Cayenne is Healthy

No, that's not a statement about the health benefits of eating cayenne pepper, although it is apparently thought to have medicinal properties. The newest Blocher dog had two milestones today: she visited the vet on 22nd St for the first time, and she acquired a new name.

The vet visit was interesting. This was a new place for both of us, at least 20 minutes closer to home than the place that treated Jenny, Noodle, Tuffy and (just once) Pepper. The new dog did not want to get into the car, but once she got there she was fussed over by quite a few admirers, including a couple with an elderly version of Pepper (sort of) and the owner of a Rottweiler named Maggie. Maggie had been badly abused before her current owner rescued her from death row. She is a sweet dog, and I hope the people who broke her ribs and teeth and let her collar dig into her flesh were eventually prosecuted. Another dog in the waiting room was an older German shepherd, whose owner said nothing except to keep the dog under control. When I left, I saw a K-9 patrol police car in the parking lot.

The vet was very nice. He introduced himself by his first name, and clearly liked our new family member. He examined her heart, lungs, mouth and even her lymph nodes, and asked about her stool (which I hadn't thought to check). He said her heart and lungs sound fine, her lymph nodes are as they should be, and the little scar next to her eye is well healed. He found a hairless spot on her neck that we need to watch, but other than that his only concerns were her thinness and dry skin. I promised we would feed her both adequate food and the doggie vitamins John bought, and add in the doggie Omega-3 oils (or whatever they're called) that John got for Pepper. I told him about Pepper and Tuffy, and he spoke approvingly of Tuffy's oncologist.


Oddly enough, the dog didn't want to get back in the car after the vet appointment, but I got her in and she was glad to get home. Pepper was delighted and excited to see her, and John said Pepper was distressed when the new dog left the house earlier. She and Cayenne - yes, we decided to go with that name - are definitely going to be friends, and we hope not to make any more one-way trips with family dogs anytime soon.

Karen