nice to meetcha, intestinal protozoa!

The comma in the title is meant to separate items in a series.  It's not nice to meet intestinal protozoa.

A couple of months ago, we got a letter from our veterinarian informing us that she was retiring and had sold the practice to a nice new vet.  While I was a bit sad to see her go, it's nice that she can retire on her own terms with fun plans.  I'd guess she's in her mid 60's, and she's been our vet for the last 12 years through two dogs and three cats.

I took China in this week for her annual checkup, and so I met the new vet.  Her name is Bond, Dr. Bond... heh.  Anyway, I like her.  She seems very competent and personable and she spent a good amount of time getting to know China, the "old gal".

Honestly, after last  year's annual check, I'm surprised that China is still with us a year later.  Last year, we discovered liver problems associated with her age.  But she just keeps chugging along with no real indication of a desire to leave just yet.

So the vet called me with the follow-up this morning.  She "surprisingly" found that China is shedding giardia.  And I said, "Really?!" And the vet said, "I know, right?!"

Really, at her age, China spends the bulk of the days lounging on her bed.  We get her out for about a one-mile walk in the evenings, and she spends a bit of quality time in her dog run in the backyard each day.  I figured giardia to be for the more adventurous, but apparently not.

The good thing is, it doesn't seem to be making her very sick (knock on wood).  She's just a typical old lady dog.

So she's got some medicine to help "clean the pipes", and I gave her a bath.  These days, whenever I give China a bath, I think of Patrick Star:

Yeah, I sort of enjoy giving her a bath.  And I bet she's now got the cleanest dog butt on the block.

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