Had to take The Hound to the vet the other day for her annual checkup. Taking a dog to the vet is a lot like taking a toddler to the pediatrician...generally they don't understand (or like) what's happening to them there and it's not possible to explain to them why all of it is actually for their own good.
This particular vet visit turned out to be worse than usual, too. She needed three shots, plus the vet wanted to do the every-other-year blood test to make sure she doesn't have heartworm. I am religious about giving her the heartworm tablet every month, but having read about what NOLA is going through with Ziggy (even medicated dogs can still have it, and the treatment is intense) there was no way I was blowing off the test.
The Hound weighs a little over 50lbs. Not trivial to hold down on an exam table, but as it turned out, there was no need at all. I held her collar and petted her head while the vet did his thing and she didn't even move. Her facial expression was much the same as the one I get when I give her a bath: resignation is probably the best word for it. "OK Mom, I'm not enthusiastic about this, but I'll humor you because I love you." Talk about trust. It's humbling.
And the test was negative. Whew!!
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Yay! So glad. We need pics of the hound! She and Zig are the same size. I imagined your hound a bit smaller, more like 35 pounds.
ReplyDeleteFortunately Ziggy adores the vet and he's very quick generally with the exam part and then lets her run around while he talks to me. She'll be fine for shot #2 on Thursday, but come shot #3 on Friday, it'll be all hands on deck - she forgives injustices only once. (This is the dog whom it took four people plus me to fit her for a harness at a pet store.) The vet really likes Ziggy a lot, but he's also fully aware of her ... challenges. Normal shots and pokes don't bother her much, but that super long needle deep in her lumbar for the heartworm treatment full of arsenic - it's awful. I'll be soooo glad when this is over and we can resume life, but better.