I know how to drive Ben to the clinic. I know how to make an appointment. What I do not know is to help make it less traumatic for Ben.
I have not trained Ben well since I took him home with his two siblings who did not make it. Jesse and I fed them around the clock. Four hours once. We burped them after milk. When he was a baby, I carried him all the time. When he grew, he did not want to be lifted off the floor anymore. And I did not force the issue.
I have not trained Ben well. He barked at almost all the other dogs he sees, with a few exceptions. He has his friends. For the first few years, he was ok with vet visits. Later, he got fidgety. And I got nervous.
So, once a year, it was a tense and anxious time for me when I took him to the vet. Last year, Dr Lya and a nurse invited me out after I tried and could not put the muzzle on Ben. They wrapped up his snout with a towel.
This year, the appointment was 15 Feb 2025 (Sat). I gave him medicine to help calm him down. For the second year in a row, Jia Yee, my niece, accompanied us. I think he helps him to feel more at ease. He did not look ANY different. However, to my surprise and a thankful heart, Ben did not even pay any attention to the other dogs. There was a dog right beside the scale when I was trying to get him to stay still to get his weight. After briefing the doctor about his condition, Jia Yee and I left the room.
After a while, I took a peek, they wrapped his snout with a sash and put on a muzzle. And he was sitting on the counter, hugged and petted by a nurse while Dr Lya did her work.
The blood test result came out ok. So is the additional heart exam. Ben may need to get his plague removed. And if the two molars are not in good condition, the surgeon may remove them. Dr Lya gave me time to think about it. She advised me to get it done while Ben is still healthy and strong.
Once we exited the consultation room, Ben barked all the way out of the clinic, expressing his desire to go home. He continued once we got outside making his presence felt to the dogs waiting outside the clinic.
God is good. He is faithful. Ben is good and healthy. He is getting all the healthcare he needs.
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