Kill or cure
There was a comment under yesterdays scribble.
Malcolm asked “Ho[w] went the visit to the Vet ?”
There was actually a follow-up to the visit but I wasn’t sure if anyone would be interested. Not that I determine my scribbles by how interesting they are, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to ramble on about anything?
In case anyone was foolish enough to miss it, the story started with my visit to the vet.
I normally bring Penny to the vet around August to get her booster shots and a bit of a checkup. The normal routine is that they gave her a thorough overhaul and then pronounce that she’s fine but overweight. I point out that she’s not overweight but just has a small head and skinny legs for her body size and we part company for another year.
This year things got in the way and August slipped into September and surprisingly into October. Bugger! I had forgotten the vet. I made an appointment.
The vet is somewhat cautious about this Virus lark so I had to follow his procedure. I parked up and then had to present myself at a window. I told ’em Penny was here and they said fine, and what number was my parking slot? ?? I then realised that each parking spot had a number so I had to trot back to find my number. I told the girl and she told me to wait in the car.
I sat in the back seat with Penny as she has this peculiar rule that she will not sit in the front under any circumstances. At this point she had realised where we were and was getting a tad nervous.
Eventually the vet came strolling over complete with face mask, face shield and plastic coat [did I mention he was cautious?]. I told him she just needed her shots and a general overhaul. I also mentioned that I reckoned she had a touch of arthritis and walked like John Wayne and could he confirm? So I walked ahead with Penny while he watched her from behind. I was then told to get back in the car.
So I waited and played with the car radio [which I still haven’t figured out how to work properly].
Eventually the vet returned with Penny. All fine [he never even mentioned her weight but that may have been an oversight] and he confirmed she did indeed have a touch of arthritis. He gave me a bottle of medicine with a couple of syringes to measure the dosage. Grand. I paid the pound of flesh and went home.
Penny was quiet that evening but I put that down to a sulk at being brought to the vet. However she rapidly deteriorated and at one stage threw up [on the carpet of course and not the acres of surrounding wood floor]. She was now lethargic to the point of being catatonic. I began to seriously worry and kept checking to make sure she was breathing.
The following morning I contacted the vet. “Fuck” says he [or words to that effect], “some dogs do react that way, but don’t worry – she’ll get over it” Now he tells me. So I trollied all the way back to his practice and swapped the medicine for a box of massive tablets. Starting Monday I have to give her half a tablet a day.
She’s fully back to her old self now. As usual she’s annoying me by demanding to go out and then back in again. She is actually a bit livelier so maybe the medicine did start to work, apart from nearly killing her?
I haven’t a clue how I’m going to get even half a massive tablet into her though.
Thanks for the update. Good.
Pill? Show her by example. Take one yourself.
When she sees the effect she will want one.
Maybe.
There is no chance I would be able to swallow something that big. I might pretend, and just take one of my own?
Must be a vet thing, next they’ll be donning a cast off suit from the Apollo missions.
Mrs took one of our Spaniels in a couple of weeks ago, matey vet clad in full face shield and serious looking mask tried shouting ever louder at her when she said she couldn’t understand a word he was saying through all those layers.
So arsed was she, went and looked at another vet to see about changing allegiance, must be a good living judging by the bills, that one was even worse like trying to get into fort bloody knox, have to put up with the present one.
Dunno what the family doctor is like for space suits, difficult enough to get past the camp guards before the flu scam, impossible now, whether i ever get to see one again before kicking the bucket is debatable.
Funny thing though, i had my annual medical couple months ago to keep my work licence going, don’t use my own practice cos not paying the ridiculous fees they want, the lady doctor i use charges sensible fees and just wears a simple face mask, she’s far too competent to be at my practice anyway, sadly.
The world’s going barmy at an ever increasing rate.
Ironically our Doc doesn’t bother with any of the current shit. Entering his surgery is like a portal into a sane world. Mind you, he doesn’t bother with one when shopping either so maybe he has given himself a medical dispensation?
Read the directions carefully, it could be a suppository.
Fuck off! No fucking way am I going to mess around at that end.
Grandad,
You’ll remember this old one regards medicating a cat, right? Instructions for dogs at the end.
https://www.allfelinehospital.com/pilling-humor.pml
Ah yes, I remember and can vouch for its veracity. I must print it out for Herself when she starts muttering about wanting a kitten.
Pick cat up, wrap towel tightly around cat. I hold said cat, OH prises jaws open and pop the pill in, sometimes spits it out, but do again, massaging throat, make what you think of that, but works and kitty still here.
And we’re all safe. TG.
I used to hide the dog’s tablets in his Pedigree Chum at feed times. No problems, though with the subject dog being a Lab the whole bloody lot went in one gulp. Didn’t even bother to chew.
“I haven’t a clue how I’m going to get even half a massive tablet into her though.”
Trick I’ve had some success in the past with, is bury it in some cheese.
Only *some* sirens, mind you…
*success.
Nodding speelchucker…
Worried about our Chihuahua not eating properly. Vet on Saturday. Left 10 minutes and £163 lighter. Waiting for urine and blood test results. Dog eating pretty much normally now. Little bastard!
The little bottle [admittedly containing very large tablets] – €52. Dogs can be damned expensive. But they’re worth it…..?
The idea of wrapping the tablet in some delicacy wouldn’t work with Penny. Take for example a mix of mince and carrots – she can pick up the carrot, suck all the mince off it and spit out the perfectly cleaned carrot.
I gave her the first dose today. The tablet is very chalky in texture so I ran it under a rolling pin [remember those?] and scattered the resulting very fine powder over her tinned meat. I got away with it!
Ah, the good old days. Rolling pins, wringer washing machines, sending one of the kids over to change the channel on the TV, or turn the volume up a bit and maybe wiggle the rabbit ears a little.