[Dailydrool] Horton's adventure

[Pamela McQuade]

Early this morning the mama and papa woke up to the sound of an alarm 
clock (we never use alarm clocks around here). Mama gets up first and 
takes a shower. Then she starts feeding everyone, taking everyone out, 
and then she puts me in the car. I'm not so sure about car rides. I 
don't like going places, so it's usually a vet visit. This was a really 
early visit.

We drove and drove and drove. I knew what that meant. We drove that far 
the first day I met my mama, coming back from the vet who fixed my leg 
after it was broken. Then mama took me out there a couple of times to 
let him play with my leg and make sure it was OK.

Mama has been talkin' lately about heartworms. I don't know why anyone 
would need worms in the heart. My heart is full of love for my mama--so 
much love that I don't have room to love anyone else.

After we got there, the vet tech took me away from my mama. She says she 
has three bassets/basset mixes, but that only means she shouldn't have 
needed me too, so I don't understand why she did that. First she stuck 
me with needles--ouch! Then she made me lie down, and mama says she took 
pictures. I kept trying to tell mama I didn't want to go anywhere 
without her, but she made me be a big boy and do it on my own. Still, I 
got to come back to mama each time.

Mama did not look too happy when they told her I have these 
heartworms--mama says this is the third test that said that, and they 
took blood for another test to see if I have worm babies in me. I don't 
think I'm gonna like these worms either, big ones or babies. I can't 
have exercise, and mama's going to have to give me more pills. In two 
months, mama will have to drive me out to the vet's again and I'm 
supposed to get a shot. Mama looks very sad when she says this. I don't 
think I will like it, especially since I think I heard her say I'll have 
to stay overnight. (I think I heard something about a vet visit when I 
get my heartworm pills, too, and that scares me, even though mom says I 
can maybe go to my regular vet for that.)

Could you send some drool our way? The mama has a concerned look on her 
face. The papa, even though he isn't my favorite person, seems worried 
too. Mama says he loves me, even though I don't have room in my heart to 
love anyone but her--do you think I might have room if these worms were 
gone?

I'm just glad I came back home again. I stayed in that place when my leg 
was broken, and even though they were nice, I was really afraid. I 
hadn't met my mama then, and didn't have anyone to love.

I think I'll say it again: I love my mama. Now that I have her, I don't 
want to leave her anymore. Think they'd let her stay in the run with me?
Horton Theveryfearful, who loves his mama