The Late Entry

 Yes, it is late because Howie had a Vet appointment for some booster shots, shots that he's no longer going to be getting.  The total cost was $108, and way too much. One of the boosters was for Lyme disease.  I could make a joke and say we don't grow limes here in Central PA, which is, in a way true, but I won't.  Lyme disease in dogs is the same as Lyme disease in humans, though it is easily cured (in spite of what some Vets want you to believe).  Pet owners should consider it if they live in a rural area where there are deer.  I live in a suburb, and while I have seen deer a mile away from my house, they are not considered local, and with all the new construction going up they will disappear completely.

Anyway, that's why this entry is late.  That and the fact that we stopped off at the great orange retailer I work for as I try to get Howie socialized.  At 5 months old, this is a good time, though he's still very jumpy and wants to sniff every one.  He still has a problem of jumping up on people.  That's something I'm working on, because as he gets bigger the more likely it will be he knocks someone over.

My neighbors sound like they're moving furniture around.  Perhaps because last night I watched a movie with Howie.  I didn't use the soundbar, but the volume was at a decent level.  With my TV, sitting on the other side of the room is almost like sitting in a movie theater.  I'm thinking of buying Wicked and then Defy Gravity with the soundbar on.  Wowza!

And does anyone else see the irony in this?  

Now, I know the ad for a casino was not specifically chosen for this headline, but tell me, wouldn't it be nifty if it was?  Someone has suggest that the perfect cure for Trump and his cult would be another pandemic since everybody knows how much they hate wearing masks.  Is there a deworming med for birds?  If so, they can always begin eating that.

And the Orange Anus was certified yesterday.  What a terrible shame.  All of those voters who cast their ballots for him are already beginning to discover that he no longer has any use for them.  He will be loyal to Elonia and the other billionaires who celebrate his presidency and no one else.  He will give them what they want, the rest of us will suffer.  There is the belief among dumb people that billionaires are smart.  They're not.  They are shrewd.  They are calculating.  They are often down right cutthroat.  But smart?  That's why they leave so many dead bodies behind as they grow their bank accounts.

My physical's today, the 5th day of my StayCation

That's right, today I'm going to find out what those 4 (or 5) vials of blood they drew from me two weeks ago reveal.  Meh.  On the way home, I'm planning on buying some new candles.
I took my first shower with Every Man Jack yesterday (hows that for a phrase?).  The Cedarwood scent is light, not highly perfumed, which is nice.  The last thing I want to smell like is a two bit whore preparing to flounce.
Seig had his physical yesterday... and he weighs in at 117.  As we left the examining room the assistant smiled and said "see you later, handsome," she was talking to Seig, of course.  We did not do the blood work for heartworm and he is on no regime.  According to the National Heartworm Assn, Central PA averages 1 - 6 reported cases per clinic per year.  Do you have any idea how low that is?  If the incidence level were higher, I'd put him on meds.

We also didn't do the fecal exam for parasites, nor the Lyme Disease vaccination.  Lyme Disease is different in dogs; 85% of infected dogs will never, ever show any symptoms.  If symptoms show up the standard treatment is the antibiotic doxycyline.  Besides, my dogs are on Frontline anti-flea and tick medication - no fleas and no ticks.

For those who missed it, Mueller testified yesterday.  I don't know what people were expecting.  He pretty much repeated just about everything he'd said in his report.  Did they think he'd suddenly start blabbing his mouth off?  There were some juicy tidbits but mostly it was meh.  The one moment I did enjoy was when he said the Idiot Jerk in the White House could be indicted after he leaves office.  Thank you Robert!  You've just given the Democrats a chant for their rallies!  Indict!  Indict!  Indict!

And finally, that bumble-brained idiot Boris Johnson is now the Prime Minister of the UK.  He's intelligent but he's not smart, if you get my drift. Like the Idiot Jerk in the White House, he has a problem with veracity.  He is high on panache and low on substance, making bold promises without totally understanding the steps which need to be taken to achieve the results he guarantees.  For all intents and purposes, I wouldn't be surprised if he happened to be one of the Idiot Jerk's bastards.

Cynical me

Just call me cynical, but I'm not one of those who automatically believes everything I'm being told.  Here's an example.  Last evening we had a female customer come to the paint desk and order 12 gallons of our most expensive paint in different colors.  That's a nice sale, let me tell you.  However, every color needed to be adjusted down.  She had paint swatches stapled on top of paint swatches and scribbled notes on all of them.  Three of the swatches had no notes because she'd just pulled them from the 'color wall.'  As she handed them to me she said, "this one needs to be adjusted down 65%,  this one 75%, and this one adjust down as much as possible."  When I told her there was no way of telling how what they would look like, she said, "it doesn't make a difference, they just need to be adjusted."

She then asked about 'frosting' applications for windows.  One of my female associates took her back to show her what we had.  When my associate came front I said to her "that woman has special needs."  My associate said, "but you don't know, she has a teenage daughter who's quadriplegic, she, herself, has Lyme Disease and my possibly lose her arm, and they've been evicted from their home because of mold."  "Right," I responded cynically.  At this point the customer returned to the paint desk and said, in a very rushed voice, "I can't wait for my paint to be finished.  I need to go home.  My caregiver is leaving."  And I said "your paint is finished, let me load it in your cart for you."

After the customer had left the desk, my female associate said, "oh, that poor, poor woman."  And I said, "that woman is nuttier then a fruit cake, and she just handed you a slice."  It was either that or she was trying to get free paint.  Ah, just call me cynical.

Saying "no" to your Vet

I took Lilly to the Vet today for her inoculations, rabies and distemper.  In the process I also managed to aggravate my Vet, which is okay, you see I don't really like the one I had to deal with today.  A while back I had written about managing your Vet, well she's one who needs to be managed.  She will fill your cart with far too many expensive charges if you give her the chance.

