Nikki, my long time Companion

My little white mini poodle Nikki gets mixed reviews from my friends and family.  My family are not fans since she has been known to bite Joe when he was younger.  Nikki is very protective and possessive of her space and her "mom." She is not fond of other dogs and wants to be the only dog in the universe.  She is little, weighs 15 lbs most of the time.  She is 13 years and 7 months.  She has been with me since she was 5 weeks old, a little orange ball of fluff.  Now she is a beautiful fluffy white.

She is actually very affectionate to people she meets, her groomers love her, say she is very sweet.  She is just not very patient with little kids. So she stays home when I visit my grandkids.

I took her to the vet yesterday to get her annual check-up and a refill of her heart med, Enalapril. She has mitral valve prolapse. Otherwise known as a heart murmur. It is a level 4 out of 6 MVP.  It has remained the same since diagnosed about three years ago.

Yesterday my vet in Edmonds at Woodhaven Vet Clinic said she also has a large mass in her abdomen, about the size of my hand minus the fingers. The vet thinks it is attached to her spleen, which is basically a blood storage organ. It can squeeze the spleen and cause it to burst and bleed out and kill her, or leak and make her sick.  It can be crowding out her stomach and make her not as hungry because she feels full.  She does seem to eat less and/or be more finicky about her food.  Also she has lost a pound since last week.

Last week I took her to Banfield, a Wellness Plan offered at PetSmart stores. I thought, oh, I can get blood work, dental cleaning and much more if I join the plan, paying a certain fee each month instead of a huge amount for each treatment.  It was a very bad experience:

• I waited 45 minutes to see Vet #1 and she was very nice and explained a lot of stuff about Nikki's heart condition. 
• Then she left and Vet #2 came in, had no clue what Vet #1 had said or done, just wanted to sell me tests and treatments, which I said I could not afford then but would be joining the Plan which would cover all that, but for now could they write me a prescription for Enalapril since we were out. 
• Vet #2 wanted to do all the tests and x-rays first, even though Nikki has been taking this med for 3 yrs. 
• Finally she said they could call in a prescription but it would cost $14.95. 

 I said, "Are you saying you charge for prescriptions?" She said yes, it was their policy. She was trying to find some test I would pay for that day.  She was basically their closer (if you have ever sold cars or bought a car you know what I mean).
 I said I did not want any part of their policies and took my Nikki and left, saying I was not joining the Plan either, and would tell everyone else not to join too.  So here is my non-recommendation to all who may read this:

DO NOT JOIN BANFIELD WELLNESS PLAN. 

They are all about the money.

My vet in Edmonds was shocked to hear Banfield charged for prescriptions too. She said they would love to do the tests and x-rays on Nikki but they work with the owner to do what they are able and still provide the best care for my dog. She was very helpful. 

Yes, I decided to pay $50 to see my old vet than pay $15 for the prescription. It was a matter of principal. To me it was unethical to charge for calling in a prescription.

So Nikki is going to be 14 in October, has a heart condition and a mass in her abdomen. It may be that surgery might not be recommended even though it may give her two or three more years of life.  I plan to get the X-ray to see if it is benign or cancer and if it has spread.  Then we will go from there.

This dog has been with me all her life. She has been my companion longer than any man. And unlike a man she is always excited to see me, no matter what I look like, how I smell or what mood I am in. She listens to me when I talk to her. When I cry she comes over to console me.  When we lay in bed and watch TV she puts her little head on my shoulder. We cuddle. We used to spoon while sleeping but she doesn't do that any more or even like to sit on my lap any more for very long. But she does wag her tail, bound up and down the stairs, take walks, and is very excited to see me when I come home.  I will love her for as long as I have her.

And then I will love her memory.