Hazel is Soleil's full sister, one year younger. This photo caught the one brief moment when she stood still, looking intently at the ball that my niece Aidee was about to wing into the field for all of the dogs to chase.

Soleil's been fighting some sort of intestinal issue for nearly a week now, and after trying all the usual remedies (fasting her, feeding her rice) I caved in yesterday and took her to the vet. Arwen came along for the ride, of course. One for all and all for one.

When we got there, the assistant recapped what I had told her over the phone. You said Soleil seems lethargic? she asked. No, I replied. That would be me. Poop sorties every 2 hours, round the clock, can do that to you.

The vet is super, and he gets right down on the floor and cradles the dogs. They think he is the greatest thing since sliced bread. He managed to extricate some poop to swab, and sent in an assistant to take some blood. I sat with Soleil while this was being done, and as the girl put the tourniquet around Soleil's foreleg, Arwen put her paw in there as well. I don't know whether she was being altruistic, helpful, or jealous. Either way, it was cute.

The blood and poop came back negative for everything except Healthy Dog. The problem was deemed to be a random, likely viral, colitis. Pills were dispensed. I'm really sorry, said the vet, but the pills aren't coated, so they are going to taste very bitter. I looked at him. Taste? I replied. Labradors don't taste. What is this strange concept to which you refer? And anyway, that's what God made peanut butter for, right?

Knock on wood, she seems to be doing better today. And maybe soon I can get out of this habit of bending over and minutely examining dog poo.