Exam room: The weighting is the hardest part.
With Heather officially retired and boot camp looming, I approached my annual physical with some trepidation. After all, my most recent weigh-in last December hadn’t gone so well: an all-time high of 19.5 pounds. That explains why on our February staycation,my best friend Lynn was much stricter with portion control. But the diligence paid off: At last week’s weigh-in I has dropped a whole pound to 18.5, which Heather says is my “ideal” weight, and she should know. The vet’s assistant weighed me twice just to make sure I wasn’t cheating.
Don’t touch me there!
My regular physician, Dr. Aimee Kimmel, was back from maternity leave, and even though I had no new concerns to report, Dr. Aimee made sure to poke her instruments (or fingers) through every orifice in my body. While she, as usual, praised my dental work (“Beautiful!” she exclaimed), she did chip a big hunk of tartar from my upper right molars, which are understandably hard for Mike to get with a toothbrush. “Please keep brushing her teeth daily,” the doc told Mike. “It is really helping.”
Bonding with Dr. Aimee post-exam.
On the down side, literally, was that the rash on my underside has returned (or never really left), meaning another course of little antibiotic pills that Mike sneaks into my dinner when he thinks I’m not looking. I also get weekly shampoos from my personal trainer, Heather, in which the lather has to stay on my sensitive skin for 10 minutes. Trust me, it’s a long 1o minutes for everyone.
If the treatment for this skin rash doesn’t do the job, Dr. Kimmel said, “We should discuss possible allergic causes and allergy medication.” That didn’t sound good. My brothers Frank and Stanley have been down that road, and I would rather not go anywhere that might involve giving up such favorites as chicken broth on my food or, worse yet, Frozen Peanut Butter Boneys.
That’s why I put up with this shampoo for now. The things you do for love.
Diary of a Wiener Dog 
Hey Miss Chloe, Congratulations on the winning weigh-in results. I am glad to have been able to give you tons of love trying to make-up for the missed treats during our recent stay-cation. You are very, very easy to spoil as you as such a smart and sweet girl. I happen to know a great “pet naturopath” named Naomi that has work with several of my “clients” over the past 20 years. She works very well with the traditional Western medicine vets – so let me know if you want her contact info. Skin issues are definitely no fun; nor is the restriction and/or elimination phase that can be part of the detective work to follow to find a happy resolve. Hugs to the furry girl.
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