The waiting game

A visit to the vet for a booster jab.

The dog on the right gave my dog a thorough going-over with its nose, checking out all his orifices. Casey was too busy quivering to take any note of the attention.
The owners confined themselves to chatting about their dogs since on the whole we ignore olfactory signals unless they are very powerful.

The information on the waiting room walls provides an alternative interest. I always note the way that veterinary pharmaceuticals for internal parasites are advertised with very large, gruesome images aimed to arouse disgust and anxiety, a tried and tested method for promoting take-up.

Another poster provided information new to me: that grapes (fresh or dried in the form of raisins) are dangerous for dogs and can cause acute kidney failure. The mechanism has not been established.
It also warned that onions, leeks and garlic should never be given to dogs either - they can cause fatal haemolytic anaemia.
I knew that chocolate can be dangerous for some dogs.
The rest of the advice was self-evident: slug pellets, rat poison, ibuprofen and bags of silica gel should not be ingested by your pets.