Bigge at the Vet

 Well, Biggie went to the Vet yesterday.  He was so well behaved.   They kept calling him handsome, which no doubt helped.  He's lost 3 pounds, and is down to 114 lbs. and has full mobility in his back legs.  The Vet did give him meds, a mild pain reliever that needs to be used only when necessary.  They also did bloodwork just in case his dosage needs to be increased.  I gave him 2 when we got home because and he slept the rest of the afternoon, except for dinner. 

And I'm back to work today for just one day, and then for one of my Sunday / Monday weekends.  I'm only working 32 hours this week, since I've an eye appointment scheduled for the 2nd.  One of the odd things about going part-time is going to be my reduction in hours.  Part-time hours handily cover all of my living expenses, 

I'm back on my oatmeal breakfast again.  The cholesterol doesn't bother me, but evidently eggs are not one of the best foods around for those of us who have arthritis, at least not the egg yolk.  I guess I could always start eating egg white omelets.

Sitting here, looking at all of the warnings flashing all over the internet telling people to NOT INGEST worming meds to fight Covid, I couldn't help but wonder if people are dumber then I think... or you think... or we think.  So, I did a little search and found this wonderful article in the BBC!  The more inept people are, the smarter they think they are... now tell me, isn't that a very succinct definition of the Republican party?  That's also a perfect description of their leader, Loser #45, who was blustery as hell but set new heights on the Ineptitude Scale.  I suspect this is also a very accurate definition of Conservatives.  They're all mouth.  Any action they do manage to achieve only benefits themselves, and no one else.  Personally, I have no problem with them divesting themselves of parasites on their way to a cozy Covid health crisis.  If they survive, I guess this means they can graze any pasture they want until their next deworming.

 

StayCation day 3 (or Biggie goes to the Vet)

Yep, it's day 3 already... my, how time flies when you're having fun.
Yesterday was fairly busy:  had the car serviced, shined the candelabra:

I took the dogs for a walk in the park, they loved it, though Seig was exhausted when we got home.  He's good for short bursts of speed and walks around the block.  I also rode 12.19 miles of a 16.18 mile ride in Canyonville, Oregon.  Rouvy has a little clip if you want to see what I see.  The clip shows several cyclists and usually it's only me.  Occasionally there are other riders, but we never really get close.

Gallup has an interesting article on how the number of people who respect organized religion is continuing to drop.  They cite several reason:  the priest scandals of the Catholic Church and Evangelicals forcing their way in to politics.  Their comment about the latter was something like: Republicans may like it but Democrats and Independents don't.  Remember, the election will be here before you know it.
And finally, Seig goes to the Vet today.  He needs his distemper and rabies shots.  As always, I like to remind people with pets that they need to manage their Veterinarian.  He may talk puppy or kitty talk to you pet in a very trustworthy voice but the bottom line is he is running a business.  He is a lot like the big, home improvement retailer I work for in that he wants to fill your shopping cart.  Here's one example:  Seig was wormed when he was a puppy, yet they wanted me to bring a stool sample so they could run a fecal test for parasites.  A small modicum of research on the Internet will educate you on what symptoms your pet will exhibit if he have worms.  The last time Seig weighed in at 118 lbs, it's why we call him Biggie.  He does not have worms, but that's not going to stop them from charging me $40 to run a fecal exam... just to be on the safe side.  Once you begin to manage your Vet he will learn to reach into someone else's pocket to pay for his Mercedes.

Even managed Vets make money

I've had a busy day - cleaning, cooking, going to the store.. and napping.  I had time to write up two reviews - average associates who are really just satisfied to be average, one is part-time and the other full time.  Both are extremely reliable.

Ordered some Frontline for Sig; only 6 months worth since he's going to be growing for some time and he's almost already out of the small dog grade.  What I ordered should keep him in Frontline until he hits 44 lbs.  I usually don't use it in the winter.  True, some ticks can come out of hibernation when the temperature rises to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, but this past February our average daily temp was 22 and the year before that it only managed to get up 38.  January has pretty much the same temps.  December's a bit warmer, but still cold.

Of course this new Vet Group advocates using the Frontline year round, but then I manage my Vet.  They also recommend using Sentinel year round, that's for heart worms and round worms and hook worms and fleas...  Fleas?  That's one of the reasons I use Frontline.

Sig sleeping on some pillows he pulled from the sofa.

I've used Heartguard for years, it does everything Sentinel does, except for the fleas, and is a little less expense.  I plan on continuing to use it.  And, again, I only use it seasonally.  The cold, you know, is not very kind to worms.  They freeze.  Which is why, even though the new Vet group wants me to use it year round, I won't.

When I told them I purchase almost everything online they informed me that they 'price match,' even online orders.  So I wonder if their mark-up is between 75% and 100%, that tends to be the norm.  Anytime someone mentions 'price match' you know they're still making money.