Sam goes to the vet

I'd been trying to come up with the money for two things: new tires for the back end of my car, and a vet visit for Sam. I'd get enough money for one, but I was afraid that the minute I committed to one thing, the other would immediately become an emergency. But I finally got enough freelance money to do both, so I got Sam to the vet ($127) on Tuesday, and got the tires ($165) today.


Sam and Jacey, waiting for the vet.

But Sam's vet visit didn't go perfectly. The vet thought he looked good, proper weight, no signs of arthritis, etc. But the lab work showed protein in his urine, which is not a good thing and could be an early sign of kidney failure.


Sam. Still waiting.

Stress--whether bad or good--can contribute to protein in his urine. For Sam, visiting the vet and vet tech he adores is good stress; the car ride that gets him there is the bad stuff. So in three weeks, I'll be snagging a urine sample from Sam here at home ("Sam, pee in this cup for mom...") and dropping the sample at the vet's. If the results of Tuesday's test are duplicated in that test, we'll see where we go. The vet says there are some very good meds available, so we'll see.


Sam, apparently hoping the vet will crawl under the door.

Meanwhile, Sam feels fine. He's figured out where to lie to get the best flow of air from the air conditioner and the ceiling fan, and he's sprawled in the floor there right now, unconcerned that this puts him right where Jacey and I need to walk to get to the kitchen...