PetFolio Reader's Poodle Faces Her Worst Fear, The Vet!

A Cinnamon Poodle Visits the Vet
A Scared Little Dog Gets A Big Bad Shot
Byline: Debbie Bumstead Winans, Reno, NV

775-971-0806

mdab@uisreno.com

My mom's miniature red poodle, Cinnamon, was itchy. He couldn't stop scratching, biting, and licking his hips, his feet, his neck. It was allergy season, and he was miserable. So we took him to the veterinarian, which is not something he enjoys. But I have always liked visiting veterinary offices, seeing other people's pets in the waiting room, laughing at the animal antics or feeling sad when seeing a human walk out alone, head down, tears falling, obviously having lost a best friend.

Today Cinnamon got on my lap in the waiting room and pressed up against me as close as he could get. To our right a shaved Pomeranian sat on her mom's knees, no collar, no leash. “She can't stand them,” Pom's mom told me. At that moment little Pom leaped to the floor, and mom grabbed at her, hurting the dog with her long fingernails, so Pom cried out. Poor thing, I thought. But when Pom got back on mom's lap, the dog immediately began scolding mom with growls and bites. Pom sounded just like the famous chihuahua Nu-Nu, and I thought to myself, someone needs a visit from the Dog Whisperer.

Of course, I thought our dog was perfect. But no, not so. He embarrassed me when a big Lab came in by beginning to growl in panic. I knew if the big dog came much closer, Cinnamon would begin to scream like a girl, piercing the ears of everyone in sight. He has vocalized like that several times so far in his young life, once when I was walking him down our street. A big dog came up to him, Cinnamon began screaming, and doors opened up and down the neighborhood as people came out to see who was getting murdered.

Oh, please, boy, be quiet, I told Cinny, there in the vet's office. Luckily we were called in at that moment. Despite his phobia of big dogs, Cinnamon mostly likes humans, but when he saw the vet, a kind-voiced man, short and thin and un-intimidating, Cinnamon's brown eyes grew large with trepidation. His fears were confirmed when the doctor came in with a prepared allergy shot. The needle looked so big and dangerous, and the sharp tip slid so quickly into his neck that Cinnamon cried. The shot took at least two seconds and that was too long!

Cinnamon's experience reminded me of a similar one, years ago, when our Boston Terrier, Bridget went in to get her first puppy shots. Bridget was the Lovebuggiest dog of all time. Everyone, everyone, was her friend. When she saw the veterinarian, a nice woman, she wiggled and waggled and kissed and snorted love all over the place. The vet couldn't help laughing and squeezing her and baby-talking her. But as soon as the doctor gave Bridget the shot, like a switch turning off, Bridget's absolute joy turned to horror and distrust. She cried, looking at the vet, and probably thinking, this person is the worst betrayer of friendship ever! Bridget would have nothing to do with the doctor after that, no matter how much we all tried to sweet talk her back into the woman's good graces.

Like all dogs, Cinnamon seemed to know when the visit was all over, and it was time to go home. He pulled me out to the waiting room where another dog, luckily a small dog, wagged a long tail from one side of the body to the other, also happy to be out of the vet's line of fire. I never found out what happened to little Pom and her mom, but I imagined there was a growly mad little dog driving home by then. When Cinnamon and I left the office and sat on a bench near the library next door a moment, a fellow went by who had the reassuring figure of Santa Claus, and Cinnamon reached out in friendship, knowing there were no sharp parts to this man.

Author's Bio:Debbie lives and writes in Reno.  Her love for animals extends beyond her own pets, and includes her mom's poodles, too.  Cinnamon is one of her favorite buddies.