So, having gotten the appointment made, I told my colleagues I would be out for the morning and then hopped in the shower. While in there, Rennie barfed all over the bath math in the bathroom.

LOVELY.

So I picked up her nasty stool sample and loaded her in the car. By this point she seemed to be feeling pretty good, however, and proceeded to bark at me while we were driving down the road, presumably because I wasn't driving fast enough?? I don't know where she thought we were going.

Once we arrived and got out of the car, however, recognition flew across her face and she dug her little paws in refused to walk any further. Thankfully, she only weighs 7 pounds, and I picked her up and carried her into the vet's office with her climbing up my chest trying to escape.

She hates Dr. Fred and all his aides there at the clinic. They do rude things, like stick thermometers up her butt and jab her with needles and clip her toenails and force her to lie on her back while they take pictures of her insides. So Rennie isn't so much a fan of Dr. Fred's office. I, however, happen to like Dr. Fred because he knows his shit. So I trust him, and continue to take her there, despite the fact that he charges an arm and a leg for just walking through the door of the clinic.

Today, for example, he walked out of the examining area and - after having only looked at the stool sample I'd brought in - he proclaimed, "She has Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis. She's not going anywhere today. We need to put her on fluids." So I went back with Rennie and one of the vet techs and got her settled in her little kennel and drove home. Sure enough, when I talked to Dr. Fred later in the afternoon, the tests showed she had exactly what he'd diagnosed earlier. He said she will be fine, especially since I got her into the office so quickly; he just wants to keep his eye on her until she's definitely feeling better and eating again without problem. So Miss Rennie is hooked up to an IV at the vet with a bunch of other sicky dogs, being poked with needles full of antibiotics. Dr. Fred said she's doing just fine, resting peacefully and looking alert but generally bored with everything going on around her.

She'll probably be there until Saturday morning, but I'm hoping he'll let me take her home tomorrow night. Cuz, you know, I miss her! (Who knew a 7 lb dog could get under your skin like that!?) In the meantime, I'll be cleaning every square inch of my apartment to try to avoid thinking about how much all of this is going to cost me!