Oonagh’s off to the vet this afternoon for her annual checkup…er, wait a minute…wasn’t that last week? Why, yes it was. Appointments during the pandemic-era are handled differently than they used to be. Call vet when you arrive on-site with pet. Tell them color and make of car and pet’s name. When exam room is available, tech will come out and escort you and pet directly into room after weigh-in. Weigh-in is perfect. Oonagh’s so smart as she steps on and sits on scale. Proceed to room. Tech leaves to gather more info while you wait. Overheard while waiting: “It’s Luna! No, it’s Oonagh! No, it’s Luna! No, Oonagh! Luna! Oonagh! Luna! What kind of car? Black Subaru.” Tech returns to room, “Is your dog’s name Luna or Oonagh? No, it’s Oonagh.” Tech leaves and returns to proceed with visit. Oh yes, she’s just so cute, big smiles, wiggly butt, gonna be your best friend. (Oonagh, not Vet Tech.)Yes, at the time the appointment was made it was mentioned she can go a bit ballistic and may need pre-medication/sedation. Tech leaves again, returns with second tech in tow. Oonagh is muzzled with a laughable muzzle that does nothing to prevent major jaw action, while techs struggle to manage procedure with an off-the-charts agile, acrobatic, Olympic-worthy Border Collie. Techs say they need to leave and “regroup.” They leave. Several minutes go by. They never return. However, the office manager does, with profuse apologies. There are new staff members, Oonagh’s appointment should have been scheduled as a new patient, meet-and-greet visit; two dogs, one named Oonagh, the other Luna, should not have been scheduled at the same time, and Oonagh’s excellence in agility trials should also have been noted. Hence, her appointment rescheduled for this afternoon when she will be properly sedated, and we will use the Hannibal Lecter mask she came with. It’s up to the vet staff whether or not they have their HazMat gear.
