I’m very pleased to be able to tell you that Nolan got a good result from his visit to the vet on Wednesday. He has put on further weight, now approximately 5 pounds. Although finding that out was a drama in itself; it actually took four of us to organise it. Left to himself, Nolan sat his back half on the scales, then got up, and put his front half on the scales. I’m assuming he thought we could just add the two amounts together! But no, we needed all of him to be on the scales at the one time! The vet lifted him on, while one of the assistants and I made sure he put all his feet, tail etc on the scales, and didn’t hang anything over the edge. The other assistant watched the display and told us what it ended up being. We were all rather preoccupied…
Before this came to pass, I picked up the dog coat for him, that had been put aside. I’ve already had to start putting a coat on him, and we haven’t had a frost yet! So I thought I should get him another, and when the weather turns cold, he can wear both! As it happens the coats were on special, and I got it half price! We thought we should try it on him, just to be sure, and he got so excited when we were taking it out of the packet, he put his front paws up on the desk! It’s been so long since he’s done anything like that….
We had our little fashion parade, and it was to my satisfaction. Nolan couldn’t have cared less; all he wanted was some treats. However he had to wait, and he wasn’t too pleased about that. First he had to be weighed….and then he had to have a blood test. I had been given strict instructions by the vet that he was to have an early breakfast, so there would be a four hour break between his meal and the test. So treats had to wait…
In we went to the consulting room, and the vet checked him over: listened to his heart, and felt his tummy. She asked me how he had been and smiled when I told her about the combat crawl incident. Then we backed him into a corner and made him sit with no room to wag his tail, so she could take a small amount of blood to test his blood glucose level. It’s rather hard trying to take blood from an animal whose tail is wagging the whole body… She applied a drop of blood to the monitor, and the result soon showed in the display: 4.1. We were hoping for 5 or 6, but 4.1 is fantastic compared to the last blood test result of 0.5! Then we discussed changing his diet to include more protein and less carbohydrate. This of course has to be done slowly and carefully, so to not strain his already sensitive tummy. Nolan himself doesn’t care what he’s given, as long as it’s food!
So, consultation over and treats given, we came home with his new coat, after paying the bill (shudder), with instructions to have a weight check in a fortnight, and to see her again in a month…and I have to institute his new diet. Since then he’s been pretty well, except for Saturday when he seemed a bit flat. Today he has been good again, with a joy for life and the old sparkle in his eye….in between snoozes.
Just so I don’t forget I have a cat as well as Nolan, Max has been getting excited lately. The other day he caught a mouse in the back yard. Of course the mouse didn’t survive, and I saw Max dining on said mouse. At least he didn’t make a present of it to me on the doorstep! I told him he was a good boy for catching the mouse, and I think it’s gone to his head….
This morning I was just about to leave for church, and I noticed Max had got out of the house (I’d left the back door ajar in case of Nolan needing to make an emergency visit to the back yard) and was meandering up the front drive across the road to wreak havoc amongst the rabbits that live there. I was just about to get out and bring him back, when I noticed a dog approaching him at a rate of knots. This dog was a stranger to me, and obviously to Max. Max just kept on going, and didn’t turn round till the dog was only a few feet away. He then turned round, glared at the dog, fluffed himself right up (that long hair comes in handy), and spat. The poor dog literally back pedalled! He obviously thought….oh! a cat! I can chase him!…and didn’t realise this cat would stand up for himself….
So the dog, crestfallen, went home. Max obviously thought better of his intended raid on the rabbits and came home too. He wandered back across the road, glaring at all and sundry, walked across the front yard till he found his chosen means of entry, where there’s a little bit of fence a bit lower than the rest, and jumped into the back yard. Just as he did, another dog appeared on the scene! Good timing on Max’s part, I think.
Then….this afternoon…..he caught another mouse! Max the mighty hunter and warrior!
Mamaroo's Diary 