A big thank you to Doctors Constanze and Christian Aigner

Jaden was a healthy puppy so the only reason we visited the vet during his first year was for routine checkups and vaccinations. He seemed OK with the vet someone had recommended then to us. However when he was a little over a year he had a really bad stomach upset and it just didn’t get better. The vet told us that he was the typical oversensitive golden retriever and put Jaden on some expensive diet dog food for sensitive dogs. At this same time Jaden decided he did not like the vet any more and sulked every time he had to go to him, hiding in the corner when he was done and waiting to get out.
We were supposed to travel on a weekend and Jaden wasn’t quite back to normal. I had mixed feelings as I drove a miserable looking Jaden to the farmhouse where he always stayed when we were traveling. Jaden loved this farmhouse, the owners adored him and I knew that he would not only be in good hands but also very competent and experienced ones. While dropping Jaden off I mentioned to the one of the owners about how worried I was about him, that I was contemplating cancelling my trip because he wasn’t quite back to normal. The owner told me not to worry since they had a very good vet practice around the corner. They knew the vet and his wife since years, took all their animals there when they had any issues and if it was OK with me, she would ask them to have a look at Jaden.
That is how Jaden met Dr Christian Aigner. When we returned from our long weekend, we picked up a chirpy and lively Jaden who seemed to be full of energy again. We learnt that Dr Christian Aigner had given him some plant based medication and asked us to bring him in for a checkup if things didn’t get better. Since Jaden’s stomach seemed to have normalised within two days (and we had been struggling to get him back on track since weeks), we decided to visit Dr. Aigner to thank him for the magic he had done.
The first thing that struck us when we visited his clinic was how cheerfully Jaden bounced in (something he hadn’t done with the previous vets). When we met Dr. Christian Aigner we understood why. He is a gentle calm person with a tremendous sense of humour and his love for animals is very evident. Interestingly he did not think Jaden was the “typical golden retriever with an oversensitive stomach”;  he thought Jaden just had a growth phase which probably affected his stomach for some reason. He was convinced that Jaden didn’t need any diet food and that he would be perfectly ok. Which he was 🙂
Ever since then Jaden has been a regular at Dr. Aigner’s clinic. Jaden was about three years old when he started showing signs of aggressive and moody behaviour. We were at a loss and when I happened to read about dogs with thyroid issues, it was Dr. Aigner who tested him and confirmed my suspicion that we had a dog with thyroid issues. He had never had a dog with thyroid issues before but together we learnt a lot about it and about the right dosage for Jaden. 
Over the past years Jaden got to know the entire team at Dr. Aigner’s clinic. Since Jaden’s thyroid values keep fluctuating, we get him tested at least once in three months to see if we need to increase or reduce the medication that he is on. Contrary to what most people think, Jaden is not the typical friendly teddy bear golden retriever that people think he is. He is a dog with a strong character, can snap if someone he doesn’t like touches him or touches him without asking us. Which is why we don’t let strangers pet him without letting him decide whether he likes them. But the entire team at Dr. Aigner’s clinic adore him even if some of the young assistants are a bit terrified of him (he has quite a reputation there since he does not like all the vets there). His favourite vet is Dr Constanze Aigner who is also Dr. Christian Aigner’s wife. When she is on duty, he cheerfully climbs on to the examination table, wagging his tail and looking forward to his treats. Jaden has always had to wear a muzzle when he was on the examination table (he snapped at one of the vets there) but during his last appointment he did not need one since it was with Dr. Constanze Aigner 🙂
On Friday we met Doctors Constanze and Christian Aigner to say goodbye to them. Jaden seemed to sense that something was different – he greeted Dr. Constanze Aigner with his usual enthusiasm but then refused to smile or even look at the camera while we took pictures of them with him.
We are very thankful that they were recommended to us and so glad that Jaden had such good, loving and professional care. Over the years the bond between Jaden, them and us has become a very special one. It is rare to find doctors who are not only passionate about their work but who treat each patient in such a loving, personal and compassionate way. It touches us deeply to see how much Jaden means to them and their team. We have promised to send updates and pictures to them about Jaden. 
Thank you to the entire team at Dr Aigner’s clinic –  for being there for us and Jaden over the past six years; for your love, patience, humour and professionalism. We will miss you all and hope to visit sometime in the future.