Our Visit to the Vet

Buster and Rusty

Friday was vaccination day.  Buster's appointment was late in the afternoon.  We had a real nice day with an early morning walk and I got some work done in the office while he slept.

It was eerie for me entering the hospital and later the very same exam room I spent the final moments with Max.  That's the deal you sign on for with dogs.  Each one is a chapter and they will over lap.

Buster was reserved in the waiting room.  I kept him in my lap.  Who knows what germs might be roaming around.  Once in the exam room he seemed to enjoy the stainless steel table.  I played with the controls moving it up and down and giving him a ride.

Our vet is Dr. Rose.  She is sweet and, more importantly, had treats.  At first Buster was a little suspect, then had a "Oh-what-the-hell" moment and started scarfing them down as fast a possible.  He held puppy still while she checked his heart.  His nose was scrounging for a treat when she inserted the thermometer and he was far too distracted to even notice the injection.

We had brought a stool sample to be tested for parasites.  To my surprise they sent this test out to a lab in Los Angeles.  When I worked there back in the seventies, we did them in-house.  It was one of the first diagnostic tests I learned.  It is a quick and simple test.  A tube, sodium hydroxide if I remember correctly, a microscope and a slide.  They were done before the vet entered the exam room.  Nope, I would have to wait for the results to come in tomorrow.

At check out, I talk with the receptionist about my time there and asked if my old and first ever boss was still around.  To my surprise, Dr. F is 92 years old!

With Family Friend, Cyd

I was surprised at the high cost of the first visit - nearly eighty dollars.  The fecal test was $38!  Yeah, I know I'm showing my age, but our old way 40 years ago was $6.

Saturday, I got the call to come by and get some medication because, yes, Buster had roundworms.  Medication was dispensed in powder form (another $20) with instructions once a day for three consecutive days.

It was a little disturbing that Buster started having a loose stool late Saturday afternoon.  By evening it was quite runny.  Was this a reaction to the shot?  The worming medication?  No evidence of worms were showing up on his back end and from experience I knew that was sometimes the case.

Late in the evening I gave him a touch of Imodium and he slept until 4am.  His stool was still runny but his appetite was good and he was playful.  We slept on the living room floor until sunrise.  The guy is a cuddler.

He has good energy today, though still loose.  He's a puppy.  I'm sure this is all just part of the process.