It was that time again. The pinching,
pulling, poking and stretching would begin anew. As a patient in long
standing, our 10-year-old retriever would be given her 'oil change'
at this 6 month mark. She is a lump factory of sorts and keeping on
top of this problem keeps me on my toes.
Sally gets a mini checkup every 6
months. My idea, no one else's. She's had surgeries to remove a cancerous tumor. repair a torn ligament, remove a necrotic lymph node during 2017-18. Prior, numerous minor invasive procedures were done. Every turn in her road
has resulted in changes in diet and exercise
with a harness to address it all. Everything I do is now under scrutiny. And kennel care is out of
the question. The trust is gone as the all mighty dollar is king!
I realized after these health events that my girl needed
to be poked, pulled, pinched and stretched, in the most intimate gentle manner, daily and 'professionally', every six months. At home, my technique is different. I'm the advance guard, detecting the detectable! ( Diseases don't
care!) Eyes are checked while legs are pulled any which way they must by
the best in the business of animal health, her doctor, my human encyclopedia. I am so lucky
to have found this gem among all others. Even the day our precious Tia, our
16 year old rescue cat, left us, the doctor gave me the look I never wanted to see or acknowledge.
Doctors of veterinary medicine are here
to provide premium health care to our pets. If we do not read the
charts, do not follow vaccine protocols- (some are law!) provide
medications for ticks and flea protection, as required, while feeding
them the best food we can afford, then who is to blame?
Watch online
videos of man's inhumanity to dogs and cats. The never-ending appalling evidence is there.
Veterinarians are here to help us keep our canine family healthy,
forever, if possible.
We visit the clinic for
the poke, pull and stretch show, mid year. Lumps are Sally's specialty, it seems. Her
outdoor antics, with Mr. Wiggles, are another dimension of her
personality that can affect her health. Oh, my. Once upon a time her 'marathons' made others shudder. She
grabbed a rock one day to tease me into submission. I simply ignored her, fearfully, hoping my
indifference would 'sedate' her. It did. We traded for cookies. Her
trophy is now mine to cherish.
She is a professional patient, I am
reminded. She thinks otherwise, thank goodness. It is important for
her to be who she is - a retriever who loves to run with a large ball
in her mouth. A tennis ball is fine, too, however, but not for me.
Jumping up to catch it is her game not mine. I worry about her
ligaments - all of them. Nothing in life is 100% guaranteed. So I
pretend she is normal in every way. She is, in so many wonderful ways.
Her personality is perfect; her blood
profile, too. So what's the problem? Nothing that a whole lotta love
and a visionary doctor can't fix.
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