. And, just like our own children, first we pick up the pieces and then we scold or do what we can to make things safer.

Yet after all is said and done, boys will be boys and girls will be girls, and most assuredly, dogs will be dogs.

Thanks for listening.