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In celebration of his 11th birthday, Typhoon had his exam with a new doctor, so Hu-Dad is telling vet tales on the Little Prince.
We have been fortunate to work with some great veterinary practices over the years, but never reached the same level of happiness when we moved to Asheville. Hu-Dad made the decision to switch to a new practice just in time for His Royal Highness Little Prince Typhoon Phooey’s scheduled exam.
Now if Hu-Dad had thought about this a little, allowing Typhoon to represent us as an initial impression may not have been the wisest move. Let’s just say the Little Curmudgeon has earned his nicknames. He is gifted with his Siberian Death Scream, a high-pitched shriek of indignity that many Siberian Husky owners are familiar with.
Hu-Dad once had to explain to a nervous lady in a waiting room that he was sure the screaming dog was fine because, well, he know who it was. Minutes later, the door opened and a vet tech escorted a prancing Typhoon out from the back. The Little Prince was proud of his antics that day.
Things went well when we initially arrived at the new vet. Typhoon weighed in (44.6 pounds for those keeping score with his long-time digestive issues—a full ten pounds lighter than his “little” brother, Roscoe), preened for the staff, and headed back to the exam room. The meet and greet and patient interview process passed smoothly, but then Typhoon was invited to share some blood for tests. He threw a loud temper-tantrum and Hu-Dad apologized. Fortunately, the vet tech smiled and said, “We’re used to Siberian Huskies.”
Well, harumph. We are rough, tough sled dogs. What does she mean by that? Amusingly, though, we hear that same sentiment from many, many vet techs.
The veterinarian entered the room and introduced himself. He was impressed with the large stack of papers that documented Typhoon’s rather lengthy medical history, but also demonstrated his knowledge of the issues and appreciation for the various treatments over the years. Hu-Dad relaxed knowing he had found the right vet, but Typhoon prepared for the touching to come.
We have mentioned before that Typhoon doesn’t like being touched, right?
The vet began with the head, ears, eyes, and teeth. He then worked his way down the shoulders, spine, and rib cage. When he approached the stomach, Hu-Dad braced. Because of the digestive issues, Typhoon’s abdomen is quite sensitive. But those same issues require a thorough exam.
Sure enough, as the vet’s hands approached the midsection, Typhoon screamed.
Horrible, right? Well…
The vet looked up and smiled. “I haven’t touched his stomach yet.”
Yes, that’s right. The vet’s hands were near but not touching Typhoon when he screamed. The drama king had struck again.
The actual touching and probing was met with far less reaction, of course. In fact, the vet was pleased with the way things felt. We sent the blood out for full lab testing, but as long as nothing appears in those results, we will continue our current medication and food strategy.
Typhoon then received his rabies vaccination (didn’t even flinch—go figure) and we left the examination area. As we entered the waiting room, the Little Prince strutted and pranced to show off for the captive audience, even if they were a little shocked listening to the screams from the back.
As Hu-Dad paid the bill, he promised that whoever came next wouldn’t leave quite the same impression.
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Our Chance was the only screamer out of the 24 Paws. The vet would get close and he would shriek. He too, didn’t like to be touched, I don’t know how we ever got through those vet visits. lol
Sounds like Typhoon approved of this new vet, at least so far…lol
Typhoon is such a mystery. It’s good that he landed with your herd.
(I’ve called close neighbors when I had to wash Juno’s feet because of the protests, just to give them a heads up. I wasn’t sure if someone unfamiliar with huskies would call animal control about a screaming dog. I can relate to the frustration in searching for the right vet. An integrative practice was what I wanted and I finally found an excellent one after some searching. You definitely know when you’ve got a good fit.)
Typhoon says touching the feety-feet is the ultimate crime!
Poor Typhoon. Having to suffer the indignities of being touched and of a new vet about to touch. Of course, the death scream was warranted. Typhoon has now tested the steel of this new vet to make sure the vet was qualified to examine his siblings. It sounds like the vet passed the test. I’m glad it went as well as it did and hope the blood work comes back fine.
My MoMo was quite the drama king. He could sing the blues like nobody’s business & managed to keep the staff & other pet parents well entertained when he was “on the rack” as I called it since you’d think he was being tortured. EVERY time we went to the vet’s, I’d hear, “what are they doing to that poor dog?” I’d just shake my head & smile.
Glad Ty got a good report ! The death scream is well known by all Vets! The lobby folks not so much ?. We took the HokiePack (4) to the Vet at the same time. Worked well until Toby (our drama king) went in the back for bloodwork. He started screaming immediately & of course the rest chimed in. Chaos erupted ??♀️?. Last time for a group visit
We had to teach Hu-Dad the lesson long ago to take only one of us at a time to the vet. Everyone knew it was his clowns in his circus the last time he tried that.
If we didn’t love all the Sibe drama we wouldn’t love them so much!! I really love the Death Scream when we pull up to a trail to take out walks.
Sorry Typhoon-I just HAD to laugh at Hu-Dad’s description of your vet visit!!! Glad the report was good though!!!
Lol we have had many Huskies in the grooming department scream like they were being beaten getting dried ? we just laugh and sometimes I join in with them..they don’t know what to think of that?
We think Hu-Dad really shouldn’t try to sing with us, but he does.
our Sibes sure can be dramatic!