Vet in a Spin Read online

  And I wished the lady wouldn't keep on about Emmeline and the

  squeaking.

  I shot a side glance at David. I had been holding forth to him, tell

  ing him how ours was a scientific profession and that he would have to

  be really hot at physics, chemistry and biology to gain entrance to a

  veterinary school, and it didn't fit in with all this.

  Maybe I could guide the conversation along more clinical lines.

  "Any more symptoms?" I asked.

  "Any cough, constipation, diarrhoea? Does she ever cry out in pain?"

  The lady shook her head.

  "No, nothing like that. She just moons around loo king at us with such

  a pitiful expression and searching for Emmeline."

  Oh dear, there it was again. I cleared my throat.

  "She never vomits at all?

  Especially after a meal?"

  "Never. When she does eat a little she goes straight away to find

  Emmeline and takes her to her basket."

  "Really? Well I can't see that that has anythin~ to do with it. Are

  vou sure she isn't lame at times?"

  The lady didn't seem to be listening.

  "And when she gets Emmeline into her basket she sort of circles around,

  scratching the blanket as though she was ma king a bed for the little

  thing."

  I gritted my teeth. Would she never stop? Then a light flashed in the

  darkness.

  "Wait a minute," I said.

  "Did you say ma king a bed?"

  "Yes, she scratches around for ages then puts Emmeline down."

  "Ah yes." The next question would settle it.

  "When was she last in season?"

  The lady tapped a finger against her cheek.

  "Let me see. It was in the middle f May that would be about nine weeks

  ago."

  There wasn't a mystery any more.

  "Roll her over, please," I said.

  With Lucy stretched on her back, her eyes regarding the surgery ceiling

  with deep emotion, I ran my fingers over the mammary glands. They were

  turgid and swollen. I gently squeezed one of the teats and a bead of

  milk appeared.

  "She's got false pregnancy," I said.

  "What on earth is that?" The lady looked at me, round-eyed "Oh, it's

  quite common in bitches. They get the idea they are going to have

  ~Pups and around the end of the gestation period they start this

  business.

  Making . ~, a bed for the pups is typical, but some of them actually

  swell in the abdom} Thev do all sorts of Deculiar thin~s."

  ~ ve' "My goodness, how extraordinary!" The lady began to laugh.

  "Lucy, you' little thing, worrying us over nothing." She looked at me

  across the table.

  "E

  long is she going to be like this?"

  I turned on the hot tap and began to wash my hands.

  "Not for long. I'll you some tablets for her. If she's not much

  better in a week come back for more But you needn't worry even if it

  takes a little bit longer she'll be her old in the end."

  I went through to the dispensary, put the tablets in a box and handed t

  over. The lady thanked me then turned to her pet who was sit ting on

  the fioor loo king dreamily into space.

  "Come along, Lucy," she said, but the poodle took no notice.

  "Lucy! Da hear me? We're going now!" She began to walk briskly along

  the passag.

  the little animal merely put her head on one side and appeared to be

  heark~ to inward music. After a minute her mistress reappeared and

  regarded her some exasperation.

  "Oh really, you are naughty. I suppose there's only one She opened her

  handbag and produced the rubber toy.

  "Squeak-squeak," went Emmeline and the poodle raised her eyes with

  adoration.

  "Squeak-squeak, squeak-squeak." The sound retreated alon passage and

  Lucy followed entranced until she disappeared round the corridor I

  turned to David with an apologetic grin.

  "Right," I said, 'we'll get o the road. I know you want to see farm

  practice and I assure vou it's different from what you've seen here."

  l . , Sit ting in the car, I continued.

  "Mind you, don't get me wrong. I'm i~ decrying small animal work. In

  fact I'd have to admit that it is the most highq skilled branch of the

  profession and I personally think that small animal surg~ is

  tremendously demanding. Just don't judge it all by Emmeline. Anyway,

  43 have one doggy visit before we go out into the country."

  "What's that?" the lad asked.

  "Well, I've had a call from a Mr Ring ton to say that his dalmatian

  bitch completely altered her behaviour. In fact she's acting so

  strangely that he doc~ want to bring her to the surgery."

  "What do you think that might be?"

  ~ G~ ~/~ Ll IJiJ~I~ ~_ "~; : I thought for a moment.

  "It seems a bit silly, but the first thing that comc?i my mind is

  rabies. This is the most dreadful dog disease of all, but thank heaven

  we've managed to keep it out of this country so far by strict quaranti'

  I regulations. But at college it was hammered into us so forcibly that

  it is al~ at the back of my mind even though I don't really expect to

  see it. But this d"YI ~ of the dalmatian could be anything. I only

  hope she hasn't turned savage because that's the sort of thing that

  leads to a dog being put down and I hate that."; Mr l7;ngton's opening

  remark didn't cheer me.

  '~become really fierce lately, Mr Herriot. Started moping about a ~ew

  days ago and frankly I daren't trust her with st rangers now. ~ ~I![

  st man by the ankle this morning Most embarrassing."

  'ank lower.

  "Actually bit somebody! It's unbelievable shc's..

  ,s~ ways been able to do anything with her."

  ~, ~; w," he muttered.

  "She's marvellous with children, too. I )'~.come and have a look at

  her."

  on i~ > 7", ~s sit ting in a corner of the lounge and she glanced up s~

  "She ~ e~, t0~,~s a favourite patient and I approached her confide~

  "Emmelin~ ~c '~ 1, and held out my hand. I usually had a tail-la~ ;

  "The doll." S$~ ~from this animal but today she froze into co~ji

  become devoted to h~. ~hdrew silently from her teeth. It wasn't an o~

  ~ . ~.d snarl it was as though the upper lip was operated by strings

  and there was something unnerving about it.

  "What's the matter, old girl?" I enquired, and again the gleaming

  incisors were soundlessly exposed. And as I stared uncomprehendingly I

  could see that the eyes were glaring at me with blazing primitive

  hatred. Tessa was unrecognisable.

  '~vIr Herriot." Her owner looked at me apprehensively.

  "I don't think I'd go any nearer if I were you."

  I withdrew a pace.

  "Yes, I'm inclined to agree with you. I don't think she'd cooperate if

  I tried to examine her. But never mind, tell me all about her."

  "Well, there's really nothing more to tell," Mr Ring ton said

  helplessly.

  "She's just different like this."

  "Appetite good?"

  "Yes, fine. Eats every thing in front of her."

  ; "No unusual symptoms at all?"

  l"None, apart from the altered temperament. The family can handle her,

  but quite fra