Take the fecal parasite exam, that's a $30 charge just to see if your dog has worms.  My dogs have both been wormed.  Yet my Vet wants to do this exam every year.  They also feel it's necessary to test for Lyme Disease every year.  I don't let them.  This morning my Vet arrived prepared to vaccinate Lilly for Lyme disease.  Today, when I said "no," my Vet became a little nonplussed.  When I pointed out that Lyme Disease in dogs can be cured with simple antibiotics, she fumbled.  "Not always," she said, "if you wait too long and it's well advanced antibiotics may not work."  Then I added "and 90% of all dogs infected with Lyme Disease never develop symptoms."  And her retort was "but people are finding ticks everyday.  And deer ticks are very tiny."  You will notice she did not correct me, nor even deny what I said because most people just nod and say "yes."

LEARN TO MANAGE YOUR VET!

Educate yourself.  Don't ever take what they say for granted.  Never forget that they are running a business.  Laura, the Vet I dealt with today, drives a Mercedes.  There's a reason she can afford to drive one.  I am not part of that reason.  Today's visit cost me $107.  Had I not educated myself well enough to know I could say "no" it would have cost me $215.  What's sad is that as I was leaving a gentleman was arriving with a cat in a carrier and I felt bad for him.  You see, even though I had the temerity to say "no," he will most likely say "yes."  While not all Vets will take advantage of the feelings you have for your pet, there are many who will.  And they will do so by hiding behind the mask of a caring individual.  Once you learn how to say "no," you will find they drop the baby talk real fast and get down to doing their job.  Oh, and they'll be very efficient at it too since they don't want to lose you as a customer.  They also know that as you walk out the door some other sucker will be walking in.

Managing your Veterinarian

It's that time of year when I start to get postcards from my Veterinarian, I have dogs, you know?  The postcard I received yesterday reminded me that "Lilly is due for the following in November:  Rabies 3 year vaccine-imrab 3" and a Fecal exam -intestinal parasite.  I will make an appointment and she will get her shot.  We'll pass on the fecal exam.  She has already had two fecal exams, one by her breeder's vet and one from my vet after I got her home.  Besides, I've learned through past experience, my Vet will want to do a fecal exam every year. This is what she did with Gert.  What they're really doing is charging me $25 to check her poop for worms.  That's it.  Do any of my dogs need to have a fecal exam every year?  Nope.  Does my Vet send me a postcard every year saying it's time to do a fecal exam?  Yep.  Why?  Easy money.  While I'm sure most Vets do, indeed, love animals, the bottom line for the vast majority is money.  They're not in the business to starve.

Vets aren't bad, they just need to be managed.  When I talk to people who take their dogs or cats to the Vet for regular checkups I find their bill averages around $200.  Mine averages around $75.  Many Vets have no problem guilting you into services you really don't need.  Take Lyme disease.  Surprisingly 90% of all dogs infected with Lyme disease never show any symptoms... hhmmm, and Vet's make it sound so bad.  The symptoms those remaining 10% do develop are: lethargy, aching joints and lack of appetite, and those symptoms are treated with simple antibiotics.  Don't believe me?  The PA University's School of Veterinary Medicine has a very good web site.  I've learned a lot there.  Of course Vets are still going to want to charge you for a Lyme disease test, as well as a Lyme disease vaccine.  That's $50 bucks from your pocket to theirs.

What I'm saying is that Vet's, in general, are not bad, they just need to be managed, like small children.  If you're not careful, they will cost you an arm and a leg all the while talking in "baby talk" to your pet.

Veterinarians - Pet Vampires

If you've ever owned a puppy you will understand when I say they are a number of things.  They bounce around like little springs, have sharp little teeth that hurt when they bite, and, of course, snugly little things that love attention.  They also need to go to the Vet, usually several times, for shots.  Two weeks ago I brought home an 11 week old Boxer pup, something my four year old Boxer is still getting used to having around.  Of course I did the right thing and called up my Vet and made an appointment.  With this puppy I'm not so naive as I was the first time around.  Naive?  Damn right.  Four years ago, being new to puppy ownership, I said yes to my Vet's every suggestion.  Not once did I suspect she might be taking advantage of me.  As a result, my first time around with a puppy was very expensive, more so then it needed to be.  Take Kennel Cough as an example, a nice name for Canine Bronchitis.  Some kennels require it if you're planning on boarding your dog, but not all.  This is because, should your dog get it, you'll find out that it is not the "serious" illness you might believe.  Most dogs get over it in 5 - 10 days.  My Vet wanted me to vaccinate my dog every year which is odd because there are so many things out there which can cause Kennel Cough, against most of which the vaccination is ineffective.  After two years, and a little research, I realized she was just putting money in her pocket.  You know what I mean, guilt you into paying for something you don't really need. 

She also wanted me to buy Frontline Plus from her practice as well as have my dogs vaccinated against Lyme Disease.  Read the Frontline box and you'll see it prevents the ticks which carry Lyme Disease.  But the guilt thing, mostly because when we think of Lyme Disease we think of the devastating effects it has on humans.  My Vet did not explain to me that while dogs only have 2 stages, humans have a third and debilitating stage.  Nor did she say that 90% to 95% of infected dogs never show any symptoms. This means the vast majority of dogs which do become infected never develop symptoms which can be treated with antibiotics.  Humans can't get it from dogs.  If I hadn't done the research I'd have been paying for a Lyme disease test every year as well as the inoculation.  You see we love our pets, our puppies and dogs and so do not want them to suffer.  Unfortunately there are Vets out there who unscrupulously take advantage of that softest of emotions.  It makes me wonder of the V in their caduceus might actually stand for vampire, except these don't suck your blood, they suck the money out of your wallet.