On any given day, Holly Mehew can perform surgery on one patient, diagnose a second with a rare disease, immunize a third against common ailments and stitch up a wound in a fourth.

Not a single patient says "thank you." That's because Mehew, AS '88, is a veterinarian. She practices at the Chadds Ford Animal Hospital in Pennsylvania and says her job is similar to that of a pediatrician. Like infants, the dogs, cats, birds and other animals she cares for cannot say if they feel ill or explain how they became injured, so Mehew makes her diagnoses through examination, record review, owners' explanations and testing.

Her practice, which includes fellow veterinarians Randi Forseca and Lee Blazejewski, is known for its specialty in avian medicine.

Advising owners on how to care for their pets is an important component of veterinary care, Mehew says, and this counsel is particularly important when it comes to fragile birds. "Many owners allow their birds to fly about in the house for exercise, but this practice exposes them to common household items and foods (such as chocolate) that can be harmful. It also opens many possibilities for injury," Mehew says, noting that she recently treated a bird that had collided with a pot of boiling water.

"Avian medicine is fascinating, and very complex," says Mehew, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's veterinary school. "Just bringing a bird into the office can be harmful because of temperature changes and other stresses. Many times, birds have to be restrained to be examined and treated, and this is hard on them.

"Still, sick birds do need to be cared for by veterinarians, and special things can be done to protect them during transitions--such as making sure the container in which a bird is transported is sterile, safe and darkened, and that the temperature stays between 70 and 80 degrees F."

Mehew says many pet owners attempt to treat illnesses themselves, and the animals frequently end up sicker, with their symptoms masked by the well-intended home treatment. "Ingestion of aspirin, acetaminophen and ibuprofen can be fatal to animals, especially cats," she says, "and even store-bought flea treatments for pets can cause toxic reactions if used incorrectly."

And, because there are usually no antidotes for pet poisonings, she says, the veterinarian can offer only supportive medical care for the pet and hopes for a successful outcome.

Interactions between veterinarians and owners are never so intense as when it is time to decide whether an older, very sick or injured pet should be euthanized, Mehew says. The discussion comes up when it appears a pet will not likely recover or will live with a compromised quality-of-life, and treatments, if available, are considered too cost-prohibitive.

"Euthanasia may be indicated when the pet is not eating or drinking, is consistently withdrawn or lethargic, cannot control its bladder, seems to be in pain or is unable to move about," Mehew says.

It is difficult to predict how owners will react to pet illnesses or how they will make their pet's health-care decisions, Mehew says. Sometimes, a client of limited means will go into debt to obtain medical care for a pet with a minimal chance of survival. Occasionally, a client will choose the opposite path, declining care for a pet who has a good chance of getting better, or choosing a less expensive but less desirable option.

And, veterinarians may find themselves offering grief counseling when a pet becomes very ill, when it dies or when it must be put to sleep, Mehew says. She recalls an older couple whose beloved dog had begun receiving chemotherapy for cancer when it died unexpectedly of an embolism. The couple was devastated, but when Mehew suggested a grief support group, they declined. They felt that no one in the group had known their pet personally or knew precisely what they had gone through.

But, the husband showed up one day at Mehew's office to discuss his loss. "He just talked for an hour, about the dog, about his grief, about how no one understood and how he didn't want a new dog. He did all the talking, but he felt much better to have someone listen to him," she says.

Mehew encourages families interested in adding a pet to check out pet shelters, and those interested in purebreds may want to call local "rescue groups," which serve as adoption and relocation agencies for unwanted or lost purebreds. She and her colleagues have formed a partnership with the Chester County SPCA to offer neutering at a reduced cost to those who adopt pets there.

One favorite charity of Mehew's practice is the Canine Partners for Life (CPL), an organization that trains service dogs to assist people who are physically disabled or otherwise in need of a service or companion dog. Depending on the needs of the recipient, CPL trains its dogs to perform a myriad of tasks, including retrieving cordless telephones, opening doors and assisting in climbing stairs. The practice offers free veterinary care for a sponsored dog.