I was probably crazy scheduling a vet visit for both the pets at the same time, but I like to be efficient when I can, and the vet is literally a four-minute drive away. With Spencer safely stowed in a cat carrier, it was Hershey I had to worry about. But don’t all dogs love to ride in cars? My grandfather had a husky named Wolf who went everywhere with him. They’d go to the drive thru at McDonald’s and Wolf would, well, wolf down a few burgers on every trip. And I’ve seen plenty of people driving with their dogs in their lap. So I figured Hershey could handle a four-minute ride.
Well, she didn’t want to get in the car. At all. I had to pick her (and she’s now 33 pounds as I later learned.) She couldn’t really find her balance in the car, as I stopped and started back up at lights and stop signs and she was pacing in the back seat, sometimes slipping off. But she didn’t try to hop in front and we arrived at the vet in one piece. (Did I mention it was just me taking the animals?) So, with the cat crate in one hand, and Hershey on her leash in another, I wrangled them into the office.
Or, tried to. Hershey did not want to go inside. How could she know that unpleasant things sometimes happen here? Maybe it was the barks and yips of the dogs inside warning her. But she tried her best not to go in that office. I felt like pet owner of the year literally dragging her in for her very first visit. Once we got inside, the waiting room was thankfully empty. Yet Hershey whined, and shook and sniffed every inch of that room like each dog had left a story behind in their scent.
Once she’d thoroughly canvassed the room, she tried to charm all the staff members by offering up her belly for a nice rub, and jumping up on the counter like the naughty doggy she is. I had a hard time keeping her close to me and away from a sick kitty that came in. Ultimately, I stuck her between my legs and clamped them around her to keep her place. Finally, it was our turn to go in and Hershey was up first.
Turns out, at 33 pounds she’s perfect in size, and will probably be double that weight when fully grown. (Our vet says it’s a good rule of thumb to double a dog’s weight at the 4 month mark to find out generally how big they’ll be as an adult. Imagine how big she’d be if we were still unknowingly giving her two breakfasts!) So that was good news, we want a smaller sized lab.
Her teeth look good, but she doesn’t have all her adult teeth in yet, and I guess we need to wait for that to happen before she can be fixed. Then it was time for the shots, and the vet wanted me to hold her while she administered them! Oh, memories of doing the same thing with my poor kids flashed back, and I felt so guilty, wondering if Hershey would glare at me for the rest of the day for subjecting her to the pain of the needle prick.
But she didn’t even flinch when she got poked not once, but twice. Didn’t yelp, didn’t wiggle, didn’t whine. She could’ve gotten shots all day long. Easy peasy. Hershey’s first vet visit was a breeze.
Then it was Spencer’s turn. If I can hold a 33 pound dog, I should be able to hold a five pound cat, right? Wrong. He hissed and scratched and bit and we had to call for backup help to help hold him still. He was a wildcat! Hershey propped her paws up on the examining table to see what the fuss was, and gave her playmate a few licks of support. I left our checkup a bleeding, sweaty mess from the ordeal of it all, vaguely remembering something about the various flea and tick medications we might want to consider, and the heartworm medication we might want to get.
On the way home, Hershey did try to hop up in the front. I spent the four-minute trip with one arm braced between the seats to keep her back. And boy, was she happy to get home. She didn’t even try to nose around outside; she ran straight for the door.
I guess when we come back to the vet to get her fixed, I’ll be sure to bring a helper next time. Dr. Dolittle I am not.
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Have you missed any of the articles in this series?
If so, you can find them at:
The Bringing Up Puppy Series page.
Related posts:
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – The Worst Lab
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Holding Tight
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Who is the Boss?
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Fairy Dog Mother – Part 2
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Hello Stranger
