First in a series.
Behavioral research shows that 75% of dogs are anxious in veterinary clinics. We’re ethically bound not to make it harder for them. I quietly opened the door into reception and spied my clients. Jerry Cline was seated next to his wife, Charlene. Izzy, parked between them, was a 48-pound spotted mix of some kind but rather a pretty girl dog. She sat evenly on both hips, head up but a little back. Her ears were also back, but not pinned to the sides of her head. Her tail was tucked around her rear end, its tip not visible. Her mouth was closed, her pupils mildly dilated. I pegged her anxiety as moderate. Izzy’s two housemates, Willa and Rosie, were much smaller dogs. They appeared as bored as a couple of school kids missing their smartphones. I invited this crowd into my exam room.
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