[Matthew]

Hi all-
Well, Stannie and I went to the vet today. Here is the rundown, as some of you wanted an update:
He does not have mange (as per skin scrapings). Vet thinks it was a poor diet, possible allergies, or a thyroid problem that made the hair fall out. She recommended a good diet and supplements (which he is already getting), and will have the blood work results back by the end of the week. So we will know if there is a thyroid issue or not. She said the meds for the thyroid are very inexpensive.
He had worms. So got some Droncit for those nasty buggers.
Urine sample taken for analysis.
Had a complete "Senior" blood profile done.
Got all vaccinations.
Blood drawn for heartworm check. If clear, I got the pills to give him. If not, we will take it from there.
Toenails clipped. He is missing one nail completely. Vet said to watch that toe in case it gets infected or ingrown. No sign of this yet.
Teeth are in bad shape. Missing some, and two are rotten and need to come out. Rest need to be cleaned. He will be going in for this at the end of the month. No pain evidenced in the mouth area. Terrible breath.
He has gained 1.1 lbs in the past three weeks. He is up to 4.11 lbs now. Yeah!!
Vet and techs fell in love with him. He kissed the vet on the nose once, and that was that, I might as well have not even been there. She and the techs were all over him, kissing, hugging, cooing. He even made friends with a big, grumpy dog in the waiting room. Owner said that her dog is never friendly or patient with any other dogs, but he ended up giving Stannie a lick on the snout as they touched noses.
The vet was very kind, and given the circumstances of his coming to me (which she wanted to know all about, as she expected the big dog to be in the exam room), she gave a big discount, almost 85.00 off my total bill (which would have been over 300.00 without the discount). So she has my business forever.
Stanford was so brave...they took a lot of blood, multiple shots, and of course, the toe nail clipping that he was not fond of. But he did not snarl, snap, struggle, or pitch a fit. For that, the techs were grateful and gave him even more loving, apologizing the entire time for everything they had to do. They are a good bunch there.
Stannie is coming alive at last. Wants to sleep in the bedroom with the big dog, playing, bossing the cats, and enjoying a long ride in the car. I took him into the pet store, where he got spoiled more, and got to pick out his own treats by sniffing and yapping. Liked the ride in the cart, but finally wanted Daddy to pick him up and give him some cuddle time.
He is so sweet, and brave. A welcome addition to our family.
Thanks for listening to my probably boring litany.
Matthew