b"I am so impressed with Dr. Bairds care and knowl-edge.Painmanagementissoimportanttoher,saidNicole. She also has some really cool tools that help meas-ure the level of the dog's pain.Dr. Baird named her pain and rehabilitation centerafter a Doberman. Steele was wonderful and impacted thelivesofallourstaffandsomanyofourclients,saidDr. Baird. He was the most gentle and loving dog; a 105poundgoofballwholovedpeople,dogs,cats,rabbits,ferrets and kittens; the smaller the better. There's nothingquite as touching as seeing a worried 100 plus pound doggently nudging a two pound kitten who is slowly rousingfrom anesthesia and surgery. There was no better nursethan Steele.At the age of ten, Steele developed a very mild limpone day. My heart sank when I looked down and realizedthere was a small area of swelling over his wrist. That is oneof the more common spots for osteosarcoma, a nasty bonetumor that is fairly common in larger dogs, said Dr. Baird.Thex-raysconfirmedasmallareaofbonedestructiontypical of this aggressive cancer. The average survival time,following diagnosis, is a mere four months. Many dogs arehumanely euthanized due to uncontrollable pain.I vowed to do everything in my power to keep Steelemobile and pain-free as long as science and modern medi-cine would permit, said Dr. Baird. My deep interest inpain management quickly became a passion. In the processof learning how to best help Steele, I spent hundreds ofhours in post-graduate classes and seminars studying painmanagement. Dr. Baird became certified as a specialist in veterinarypain management. It was a bittersweet victory for her asSteele was already gone by the time she passed the boardexamination and finished the certification process. We were grateful that he lived eight months with fullmobilityandcomfort,amonghisfriendsandfamily,YOUR HOMETOWN VETERINARIAN. added Dr. Baird. Steele taught me so much about spiritand kindness and bravery. He was so strong throughout hiscancer and remained his gentle and loving self. At somelevel, I truly felt he understood all that we were doing to tryto make him feel good and remain comfortable longer from radiation therapy and chemo to pain meds and mas-sages. He taught me so much about pain and taught us allabout loss.Thanks to Steele, we understand better than everhow powerful it is to be able to relieve pain in our pets andSTEVEN C. LEWIS, DVM help them remain mobile and happy longer. There is no225 E. Davis Island Blvd., Tampa greater gift we can give these animals or their owners.Open 6 Days a Week with Convenient Hours. UIn-House Laboratory, Radiology, Laser Surgery, Dental Cleaning and More.Call for an appointment t 813.251.4384 Steele Pain Management & Rehabilitation CenterFAX: 813.251.4398www.DavisIslandAnimalClinic.com 1412 Belcher Road, Palm Harbor, FloridaAccredited by the USDA for all health certicates, interstate and international. 727.785.4878www.SteelePainCenter.com Follow Us On FACEBOOK for More Health and Behavior Tips.78THE NEW BARKER www.TheNewBarker.com"