Author Mary Davis takes you to work with her in Prancing With Swine-The Early Years.

Enjoy tales about Oreo the black and white pig, find Lucy's Dog Biscuit recipe, and meet a steer named Lyle Lovette.

Prancing  With Swine is a humorous journey full of an assortment of animal tales.

Communication

     In a vet's office it is very important to define terms.  Communication can be crucial.  Last week when I arrived at the office, two cars and a trailer packed to the limit awaited me.  A man waited beside the door with a yellow Labrador on a rope.  "I need you to put my dog to sleep." he said.  I unlocked the door, turned on the lights, and headed for the phone.  If an animal has to be "Put to Sleep" in our animal hospital, it is done after a doctor has talked to the animal's owner and the injection is always done by the doctor.  "Have you made an appointment?" I asked the harried man.  "No, I talked to you people last week, and they said to just come by the office.  Do you give him a shot or a pill?" he inquired.  I was on hold to our other office while an obviously healthy and friendly dog, one I had been asked to put to sleep, licked my jeans and sniffed my sneakers.  At last the voice of our receptionist in the other office came on the line.  I explained our situation, and she put me back on hold for one of the vets.

     "Can you give him a rabies shot while he is here?" the man asked.  A nagging bell went off somewhere in my mind. "Sir, if you are going to put him to sleep it won't be necessary to give him rabies vaccine,"   I offered, still trying to figure out what was going on here.  "Will you want to be present when your dog is put to sleep?"  I asked, reaching for the euthanasia release form.  "Are you going to take him with you for burial?"  I  asked.

     "I want him to wake up after we get to Waco, so of course I want to take him with me." The man snorted as if I was crazy.  "I only want him to sleep on the trip, he darned near killed me on the drive to town, silly dog went nuts." 

    Communication is also very important when farmers describe calves. We have bull calves brought in for castration.  Sometimes, the "calf" may weigh 800 pounds and be nearly a year old.  The same may be true for calves brought in for de-horning.  Sometimes, standing at the end of the chute, huge cattle come thundering down toward the cattle press for de-horning and vaccinations.  It is during those moments when I reflect on what I thought a calf was-- beautiful big brown eyes, a sweet little animal nestled against a lovely cow, a small moo coming as greeting from the delicate young calf.  I try to hold that thought while sparks fly off their hooves and they dash by and the warm dampness of flying manure hitting my face.