A good night's sleep

A $273 trip to the vet netted us all a very quiet night. Booker doesn't have fleas, but they are biting him - feasting and then jumping off, or dying, thanks to the Advantix. But he has bites and is allergic to the saliva, just like some people have an over-reaction to a mosquito bite. The vet gave him a steroid shot, which equalled almost instant itch relief. And, a prescription for Comfortis ... with promises that this will keep the little buggers OFF. And, a prescription ointment for the sore spot that he chewed on his belly.

I feel like I'm poisoning my dog, but the itching has got to stop ... he is driving everyone nuts and he isn't resting properly. Last night he slept quietly through the night and was bright and playful at the dog park this morning. In retrospect, the entire last week he has been out-of-sorts.

Booker weighs 58.9 pounds. Funny how the scale struck terror in my soul ... I watched the numbers fluctuate and actually found myself holding my breath for a lower number. What a chick-thing. Like Booker cares what he weighs! The vet said he looks great: nicely muscled and lean. Dr. Gonzalez also looked at his teeth, or I should say his "missing teeth," and guesses that perhaps some of the breakage and loss is because of antibiotic dosing when Booker was a puppy. The vet said that nothing needs to be done about it. Thank goodness, I was thinking major dental surgery, implants (haha), veneers (hahahaha) and big South Florida-style cosmetic dentistry bills. Booker does have a herniated umbilical cord, though, which needs to be repaired, not with urgency, but in the near, rather then the far, future.

I am at the gallery all day today. I am shopping for designer dog collars on eBay. Booker wears an "accessory" collar for his tags and then his prong collar for the leash. He can slip out of a flat collar in a houdini-like instant. The prong collar is escape-proof, and Booker heels very obediently when it's on. It looks intimidating, but is more humane and effective than a traditional choke chain, and there is nothing good about Booker backing out of his collar and taking off toward the street.