 At the vet |
Panda recently had her first visit to her new vet. As you can see, she is not so big a fan of places like the vet, where there is this "indoor" thing that is not home and there are no waves or trees or squirrels to chase. For the most part, as we expected, she is healthy and happy and well. However, she's an aggressive bone chewer and had cracked a few teeth. The vet needs to clear away some plaque to see how bad they are cracked, and possible may need to extract the back teeth. All this requires Panda be put under. Eeesh! While the Vet feels comfortable that this is pretty standard surgery and should not be a big problem, Leo and I are, of course, nervous about her being anesthetized.
What are we to do? Why, spoil her rotten before the surgery, of course! There is no better way to do this than with lots of walks and a trip to cannon beach.
It's a picture heavy post, so I've placed all the images after the jump.
Lake Park
Located just under a mile, down the road from our house, Lake Park continues to be a favorite near-daily walk for Panda and me. All the little ducklings are growing into slightly gawky (in a cute way) adolescence, and the various trees and shrubs show all those tell tale signs of the approaching spring.
I'm pretty sure those geese could take panda in a fight so when that one in the front started walking towards her, brandishing the hairy eyeball, I figured it was time to stop taking pictures and get to walking. |
Everyone loves ducklings. |
Am I the only one who things there needs to be a roving in a Mallard colorway? |
A trio of ducks hanging out on one foot. |
First little buds of spring |
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Cannon Beach
As beautiful as the park is, Panda generally has to stay on leash so we don't get in the rousing games of fetch that bring Panda all that joy. We had ourselves a leisurely 6 mile walk, seeing more of the beach than we ever have, to date. Panda could have gone another 10. We always poop out before she does.
Every trip to Cannon Beach starts with lots of fetch. In fact, the entire trip to the beach is usually filled with commentary from the anxious girl. I'm pretty sure this is specifically to remind us of our fetchly duties. |
The weather was simply beautiful. We couldn't have asked for a better day. |
The water was icy cold, but, for some reason, we heard no complaints from Miss Bear. |
I get sick of taking pictures before she gets sick of playing. |
Awww, nearly got it. |
Any chance that Zosia would want to play? |
A tree stump that looks like a foot or a paw |
Gorgeous scenery |
Leo and I found this beached jellyfish. That's Leo's finger touching it. To use a technical term, I find it too ooky for touching. |
It is amazing to look at, though. |
This lovely little house, right on the beach, looked all closed up for the season. I'd give just about anything to be able to spend my weekends in a place like that. |
My two intrepid explorers are always searching around the little nooks and crannies of the beach. |
Doesn't she have a sort of wry little half smile in this picture? |
While this day was beautiful and sunny, it's been a wet season, indeed, and, at points, little waterfalls had formed along the walls. |
And where there are things to be seen, you'll find Panda and Leo exploring. |
They seem to be thinking, "How high can we climb?" |
I think that's plenty high enough. |
More beautiful scenery. |
Here is where we began to hit the end of the walkable beach. Around that corner was another beach, but with the tide coming in, we thought it shortsighted to consider going further. |
Ahh, beautiful clean water, blue sky and a soft breeze. Could you ask for a nicer Sunday? |
Time to turn back and return to the car. Don't worry, there was quite a bit more fetch along the way. |
Ah, the dreaded vet. Dakota had to be put under once- he was fine afterward, albeit a tad tipsy. What a great park to have nearby! PS: I don't blame you for not touching the jellyfish. Ooky is right!
When you say a mallard color way, do you mean males or females? Actually, both would make a decent color way, but the drake one would make me happier.
Beautiful pictures, Marnie!
Aw, poor Panda. If it makes you feel better, our old dachshund had periodontal disease and was put under for tooth cleaning and extractions, gosh, I don't even remember how many times. When she died at 15, she had just two teeth left, but was otherwise healthy. (Well, I mean, old age and such and her last few months were kind of rocky, but you know what I mean.) Anyway, don't worry about Panda's tooth-cleaning--I'm sure she'll be fine!
All of which reminds me, I really need to go brush Chappy's teeth....
if it was me, i'd live in that house 12 months of the year. i LOVE ocean scenery, and can you imagine storms? gotta love it
Marnie,
Please don't worry about wonderful Panda at the vet. If you trust your vet and you know it's a reputable place, there is nothing to worry about with regards to a dentistry visit!
Yes, she will be a bit groggy when you pick her up. You'll probably have to give her pain pills for a few days (they can't tell us if they are in pain or not). It will be a good time to pamper her with yummy soft foods like scrambled eggs and wet dog food for a few days afterwards.
Dentistry in pets is often overlooked but can add YEARS to their lifespan. I promise you, Panda would thank you if she could! :)
Beautiful pictures--Panda looks like a very happy dog!
Aw, that picture of her and Leo is just too cute ... poor little thing. I'm sure the surgery will go smoothly, and now she will be super relaxed due to her adventures at the beach!
Aww, look at her in daddy's lap at the vet. She's too much.
Mike is trying to get onto the keyboard to tell Panda about his recent vet adventure, but I don't think she needs to hear about that. She doesn't have to worry about the kind if surgery he had. I've never had an animal react badly to anesthesia, if that helps any.
I'm always hesitant about doing the dentistry, but it's usually more of a money thing. I know I should do it, but with four cats, it really adds up. If I had just one, it's teeth would sparkle. Panda is going to look beautiful with her new Hollywood smile.
And yes, a Mallard colorway. I'd buy that. I often find myself wishing for tropical fish colorways, too. So vibrant, especially when there are lots of crazy stipes.
I love how much you love Panda :)
Most vet anesthetics are very safe. There are some breeds (sighthounds, I think) that have a different, extra sensitivity to anesthetic, and you have to be careful with them. But Panda shouldn't have a problem with that.
And it's worth it to take care of her teeth before she has a problem. Ask me how I know this...
Zosia would love to join! What an awesome day. I hope that my Portland weekend in May works out so that I can see Panda in action at the beach. I love these shots - we need a road trip!!!
What a beautiful place 1 I know I always say that, but it is!
I recently had to have both of my dogs put under (Lucy & Cerino) to have their teeth cleaned and some pulled-and they were just fine. I had the same fears you do...So, that wonderful outing to the beach was a good way to get that positive energy flowing. Edna