Clean Bill of Health

Morey recently had his annual vet visit and vaccines and got a clean bill of health!

He always eagerly runs right into the vet office, excited about all the dogs and being able to socialize with all the employees (he doesn't wear his vest so he is officially off duty). All the staff love him-who doesn't?- and he loves all the attention. He usually sniffs all around the exam room and then listens to the sounds of all the other animals while we wait.

Morey obediently got on the scale and sat quietly while he was weighed. He weighs 81 lbs which means he has lost one pound since last year. I did put him on a diet over the summer because he was starting to get a little chunky and it seems to have done the trick!

Morey eagerly went with the vet tech into the back room where all the other animal noises were coming from to get his blood drawn for his heartworm test. I could hear the vet tech talking about Morey and what a great dog he is (making me quite proud : ) When they brought him back he came right over to me and was then a little hesitant about approaching the vet and vet tech again, especially after he got his two vaccines.

I had mentioned Morey's reaction to the TSA's rubber gloves after last year's vet appointment and so the vet took his temperature under his arm instead of in his butt. I am sure Morey would have been grateful if he was capable of understanding what he had just avoided and I was grateful that the vet was so sensitive to his preferences!

The vet told me that she wouldn't do anything differently in how I was taking care of Morey. That made me happy because more than anything I want Morey to be happy and healthy! Sometimes it can be hard to keep these things in balance. For example, giving him more treats/food might make him happy in the short term but I know being overweight can lead to lots of health problems. And even though Morey doesn't like to have his nails trimmed, I am diligent about doing it once a week to prevent him from having to walk differently due to long nails. There are days when I don't feel like staying outside and playing ball with Morey, but I still make it a priority for him to get exercise at least once a day. And Morey has now come to like getting his teeth brushed since I have found poultry flavored toothpaste!

I want Morey to be around for many years to come and I am committed to doing whatever I can to keep him healthy. It's encouraging to know that I am doing a good job!