Boo's Annual Wrestling Match...Errr...Vet Visit

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Hello! It’s been another busy couple of weeks here, so today’s newsletter includes a few different stories.

First…Boo rolled in something gnarly and smelled like dead animal last week. As a result, he had to get a bath. And by default and pure convenience for us, Pence got one too.

We waited for a decently warm day and washed the dogs outside with the hose. That has proven to be much easier than trying to get them in the bath tub. Less hair to clean up this way too lol.

Pence went first, then Boo. Pence more-or-less just stood there and let it happen. Boo on the other hand, was BIG MAD.

After their baths, we took their collars off to soak them in soapy water. We do that a couple times a year to keep them clean. Whatever nasty thing Boo rolled in was also smashed into his collar. Yuck.

Once the dogs and their collars were clean and dry, we continued with our nightly walkies. It’s been in the 80s here recently, so we’ve waited until it was closer to dark to walk them. Because it was getting dark, we put their Noxgear LightHound harnesses on and got SO MANY compliments!

Multiple people stopped us to say they loved their harnesses. Some shouted from cars passing by. One couple came out to their front porch in total amazement and said they saw us coming half a mile down the road and wondered what the heck the lights were lol.

If you’re interested in one, the Noxgear LightHound harnesses are on sale now for 26% off!

Last week, it was also time for Boo and Pence’s yearly vaccines. I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ll mention it again in case someone finds it beneficial. We do not take our dogs to the vet for their annual vaccines. The low cost spay and neuter clinic that Pence was spayed at a couple years ago also has a low cost vaccine clinic for dogs and cats.

We take them there for their vaccines because they’re the same vaccine, but for less than half the cost. Vaccines aren’t cheap, especially for multiple dogs, so we get them done there and take the receipts to the vet office. Also - the low cost clinic seems to have a MUCH easier time giving Boo vaccines than the vet office does, which is definitely a plus.

Riley and I both took the dogs to get their vaccines at the same time. The clinic is always busy, and usually has a little wait time. I gave Boo some trazodone a few hours before we went, so he wouldn’t be as while when the needles came out.

Because there are so many dogs in the waiting room, we typically wait outside. However, it was in the 80s again, so I waited outside so I could hear our names being called and Riley stayed in the car with the dogs, in the air conditioning.

When it was our turn, both dogs were weighed first. Boo was around 44 pounds and Pence was around 46 pounds. Both dogs were in and out within a minute or so. One tech bear hugged them and petted them while the vet gave the vaccines. Super easy! I was so proud of Boo.

A couple days after Boo and Pence got their vaccines, it was time for annual vet check ups. This is the moment I dread every year. I scheduled their appointments on separate days for my sanity, and because sometimes Boo’s anxiety rubs off on Pence.

I took Pence first, and she was the model patient. I would not expect anything else! The employees were all gushing over her in the back room and couldn’t believe she was a sled dog. They said she was the sweetest dog ever. The vet said she was at a very good weight, her ears were super clean, and she hardly had any plaque, especially for her age. Her heart sounded great and her blood work all came back in normal range! We were in and out in about 20-25 minutes.

The photo below is Pence in the exam room. You can always tell when she’s a little stressed out because the vein in her face pops out more.

I took Boo the next day, and it was everything I expected it to be. A nightmare. Embarrassing. Exhausting. Even after he had taken 100mg of trazodone.

I had warned the vet the day before at Pence’s appointment. Initially, Boo was hiding under the bench in the exam room. The vet coaxed him out with spray cheese. He’s a sucker for spray cheese.

After several minutes of licking the spray cheese off the ground and inching closer, Boo still flinched every time the vet and vet tech moved at all. Eventually, the vet was able to listen to his heart, which she said sounded very strong and healthy. It was also racing lol.

Then it was time for the blood draw. The hard part. We put a towel over his head because that seems to calm him at least a little, and I tried to hold him still while the vet attempted to draw blood from his back leg. She got the needle in, but he was moving and she couldn’t get the blood drawn. He kicked hard enough that the needle came out and blood squirted all over her.

At that point, they couldn’t try the same vein again, so we had to flip him around to try the other leg. He was getting more anxious, so I slipped a muzzle on him to be safe. He’s never actually bitten anyone, but he has “gummed” them a few times when he gets extremely anxious in these scenarios.

We tried and tried for what seemed like forever. Tried three out of four legs. Boo was fighting all three of us and winning. The vet finally said “maybe we should take him for a quick walk to calm his nerves?”. That was it…she said Boo’s favorite word. Walk. His ears perked up and he nearly licked her in the face. She couldn’t believe it. She said “oh do you like walks?”. And he did it again.

She took him on a walk around the office to meet all the employees and sniff around. They took him to see someone named Rebecca and wish her happy birthday. A few minutes later, they brought him back to me in the exam room and said “we got it!”. I was like WHAT?! HOW?! I didn’t hear any screaming or fighting.

Someone basically gave him a hug and they were able to draw blood from his jugular and he didn’t fight it at all! So glad they finally got it. It took nearly an hour!

When we went to check out, the folks at the front desk said they could hear me/Boo slamming up against the door multiple times lol. I was actually sore for a couple days after his appointment from trying to hold him still!

So glad we don’t have to do that again for another year. We haven’t heard his results yet, but I’m guessing everything is fine. I apologized profusely to the vet and vet tech for how challenging it was to get his blood draw. Somehow, he’s not even close to being their worst patient they said lol.

Lastly for this week, we had some family in town the last few days, so Boo and Pence got extra cuddles and pets after their big week. Pence continues to be more social each time we have family over, which I’m so proud of her for. Boo continues to give side-eye looks at my mom for sleeping in “his” room lol.

Boo just left to spend time at Beth’s house for the next few weeks again, so Pence is back to being an only child at the moment. I think it’s good for both of them to have time together and time apart.

That’s all for now, talk to you soon!

-Hannah, Riley, Boo, and Pence

P.S.: I don’t think the neighbor’s Rottweiler has been picked up yet. The neighbors are refusing to answer their door still and are parking around the corner so the cops don’t think they’re home. I have not seen the dog at all, so I believe he is at someone else’s house hiding from the cops.