He was nervous. I could see. The appointment had been made weeks ago. We were lucky to have secured the spot so quickly. His dental procedure would happen in May. Today's visit to the veterinarian dental surgeon was a meet and greet, an introduction to the patient, our precious Mr. Wiggles. (He wiggled non-stop yet was prone to weight gain)
As we drove to the medical facility, further south than the clinic where his family doctor has practiced for decades, Mr. Wiggles began to whine, a low level siren call to stop. ("We were driving too far", he surmised.) He was uncomfortable with that. He sensed the distance was greater than it should have been. "Where were we taking him?", "What about his older sister?" We had left her at home. "Would they ever be reunited again?"
His panting began while in the lobby.The pandemic had 're-designed' this waiting room so only four chairs were present. I sat down while our precious little 88 pounder male began to pant and squirm. ("I don't know these people", he wondered.) ... Only staff were present. Few clients remained, this Friday afternoon. Consoling him made little difference. Then he 'disappeared'. He was now laying low, under me, disguised by the small chair upon which I sat. He was becoming a fraction of his former yellow retriever body - a head with no body. I looked again. How could he have moved so much and so stealthily, without me noticing? The small chair managed to hide a massive animal body that normally occupied half the sofa space at home. Strange. The anxiety he'd felt had forced him to hide, hoping no one would notice. He was almost invisible. Just a sweet head upon which to plant a kiss.
The doctor asked us in. A warm feeling
enveloped both master and puppy. It felt like home. The doctor
illustrated Mr. Wiggle's current dental dilemma on screen helping me
to understand why. I gave her a dietary history of our Mr. Wiggles and
his older sister. Food was always a priority, a healthy adjunct to the
chewing of recommended toys etc. (Some manufacturers are lying!) Keeping the gums and teeth in top notch
condition was never far from my mind. Silly dubious snacks were
never on their menu. It was a 'raw' diet everyday.
Mr. Wiggles panted while the doctor and I attempted to lessen the 'noise' during his heartbeat check. He was nervous, after all. ... On our way home, our very quiet boy fell asleep; his ordeal, over. So was ours.The low level crying was gone as was the panting. Hadn't he realized that nothing terrible ever occurred whenever he was with us? Did he not know that the people we brought him to see were also nice people? Deep down inside, he probably did.
A few weeks later a comprehensive
dental plan was sent, listing all the facts and unknowns in our
wiggler's case for his next appointment. Digital pictures with
explanations galore and treatment protocols necessary were studied. I
needed to know and understand. I had that right, after all.
Soon, a painfully sad story of canine teeth and gums will end. As in the case for humans, a yearly dental exam is always recommended for pets. Dental health is constantly evolving. Our pets have no choice. We do.
