From the description, it sounded like what happened in May 2014. So, I raced to my parents' house, picked her up and brought her back to Lansing. We got back a little early, so we stopped home. Then we went to the vet.
Sometimes, we don't plan to be in a particular place. I certainly didn't wake up this morning and think I would be at the vet this afternoon because, well, I wasn't picking my dog up until this evening. But here I was, with my almost 11 year old, grey snouted mutt who was laying on the floor near my feet and in pain.
Another dog, who was larger, and his owner were also in the waiting room. The dog was a stately old gentlemen who moved gingerly and slowly. He was grey around the muzzle like Dakota. Overhearing the tech and owner, the dog was in for blood work to check red and white cells. He'd been doing this every two weeks.
The tech took the dog back to get the blood taken, and when he brought him back to the waiting room. His owner told me his dog was 12 years old and had been sleeping a lot lately. As his owner tried to leave, the dog walked right over to Dakota and started to sniff her. She also sniffed him. There was no growling.
It was peaceful. Then, the dog licked the side of her face, as though he knew that she was also in pain. And she let him. She had no issues with him, but they started to head out. They would get their results tomorrow. For some reason, my eyes had teared up. And then we were waiting again.
I'll admit - I panicked a little this morning. Though I sort of thought it might be a ligament issue similar to the one she had before, as she's been getting older, I worry that something is going to be bigger than that. But we have't gotten there yet.
And while the vet office waiting room wasn't where I expected to be this afternoon, the simple gesture of one dog meeting and greeting, and perhaps comforting another dog was perhaps the most important thing that happened to me today.
