getting to be a habit

In the past couple of days we've had a full physical for Thirteen, a full physical for me, and an acupuncture visit for Thirteen. That's a lot of trips to the doctor! Although the regular vet is very near our house, the acupuncturist and my doctor are way the heck out, so it's a lot of time driving too.

On the bright side, everything went fine. Thirteen has a few minor ailments -- the creaky noise in her hip that I mentioned before, and also she has a minor infection in her ears. She isn't shaking or scratching her ears so I didn't even know about it. They gave me some goo I have to put in her ears every day. Unfortunately the vet with expertise in orthopedics is the one we didn't get to see. They were supposed to consult and call me back yesterday but they haven't yet.

Jane always goes to vet appointments too, for moral support. Thirteen is so much calmer with Jane there. Jane can be a bit of a pain though. She's not too rambunctious, but she tends to put her head right in the way while the vet is working on Thirteen (requiring me to hold Thirteen still and pull Jane away at the same time). The acupuncturist and the regular vet disagree as to whether Jane is curious, or trying to protect Thirteen.

I'm inclined to think the former, curiosity. Jane doesn't seem to be warning off the vet; she looks like she just wants to know what's going on. On the other hand, she does show some protective behaviors with me. For instance, I usually get dressed in the corner of the bedroom, kind of behind the bed. She likes to follow me, then turn around just in front of me and sit down. So she's sitting with her back to me, looking out of the room. She does it almost every time. It really does seem like she's guarding or protecting me. Maybe that's the shepherd in her. It's very sweet.

We go to the vet all the time for Thirteen, but I hardly ever see my doctor. Which means that I tend to save up questions & concerns, and bring a list with me to my rare physicals. This time I had Thirteen's list and mine on the same piece of paper, which was kind of funny in an efficient way. The list was like:

• bald spot on foot
• creaking in hip
• compulsively licking front leg
• stomach pain: ulcer?
• headaches

Good thing I could remember whose list was whose! It would have been really funny if I had told the vet that Thirteen had a possible ulcer, and my doctor that I have a bald spot on my foot.

I like my doctor a lot, but I do not like having to get into that horrible robe and then sit by myself in a cold examining room for forty minutes. I think they should let the patient stay fully dressed for the discussion part of the visit, and then have the doctor leave and let the patient undress for the exam. Come to think of it, seems like they used to do it that way. I wonder what changed.

By the way, he thinks I do not have an ulcer. Whew! He did agree that those bad headaches are probably migraines, and gave me a prescription specifically for migraines. I don't get them often but when I do, it will be nice to have something that actually works. I didn't even know how to get the prescription filled: I thought they would do it at the front desk of the clinic. That's what we always do at the vet! The doctor said I should be glad that I've had so little need for prescription medication.