Comer Vet Team Members Recount the Cases that Haunt Them
Veterinary medicine can be a little bit like Halloween: the Comer Vet team is never sure whether a day will bring plenty of treats — wellness exams only! — or tricks like emergencies and unforgettable cases. As Oct. 31 approaches once again, several members of the team sat down to share the cases that haunt them …
The Wild Shot
Dr. Mandy Adams, DVM, a veterinarian at Comer Vet, recalls one patient that quite literally stuck with her, a kitten shot in the head with a bow and arrow.
“It was brought in by his owner with the arrow still in his head,” Adams says. “One of our younger workers yelled, ‘Oh my God, call 911’. Our very seasoned worker sitting beside her said, ‘We are 911.’ The good news is the kitty survived and was able to go home.”
Our Purr-fect Poltergeist
Receptionist Erica Rollins might have evidence Comer Vet is haunted by its longtime resident mascot, the ghost of three-legged orange cat, Tiger Man.
“[We] are convinced Tiger Man jumps up on the lobby benches every morning between 10 and 11 a.m., because you hear what sounds like a cat or small dog jumping on the second window bench … and it’s always when no one else is in the lobby.”
Speaking of Tiger Man …
One day in Madison County, a police officer picked up an object in the road that turned out to be a severely injured kitten. He brought it to his mother, but their family members were allergic to cats. His mother brought the new patient to Comer Vet, where Adams checked him out.
“He had a wound on his foot,” Adams remembers. “He was very dirty, and she had been trying to clean him up when his foot fell off. She was obviously upset for the kitten and worried about what to do, having family members that were allergic. I gave her a hug and told her, ‘Just leave this kitten with me and I’ll take care of him.’”
The Comer Vet team worked diligently to heal the open wound where the kitten’s foot had been. It took weeks of hard work from the staff — including some love from Tiger Man.
“My son fell in love with him,” Adams says. “He was named Bandit with his peg leg. He is a very healthy best friend of my son’s.”
A Whole List of Hauntings
Vet tech and practice manager Jessica Morris has been with Comer Vet for many years. She collected plenty of appointment stories that stayed with her, including …
The hairless dog with horrible allergies that started allergy treatment and grew back long, luscious locks,
A French bulldog that came in unable to walk, but after some TLC, medication, acupuncture, and laser therapy, started walking again,
The beagle with obesity that looked like a balloon at first, but started a prescription diet and now maintains a healthy weight and body condition score,
And, most recently a border collie case:
“The border collie presented in active labor, but unable to deliver,” Morris recalls. “She was hospitalized, and a C-section was performed. Nine puppies, one dead, unfortunately, but a successful C-section. And the Custom Livestock Solutions team came to the rescue for the C-section and helped recover puppies!”
From Parvo to Puppy Personality
Vet assistant Kaleigh Sims recently started at Comer Vet, and she brought with her the memory of a stunning case of transformation. At a previous position, she worked with a puppy that suffered from parvo, a contagious and life-threatening viral disease that causes vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration.
“This was my patient, and I cared for him the whole way, through blood transfusion, fluids, meds, etc.,” she says. “He had no energy or personality. Then, he began to feel better with his treatments and his personality started to show. He then recovered smoothly and found his forever home! I will never forget seeing this case from start to finish when he was very weak and sick, to so happy and playful.”
Comer Veterinary Hospital is proud to be your hometown animal care team. Interested in making us your primary veterinarian? Please give us a call at 706-783-5111 or request an appointment through our online form.
