Vet Visit

 I want to preface this by saying, I'm told both dogs will be fine.

That said, I got home just a short while ago from the vet's office.  I took two dogs in and came home with only one of them

Last week I had taken Benji in to get his allergy (steroid) shot.  While at the vet's office then, I scheduled a full blood work up on both dogs for today.  I used to take Harley in every three to four months for full blood work ups, urinalysis and fecal tests because he was on daily pills that contained small amounts of steroids for his allergies and I wanted to be sure all was okay with him (because I hadn't been doing that and his liver enzymes shot through the roof and several other "allergy" treatments were not good options for him, so I tracked him regularly so it didn't get to the point it had that one time).

When I scheduled it, I got grilled about why I wanted to do it.  I was told their shots were do in June or July and didn't I just want to wait until then to do the tests?  I said no, I didn't want to wait and said that Oreo, while not acting like he was sick particularly, did seem more needy and was seeming to be having some bladder control issues and I just wanted to be sure he was okay.  I mentioned I also wanted fecal tests and urinalysis - if we could get it.  I said the urinalysis specifically on Oreo but I meant everything else for both dogs.  And said I wanted Benji tested because of the steroids.

So, I get there and they take Oreo's temperature (it was normal) and did a fecal on him - they didn't do either on Benji.  The vet comes in and examines Oreo (although not like a wellness exam like I had intended, but like one that they were checking his kidneys out, since I wanted to be sure that was all okay) - again, they didn't do this to Benji.

The vet drew the blood out of Oreo's neck and tried to get a urine sample directly from his bladder / kidney but came up empty.  He took Benji's blood from his leg.  And then I had to wait for the results.

A few minutes later the vet tech came in and said we were going to walk Oreo to try to collect a urine sample.  I went out with Benji too.  Long story short, Benji peed twice (even though he'd peed when we arrived) and pooped - Oreo did nothing.  So I was put back into the room to wait again.

Fortunately I had taken my tablet with me so that I could read because I know it takes time to get the results back and they usually will see another patient before they come back.  But the vet tech comes back and tells me that Benji - not Oreo - has an infection, based on his lab work.  Oreo is a bit dehydrated but it doesn't seem to be a big deal and they say he doesn't need to be given fluids when I specifically ask about it when the vet comes back into the room to insert a catheter into Oreo to get a urine sample that way.

And again, I wait.  When the vet tech came in that time he said "we're going to keep Oreo today".

What?????  I asked some questions and those few minutes are a bit of a fog to me but, as it turns out, the urinalysis (thank goodness they got that!) showed that not only was he dehydrated but that he had the beginnings of a UTI!  So those fluids I'd asked about and they said he didn't need were suddenly important for him to get!  I didn't fully understand how he's getting the fluids (IV I think he said?) rather than the way other vets have done it where you can essentially see where the fluids are and they go home with you.  They said I can pick him up around 3:00 or 3:30.

Oreo did NOT want to stay!  He crawled under the chair and wouldn't come out.  Poor guy!

Anyway, so I asked if I paid the full thing then or for part of it now and part when I picked up Oreo and was told I could pay the full thing when I picked up Oreo.

So I left and decided to take Benji to the park and walk him, right?  It had been the plan to take them both to the park and walk them after the visit but, well, it didn't work out that way.  I take my fanny pack to the park to keep my keys, ID and phone with me so I went to pull it out of what I call my "doctor's bag" that I take to office visits and has my tablet and stuff in it.  Turns out, I hadn't taken it with me!  Benji was so antsy  before we left (with excitement because he knows when I transfer stuff into my fanny pack that we're going to the park!) and because I took my tablet, I totally forgot my fanny pack with my ID, phone and checkbook (because they charge more if you pay by credit card).  I couldn't have paid them then if I had wanted to.  Oh, and my ID wasn't in my wallet either, plus I'd run out without my glasses (which is a driving restriction on my license)!

Anyway, I'm told both dogs will be okay.  I was sent home with antibiotics for Benji and I don't know if I will get any for Oreo but he's having to endure being at the vet for several hours (poor boy!). 

I had hoped it would be a visit where the vet thinks I'm nuts for running all these tests on my dogs but that I get some peace of mine but, as it turns out, I NEEDED to take them so I'm so glad I did!  But it's made for an exhausting day already!

Book Review

 Last night I started a new book:  The Patient's Secret by Loreth Anne White.  I'm not 100% certain how I came to have this ebook but, given the email trail I have, I think in December after I "purchased" one of Amazon's First book picks, I was offered another book from a selection of books.  This book has 30k+ reviews on amazon and 4.5 stars.  On goodreads (as noted on amazon) it has over 53k reviews and 4.3 stars.  To me, when you have that many reviews and that high a rating, it's worth taking a look at.  And I think that's how I came to have it, but I'm not certain.

Anyway, last night, around midnight or so, I had a distraction occur that took some time or I would've finished the book last night.  I only had 30 minutes or so left in the book when I finally decided I had to go to sleep around 2:00 in the morning.  First thing when I got up, I finished the book.  It was one I didn't want to put down.  And here's the thing, I was already reading another book (which I think was the December book I'd picked that effectively got me this one).  That book I had no problem putting down - at all.  I was reading it yesterday and realized I didn't care about any of the characters and I didn't care if they reached their goals or if anyone fell in love.  I also didn't care if I never finished it.  So I set it aside for The Patient's Secret.

The story is about a woman who falls off a cliff at a beach and dies after a struggle on the cliff.  That happens in a prologue (I started a book this morning and it's the third book in a row that I've read that has a prologue - is that a requirement now?  ;) ).  From that point, the story is told in alternating points of view (third person, although I felt there was some head hopping), going back and forth in time to before the event that left the woman dead and how it's being processed in real time.  During the telling of the story, you learn that a lot of people had a reason to want the woman dead or at least out of their lives.

And everyone had secrets.  I felt like the story was showing how as much as you might think you know someone - even if you're married to them for years and years - you don't know everything about them.

The story was based on a nugget of truth.  In Canada (where the book is also based), if a minor commits a crime - no matter how awful of a crime - they cannot be sentenced to more than ten years incarceration.  They can also have their records expunged after a few years after they are released from prison.  

This book fictionalizes a real event that occurred in Canada.  The Preface of the book says that the inspiration for the fictional book is a real crime but that what is spun around it is purely fictional.

It was a really good book.  As I said, I didn't want to put it down.  However, that all said, I did have a bit of an issue with the behavior of an eight year old in the book.  I'll just say, the author had him behaving like someone who was much older.  It was hard to suspend disbelief to believe he was doing - and thinking - the things he was doing - and thinking.  But other than that - very good book.  I highly recommend it and thank whatever it was that pointed me into getting (and ultimately reading, because I do have a LOT to choose from!) this book!