How is Your Pet at the Vet?

I took my pet Millie to the vet for her annual appointment yesterday. She’s been to the vet twice since we adopted her; once for her spay, and once as a “ride along” for one of Sumner’s appointments, during which she had her anal glands expressed. She was not pleased.

My 11+ years with stoic Sumner have made me forget that vet visits can be pretty traumatic for most dogs. Sum never enjoyed the vet, mind you, but he put up with every sort of procedure with dignity. Whether it was scary eye exams complete with retina dye and big machines shining in his face, or leg contortions to figure out why he was limping, the old man took it all without a whimper or a snarl. I think he’s the perfect patient.

Millie, on the other hand, must harbor post-traumatic-anal-gland disorder, harboring bad memories from her last visit to the vet.

She was petrified to be back at the vet office! She hid under the chairs in the waiting room until the tech came for us, and then hid under the chair in the exam room. (My ego was bruised because Sumner always leaned against me for comfort in those situations.) She manned up when the actual exam began, though. Surprisingly, she dealt with the thermometer without complaint, and didn’t resist too much during the hands-on exam.

Overall she did just fine, but she wasn’t a perfect patient like Sumner. What kind of vet patient is your pet? Is your pet a nervous Nellie like Millie, or a “whatever, dude” dog like Sumner?