More than just hookworms...

I know that you're all dying to hear about mother's trip to the place called Arcadia. It's a place, far, far away called the country. Bea says the country is where old dogs go and never come back. Mother says Arcadia is the “hookworm capital of the world” which I don't really understand but it sure sounds like fun. Mother must agree because she says she likes going out there. My dad and Vonnie don't understand why, but I think it has something to do with the people she sees out in the country. Mother says the ladies out there are “sweet as pie”. So between that and the hookworms, I don't see how anyone could resist.


If you ask me it sounds like a good place to go if you're old and you're not coming back. Mother says a lot of the dogs and cats live outdoors, all the time! They get to lie in the dirt, bask in the sun, eat whatever animal alive or dead that comes in to their yard and basically get to do whatever they want. Despite the disapproving way mother tells the stories, it sounds fantastic to me!



I overheard mother telling my dad about one of her cases. A large dachshund named Snausage came in to the clinic for his routine visit and vaccinations. Snausage's mother mentioned that the pooch was having trouble getting the brown nuggets out and had a big “knot” back there for a few weeks. Mother said Snausage was a “twenty pound dog in a thirty pound body” and that knot that the owner had casually noticed was a hernia – something called a “perineal hernia”. Near as I can figure it, a hernia means that part of your body that's supposed to stay in, is sticking out. Well, Snausage's back end was sticking out and the more he tried to go, the more it stuck out. Now that sounds like a real pain in the butt! Mother was worried that Snausage's mom wouldn't be able to do the surgery required to fix his problem, but the sweet ladies in Arcadia can work their magic to get things done no matter what. I was happy to hear that Snausage would get a happy ending....literally.

Arcadia seems like such a different place, but I think I get why mother likes to visit. I also think I know why she hugs me extra hard when she gets back.