Chapter 49 Summary and Analysis

As much as he loves animals—especially dogs—Herriot says there are some dogs that are just unlovable. Such were Ruffles and Muffles, a pair of white West Highland terriers belonging to Mr. And Mrs. Whithorn. Invariably, whenever Herriot visits their home to see the dogs, he is met at the door by both dogs putting their paws on his trousers and scratching his shins, usually painfully, through his trouser legs. On one visit, he examines Ruffles' left front paw where, Mrs. Whithorn says, the dear dog is in pain.

Finding only a small cyst that really doesn't require a home visit by a vet, Herriot tells the indulgent Whithorns to bathe the paw in hot water until the cyst breaks. With some difficulty, Herriot fends off snapping teeth to examine both dogs. As he leaves, he receives the...