[There's a brief flash of surprise when he sees the brand, but it doesn't put him off so much he hesitates over his reply.]

No inconvenience. It's only hard for me to ignore a distressed animal. Professional hazard of being a veterinarian. Siegfried Farnon, very newly of Riftwatch.

[He glances down at Franklin, assessing.]

Has the uneasiness extended to unusual behavior, that you've noticed? Off his food, not sleeping or sleeping a great deal, that sort of thing?