Things I learned on my first trip to the vet with Chauncey:

• Although Chauncey’s are in very good shape, dogs his size often have problems with their knees and elbows
• Dogs have elbows
• All dogs should be on preventative heart worm medication and flea & tick medicine
• Dog medicine is not cheap
• Carrying a dog’s stool sample in a Ziploc bag in your coat pocket is just generally stressful
• If you drive from Chicago to the vet in Schaumburg, people will assume you are a very devoted pet owner (even though you had to go there because your dog’s shelter organization was also in the suburbs)
• Chauncey’s external lymph nodes feel fine
• Something called an “external lymph node” exists
• Chauncey has gum problems, and we need to start brushing his teeth a few times a week
• There are print ads where people impersonate Julia (the waiting room had a poster showing a woman walking nine dogs).
• Dogs in Chicago have to get vaccinated against some disease that is transmitted via rat urine
• Stores like Costco carry discounted pet drugs now, but they’re often routed through places like the Cayman Islands and their veracity cannot be guaranteed
• The vet who saw Chauncey tried to get Miguel Cabrera on his fantasy baseball team, but was unsuccessful
• Chauncey’s weight at the time of the visit was 7.25 lbs
• The vet “like(s) him at this weight” 
• The staff at the office agreed that “Chauncey” was a better name than “Trusty”

Julia & I welcome any additional insight you have on dog ownership, even if you’re not a vet. We thank you for any comments you share. Seriously.