Dog Fight
Right after my normal Sunday morning bagel run, Kim called to say that we had a problem with Buddy. It seemed that he had gotten bitten by another dog at the place where he is boarding for the weekend. I needed to go and pick him up and take him to the vet to see if there was any serious damage. When I got to Colean’s house, he was brought out and while somewhat subdued, he seemed more or less OK. Kim and I agreed that I would drive him over to the vet’s to see what was what. This was not his normal vet, who we inherited from his prior owners, but rather the emergency clinic/hospital.
I took him in and a technician took him into the back room as per the usual routine. Then the vet, a young woman (70%+ vet students are women these days) came out to tell me that he had only one puncture wound and that it did not look too serious, but would need to be clean up and a course of action determined. That would require sedation and afterwards at very least antibiotics and ani-inflammatory medications. We went into an examining room where Buddy was like a cat on a hot tin roof, anticipating the worst no doubt.
Meanwhile, Colean was texting Kim and me, explaining that Buddy and the offending dog had been under the covers on the bed when a fight had ensued. She sent us a picture of the offending mutt and Buddy at a calmer moment. This was a small dog, but still twice Buddy’s size. She had been a regular with Colean for four years, but we were told that Colean has a strict one bite rule. Any dog that bites is automatically banned from the facility. She said it was hard to say goodbye to the pup, but that rules were rules.
I told the vet to go ahead and do what they needed to do, but she insisted on sending a case-worker to review the likely costs before moving forward. I was told that he would be there several hours in order to recover from the sedatives they would give him. I was also told that it would cost between $760-$990 depending on what they found once they shaved his neck. I once again told them to proceed and they said they needed to go over a few more things with me first. I’ve just finished watching six seasons of The Resident on Netflix and this was starting to feel like an ER next-of-kin approval process. They said that the sedatives could result in vomiting, but should wear off in a few hours. I was also asked if I wanted to have him given CPR and be resuscitated if his heart were to stop. I wondered momentarily if people were in the habit of establishing a cost-control DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) protocol for their pets, but I immediately said they should give Buddy CPR (do they use little paddles on a doggy defibrillator?) With that, I was told to get lost for an hour or so.
I headed over to the nearby CostCo, but realized it was 30 minutes before it opened. I must say that the parking lot was already starting to fill up and there was already a small line forming near the door. CostCo has one hell of a business model. I was not inclined to stand around the CostCo parking lot despite my admiration, so I found my way to the nearest McDonalds. There I ordered some breakfast burritos and sat to wait. I don’t often find myself sitting in a McDonalds since I have not yet gotten to that lonely stage of life. I must say that I was impressed by their furnishings. While I have little or no respect for the ordering kiosk routine (I still order at the counter…and that still works better and faster, as the guy who started ahead of me and ended up behind me found out), I am impressed with their new furnishings. I sat at a very comfortable table on a nice modern chair that looked like something from a mid-century modern dining room. After an hour and a half of slow-playing my breakfast while playing solitaire on my iPhone, I headed back to the clinic.
After sitting in my truck for another half hour I wandered back into the clinic only to be told that buddy was still getting over the sedative. I was half expecting a vet resident to come and tell me that they had to intubate him or something, but instead I just sat and waited another half hour. Finally, the vet came out and showed me a picture of the one puncture wound they found on him, but noted that it was a deep would that had caused some “pocketing” where the skin separates from the fascia. That caused them to decide not to close the would, but leave it open to drain. She said they would put on a bandage and that a technician would come and give me the medications and inform me about Buddy’s post-operative care.
Once that technician came out she showed me how to administer the meds (plunger tubes of liquid into the mouth) and explained that I needed to bring Buddy back tomorrow to let them check the wound. She was careful to explain that the price of the treatment was all-inclusive and that there would be no extra charge for tomorrow’s visit. I guess some people get to a price point where they justify not returning on the basis that, after all, it is just a dog. They then brought Buddy out and he looked about as dazed and confused as someone coming out of general anesthesia. There was some confusion about the bill at that point, my thinking that I had not yet paid and they thinking that I had. I left and explained that they knew how to find me if needed.
When I got in the car it became obvious that Buddy needed to be held for the trip home, so I put him in my left hand and drove home with my right. Buddy barely moved the whole way home. As I approached our driveway I saw neighbors Faraj & Yasuko out for a walk. I slowed and put the window down. As I explained the events of Buddy’s morning I was encouraged to see Buddy growling ever so lightly at them since it proved that he was slowly coming out of it. Once in the house, I put Buddy on the floor and he just stood there not knowing exactly what to do with himself. I tried giving him water, but no luck with that. then I went to my usual spot in the living room and he got up on the sofa. But instead of jumping onto the back as he normal does, he sat staring at the sofa back. He went from there onto his favorite chair and did the same thing, clearly not out of his sedative daze just yet.
Having spent the last week in my own cold-endured haze of sorts, I empathized with Buddy and his state. I imagine it will take him a day or two to fully recuperate and get back on his feed. I will take him with me to the airport tomorrow to pick up Kim and I’m sure that will finally make him feel better and his first dog fight will fade into the recesses of his memory.