Our 2013 "Courageous Companions"

On March 23rd, Cornell University Veterinary Specialists (CUVS) honored the lives of some of our most "courageous companions". At this very special reunion, our specialists and staff gathered to honor the remarkable bravery these animals showed, and demonstrated our appeciation for the support of their families. CUVS also offered each family the chance to sit for a professional photographer as a tribute to their beloved companions. We wanted to share these beautiful photos with all our readers, along with a few of their stories.

These pets, along with their supportive and invested families, remind us why we do what we do, and they will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Little Teddy became the mascot for Courageous Companions when he, along with his mom and dad, charmed the cameras and shared his story with the world. In June of 2011, 5-year old Teddy was hit and dragged by a vehicle near his Larchmont, NY home and dragged. He sustained horrific injuries. Teddy’s prognosis was dire; he was in severe life-threatening shock, having lost at least two-thirds of his blood volume. Because Teddy had been dragged, the majority of his skin was detached, especially over his trunk and hindquarters. CUVS’ critical care team quickly stabilized Teddy with aggressive therapy that included multiple blood transfusions, IV fluid therapy, and advanced pain management. Tough little Teddy finally went home after four weeks of intensive care and multiple surgeries. Today, Teddy is living at home with his family, receiving as much love as he provides.

Dave the (female!) cat enjoyed the festivities with her human siblings and parents. She survived extreme shock and received several blood transfusions to help with a serious blood clotting problem.

Chino the Great Dane, showed up properly attired to celebrate with his family.  Chino underwent  multiple surgeries to remove foreign objects from his digestive tract.

When Fluff, an 11-week old Burmese kitten, was referred to CUVS, she weighed a mere 1.5 pounds, half the size of her littermates. She was dull, lethargic, and not interactive. At CUVS, critical care specialist Dr. Elisa Mazzaferro recognized the severity of Fluff’s condition and suspected a rare congenital abnormality. Blood tests confirmed her suspicions; Fluff had congenital hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid gland fails to produce thyroid hormone, essential for normal growth, metabolism and function. This condition is extremely rare, and most veterinarians will never see a case in their lifetime. Fortunately, once diagnosed, the condition is easily managed with thyroid hormone supplementation. Following therapy, Fluff quickly caught up – growing, running up the stairs and acting like a normal, playful kitten and enjoying the company of her human brothers.

Nemo the Sheltie attended the event with his entire, very proud family. Nemo survived mutliple emergency surgeries after eating his leash, among other objects.

Endy looked the part of "courageous companion" as he strutted through the celebration with his mother. CUVS' Internal Medicine department successfully treated his severe pancreatic infection.

Bo, a usually happy Labrador retriever, came to CUVS very ill. Chemotherapy was initiated shortly after the diagnosis of hepatic (liver) lymphoma. Given the poor prognosis for this type of cancer using standard chemotherapy protocols, oncologist Dr. Gerald Post employed a novel approach. Bo sailed through his treatments, never missing a beat. He has now been cancer-free for over a year!

Maya the Puggle was the center of attention for her parents and little brother. Dr. Marnin Forman treated Maya for severe IMHA - an autoimmune disease that causes the dog's body to attack its own blood cells resulting in severe anemia.

Fergus, a stunning Gordon Setter, celebrated with his mother. Fergus survived GDV, also known as "bloat".

Ziggy the Poodle struck a proud pose for the cameras as he and his dad enjoyed the reunion. Ziggy survived multiple issues including kidney failure, anemia and foreign object removal from his digestive system.

Alexander J. Pumpkin's mother could not have been prouder of her strong little Tibetan Terrier - and neither could we! Alexander J. Pumpkin (or AJP as much of our staff calls him), survived surgery to address intestinal cancer.

Shadie, the little Yorkshire Terrier, proves that bravery and strength can be found in even the tiniest packages. He survived Cushing's Disease and a severe heart condition.



Milly the Lab celebrated with her entire family, including her very proud brother and sister. Thanks to our ECC Department, Milly has survived severe sepsis (blood infection) and anemia.



Baron the Laborador Retriever smiled and wagged as he and his parents celebrated with his "courageous" colleagues. Baron is a survivor of epilepsy, among many other issues.



Lucky struck a pose, looking better and healthier than ever after his limb surgery and heartworm extraction.



Mack the Rottweiler took a break from his job as a therapy dog to celebrate his recovery with CUVS staff & his parents. Mack is a cancer survivor.

Of course, not every one of our "courageous companions" was able to attend the event, but we still received some amazing pictures from their families, showing them looking strong and happy...

Lulu the cat gave CUVS a shout out, posing with her medal and banadana at home. Lu Lu recovered from surgery on her hind legs and is climbing and hopping around the house like a kitten.

Riley the Yorkie's family shared this great photo they've entitled "One year and still going strong..."

We can't say enough how proud we are of all of our "Courageous Companions". They inspire us every day, and each of them holds a special place in our hearts as the strong, unique characters they are.