John Henry at the Vet School
So, I took John Henry to the vet school yesterday and learned all about chemotherapy which we can't start until his infection clears up. It is starting to clear up, I think, though it is not yet completely gone. He's on two antibiotics now--Clavamox and Antirobe (which for some weird reason I keep wanting to call Agitprop). The oncologist did say that there's some evidence that getting an infection after surgery actually helps (heightens the immune system) so that's, like, good news in a twisted way.
In my various visits to the vet school I've decided that if there were ever one compelling reason to train your dog when it's young and even to board it at a kennel once in a while, it's because when it gets older it might get sick. Every time I've been in the waiting room there's been some big dog barking its head off and some little dog snarling at everyone that goes by. It's stressful for the dog and it's tough on the owner. A dog that's been out a bit, that's got a bond that says, basically, 'I trust my owner to do what's right for me,' will be a lot better off in an emergency than a dog who hasn't got that. You wouldn't think 'sit' and 'stay' and 'stand' and whatever would be the keys to handling new situations, but it is. Just like going to school helps us with things we've never faced before, dogs do better the more they know.
John Henry is autistic (I don't care that that's not an official diagnosis for dogs--he really is) and he's never been a dog that I could confidently put into any situation, though he is also a loving and loyal and intelligent dog. There are things that overwhelm him. But he's been The Man at the vet school. He's been good to the staff and accepting of what's going on and waits in the waiting room, though he doesn't really relax (he also growls his cranky head off occasionally, but, you know, no one's perfect). I'm proud of him and happy that it's less stressful for him than it might be.
So, train your dog. Not competition obedience training, but puppy class or a companion class where they learn to walk on a loose lead and sit and stay and come and be around people and dogs.
Because sooner or later they're going to get sick. And it will be worth it.