Grendel made his annual pilgrimage to the vet this morning and returned home with a good report, not to mention a medical hangover from two vaccinations (his three-year upper respiratory booster was due).

After working well into this morning, getting up and getting him there on time presented a major challenge.  That’s because I’m still not functional at five in the evening, so imagine the mental fog after jumping out of bed following only a few hours of sleep, and that after being up for almost 24 hours.  But we accomplished the task nonetheless.

Like the good boy he is, Grendel walked casually into the carrier the moment I put him down in front of it.  He’s such a gentle soul, easy going and without concern as long as I’m with him.

Due to his age and overall health issues, the doctor wants to begin a stricter checkup regimen starting with his annual visit next year.  The systemic steroids he takes will likely cause problems with longterm use, so it’s necessary for us to pay special attention to the possibility of diabetes, kidney failure, liver damage, and the like.  Such is the curse of ensuring quality of life; quantity becomes a secondary concern.

His precarious fitness notwithstanding, the vet gave him gold stars.  She even remarked on how strong and clear his lungs sounded despite the acute asthma and a stressful visit to the evil place.  His heart sounds good and his temperature is perfect, and as he always is, he was a good boy who only got a little grumpy when it come time to violate him with the thermometer.  He also became a wee bit disagreeable during the abdominal exam, but that’s to be expected given his intestinal ailment.

Once we got home, treats and play poured forth like water from a fountain.  After an hour or so of activity, however, he promptly crashed on the love seat.  I guess the vaccinations finally made their presence known.