Capone and Cosmo had an uneventful routine vet visit, the first since their neuter. They are considered biggie iggies, weighing an impressive 19 pounds each. They received their necessary vaccines, including for Bordetella which was administered orally. Although this is considered optional, I operate on a worst-case scenario basis. The boys will likely never need to be boarded anywhere, but what if there was some disaster in which we had to flee to a place that required the vaccine? I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Cosmo was examined and passed with a clean bill of health. Next was Capone, who passed scrutiny, or so it seemed. An unexpected broken tooth in the back of his mouth surprised us. How did that happen?

We’re not exactly sure what made Capone break a tooth, but I can only guess that it happened when he returned from the yard one evening with two cuts on the side of his face. Other than the visible marks, he seemed no worse for the wear, and it certainly didn’t change the way he approached the food in his dish.

We had two options, either a root canal or an extraction. Knowing that one day he will likely be relieved of this tooth in true iggy fashion, we opted for an extraction. The procedure was scheduled, and we were given some antibiotics and pain meds to take home. It was good that his exam occurred when it did, otherwise we wouldn’t have discovered the tooth issue.

I had tears in my eyes when we dropped Capone off for the extraction. It seemed like forever since we were in this situation, as Moose and Red stopped getting dentals when they reached advanced age. I’m sure he would do just fine given his youth, but it’s still nerve wracking. Apart from that, it was the first time he and Cosmo would be separated. How would Cosmo do without his brother’s company for a day?

It turned out that he did just fine, but he did miss his twin. Cosmo looked for his buddy in the house and in the yard. He seemed to realize Capone was missing, but he settled and didn’t appear anxious or ill at ease. He ate his breakfast in his brother’s absence, food having been withheld until Capone was dropped off. Cosmo didn’t whine or howl, which was a relief.

We received a call in the late afternoon that the dental had gone easier than expected, and we could pick up our boy in a few hours. We made the time we had to wait to retrieve Capone pass quickly by attending a local food truck event. We were able to eat some dinner before arriving at the vet, feeling a bit guilty as our pup was surely starving by now.

It always seems like an eternity waiting to pick up your fur kid from the vet after a procedure. When Capone padded into the waiting room, he was happy to see us but wasn’t up to jumping. He whined his greeting and was happy to get out of that place and go home, even if his annoying brother was there. He ate a bit once he arrived, and his recovery and follow up went smoothly. We have our energetic pup again, missing a tooth but otherwise unscathed.

(The tooth issue occurred in July 2023)