01/06/2026
Wonderful update on my precious redhead Roxy! We had our yearly wellness visit with Dr. Jill at Hollis Vet and all is well - Roxy's shoulder now checks out fine, and Dr. Jill agreed she had a little something residual in her lower neck on the right. So, I will just keep checking and adjusting that subluxation periodically until it fully clears up!
What does a wellness visit look like for 9-year-old Roxy these days? Well, we had to look at a couple of little bumps that are not changing, we agreed to just leave them unless they grow or get inflamed, at which point we may opt to biopsy. We do senior blood work, which can be helpful and determining whether they have something brewing that may be corrected with diet for supplements,  and heartworm and tickborne testing, which were all clear (nice to see after her tick bite this fall, when she was grumpy for a few days afterwards. Apparently her body resolved whatever she had,  with a little rest and nutritional support!) We also drew blood for titer testing. Aside from having the NH-mandatory rabies shot every three years, Roxy has had strong titers from all of her puppy vaccines - this testing has indicated repeatedly that she has, as yet, not actually needed a "yearly booster." Sure, it costs more to do titer testing than to "just give them a shot," but why give a shot (or any intervention) if testing *indicates that it's not necessary? Because wouldn't that be the definition of all risk (of potential vaccinosis or other immune perturbations) and no benefit?.... But I digress. This is just what makes sense to me, after 30 years of caring for dogs. Every person has a right to make their own decision on how to approach this subject,  and this is what I'm choosing to do 😉
I may soon switch to appointments every six months for Roxy, because I trust Dr. Jill and we have had a great working relationship for 15 years, and I'd rather be ahead of something than behind it!
And with that, it's time for our morning walkies 😊