Allergies and pets: September 2008 Archives

Here's a nice video about animals that were rescued from Hurricane Ike.

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=3100132&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,424342,00.html

I took Cowboy to my vet (Centinela Animal Hospital) yesterday, he was due for his annual check and some shots (although Dr. Palmquist does vaccine "titers," a blood test to see if the previous vaccination is still active, in order to avoid over-vaccination).

Most of my dogs have been well behaved at the vet's. But not all of them.

Pilgrim, the Australian shepherd I lost about a year ago, was always quite anxious (and he had to go to the vet's A LOT). He'd whine and fidget in the waiting room and was known to take a nip at the doctor once inside the examining room. His chart bore a bright orange sticker: "CAUTION."

The dogs I have now, Cowboy and Tess, are so good they make ME look good. But they're both just incredibly low-key, submissive, quiet, and friendly.

The vet's office, which is tiny, was crowded yesterday after a couple emergencies backed up the afternoon appointments by close to two hours. Cowboy and I wound up in the parking lot, where some extra chairs had been set out for waiting clients.

But I don't really mind waiting, it's always fun to talk with other pet owners. Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time talking with Mrs. Williams who was there with her Shih Tzu who had allergy problems. I liked Mrs. Williams because she told me how much she liked reading the Daily Breeze.

There were a couple of cocker spaniels, a Bouvier Des Flandres (which you don't see every day), a poodle and several cats in their carriers. Several folks commented on Cowboy's eyes, which are a color mixture of blue & brown, marble like. (That's why his eyes look sort of spooky in the photo above.)

Cowboy, despite being as good as gold (he even reluctantly rolled over for the vet to do a tummy inspection), was glad to leave when it was all over. Dr. Palmquist sent us home with a prescription for an antihistamine. It is allergy season and Cowboy has had a hot spot and some skin discomfort.

I think the hardest part for Cowboy was leaving Tess behind at home. They've been pretty much inseparable since I adopted Tess last spring, so both dogs seemed confused when I had to tell Tess to "stay."

If your dog has behavioral issues going to the vet or groomer, here's an article on how you can help your animal prepare for the sometimes intense experience.

And do tell us: Does your dog like going to the vet? Or not? How do you help your dog or cat get through the experience?