Confessions of a Canine

It is a typical Sunday morning, I am laying down at my humans’ feet while they eat. I am patiently waiting for one of them to give me a bite of their yummy human food when all of a sudden, I start getting itchy. As the morning goes on, it gets worse and I can’t seem to stop scratching. I even have to keep stopping to scratch while I take my humans on their morning walk. That’s when I hear it – the dreaded “vet” word. Oh no! My humans are talking about how they will call the vet to see if they can get me an appointment. Is that why I have been so itchy? They seem to think I don’t notice their suspicious chatter, but I know something’s up. I remain on high alert for the rest of our walk but the humans seem to have come to their senses and we go back home and continue on with our normal Sunday routine. Whew, that was a close one!

The Car Ride: The Calm Before the Storm

I am pretty sure my humans are taking me on a little adventure and I am so happy that I stick my head out the window so that I can smell all the smells. I sure do love car rides with my humans and I am enjoying the familiar sights and smells outside the window. Maybe they are taking me to my favorite park to play fetch, I sure do love to play fetch with my humans! But wait, why are we headed toward the direction of the dreaded “vet” word?? I see the sign coming up…maybe we are just driving past it…maybe there is a new park my humans are taking me to…oh no, the humans are slowing down to turn into the parking lot. Panic is starting to set in.
As we pull into the parking lot, my senses go into overdrive. SO MANY DIFFERENT SMELLS! I can smell a mix of other animals and a subtle hint of…fear? This is definitely not my idea of fun. Even though I make sure to keep wagging my tail (I always try to be brave for my humans), but I know what’s about to happen and this is definitely not the car ride adventure I was hoping for!

The Waiting Room: It’s Starting to get Real

Oh, the waiting room…this is where it all starts to feel real. The place is full of strange smells, strange sounds, and strange creatures. I can hear dogs barking in the distance (I wish I knew why they were barking). Now I hear a cat hissing – yikes! Ever since I had that nasty run-in with the neighborhood cat who scratched my nose, I do NOT like cats and hope I do not have to come face-to-face with one in this dreaded place. My humans try to reassure me, but I know better – I have been here before and can sense the tension in the air.
The humans seem to think that their soothing words and friendly head pats will calm me down, but honestly, I just want to go back to the car where I feel safe. I do my best to stay calm and stay still but the floor is so cold, and the sharp smells of medicine are a little too much for my senses. I am just about to run out of “good boy” behavior when the doors open up and I hear them call out “Otis”…it’s go time.

The Exam Room: It’s Go Time

Here it is – the exam room. It’s bright, sterile, cold, and smells even more like medicine. The vet human enters, and I can tell they’re friendly, but still…they have a NEEDLE in their hand! My instincts immediately tell me that this is not going to be fun. I try to stand tall and seem brave, but let’s be honest, I’d rather be playing fetch at the park.
First, the vet human checks my ears, my teeth, my paws – all the usual stuff. I don’t mind most of it, but suddenly I get really itchy and interrupt the whole process by starting to scratch. The vet human starts looking at my itchy spots and then I see him moving the needle closer and closer to me! I knew it was coming…the vet human tells me it will just be a “quick poke.” I try to give the vet human my best “I am too cute to hurt” look, but as usual, it doesn’t work. I feel a quick, sharp sting and then it is over. I give my humans a look of betrayal, but deep down, I know this is for the greater good. My itchiness always goes away after the vet human pokes me with the sharp needle.

The End of the Visit: A Promise of Treats…Finally!

The vet human says I am a “good boy” (I already know I am) and gives me a little pat on the head. My humans praise me too, and I can’t help but feel a little prideful. I survived another vet trip after all. The best part? The vet human hands my humans a yummy treat and I just know that it is for me! FINALLY, something good.
We make our way back to the car and my humans give me my treat. SO YUMMY! I get settled in the car and am daydreaming about more treats on the way home when I realize that we are not headed in the direction of home – we are headed in the direction of my favorite park!!! My humans are taking me to play fetch and I suddenly become so excited that my tail begins to wag uncontrollably. I guess I am not too mad about the vet visit anymore. It was a little scary, but hey, I am already less itchy, I got a treat, and now I am going to get to play fetch with my humans – life is good.

Until next time, vet human. You just might be okay in my book….for now.