I forgot to add...

Cassie had her semi-annual vet check-up today. She's in perfect health, with a full range of motion in her joints (no arthritis yet), and a limitless appetite for treats.

This is not a sad dog or a scared dog; this is a dog who knows that the door will soon open, a vet tech will soon enter, and she will soon be licking spray-cheese off the wall. She was not wrong.