Fully Vetted

Today started with a trip to the vet's office. My dog Dana (a.k.a Dana Monster, Danie Wanie, Wanie Balls, Woofie, Wufthansa and Goddammit Stay Out of the Garbage) recently turned 12 and has definitely started acting like a proper canine octogenarian. Despite expensive eyedrops, glaucoma has pretty much claimed his vision in one eye and the doctor is recommending its removal. He also sometimes gnaws at the fleshy pads on his elbows which can leave a gross open wound that I try covering with bandages until he gnaws through that too. This is all in addition to the patches of dry skin that often shed and flake on the carpets as well as the small fatty patches under his the fur on his belly (they're benign -- we checked). Such a laundry list of symptoms makes it sounds like Dana could fall apart any second but, really, it's a bunch of small things that the vets say is normal for an old pet. Overall he's a great dog that I've had since college and wouldn't trade for anything.

This morning's appointment was to address a cough he's had for a couple weeks and it's actually the second time he's been in to see a vet about it. Last weekend's visit was at a new office that's much closer to home than the place I'd been going for years. I liked the location, but didn't appreciate the guilt trip they laid on me for questioning the need for a $200 X-ray before addressing the possibility that it was the canine flu that was going around Chicago.

Of course they're medical professionals with an interest in the animals' well-being, but the pressure that some vets place on owners to approve every expensive diagnostic analysis is a huge turnoff when it comes repeat business. The new doctor, who's even closer to home, didn't see an urgent need for an X-ray or ultrasound and said the cough might just be due to the lingering dust from our kitchen construction. To be safe, we made an appointment with a specialist and were sent home with a cough suppressant that seems to be doing a good job. Needless to say, I'm glad I went for a second opinion.

I've had Dana as long as parents of seventh graders have had their kids and, God willing, hope to see him graduate from high school. As most dog owners will attest, there's nothing better than coming home from a bad day at work to the happy realization that somebody is glad to see you ... even if it is just with the one good eye.