So, this morning the large female biped took me in to the vet's. I've had a bit of a rough go of it lately. I'm smaller than Beauregard; sometimes he gets a little too rough without his realizing it, and sometimes does it when I'm resting. Add to this that I was the first in the house, and that I am starting to leave my puppy phase while he is still happily cavorting in it, and you have a recipe for a rather cranky Beagle Queen. Then, in the last three weeks, I've twice been stung by bees. The latter was particularly bad; it was right above my right rear paw pads, and I couldn't put any weight on it. The large male biped had to carry me a mile or two back to the place we were staying. It was tough to get the stinger out, but I did it. Then, this weekend, Mom and Dad, er um the large bipeds were having some Beagle Love Time, to show their proper respects to we superior beings, when they FINALLY noticed the sore spot on my belly. Jeez, this human species! They wouldn't know a clue if it hit them in the face with a wet chew toy! At first they thought it was a bug bite, but Mom thought it might be related to lactation. She said she heard about something like this once upon a time. However, I had The Surgery at The Humane Society, so would that be likely? Anyway, Mom and Dad have been giving me warm compresses, which have helped; in fact, it's felt so good I've fallen asleep while on my back, to give you some idea! Imagine doing that with a raging galumpher like Beauregard in the house! This morning they took me to that nice vet, the one with the small warm hands, and she said that Mom was right. Apparently when I was 'fixed' (not that I was broken), I had just started to go into heat, so I'm going to be susceptible to this. Bugger. They gave me some medicine to try; I do hope it works, otherwise there will be some small surgery required. And The Beagle Queen will NOT take kindly to cuts on her belly, not even for popcorn.