Thursday, February 08, 2007

What a good girl!


Golly is Fran's dog. Completely. Brussels Griffons are a "velcro" breed - you never have to look for your Griff, because she's always at your side. I never have to look for Roc, Fran never has to look for Golly. It's just the way it is.

On a rather routine exam, the vet discovered that Golly, now 11 years old, had significantly high blood pressure. Which was contributing to a host of other issues. It was imperative that we get it under control - quickly. So we started her on some meds and committed to taking her in once a week for re-checks.

Week after week, no joy in Mudville. Her blood pressure stayed dangerously high and even getting a decent reading was becoming difficult - Golly didn't understand what was going on and didn't like it one little bit. So, we began practicing at home - I would play doctor and fake the bp cuff with a bit of cloth while Fran steadied her and offered treats.

The good news is - it worked! Golly's bp, with an accurate reading, is under control and she was a model patient at the vet's office.

When Fran told me the good news, I was rather surprised by my own reaction. I can't stop smiling about it. Every time I look at Golly, I'm just delighted and all over smiles. I didn't really realize how much I cared about her. But if I want to find her - I still just have to look for Fran.

1 comment:

Betsy said...

You know, people often do not realize how "white-coat anxiety" affects their blood pressure.

You can reason with a person about trying to relax but a dog who's brought in the back room of the vet's office to be held for a reading with this cuff cutting off circulation is quite another thing.

I'm glad it's working out. Golly is too precious, even if it is just Fran she is attached too. Well, sometimes Duff gets attention if he's around.