A Trip To The Vet

We have 2 very spoiled Australian Shepherds, Goober and Nash. Goober has a genetic disorder, demodectic mange. He has to stay on meds to help keep it in check so all his hair doesn't fall out. But if his immune system starts having problems it can trigger an episode. That is a little background for why we were at the vet. We boarded Nash and Goober this weekend while we were camping. They were great when I picked them up but by Monday they were coughing and sneezing and you could tell they didn't feel real good. Nash seemed a lot worse than Goober but I know Goober can't get sick or it will escalate. So yesterday they really weren't any better and actually seemed a little worse. So I called the vet this morning to see if they needed seen.  Made them both appointments for 11:15, not knowing it would be storming at that time.

Left work around 10:45 with a plan. I would come home, change clothes so even if I did get soaked getting 2 dogs in and out of the jeep it wouldn't be my work clothes. I've been putting them both in the back of the jeep but it's hard to get them out at the same time and there is a busy road by the vet. I didn't want to chance Nash getting loose. So new plan. Goober in the front seat because his ass isn't as fat as Nash's so he doesn't set off the seat belt dinger and he is the better behaved dog. Finally got Nash into the back of the jeep. He wasn't having it so that consisted of picking up the front half and trying to get him to keep his front paws up while I picked up his behind to get him all in the jeep since he can't jump his fat ass up into the jeep.

Drive to the vet with 2 sniffling sneezing dogs getting dog snot all over me. Pull up, put Goobers leash on him and he follows me out the drivers door. Easy peasy. I'd backed into the parking spot because there is a curb and I was planning ahead. At least with a curb that made it a shorter distance that I'd have to lift Nash when we left. Open up the back and grab Nash's leash. Nope, he's now
Decided he's not getting out of the jeep. Seriously dog! So grab him by the collar and drag him out of the jeep. Get the back closed and head up to the door avoiding all the puddles. Easiest part of the vet trip here. Both dogs walked through the door and sat down. Goober walked over to the scales in the lobby and sat right on them like he's done it a thousand time. 44 pounds. He's lost a few pounds since his last visit. Then got goober off the scales and sitting on the floor and had to convince Nash to step up onto the scale and sit. Once he gets on the scales he's fine, it's just that first step up. He finally sits down on the scale and it kept going back and forth between 68.8 and 69.0. Yep, so much for the diet. He's still gaining weight. We go straight back to the exam room.

Second easiest part Goober jumped right up on the bench and sat down like he knew what he was doing. Vet walks in and Goober got right up on the table. First time for everything. He sat still during the exam. But amazingly both dogs had now stopped coughing and sneezing. She said that happens a lot because they get anxious when they get there and their adrenaline kicks in and suppresses it. Goober laid down and rolled over on his back so she could listen to his lungs and even let his temperature be taken with no issues. He was running a temp but ears, mouth and everything else looked good. He hops down and now the fun begins.

While Goober is sitting quietly in the corner I get Nash's big butt up onto the bench and drag him onto the table. You have me and the tech holding him. He let the vet look at him and he laid down like he was going to let the exam continue. As she gets ready to take his temp the tech is holding his head and front legs and I'm laying over this middle because we knew this wasn't going to go well. As soon as the vet touched his behind with her hand Nash lifted us both up and he jumped off the table towards me. So I caught the 69 pound dog that was hurling at me. We decided we were going to assume he had a fever also since all other symptoms were the same.  She decides even though they were vaccinated she thinks they have kennel cough. And because of Goober's history she put them both on antibiotics. Nash has to take one pill a day. No problem. He'll eat anything you hold in your hand. Goober has to take 1 1/2 of a smaller dose since he weighs less. Goober does NOT do pills. He can find anything you hide in food. He's even learned to hold it in his mouth and not spit it out until you've left the room. So I know this will be a challenge.

Leaving the vet went a lot like getting them in the jeep at home. At least it had stopped raining. Goober jumps right in the front seat like a good boy. Take Nash back around to the back of the jeep and attempt to coax him up into the jeep. Nope!  So 2nd time lifting him into the jeep to get him home. We've got to work on that. At the rate he's growing I won't be able to lift him for long.

Bring home the leftovers from my lunch which consists of some steak. I'm smart, the pill is going in the steak. Decide to do the easy one first. Put Nash's big pill in a big piece of meat and hand it to him. Gulp, it's gone. Ok, Goober is jealous, he wanted some of that. I got overly confident. Hide Goobers pill in a piece of meat and hand it to him like no big deal. That was a mistake. He chewed once and spit it out. I wasn't expecting that. It's steak. What dog spits out steak?  Nash was all over that. He dove in and snatched that piece of meat and took of running. I make a flying leap after him coming away with a handful of hair, 2nd try and I have him. Open the mouth, stick my hand all the way on. No chance at all of that piece of meat still being there. He somehow ran, dodged and swallowed all at the same time. Oops, at least it was the smaller dose and not a 2nd one of his pills. Do overs. By now I'd scared the crap out of Nash and he was hiding in his crate. So I lock him in to figure out how to get Goober's meds down him. Cut the pills smaller and place them in larger pieces of meat and success! Open Nash's crate and he refused to come out. Guess I traumatized him when I flew across the room at him.

So I'd say it's been a successful day even if Nash is slightly over medicated. Hopefully the puppies will be on the mend by tomorrow.  Everyone else has these same normal trips to the vet. Right?