Willow's Goes to the Doctor

Yesterday was Willow’s annual doctor’s visit.

At the vet’s office everything is efficient. I was to bring in a fresh turd for them look at to see if it had whatever a turd would have in it – worms? Also, they have a floor level big scale about 3’ by 4’ I would guess. Weighing Willow was my job.

While we were waiting in the dog waiting room (there is also a cat waiting room on the other side of the service counter island) three other people came in with their dogs. Each dog had to check each other rear-end. I think it is partly a social thing and partly a scientific thing – no telling what the sniffing dog finds out about the dog he has his nose at his or her butt.

While I was sitting in the waiting room a lady was sitting and her huge dog was also there. She said the dog weighed 103 pounds. He and Willow property introduced each other by rear end smelling. The lady said she and huge unusual dog visited people under hospice care to entertain them…. I wonder how she entertain them, tell them her dog has the jaws of death and did they want a boring death or a little excitement as they die?

Seriously, everybody loves dogs, I think that is a noble act, to put a wagging tail in a doomed person’s life for a short time.



Which reminds me of a cat of death at a Marietta nursing home. There was a story about it on the TV news and the paper. The cat apparently has full run of a nursing home and goes where it wants all over the premises. One nurse noticed that it always picked someone on their death bed and lie at their feet and leave just an hour or so before the Grim Reaper comes. When they notice the cat has taken up with someone new it is time to call their family – it won’t be long. Someone said the cat is a blessing, it prepares the family.

Speaking of cats that have freedom of a establishment: A cat lazily shy shay or sauntered in between the four or five dogs and went and stood by the full length window and looked out. The other dogs did not seem to notice the cat but Willow had the appearance of huffing steam out of both nostrils. I felt like I needed a good grip on her leash..

The cat belongs there. Why. I guess she is conversation-piece. The other two or three times we have been at this vet the cat was asleep on the counter. It is a big fluffy cat that is very relaxed. The first time I was standing at the counter checking out and I noticed it and thought it was a big stuffed play-cat and almost picked it up to see it better when it looked up at me when I reached for it. I would have probably been clawed to death if I didn’t see those live eyes.


Also while sitting in the waiting room two females came in with a large breed of dog. The dog I hardly noticed, but the two women I did. They were both text-book beautiful. One looked very much like the proper dyed blond cheerleader and the other looker looked very much like the dyed blond cheer leader mother. They both smiled the entire time – they went straight to the scale, weighed their dog, then left… but not before bending over and petting Willow and have their dog say a few words to Willow. I think they would like to teach their dog to smile like a human.

We were called in. I gave the lady my turd sample all securely wrapped in sandwich sacks.

A technician came in and drew blood. Then shortly after the doctor came in and looked Willow over and gave her two shots – a rabies shot and I think a booster shot. Willow remained very quiet as he pawed her (pawed her – get it?) but I could tell by holding her neck and torso she was trembling like a super charged motor that was about to explode with too much pressure building.

Willow weighed 46 pounds. The doctor suggested she lose a few pounds to be in the low 40s. He said she would be in a healthier shape if you could run your fingers along her sides and count her ribs… he said now there is a cushion of fat there.

He said other than that, all the tests and poo-poo samples proved she is in great shape.

Then he said he used to have a dog. He went on to say he and his wife has cats but he wants a dog again. He said he was thinking about rescuing a Lab – what did I think?

A vet asking me my opinion about what did I think about a Lab?

When I was checking out with the receptionist and getting Willow's medicine and paying and all I thought I wonder what her expression would be if I asked for Willow's "sample stool" back.

On the way home I thought of pulling in Wendy’s or McDonald’s and getting Willow a $1 hamburger and me a spicy chicken sandwich… for her as an award and for me as payment for carrying her to the doctor. But the little goody two-shoes with wings on my left shoulder said, “Remember, the doctor said she needs to lose weight – and I don’t think your ribs can be counted either.”

Then the little guy with horns and a pitchfork on my other shoulder said, “Boston Market now has BBQ chicken sandwiches – you saw the ad and were just thinking about them the other day….”

And I said, “But Boston Market doesn’t have hamburgers for Willow!”

And the little guy with the horns rammed his pitchfork into my shoulder and said, “Wendy’s is almost next door you idiot!”

Then I thought of the cost.

I went home and had a Chicken of the Sea Tuna sandwich and the little guy with horns on my right shoulder said, “Bah!”

Willow had a Chewey bone as an award.