A Triumph of Surgery
Tricki falls ill
Explain how Mrs Pumphrey's pampering made Tricki ill.
A shocking sight. Mr Herriot, a vet, sees Tricki, Mrs Pumphrey's small dog, in the street and is shocked. Tricki has become 'hugely fat, like a bloated sausage'. His eyes are red and watery, his tongue hangs out, and he can hardly walk.
Mrs Pumphrey's excuses, in her own words:
- 'He must be suffering from malnutrition', so she gives him extras: malt and cod-liver oil, and Horlicks at night;
- she tried cutting sweets, but 'he seemed to be so weak I had to relent';
- 'He does love cream cakes and chocolates so. I can't bear to refuse him.'
- Exercise? Hodgkin the gardener has lumbago, so 'there has been no ring-throwing lately'.
The warning. Herriot tells her firmly: cut down his food and give him more exercise. She promises, but Herriot doubts it. Tricki totters off in one of his little tweed coats; he has a whole wardrobe of them.
Very ill. Within days Mrs Pumphrey calls, 'distraught'. Tricki eats nothing, not even his favourite dishes. He has 'bouts of vomiting', lies on a rug panting, and won't go for walks.
Herriot's plan. 'I had made my plans in advance.' The only way is to get Tricki out of the house. He suggests Tricki be 'hospitalised for about a fortnight' at his surgery. Mrs Pumphrey nearly faints. The maids bring out his day bed, night bed, cushions, toys, rubber rings and three bowls. As the car drives off, she throws in his coats too.
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