A moderately invasive exam

Lucy was being poked and prodded from every direction. The vet had asked her dad to guide her up a ramp onto a low table covered by a white sheet, where she was expected to stay on all fours while she was inspected, patted down, her mouth opened to stick one of those wooden tongue depressors in, had her temperature taken, and so on. At some point she'd been maneuvered, without so much as a word of explanation or reassurance, onto her back so the exam could continue from the other side.

She had been scared that the vet, a stern-looking man in a white coat, would take liberties with her body while it was offered to him like this. He'd surprised her by performing only the most cursory check of her reproductive parts, spending far more time peering at her knees and shins than anything else.

Finally, his investigation was conluded and he straightened up to give Lucy's father the results. "I'm happy to say Lucy is healthy, but there are a few things to consider. Until the skin on her hands and lower legs hardens she'll be prone to scratches especially when she's moving over rough surfaces like asphalt. You should check her for scrapes whenever she's been outside, and clean and disinfect whatever you find. Her musculature and joints haven't been exercised properly either, so please take it easy on her until her body adjusts back to her natural gait."

"We will," Tom promised only to have his daughter talk over him.

"What about her diet? What kind of nutrients does she need?"

"Oh, that's easy. Conventional cat or dog food has everything she needs, but you should supplement it with some fruits to keep her vitamin levels up," the vet explained. "At this point you must already know regular food won't poison her which means some table scraps here and there won't kill her. And she can have something sugary now and then as a treat, but don't overdo it. Pet obesity is a serious problem."

"Got it! And what about hygiene? Do her teeth need to be brushed like ours?" Abigail inquired.

"They do need more care than your typical pet's, but you needn't worry about brushing them. I can give you a dental chew toy for her. Just have Lucy chew on this regularly and it'll clean her mouth of food detritus and germs. Should keep her breath fresh too, but if it isn't enough you can give her a sugar-free mint to suck on."

Tom took charge again. "What about her vaccinations?"

"Lucy can be affected by the same viruses we are. Normally I wouldn't have anything for those, but the hospital agreed to share its supply when her medical records were transferred. Which means I can give Lucy her shots during her next appointment. Sarah will help you schedule it at the front desk."

And that was it. A scary encounter with the neighbor, a few minutes of discomfort, and Lucy had what she'd been hoping for: confirmation that she'd get at least some human food to complement the dog chow she resented having to eat, reassurance that someone would keep an eye on her health, even a warning not to make her crawl all over town and ruin her legs. She couldn't have expected more, though she certainly wished for it.

Gamely following her family out of the vet's office, she waited for her dad to schedule the next appointment and take her home.