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Rajah vs. the vet, 2 out of 3 falls By Paul Fattig It was not a pretty sight, the bodies battling it out on the veterinarian clinic floor. My wife had our dog Rajah in what my high school wrestling coach would have called a half nelson coupled with a chicken wing. Admittedly, Maureen�s move demonstrated a lot of finesse. But, as I stood there holding the toothless end of a long leash leading to the feisty chow, I was going to suggest she might want to go for an arm bar after tying up a back leg. I thought better of it, what with all the snarling and gnashing of teeth. Even Rajah was snarling. Rajah needed his rabies booster shot last week, although you could reasonably question whether it does much good. He manifests the symptoms of full-blown rabies every time he goes to the vet. It�s an appointment we put off as long as possible. As the reader of this column may recall in a piece trotted out near the tail end of the last century, Rajah is not our dog. We�re just baby-sitting him for daughter Amy until she finishes college. She assures us that will happen in this century. She could do a doctoral thesis on the psychological effect of giving a dog with Chinese ancestry a name befitting a prince from India. Yet it is true he is canine blue blood in that he is a purebred. I�ve always preferred pound pooches with their mixed ancestry. Maybe that�s because I figure we Americans are mostly mongrels of dubious beginnings. However, unlike us humanoids, mutts tend to adopt the better traits of their mixed past. Not that Rajah is truly a bad dog. The small white chow with the carrot-colored ears is docile at home, although he tends to swagger around with a bit of a John Wayne attitude. He also has a disturbing habit of unleashing a barking yelp whenever he wants attention. It could be just a case of canine Tourette�s syndrome. That can be a little disconcerting when you are holding a hot cup of java. The coffee stain did come off the kitchen wall, but we�re still working on the ceiling. It is because of dogs like Rajah that you have to admire veterinarians. They are courageous folks who regularly put themselves in harm�s way. I like veterinarians. But I�m harassed by doubts whether the feeling is mutual when it comes to bringing Rajah in to renew acquaintances. We gave Rajah a sedative as demanded by the veteran veterinarians of his previous visits. And we slipped on the muzzle, making him look like a furry gladiator. The veterinary staff who hadn�t taken emergency vacation or changed professions after being notified of Rajah�s appointment were ready for battle. One veterinarian got on one side of the muzzled mutt while an assistant stationed herself on the other, each clinging to a hairy leg. That would be Rajah�s legs, not Maureen�s. She was still wrestling with his head, making sure the muzzle held. One veterinarian quickly stepped in to needle the malevolent mutt with the rabies shot. Rajah got the point. A deep rumbling roar filled the clinic. Maureen cinched up her hold as Rajah rumbled, apparently unfazed by the sedative. The other two held tight until the roaring ceased. But the toughest task awaited. Rajah had yet to have the nails on his front feet clipped. A veterinarian, who had apparently drawn the short straw, stood ready to rush in to clip the nails. The trio of harried holders grimly nodded that they were ready. Dashing in with his clippers, the veterinarian quickly clipped the dog�s nails. Edward Scissorhands could have taken lessons. It was over in seconds. There was no pain, but the small Simba let out another roar just to let the world know he wasn�t happy. Fortunately, the muzzle held. After the vets retreated, he happily trotted out to our vehicle, swaggering like a little Duke. But just before we left the clinic, one of the staff strongly suggested we increase the sedative amount before bringing Rajah in next time. No argument there. It had been a nerve-wracking day. No doubt an increase in sedatives was in order. But I would prefer to remain alert enough to be able to watch the action. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.