Dr. Williams:
        I have a question about Espie. She's a bit lethargic lately,
although she still gets up and plays now and then, but she doesn't always
get up to get her raisin treat in the morning with the others. I noticed
her abdomen is belling out a bit, so she has a little bit of a pear shape.
Her hair doesn't appear to have changed -- it's still slightly
thinner on her back legs than elsewhere, but it's not pronounced.
Sometimes when she's resting, her eyes look very tired.
        Would you recommend I do the $75 blood test for adrenal disease?
Her blood tests have never been conclusive; they're always a little off
but never enough to alarm the vet. The last one was earlier this year, I
think.
        My problem is I hate to put her through it. She hates to have
blood taken from her neck and once, she bit one of the vets. So then they
anesthetized her, which I hated. They won't let me hold her so she can
bite me instead.
        Thanks for your help.
                                Linda
[Posted in FML issue 1300]