I just spent the past hour obsessing over how to get my newly finicky dog, who's recently achieved geriatric status, to finish her breakfast. With concern over her recent lack of gusto for food, I put her through a battery of tests to rule out cancer, underlying renal disease, liver disease, and the whole gamut of possibilities; she was clearly disgusted with the whole production, and I am sure, has already begun writing a lengthy manifesto to her fellow street dogs back in Puerto Rico to warn them of the hazards of being adopted by a veterinarian. Anyway, after discussing the matter with an internal medicine specialist and my roommate from vet school, the three of us concluded that her symptoms, in conjunction with her test results, are most consistent with, (insert drum roll), getting old; she's got some mild decreased kidney function and tummy troubles.
With a month off before starting the MPVM program at Davis this fall, and my last day of practice work behind me, I suddenly have more time on my hands. You'd think this bout of freedom would be a cause for celebration, but I've acquired an unexpected inability to figure out what to do with myself in my spare time. Consequently, I find myself spending an inordinately unhealthy amount of time starring at my dog, wondering if the food I've placed in front of her will meet her criteria for the day. I've become extremely boring and clearly need some other outlets to gain perspective. So, it was very timely that I stumbled across a recent post on the ecovet forum that successfully popped my small world bubble......
To pop your small world bubble and gain global perspective, click here.