Smart patients

My patients come in a wide variety of sizes, diverse species and intellectual ability, irrespective of their size, age or upbringing. They never cease to amaze me with the extent of their intelligence.{{more}}

Let’s cite a few examples of some extraordinary demonstrations of their abilities:

– One of my favourite patients’ names is Bam Bam, though I am sure that he has a contrary view of me. Each time I pay him a visit to his home, he recognises the sound of my vehicle even before I actually arrive at his house. He then proceeds to raise a racket, barking non-stop as he knows that I am going to stick a needle in his butt. You know the saying “If looks could kill”? The glare that he gives me while I examine him brings that quote to mind. He tolerates me for the duration of the ordeal and then as soon as he realises that I am finished with him, he resumes his barking frenzy and does not stop until I have left his home.

– Then, on the other end of scale, there are the really well behaved ones like Rocky. Rocky pays me a visit at the clinic about 3 to 4 times a year. He would walk into the clinic and climb onto the examination table unassisted, then calmly allow me to do whatever I have to do without so much as a flinch. On completion, he humbly jumps down from the table, but wastes no time in putting the clinic as far behind him as possible.

– Another oddly intuitive little one is Cody. As soon as he enters the clinic, he begins to tremble uncontrollably. Also, he presents the special attribute of being able to walk upright on two legs.

– Itchy spends a few months per year at our boarding facilities. The minute he enters, he becomes the clinic’s supreme guard dog. He barks at any strange person he sees. He is also very selective of his friends. Only a few designated members of staff will he allow to handle him in any way. If he does not approve of someone, gaining his trust is almost impossible.

– We once had a young puppy hospitalized next to a cat for roughly two weeks. At the end of his stay, the puppy was making meowing sounds instead of barking.

– I had a patient by the name of Zac. Early in his life, he spent quite a few weeks hospitalized at the clinic. He was very ill but survived after being reduced to nearly a skeleton. To this day, each time Zac visits the clinic, he all but knocks me down in pure unadulterated joy, as if to say “I can’t thank you enough for saving me!”

– One of my very own dogs, Nikko, had a bone stuck in his mouth one day. He could not tell me so, but found an alternate means of communicating this to me. He came to me and started rubbing his head on my leg with his mouth slightly agape. I decided to see what was wrong, as this was not his typical behaviour, and, lo and behold, there was the bone embedded in his gum.

The examples cited in no uncertain terms exemplify the extent of these animals’ intelligence. Amazingly, in my experience with animals, I have found that the more they interact with their owners on a daily basis, the more their intellectual capacity is enhanced.

Here are a few more interesting general examples of animal intelligence:

– It is a fact that some dogs can predict episodes of epileptic seizures in humans, giving the human warning before a seizure attack.

– Elephants have been known to predict tsunamis. They head for high lands before the tsunami warnings are sounded.

– And we may all be familiar with dogs’ extraordinary sense of smell being used to sniff out drugs or track criminals. A dog’s sense of smell is considered to be 100,000 times greater than humans.

Have a great weekend.

For further information, contact: Dr. Collin Boyle Unique Animal Care Co. Ltd. Tel: 456 4981

Website: www.uniqueanimalcare.com