Six weeks ago we took him to the vet as he was slightly off his food, and two days later he was diagnosed with a highly malignant multi-centric lymphoma. Since then he has been having chemotherapy, which entails taking him to the vets each week for an injection of vincristine, and treating him at home with prednisolone and cyclophosphamide.
I hate going to the vet.
Today they told me I should wait outside the building if my dog is going to bark so much - we were thinking Hurrah! He is barking again! What a joy to hear him when he has been quiet for so long. They then proceeded to examine him, and not say one word to me about how he is - is his heart rate ok? Have the tumours gone down? Does it look like the chemo is working? Nothing.
Frankly, the state going to the vets gets ME in, it is no wonder my dog barks. He doesn't like it when I am upset. I don't know why they do it - do they really have no people skills at all? Is that why they become vets in the first place?
If it was a human being treated for cancer and receiving chemo, I am sure their treatment would be more sympathetic. Ok, so he is a dog, but I think it should be better if for no other reason than I am paying a lot of money for this treatment every week.
To be fair, they are not all bad. There is one vet there that I like. He smiles at my dog, and ruffles his fur. It's not a lot to ask, but it makes a huge difference. That is why, when the time comes for us to say goodbye, I want him to be the one that's there. We have decided we want to say goodbye at home - I am not standing outside with my dog while I wait for what is without doubt going to be one of the worst moments of my life.
And if he can't do it, then I shall take my business elsewhere.
