"Sweet dog. That's what everyone always said about Kona; she was a sweet dog.

And she was. She was the only dog I'd ever had, but I knew she was the best. She had the lazy joy of a labrador and the outstanding speed of a ridgeback-- I remember my dad throwing a tennis ball for her as a puppy, and her outrunning the ball to catch it in midair. She was always kind with children. When I was eleven, my mom's friend brought over her four-year-old daughter who was afraid of dogs; Kona was very gentle with her, the epitome of lovable. As she became older she lost much of her energy (all she ever wanted to do was sleep!) and when she had a battle with cancer, we knew the end might come. With Dr. Forsythe's dedicated care, Kona survived the cancer, but she was still aging. Two years later she was barely able to stand without wobbling. She was confused, on a lot of pain medication, and had accidents in the house; we were afraid that she would injure herself when no one was home. So, after much agonizing, we decided to euthanize her, setting the sad date in September. Our beloved cat Tinkerbell passed away unexpectedly in July, leaving us shocked and emotionally wounded-- Tinkerbell was two years younger than Kona, a sassy but pleasant cat who I named when I was five. Even in the midst of loss, we did not want Kona to suffer any longer, so we went ahead with the operation. We went from two pets, two companions, to no pets in the span of two months. Dr. Forsythe and the staff of the veterinary hospital were extremely helpful, letting us know all our options, working wholeheartedly to keep them comfortable in life and the passage from life. With their prodigious efforts and sincere condolences, the hospital brought comfort to us in a time of great sorrow.

Recently, my family got two kittens from Pets Lifeline. Pearl is a slender gray cat who likes to carry around fake mice in her mouth, and Calcifer is a large boy who loves to snuggle. It still grieves me to think that Kona and Tinkerbell are not with us any longer, but the kittens have brought a liveliness back into the house. We will always remember our beloved pets and the devoted service received at Altimira Veterinary Hospital. ~Caity and all the Tremblay Family~"

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Hansel Eubanks, age 14
Domestic Short haired-tabby cat
Male neutered cat
Long time patient of Dr. Forsythe

Came into hospital 2-4-10 drinking and urinating excessively. Diagnosis: Diabetes mellitus.

Pet was kept in the hospital for a couple of nights and regulated on PZI insulin. Hansel's owners, Carole Eubanks and David Deigan, were taught how to give insulin by Kelly and Chris. Carole and David got to practice giving placebo injections into Dooney the house bulldog and to Emily the house cat until they were comfortable, and quickly got proficient and dosing their own pet twice a day with insulin.

Hansel had to come in a couple of weeks after his diagnosis for a blood glucose "curve" where we sampled his blood sugar level every two hours throughout the day, and this test helped us determine that he needed a slightly higher amount of insulin to keep his blood sugar levels even better regulated. Approximately 6 weeks after diagnosis, Hansel had a "fructosamine" test performed to see how well his diabetes has been controlled since his diagnosis.

He is eating a good quality diet made for diabetic cats and is maintaining an ideal weight and body condition, and his family reports that his energy level is much better and he is drinking and eliminating much more normally now.

He is feeling much better now and seems to be adjusting well to his new medical condition and coping well while enjoying a very high quality of life.

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To Pet Lovers

This is quite a dog story.

We have recently moved to Sonoma on 4/1/2010. We brought our aging Australian Shepherd, Reggie, with us. He had been slipping for about three years. Worst of all he developed three HUGE non-malignant tumors, weighing 12 lbs, 3 lbs, and 3 lbs. They rendered him pretty much hopeless at the end.

I had to carry him, lay next to him at night and rub him when he would cry and scream in pain. We finally thought, “I guess this is it, for Reg.”. Then, we were referred to Altimira Veterinary Hospital and met Dr. Forsythe. Immediately, we knew Reg was going to be cared for one way or the other. Dr. Forsythe promised nothing. He did a work up on Reg and told us he thought he could help Reg with surgery. Well, if you believe in miracles, we now do, too.

Four weeks later, our family and neighbors are in shock. Reg went from barely walking to running again and jumping on our bed. It’s absolutely unbelievable. We are so grateful to Dr. Forsythe and his staff. It’s made our move from the San Francisco Bay Area to Sonoma, the best. I am happy to say at age 70, this is the best gift I ever received.

Gerry Hipps