Poor Little Tyke
Time for the regular annual physical at the veterinarian hospital for little Riley, our awfully spoiled, dreadfully loved apricot toy poodle. He's not the brightest of lights, especially compared to Button, older and infinitely wiser, a female miniature poodle. They each have their strengths, their adorable and sometimes irritating qualities and we love them equally.
Mind, we didn't feel very lovably-inclined toward Button last night as she had us up every other hour, having to go out to the backyard to relieve herself. Seems, despite our vigilance, that she somehow managed to get into the compost that we spread over the gardens. The compost represents kitchen waste that has decomposed, but it was kept too damp and wasn't dry and crumbly as it should have been. Instead, it was rank and foul smelling, an odour made in heaven for little black poodles.
She must have got into the guck - despite our best intentions to keep her as far away from it as possible - and eaten some of the surely bacteria-laden compost. It took her four trips to the out-of-doors, at 11:00 p.m., 2:00 a.m., 4:00 a.m. and finally 6:30 a.m., before she returned to her normal sleepy self and permitted us to sleep in until eight. Each time she ventured out we'd had to rub her down to dry her, since it was pouring rain all night.
Well, that's another story. Early this afternoon Riley and Button both went to the vet's, and as soon as we drove into the parking lot, they knew. This is not their favourite place. It doesn't come close to being their favourite place. They shudder and draw closer to us for protection. Sitting in the waiting room, Button is alert and frightened, Riley frightened and aggressive when he espies other dogs sitting with their owners.
We know what's coming. I'd put them both on a diet throughout the summer months and they both lost a little weight and looked really good. Now, with the onset of winter I began to beef up their food portions and it shows; not on Button but on Riley, since he's smaller. They'd performed incredibly well this past September when we took them mountain climbing, but I wouldn't want to expose them to that kind of vigorous exercise at this point.
So, Dr. Strieb checked Riley out, said everything seems to be in order, and we discussed replacing the daily drops of olive oil I give them both with fish oil. And a definite and gradual decrease in their food intake. Not the vegetable salads, he stressed, just the add-ons, the treats, the cookies, and we agreed. Riley put on over a pound and a half in a year.
His incisors, Dr. Strieb said, should come out. They're loose, the roots can be seen, and they're infected; he has a case of gum disease that cannot be good for him and will affect his organs. This, despite their lifetime of daily tooth-brushing. We discuss what our insurance plan will pay for, and it won't be a whole lot. Of the eventual $500 cost, we'll be relieved of perhaps $80 of the total, because of the yearly deductible and cost-sharing.
And another thing: that benign cyst that is growing under his back left leg really is growing. It was established last year that it is composed entirely of fat, having nothing whatever to do with diet, and having everything to do with genetic inheritance, and the propensity of poodles (as with the incisors), to grow these things. It causes him no pain and no discernible discomfort, but if it continues to grow (and at present it's about 2-1/2 inches in circumference) it will prove to be an impediment to his gait, and he'll need to have it removed.
Grim news, but one supposes it could be worse. This is also the first time both of them will be innoculated for leptospirosis. Poor Button, we had told her this was Riley's examination, she would be exempt, but it was not to be. And what a day it's been - all-day rain - we hadn't even had the opportunity to take them out for their usual hour's romp in the ravine.
Tomorrow's another day.
Mind, we didn't feel very lovably-inclined toward Button last night as she had us up every other hour, having to go out to the backyard to relieve herself. Seems, despite our vigilance, that she somehow managed to get into the compost that we spread over the gardens. The compost represents kitchen waste that has decomposed, but it was kept too damp and wasn't dry and crumbly as it should have been. Instead, it was rank and foul smelling, an odour made in heaven for little black poodles.
She must have got into the guck - despite our best intentions to keep her as far away from it as possible - and eaten some of the surely bacteria-laden compost. It took her four trips to the out-of-doors, at 11:00 p.m., 2:00 a.m., 4:00 a.m. and finally 6:30 a.m., before she returned to her normal sleepy self and permitted us to sleep in until eight. Each time she ventured out we'd had to rub her down to dry her, since it was pouring rain all night.
Well, that's another story. Early this afternoon Riley and Button both went to the vet's, and as soon as we drove into the parking lot, they knew. This is not their favourite place. It doesn't come close to being their favourite place. They shudder and draw closer to us for protection. Sitting in the waiting room, Button is alert and frightened, Riley frightened and aggressive when he espies other dogs sitting with their owners.
We know what's coming. I'd put them both on a diet throughout the summer months and they both lost a little weight and looked really good. Now, with the onset of winter I began to beef up their food portions and it shows; not on Button but on Riley, since he's smaller. They'd performed incredibly well this past September when we took them mountain climbing, but I wouldn't want to expose them to that kind of vigorous exercise at this point.
So, Dr. Strieb checked Riley out, said everything seems to be in order, and we discussed replacing the daily drops of olive oil I give them both with fish oil. And a definite and gradual decrease in their food intake. Not the vegetable salads, he stressed, just the add-ons, the treats, the cookies, and we agreed. Riley put on over a pound and a half in a year.
His incisors, Dr. Strieb said, should come out. They're loose, the roots can be seen, and they're infected; he has a case of gum disease that cannot be good for him and will affect his organs. This, despite their lifetime of daily tooth-brushing. We discuss what our insurance plan will pay for, and it won't be a whole lot. Of the eventual $500 cost, we'll be relieved of perhaps $80 of the total, because of the yearly deductible and cost-sharing.
And another thing: that benign cyst that is growing under his back left leg really is growing. It was established last year that it is composed entirely of fat, having nothing whatever to do with diet, and having everything to do with genetic inheritance, and the propensity of poodles (as with the incisors), to grow these things. It causes him no pain and no discernible discomfort, but if it continues to grow (and at present it's about 2-1/2 inches in circumference) it will prove to be an impediment to his gait, and he'll need to have it removed.
Grim news, but one supposes it could be worse. This is also the first time both of them will be innoculated for leptospirosis. Poor Button, we had told her this was Riley's examination, she would be exempt, but it was not to be. And what a day it's been - all-day rain - we hadn't even had the opportunity to take them out for their usual hour's romp in the ravine.
Tomorrow's another day.
posted by Pieface @ 5:17 PM
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