Vet Visit

Last Saturday I was in Newfield to take my pooches to the vet. I’ve been hopping from vet to vet since adopting Darby and Xerxes, and I finally settled on East Oak Veterinary hospital in Vineland. It’s MUCH cheaper than any of the other vets I’ve taken them to see. My bill for two check-ups and four shots: $161. To put it in perspective, Darby’s ear issue cost me $118.50 at the vet in Clementon – and that was for a quick look and swab. East Oak also offers generic heartworm medicine at a fraction of the cost of the name brand. Originally I thought I‘d have to set aside $200 for a year’s worth of heartworm medicine, but now it looks like I’ll only have to spend around $115. Too bad Darby doesn’t weigh 4 lbs less - the cutoff is 51 lbs for the larger, more expensive heartworm medication.

Anywho, the ride to the vet’s office was quite an event. Darby and Xerxes sat nicely for the whole trip, but Madie cried and farted the whole way there. Once we were inside the office, Madie began to panic even more. Unfortunately her attitude was contagious, because it quickly spread to Darby and Xerxes. Holding onto 200 lbs worth of nervous dog wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.

Here’s a rundown of the visit: Both are healthy. Darby weighs 55.4 lbs and Xerxes weighs 41 lbs. The vet said Darby isn’t that fat, and that if I wanted her to lose weight, I should cut back her food intake by 25% since spayed females need less food than their intact counterparts. I think I’m going to leave her diet as is. He said Xerxes is underweight, but it’s nothing to be concerned about. Each dog got two shots (rabies and distemper). Xerxes got both in his butt while Darby got one in the butt and one in the neck. I’m not sure why Xerxes didn’t get one in his neck. Maybe there wasn’t enough fat? He was none too pleased with getting shots. Darby didn’t even notice. On an interesting note, dogs’ temperatures are now taken via the ear with the same sort of contraption used on humans.

I spoke to the vet about Xerxes’ mental issues. He told me that I should start whacking Xerxes with a newspaper every time he barks. I know it sounds awful, but I’m going to do it. Nothing else has worked, and he needs to learn how to behave.

Remember that bump on Xerxes’ leg that I was talking about before? Well, the vet said it’s a tumor. I was immediately taken aback upon hearing this news, but he quickly followed his diagnosis with, “That’s what we call all growths. Most likely this one is benign.” Well thanks, Mr. Vet. I think he originally called it a tumor to scare the crap out of me and watch my reaction. To be more precise, it’s a "button tumor," and it should go away in 6 months or so. He said that if it gets bigger, or if Xerxes becomes bothered by it, he’ll remove it. I’m relieved that it’s no big deal, but I’m still grossed out by its appearance. At least it’s not on his face.