A trip to the emergency vet.

[LizStreithorst]

Cha Cha has poor timing.  She hurt herself on a holiday.  I'd just finished doing a wonderful job inside and out on the Peamite when Chachie started hollering like she was going to die.  She had been playing chase with Bruno and ran a sharp piece of cut stock panel through her flank.  It just tore a large flap of skin.  She was actually hung by the skin on the stock panel.  It could have been way worse but she thought that she was going to die from it.  I knew that I couldn't fix it myself and that it would be a bad idea to try to clean it and wrap it and wait until morning when I could take her to my normal vet, so off we went. 

They'll give her Dormator which is a inject able anesthetic, clean the wound, and suture her up.  I'll go back in and pick her up when they call in a couple of hours and cage her until she wakes up.  I was wanting to paint but now I'm out of the mood. 

I was so proud of my growing stash of cash, but the emergency vet but a hurtin' on it.  Oh well, when you have animals you have to do right by them.  She didn't hurt herself on a holiday on purpose.

[Mugwump]

...poor pup.....hope she heals quickly...

[wallace]

I know, things like that only seem to happen on weekends and holidays.

I became compulsive about bending over the ends of fence wires, ever since my 2-year old son walked into a wire end and cut his eye on it.

[LizStreithorst]

The vet called me at 2:30.  They were done with surgery but wanted to keep her until 6.  I convinced the vet to let me go get her right away. The damage was more extensive than I or they initially thought.  Once they knocked her out and cleaned up they saw that muscle tissue had been penetrated so they put a penrose drain in.  They had to remove a good size flap of skin and had to stretch the remaining skin together.  (flaps can't be sewn back on.  Not enough blood supply to keep the flap alive.)  This injury is on a part of her that moves when she moves.  She cannot run.  She cannot jump.  All she can do it be with me, which is her heart's desire anyway.  She has an e-collar because otherwise she'd rip everything out.  She needs to go back to my regular vet Thursday

The vet did excellent work.  I looked him in the eye and said so while the tech stood there holding Cha Cha as he spoke to me.  Then as I was paying for the e-collar the tech and I  gossiped about the vets I used to work with.  That was fun.

Now this is cool... Even though had to do more than they thought they were going to have to, and though I walked up saying that I knew it would cost more, the lady said that she made it come out the same.  Could be because I made a good impression.  Likely it's because I paid after I dropped Cha Cha off and gave them hard cash.  Vets get screwed on their bills so often that they must have to add a pit of padding to their bills.

[Mugwump]

..poor pup.....your vet sounds like a good person...

[LizStreithorst]

He was a guy I'd never met before but I like him.  I like the ladies who work for him, too. 

Either we have a large number of good vets in Hattiesburg or I'm just lucky when it comes to vets.  I've worked with good ones and bad ones.  I can tell the difference fast.  I guess the good ones can tell that I don't know nothing.  These folks treated me with respect.  They didn't treat me some crazy old lady who called and then came in with untamed hair, no bra, blood on her T-shirt, and an injured dog cradled in her arms.   On the other hand, it could have been because I walked in with a wad of hundred dollar bills.  (I hope they don't think that I get 100's because I'm a crazy old lady high priced hooker )

[Ron Sower]

...I'm happy for you and CHA CHA that it turned into a good situation...

[LizStreithorst]

This dog is going to be the worst patient I have ever delt with.  Every time she moves it hurts and every time it hurts she screams.  Even with the cone she's trying to pull out the drain.  She won't eat or drink yet, although she did take her 3 meds on a finger full of cream cheese.  It's gonna be a looong 10 days.

[Mugwump]

This dog is going to be the worst patient I have ever delt with.  Every time she moves it hurts and every time it hurts she screams.  Even with the cone she's trying to pull out the drain.  She won't eat or drink yet, although she did take her 3 meds on a finger full of cream cheese.  It's gonna be a looong 10 days.

..poor thing is going through a lot.....isn't there something the pup can take for the pain?....or to help her rest/sleep better during this early part of the healing..?.....

[LizStreithorst]

She got a big shot of Rimadyl from the emergency vet as well as pills of it to give her twice a day.  I called my normal vet this morning.  I told her that the injury was not the end of the world but the dog believed it was.  She told me that just as some people can handle pain and some can't, dogs are the same.  She said that for Cha Cha it really is the end of the world.  Karen called a scrip in to the pharmacy for Tramidol, an opioid. 

I bought a couple of cans of dog food today.  When I got home I gave Cha Cha some mixed with water.  She scarfed it.  I know that she hurts but she is blowing this injury way out of proportion.  Damn dog is a drama queen.

[wallace]

That's a nasty looking cut. I might do a little whining if I had that on my butt. Do you have to take her to work with you?

[LizStreithorst]

Yes.  I'm afraid not to.  Even though I have the cone snugged up as high as I can get it she will still try to get to her sutures.  I put her in a cage where I can see her.  When I see her going for the sutures I yell at her to stop and she stops.  Luckily after her small meal and get high and zonk drug she's asleep.

I have had dogs who have undergone amputations.  I've had dogs that had cancer and never showed any pain until they crashed and had to been put to sleep.  Cha Cha has no guts what soever.  I'm not fond of wimps but I have found myself the owner of a wimp.  But she's my wimp and I'll cater to her because she's mine.

[Mugwump]

Yes.  I'm afraid not to.  Even though I have the cone snugged up as high as I can get it she will still try to get to her sutures.  I put her in a cage where I can see her.  When I see her going for the sutures I yell at her to stop and she stops.  Luckily after her small meal and get high and zonk drug she's asleep.

I have had dogs who have undergone amputations.  I've had dogs that had cancer and never showed any pain until they crashed and had to been put to sleep.  Cha Cha has no guts what soever.  I'm not fond of wimps but I have found myself the owner of a wimp.  But she's my wimp and I'll cater to her because she's mine.

..... ....good job...

[Ron Sower]

...everybody...human or otherwise...handles pain differently... You're good to take care of her ....so please don't talk so hard about her...

[wsantia1]

Sorry to hear of Cha-Cha's unfortunate accident. Hoping for a speedy recovery.