Doggy Tales

I've got used to certain dog habits that mess up my house. When Chandler drinks water he will slop three feet around the bowl. I learned years ago not to walk around the house barefoot because of that, but Mark still hasn't caught on. I do get a tiny bit giggly when I hear the high pitched squeal of Mark when steps in the sloppage.

Both of our dogs are quite fastidious about cleaning up after a meal. They really don't like the little food bits, and spittle that gather on the corners of their mouths after eating. Sasha will go into the living room and start wiping her mouth on the rug, while Chandler's napkin of choice is the sofa upholstery. He will walk up and down the length of the sofa wiping first the left side of his mouth, and then the right side. This behavior sends Mark into a nervous fit, so I do try to catch him with a towel before he gets down to where Mark is sitting.

Lately Sasha has been doing the doggy butt scoot across the living room rug, so I looked that one up on the internet. Tapeworms or anal sac problems was their answer. Upon inspection I determined that it was probably the anal sac, it was swollen and red, and needed attention. On the internet they gave instructions on how to 'express' the sac, which pretty much came down to squeezing it. They also suggested that if you found that to be too much for you, to take the dog to the vet.

The veterinarian confirmed my diagnoses, so with rubber gloves, a full plastic face mask for protection, and an assistant to hold the dog, he proceeded to squeeze. Mark, who was waiting out front, says that when the screaming started other people in the waiting room headed for the door. It was the loudest, most blood curdling sound I have ever heard from a dog. The doctor said she had quite a sac full, but that was obvious from the mess she left behind. Sasha is fine now, but she's still wiping her butt on the rug. I don't know if she needs another squeezing or what, but there aren't enough rubber gloves in the world to get me to do that. I guess it's people like me that keep veterinarians in business.