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Atlantic Animal Hospital is ready to ring in the new year and to help us do that we have proudly selected Zachary Perry as the Companion Animal of the Month for January 2007! Zachary is a white and black feline whose human parents are newlyweds, Stephanie and Michael. He also has two brothers, a black cat named Chancey and a "Multi-Poo" puppy named Vinny.
Zachary was a Christmas gift from Michael to Stephanie in 2003. Neither Stephanie nor Zachary knew the bond they would form in the years to come and how perfectly Zachary would compliment their lives. Zachary is definitely Stephanie's "first born!" He goes everywhere with his human companions. From just a car ride up the road to their family vacations. Being a "Christmas kitty" he is big on the holidays. He is even a guest at the family Christmas, no matter where it may be. Everyone loves having Zachary around. He's always happy and one cannot help but smile when in his presence. Part of his loving appeal is his large size. Zachary weighs 24 pounds! Yes, he's a big boy, but his size is what draws you in and you can't help but want to just snuggle with him.
Zachary loves to be around his family. As you can see from the picture he adores his brother Chancey. They definitely enjoy each other's company, even if it's just laying around and being lazy. Although he doesn't care for puppies he shares a unique friendship with his brother Vinny, the multi-poo. Among the many things Zachary loves, he has a strange feet fetish. If he sees feet he feels he must rub them with his head until he is made to stop. Zachary LOVES to eat, obviously, and he enjoys a bath now and then. His favorite way and place to sleep at night is on his back, right between his mom and dad. That's when Zachary gets the best nights sleep. It's apparent that he pretty much gets what he wants.
Zachary became ill back in September 2006 with signs of a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). He was treated medically with oral anti-inflammatory, pain medications, and antibiotics. Zachary recovered and was normal until November, when Stephanie and Michael noticed blood in his urine and knew that he needed immediate care. Upon examination, Dr. Sukhija noted that Zachary had a urinary blockage. A thorough work-up including radiographs, blood-work, and urinalysis, revealed evidence of a previous abdominal surgery around the urinary bladder. After several days of hospitalization and treatments that included a urinary catheter, intravenous fluids, and various medication, the Atlantic Animal Hospital team was able to stabilize Zachary. It was a touch and go situation for awhile, on top of it being the week of their wedding, Stephanie and Michael were extremely reluctant to leave their baby. They decided to board him here at our hospital knowing we could give him the one on one attention that he needed while they went on their honeymoon. He was cared for the next week and a half at our hospital. Soon enough Zachary started to show signs of normalcy. After a short while and a "good news" call to the newly weds, the Zachary was released. He and Chancey were been placed on a special diet called Royal Canin S/o the help prevent urinary problems. He has since not had any recurrences.
We, the staff of Atlantic Animal Hospital, truly appreciate the human-animal bonds and relationships in this family. We have become additions to Zachary's fan base and are undoubtedly ecstatic about his recovery. Zachary leaves such a wonderful impression upon everyone that he meets. According to Stephanie and Michael, it is a great pleasure to have Zachary every step of the way as they start a new family. He is "the best pet ever" and has a personality like he is human. Definitely one of family! As Stephanie so sweetly puts it, "Zachary leaves his paw prints on everyone's heart." We are excited to have Zachary help us kick off the new year as January's Companion Animal of the Month.