March 15, 2009 - 28 animals sterilized 
today by Dr. Tello, our wonderful veterinarian!

Today Dr. Tello sterilized 14 dogs and 14 cats. Of the 14 dogs, 11 were female and 3 were male. Of the 14 cats, 8 were female and 6 were male.  There were several pregnancies and one tumor (on a male dog) this time. It's encouraging that Panamanians are learning that their male pets need to be sterilized as well as the females.

We had one female dog from David that was in very bad condition. About six months ago, she had been supposedly "spayed" by a "vet" in David, who merely tied her tubes. Then after the surgery, her stitches came loose and her intestines fell out. A second vet sewed her up again. A terrible internal infection had been building all this time. For two weeks before she arrived at the clinic, she was passing blood clots from her vagina and was vomiting everything she ate or drank. She had lost 10 or 15 pounds. When Dr. Tello opened her up, he found severe infection in her uterus. It looked like a big fat sausage, at least a foot long, filled with pus. There was also a large cyst on one ovary. He removed the uterus and ovaries. I sent extra antibiotics home with her. If this sweet dog had not had the proper surgery and treatment that she received at our clinic, she would have died within a very short time. (Pictures appear below; again, they are graphic - but this is "real life" and people need to have the message. Dr. Tello says it is not uncommon for infections like this to develop when a vet merely ties the tubes and does not remove the uterus and ovaries.)

Besides the goal of ending the overpopulation of dogs and cats, another reason I sponsor these clinics is to provide competent surgery for the animals and avoid the kind of results mentioned above. 

We had two other "challenging" cats today. See the picture below. Betsy Boeve got bitten and clawed very badly, and Jose Espinosa was bitten right through welding gloves. 

MANY thanks to our wonderful volunteers and contributors. Without their help and dedication, this important work simply could not be done.

Cindy Reichert, who served as registrar;
Betsy Boeve and Devin Licata, who gave the injections of anesthesia and pre-op injections;
Wally Ewen and Richard Kongable, who did pre-op shaving and prepping;
Jose Espinosa. He is my permanent employee and I donate his time and work to the clinics. He helps weigh and tag the animals and give the anesthesia; he and I go to the clinic site on Mondays following the Sunday clinics to clean and organize for the next one;
Brenda Paulson, who gave the post-op injections of vitamin B-12 and anti-parasite, flea and tick treatment, and tattooed the ears of female dogs to indicate they have been sterilized;
Francia Pinedo, who assisted Dr. Tello and helped wherever necessary, including translation. (Thanks also to Francia for helping to schedule the animals. She also does the translation for the Spanish version of this web site.) Francia is a good friend and I know her to be an excellent - and honest - real estate agent in Volcan. Her web page is http://www.volcan.paradisepanama.net 
Eymi Pitti and Yimel Caballero, who cleaned and sterilized the surgical instruments and monitored the animals while they recovered from the anesthesia.

Note: Yimel Caballero began veterinarian school in Panama City on March 18. Many apply to the school but few are accepted, so Yimel is among the "elite." I am helping her financially with her schooling. In six years, we will have a good vet in Volcan!

Dr. Tello brought his family to the clinic this month, including his new son, Emanuel, who is just two months old. Pictures are below.

I provided my *world famous* chili for the clinic and several said it was the best they had ever tasted. Francia Pinedo brought a rice dish, and Sharon Borgman donated the soft drinks.

Also, many thanks to Azel and Kate Ames for donating a large dog crate to the clinic.

Please forgive me if I have neglected to mention any volunteers or contributors! 

Income and financial donations:

At this March 15, 2009 clinic, we sterilized 14 dogs and 14 cats. At my average cost of $20 per dog and $10 per cat, expenses were $420, plus $100 for building rent for a total expense of $520. With contributions of $569.00, there was a positive cash flow for this clinic of $49.00. Therefore, since October of 2006 to date, my accumulated deficit is reduced to $4,034.75.  Thank you and bless you!  Your contributions are welcome and needed!

Following are a few pictures taken during the March 15, 2009 clinic. 

Dr. Tello, his wife Ana and two daughters.	The new baby, Emanuel.	Brenda Paulson & Wally Ewen
Yimel Caballero, who just started veterinary school.	People with their recovering animals.	Cute doggie waiting his turn.
Angry cat!	This is the one that got loose and caused the injuries.	Wally Ewen & Richard Kongable.
Jose Espinosa holds a kitty while Betsy Boeve tries to give an evil grin before she administers anesthesia.	Richard Kongable and doggie.	Devin Licata gives pre-op injections..
This is Phylis, the poor dog that had the infected uterus and ovaries.	Not easily discernable in a foto is the cyst on her ovary.	Part of her infected uterus.
Another picture of the poor dog's infected uterus.	Dr. Tello and Francia Pinedo.	Brenda Paulson and dog and cat owners.
Betsy Boeve and just one of her cat wounds. The cat also bit right through her jeans.	Johanna Johnson from David with Phylis. The owner wouldn't bring the dog, so she and her friends did. Thanks, guys, for saving this dog's life.	Woman with her cat.
Maggie Smith and one of her kitties. (She has 18.)	Precious doggie!	Dr. Tello performs a lateral incision on a nursing mother cat.

Here in Volcan, our small group has been responsible for sterilizing 694 animals to date. Added to the 129 animals that Spay/Panama (from Panama City) sterilized in in Volcan in February of 2005, we have sterilized 823 dogs and cats! There are many more to go, but we are making progress!  Our goal is to sterilize at least 75% of the dogs and cats in the Volcan area, and thus almost completely solve the problem of homeless dogs and cats, and the terrible venereal disease suffered by so many dogs.

Dorothy Atwater - 771-5883 or 6780-2565 or viajar2566@yahoo.com

Back to Clinics Page

Back to HOME PAGE

www.easy-hit-counter.com