Yesterday I went to my local Renault garage to ask them to investigate a judder that happens when I release the clutch. I now have a private number plate – B12 MVH (my middle name is Vaughan – I know, sad eh?). The owner of the garage was manning the reception desk as they were short-staffed, probably because of the snow.
He giggled at the number plate when he was booking the car in. “I’ve got B12 at home” he said.
“Do you have Pernicious Anaemia?” I asked.
“Oh no, it’s not for me”.
“Your wife?” I asked.
He laughed. “No, no, no; It’s for my horses”.
“Your horses?”
“Yes, I own racehorses. I give them all a shot of B12 every few months”.
“Why?”
“It perks them up no end” he replied. “One of them was continually trying to eat soil. He was a new horse and I knew immediately that he was B12 deficient. I gave him a shot and he stopped eating soil”.
“Where do you get the B12 from?” I asked, genuinely surprised.
“From the vet”.
“Do you notice a difference in the horses once they have been injected?”
“Oh yes. They are much more lively and more compliant”
Ah well…… it’s good to know that horses get adequate treatment.
I recently used this as part of yet another argument with my doctor about the frequency of my B12 injections. My dog was ill and off her food and the vet gave her two shots a week apart and was happy to give her them as often as she needed.
I pointed out to my doctor that had I been a cat, dog, cow or horse I could just go across the road from her office to the vets and have my owner inject me, yet I, who could speak and describe my symptoms was having to suffer due to inadequate treatment.
I do not know if it was this or the rest of the information that I put to her, largely thanks to the PAS that finally, after a year of being quoted “Practice Policy” finally made her give in and agree to “trial” two monthly treatment.Given that I had neuroligical symptoms and should have been getting two monthly treatment and did not get any loading dose either, seemed ti have less impact than the mention of the vets, perhaps as she too has horses and dogs and could appreciate the comparison.