Pet Moms

Chances are you know a Varsity Pet Mom. One of my office-mates could give anyone a run for Captain of the Varsity Pet Mom Team. She has a Beta fish named Moe who lives in a tank on her desk. He is beautifully blue and was a prize she won at a raffle near the cabin her family frequents. About a year ago, she noticed Moe listing as he swam.  I've had fish at various points in my life. When I saw a fish swimming strangely, I assumed end of days was near. As a fish owner, I did all the normal things. I provided proper food. I cleaned the tank or bowl. That is where my efforts to maintain my fish health stopped.

Not Holly.  She Googled Moe's symptom and learned that he was constipated. Yes, apparently that happens to fish, too. She could feed him extra fiber and he would recover, Google the Vet explained. Consequently, every Thursday, Holly takes one frozen pea from a bag she keeps in the work freezer. She thaws it with hot water and cuts the tiniest slivers of pea with a razor blade, and feeds the slivers to Moe. This weekly health prescription has kept Moe swimming in balance for over a year.

While Holly was on vacation, I prepared to feed Moe his standard fish food, and found he was behind the filter.  If you've had pet fish, you might have reacted as I did. I was sure he was dead and how would I explain that to Holly? With the help of two other co-workers, we roused Moe and I started breathing again. Holly told me that I didn't need to feed him the pea while she was out.  Since my scare, I'm thinking I'll be preparing Moe's pea meal promptly.

I have cooked rice and hamburger for a sick dog. I helped my parents feed a special mixture to calves to heal their digestive tracks. I bottle fed piglets to help them survive. I never thought about what to do for a pet fish.

Holly is the best pet mom! While Holly is on vacation, Lucy visits us. She has been visiting us since she was a puppy and she is 12 now. Per Holly's instructions, I've been feeding her Boston Terrier, Lucy, daily vitamins and glucosamine, because she is an older dog. Lucy definitely lives a more posh life with Holly and her family. As a JV mom, you can guess correctly about my status as a pet mom. I will take a dog to emergency pet care. I will sit and worry while holding a dog receiving fluids through an IV line. I will carry an elderly dog up and down stairs to lengthen her life. I never considered that I could do anything beyond feed and clean the tank, to enhance or lengthen the life of a fish.

If you are a Varsity Pet Mom, I salute you. I've often said that when I die, I want to be reincarnated as one of Holly's pets. My pets receive their meals, their walks and their cuddles. I love on them, pick up after them, and grieve when they pass. I'm sure my lack of awareness about symptoms or possible dietary changes have caused our fish to leave us sooner than they might if they belonged to a Varsity Pet Mom, like Holly.