7th Birthday and Vet Visit

Happy 7th Birthday, Leo! 

Back from Leo's annual vet visit. Our 80-lb baby is now 91.5lbs! (Guess my worries about being able to see a few of his ribs were unfounded.) Finally grew into his daddy's size- and is now in a whole new weight bracket as far as flea/tick/heartworm prevention meds- $112 for a six-month supplyl! OUCH! Especially since I prefer to order the whole year at once -big change, going from $80/6 mos. to this! No more sharing boxes of meds between all 3 dogs, anymore...

And he was very good, got lots of attention and everyone commented on how well-behaved he was.

HW negative, as usual, even with the extra weight. The yellowish "stuff" on the edges of his ears might be the same seborrhea-type thing that dachshunds get- it's what makes him itch, but is more of a hygiene issue, rather than a fungus or infection. Nothing keeping them wiped clean and treating them with a cortisone cream can't handle. It's always been a seasonal affliction, which is why we never asked about it before, but also makes sense. His two other fatty tumors (and one new one) are still not a concern, though the main one is bigger. His teeth aren't too bad, but still need improvement. More brushing! Guess we'll go back to the medicated pads, since he really hated the tri-headed toothbrush I bought him, and we broke it last week, anyway... The fingerbrush works, until my finger gets all slobbery and I can't keep the brush on, or feel what I'm doing...

Also, our beloved vet is taking a leave of absence in a couple of weeks. She's working on starting up her own practice later in the year. She will be closer to home, and after being at this facility for 10 years, it's just time. We're happy for her. Sad to see her go, but willing to drive a little longer to continue to see her if things work out that way. Should probably think about getting the cats in to see her before she goes...