Vet Stories

Spent the evening at the vet with a sick mutt. One of the joys of having a lab is that they love to eat and get such real joy from doing so. The old mutt decided that today was a good day for a smorgasbord a la garbage. I am usually a very calm and collected person when it comes to that kind of stuff - and the mutt keeps us busy with that kind of stuff - but not tonight. It was all I could do to keep myself together. When the vet finally said that they thought she would be fine and would send her home with some meds, I was so relieved. But when I went to call Jimmy and tell him the news, I just crumbled and  began to sob, in a waiting room full of people. Maybe it was relief? Maybe I am just so afraid of losing her? She is already older than Sophie ever was. I can't explain it. My heart just ached and broke open right there.

But I wasn't alone. There was a two month old kitten with a heart defect, who won't live to be a year old; a dog who had been vomiting sand for two days and another dog (who I knew from work) that had a bot fly larvae in her chest. Good times. The sand dog - who was so sweet - was there with her 'mom' and her 'sister'. The girl looked to be about 10 and was getting really worried about her dog. The mom told her not to cry because then she would cry. I agreed and told her I would cry too - not so far a stretch as I had already done so. We proceeded to tell funny stories of things our dogs have eaten - which kept us all distracted. When the bot fly dog came out and joined us - we all became engrossed with her cuteness and forgot about our problems.

It was such a real moment; strangers bound together listening to one another's stories and offering a sympathetic ear. I'm glad those women and their dogs were there with me tonight, although I'm sure all of us would have preferred to have been home with healthy beasts. I am home now, with a snoring mutt, and hoping that she will pass whatever needs passing.

Bot Fly Baby