19/09/2026
Tonight, I’m really sad. 💔
There’s a downside to caring for animals as a vet that people don’t always see.
Sometimes, you take a puppy under your care for just a few days… and somehow, in those few days, you fall in love with him.
Tulfo was with us for 4 days.
I wanted him to survive so badly.
I would check on him twice at night. When the clinic was already dark and everyone had gone home, I would still look at him through the CCTV and call his name. I kept checking on him because I wanted to make sure he was okay.
We gave him the same medications and supportive care that had helped other parvo patients before. I kept hoping that somehow, he would be one of the ones who made it.
But he didn’t. 💔
And honestly, I can’t help but blame myself a little.
What else could I have done?
What did I miss?
Was there something more I should have tried?
These are the questions that keep running through my head tonight.
We know as veterinarians that not every patient will make it. We know that some diseases can be unforgiving, especially in very sick puppies.
But knowing that doesn’t make losing them any easier.
Because somewhere along the way, they stop being just another patient.
They become the little puppy you check on before going home.
The one you worry about at night.
The one you quietly root for.
The one you desperately want to see wag his tail again.
This is probably one of the hardest parts of what we do.
But maybe it’s also the reason we do it.
Because we care.
Because we hope.
Because every once in a while, a patient makes it—and we get to see them go home healthy and happy.
And for every heartbreak like today, there are also those victories that remind us why we keep showing up.
Tonight, though, I’ll just allow myself to be sad.😢
Rest well, Tulfo. You were loved. 🤍
