The Love Doctor – Be That Dog!
Health
Howard and the humans had to rush into the vet today as he was being sick and was listless and shaking. We were all so panicked. But as soon as they arrived he perked right up because he was in one of his happy places (to be fair, most places are Howard’s happy places) and he put on a great show of not looking at all sick. They had to wait a little while as they were early and there were lots of emergencies and at least one MIA vet. As they were waiting, a little boy and his mum rushed in with a hamster. The nurse quickly rushed him downstairs to the head vet but the poor little hamster could not be saved. The vet came up to tell them and the mum and the little boy started to cry, and then Human started to cry. Poor little boy got him for Christmas last year and kept saying they’d had him for 363 days and 7 hours. The vet explained that although it was only a year he was in fact a mature hamster, because they don’t live as long as humans, which made the little boy feel a bit better. We all feel so sad for that little boy.
Howard then went into a cat treatment room because all the dog ones were full. Howard thought this was amazing because it smelt of paint. The cats that were waiting to go in after him are possibly less impressed, however. Anyway, he wasn’t dehydrated, his color was good, temperature, pulse, respiration fine, and he was also just hugely happy to be there. He did not look like the sickest dog in the world just an hour earlier. No signs of pancreatitis but we were all worried about a possible obstruction (worst case, and we can’t work out when or what that might be) and Christmas in hospital. The vet then gave him an anti-sickness injection and he was very brave, but then it was a waiting game to see if he would get sick again after being kicked in (40 minutes), which could mean an obstruction and a race back as an emergency.
Well, it is now 40 minutes later and he hasn’t been sick and he has just had two venison sticks (eating at all is an improvement) and he has not been sick. So it seems it is some kind of gastritis or just another one of Howard’s elaborate plans to visit the vet and get more venison sticks. He is a terrier with a lot of clever plans.
Keeping fingers crossed that all stays calm but signs so far are promising. Phew! Thank you Santa! And Howard, please, next time just say you want the sticks.
And to the little boy who lost his hamster today, we hope you get that T-Rex you left talking about, it sounds great. And remember you gave that hamster a wonderful 363 days and 7 hours ?
