I’m amazed by what people will do for their pets. And pay for a veterinarian. Now, I loved my little Shiba Inu, Katya, but I’d have to think twice before spending thousands of dollars for chemotherapy, or any other expensive treatment.  I thought healthcare for humans was expensive, but the price of veterinarian services in America is astounding.

When we lived in Russia, I quickly discovered that veterinarian services in Russia were dirt-cheap.

Of course, you do get what you pay for.

A bad case of diarrhea hit our little dog, Katya. After a few days, she refused to move from her bed, and could barely walk. Desperate, I bundled Katya up in a towel and headed to the veterinarian’s office with my daughter in tow. I realized it might take both of our minds to understand the vet’s Russian.

The veterinarian poked and prodded Katya’s tummy, asked a few questions, then gave the diagnosis. Intestinal distress.

Hmmmm….my exact diagnosis.

In spite of the language difficulties, I understood the word antibiotic. But my delight over a simple treatment quickly evaporated, as the doctor said she preferred beginning with a natural treatment before resorting to antibiotics.

The first few directions were pretty simple, though surprising. The instructions were to brew three different herbal teas, and to dose Katya with a tablespoonful three times a day.

Unfortunately, the next group of instructions wasn’t clear. The vet kept using the Russian word “clean” or “cleaning,” but we couldn’t figure out what needed cleaning. For a few minutes, we mistakenly thought we were to bathe Katya in the tea three times a day.

Finally, the light bulb came on. The vet was describing an enema. I asked the vet if she would be taking care of that procedure. The shocking answer was “Nyet!” It was my responsibility to administer the enema. To.My.Dog.

The vet handed me a list of supplies and said I could buy them at the pharmacy. Not a dog pharmacy, a people pharmacy.  I considered dropping to my knees and begging her to administer the enema, or at least to prescribe a sedative for me, but she herded us out the door and pointed to the nearest pharmacy.

I hesitantly entered the pharmacy and handed the pharmacist my list. She stacked the teas and enema solution on the counter, then disappeared into the back storeroom. She returned with a gallon-size enema bag. I gasped, then in a quivering voice asked if there was a smaller size. She raised an eyebrow and began interrogating me. Was the patient a child, a teenager, or an adult? I stammered that the patient was a small dog. She didn’t even blink. She stomped to the back of the shop and came back carrying a small bulb syringe and added it to the pile.

shiba inu showing teeth in front of white background

I snatched my package and fled the pharmacy, dashing to the sanctuary of my apartment. First things first. I brewed the teas, and after several tries finally managed to get the tea past Katya’s clenched teeth. She wasn’t a fan.

Next, the unpleasant task. The first step, mix up the enema.

Then, I had to figure out a place to administer the enema. I considered outside, but we lived in the middle of a massive apartment complex that surrounded a playground. I knew wherever I went there would be hundreds of eyes watching my every move from behind the curtains. After all, watching the crazy American trying to give her dog an enema might be the funniest and brightest spot in my neighbors’ day.

I finally settled on the bathtub. Katya and I would have privacy since neither of us had prior experience in receiving or administering an enema, and the clean-up would be reasonably straightforward.

I set Katya in the bathtub and filled the bulb syringe with the pretty pink enema solution. As I held her tail and steeled myself for the next step, suddenly Katya let out a pitiful little moan. She looked up at me with glistening brown eyes. I believe tears were involved. Quite possibly mine.

I couldn’t do it!

We both breathed a sigh of relief.

Out of sheer thankfulness, and an extreme dislike of herbal tea, Katya was back to normal by the next day.

So my friends, even though the American vet is expensive, be thankful you aren’t the one giving the dog an enema.

Sometimes, it’s worth paying the big bucks!