Male Menopause

Mood changes, lack of interest, diet preference shifts...I am attempting to mentally and emotionally prepare myself for my dog's up and coming menopause. Ok, ok, the analgoy breaks down pretty quickly, Remus can't have MENOpause because he's never had menstraution, and menopause usually refers to a decrease in Estrogen not the upswing my little man is going to experience BUT as far as a comparison of wide hormonal shifts that can cause a drastic change in aspects of energy and mood it's a pretty spot on analogy.

I dutifully crawled out of bed, threw on jeans and a t-shirt, and hauled my hungry, spastic (but freshly bathed) wolfhound to the vet. There was another dog already in the waiting room and--a bunny. Remus always goes a little crazy at the vet wanting to say hi to every creature, human and otherwise, today was no exception. However even for him he was more whiney than usual (scared of the bunny?), it was as if he knew that this wasn't a regular visit. I managed to haul him a safe distance away from the bunny and he promptly climbed into my lap and started shedding. Then someone brought in two cats in a crate. Veterinarian waiting rooms either need to be bigger or they should be better at scheduling. (How about alternate days for dogs and cats?)

The other dog was removed and then it was Remus's turn. In a place swarming with female techs they sent out the one and only male. Remus doesn't like men, he went nuts. At one point he climbed back over the benches to get to me, knocking off a majority of the cushions. I had to walk with him to the scale and pushed on his rump to get him to follow the tech to the back. Usually at the vet he's spastic because he's just so happy and excited, and he knocks into everyone indescriminantely with his happily flailing tail. Today, his tail was tucked so far between his legs I'm surprised he didn't step on it.

Guilt set in with a vengence. I had flashbacks to the first time I took him to the vet, he weighed 8 lbs and actually mostly fit in my lap. He was nervous when they lifted him on the table. He calmly accepted all his shots but objected fiercely to the thermometer. And the vet laughed as she examined him and said he had a very large pair. Now, at a year and a half, Remus will  lose his manhood.

I know it's "veterinarian recommended". I know noone would probably be interested in breeding my gangly doofus dog. I know this might fix his digging up my front yard and his occasional bursts of excessive energy. I know it's the right thing to do. I still feel like a horrible person.