We couldn’t find dog care, so my husband and I took our geriatric Jack Russell, Andy, on vacation to Nantucket with us. I was worried. Andy has an impressive history of car sickness so he’s rarely traveled. Plus, he’s nearly 15. I thought the three-hour car ride, one-hour ferry crossing, and eight days away from his familiar environment and routine might kill him. I knew, however, not going on this long overdue vacation might kill me.
Better Living Through Chemistry
I contacted our amazing vet, Dr. June Sailor O’Day, and explained the dilemma. The solution: doggie valium. Dr. June prescribed a half dose, but suggested we do a trial run before traveling. After slipping Andy the valium concealed in goat cheese, I brought him to Dr. June to assess the effectiveness of a half dose. As he tried to maul the parakeet in the waiting room, she decided to double the dosage.
Dr. June warned us that after two valium, Andy would probably just want to sleep, but once again, we underestimated him. Too many new smells.
New Lease on Life
When my husband and I arrived at our Nantucket cottage and saw that glorious horizon line, it occurred to us that Andy, always a New Hampshire dog, had never seen the beach. We took him for his first run on the sand, his first smell of salt air, his first view of the ocean. He looked at us as if to say, “This has been here all along? Why have you been holding out on me?” and scampered off to go roll in some seaweed, looking 10 years younger.
Next year, I think we’ll do Paris.
*****
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