Broadway Vet Loves Your Pet

an episode in the life of Loveable Baxter

Broadway Vet Loves Your Pet. That was the byline on the sign at Broadway Vet in Boise, Idaho. And it was true. Before Baxter, we had Willy and then Biskit. In his senior years, Willy was drinking water like crazy and having diarrhea. I took him to Broadway Vet and was directed into a waiting room where leaflets sat on a table telling how to cope with the loss of a pet. Soon, Dawn came into the room, smiling. Whew! So he’s not dying.

“Willy is diabetic,” she announced.

“I thought he might be,” I said. “Diabetes runs in my family.”

“If you can handle giving him a shot before his dinner each night, he’ll be OK.”

“If my brothers can give themselves shots,” I said, “I can do this.”
And I did.

We had four more good years with Willy. When the time came, we asked Dawn to come to the house where he was comfortable. Still, he was a little scared, but relaxed after the first shot to tranquilize him. We buried him beside the garden where Willy had spent hours watching me work as he rested in the shade of a tree.

Dawn was happy for me when we adopted Biskit and a few years later, Baxter who loved to romp and play with the aging dog. When Biskit’s time came from kidney problems, she came to ease him out of his pain. Biskit gratefully slipped away, as Baxter, the grand kids, and I surrounded him on my king sized bed.

Baxter went in for his final checkup, at Broadway Vet, before our move from Boise, Idaho to Washington. He passed with flying colors. When we got in the car to leave, I took one last look at the sign out front. BROADWAY VET LOVES YOUR PET.

Baxter had a check up recently at Riverview Animal Hospital in Vancouver. When Lisa the doctor came into the examining room, Baxter was sitting on my lap trembling. “I remember from the last time that you like cheese,” she said. She gently lifted him onto the exam table and squired some cheese spread onto the towel. He turned his face away, remembering the vaccinations he’d received last time while eating the tasty treat. “He probably would like a ball,” I said. Baxter perked up as if to say, “Did I hear something about a ball?”

“Let me see if I have a ball,” Lisa said, opening a couple drawers. There were no balls, but that was OK. Baxter was relieved to learn that no shots were required today. He passed his exam with flying colors and was happy to leave.

I miss Broadway Vet. But I think Riverview Vet loves my pet too.

Epilogue: Baxter would like everyone to know that he was back at Riverview Vet yesterday for a dental cleaning. He had to have one bad tooth pulled and he is relaxing on pain meds and is being a quiet dog. He's happy to be eating soft canned food and he's happy to be back at his place at the window watching the happenings outdoors.