As it happened, the trainer was walking towards me and when she was introduced to us, I swear I saw a flicker of horror in her eyes. She started telling me about the classes and out of the corner of my eye I could see the veterinary assistant waiting to take us into the examination room. So now, apart from juggling the purse, the papers, the poop and the dog, I was now juggling the trainer and the assistant too. I’m not really sure what the trainer told me but I’ve got a card and it says I’m supposed to call her so I suppose I will.
Once in the examination room, things went a little smoother as I was able to dump my paraphernalia and hand Sonny over to professionals. He screamed so loud when he got his shots, though, that the vet actually jumped a bit but that calmed him down and he came over for a reassuring hug. He’s in good health, which I knew but then we went to get him weighed. Last year, he weighed in at 29 lbs. which was 7 lbs. overweight. I’ve been cutting down on his treats, giving him lean or low calorie dog food and trying to take him on more walks so I was confident he’d lost a pound or two. When I looked at the scale and saw that he weighed 35 lbs. I almost burst out crying. I know the serious effects that dog weight problems can have on the health of a dog and on a Rat Terrier's life span. My guilt was now complete. Even if she had pointed a finger at me and said, “Bad mistress, bad, bad mistress”, she could not have made me feel worse.
Although the assistant had mentioned a mild sedative for Sonny for the long car drive (some of which I could have used at that time), the vet told me that all I should give him was Dramamine which I just happened to have in my purse. I shouldn’t give him more than 50 grams at one time but he can have up to 150 grams in one day. The only thing is the ones in my purse are the non-drowsy formula so I’ll be picking up the “can’t stay awake no matter how I try” version for him this week.
The drive home was much less eventful. Sonny probably sensed my contrition and decided not to make me feel worse. We drove home listening to the Oldies (we actually heard Me & You and a Dog Named Boo) and when I opened the front door to the house, I think he would have kissed Boris if Boris had let him. He’s happy now because he thinks the worst is past; little does he know there’s a long, long drive ahead of him and another on the way back. I know he’ll survive it; I’m just not so sure I will.
Did you know that dogs have a genetic lifespan of 27 years? Find out how you can help your dog live well into it's teens or 20's. Download your totally FREE copy of the Long Life Dog book just by clicking the link.
To see pictures and videos of Rat Terriers and find out more about them, please visit Rat Terrier Life Span and for information on keeping your best friend trim, take a look at Dog Weight Problems.
