Atlantic Animal Hospital has proudly chosen Norman Miles as October's Companion Animal of the Month. Norman is the companion to Darlene Miles. Norman is an eleven year old yellow Chihuahua. Along with the temporary return of her son, Norman was a happy addition to the package. She gladly accepted him as her "only grandchild with fur and a tail." When her son moved out it was a unanimous decision that Norman would stay. Darlene and Norman have been inseparable ever since!
Darlene and Norman are extremely close. He's the kind of companion that truly makes her feel loved. When she returns from work he is immediately attached to her side. He follows her from room to room, and when he can't find her he runs around the house in distress! Norman is definitely a lap dog, from the chair to the bed Norman is always close by. Even when Darlene is sick, Norman will just lay next to her in hopes of making her feel a little better with a little bit of puppy love. When it comes to going out he has his special way of letting Darlene know, especially in the early hours when she is fast asleep. He will get as close to her face (making sure she's sleeping) and lick her nose. When her eyes don't open he will do it again, only now pushing her head with his nose to wake her up. How sweet!! Norman doesn't always reign the house however, as he shares it with his feline siblings, appropriately named Henry and Henrietta. They all get along very well, but that's not always the case with other cats. While on their frequent walks, at the site of a cat, Norman is ready to charge. There are even some cats that frighten Norman. No need to worry though, he is rushed into the arms of his mother. Darlene is very protective when it comes to her Norman and would do anything to defend him. Norman and Darlene would be lost without each other and that is a special bond that cannot be broken!
Norman has been a patient of ours since 2001. >From coming in
for his Canine Yearly check- ups, to whenever a problem should arise, Darlene
makes sure that Norman is well taken care of and doesn't have to suffer a
moment. Back in June of this year during a routine exam Dr. Sukhija noticed
Norman had a heart murmur. This was a concern so we performed a series of tests,
including: Radiographs, Blood work, Electrocardiogram and a
Cardiologist consultation. Doing this helped us to better understand the
severity of what was going on with Norman's heart due to a dysfunctional valve.
The results showed that Norman suffered from an enlarged heart. This seemed to
be a cause of Norman's coughing and difficulty breathing. With the right
medications and monitoring, Norman is doing much better. He has also suffered
from skin infections and allergies that with the proper medications and
Darlene's loving care are now under control. Norman is a trooper and always
makes the staff here smile with adoration every time he walks through our door.
He is a wonderful patient and has a great attitude even when the visits aren't
so enjoyable.
We take great pride in choosing our Companion Animal of the Month and it is with adoring honor that we chose Norman Miles for the month of October. Darlene and Norman are a wonderful pair and we love watching their relationship between human and canine grow. They have truly fallen in love with one another and make each day a better day just by being together. Here's to you Norman, thank you for being a WONDERFUL companion animal and to Darlene, for being an outstanding "grandmother!"