Keeping your Dog Alive and Healthy after an Injury

The patient

Our family is very busy, just like yours. Sometimes I think people like to do things because they think we don't quite have enough to do, and would like to give us more.

One day I was trying to get things cleaned and organized. It's a challenge when God didn't bless you that way, and it's even more of a challenge when you have four cherubs who think fairies visit at night to take out the trash and replace empty toilet paper rolls. I was able to recruit Slugger to clean some dishes. There were some items in the sink that needed to be rinsed off and tossed into the recycling bin. The bin was starting to fill up fast.

The Dog got Hurt

Somehow, there was an open can that found its way to the floor, and somehow, Doggie found her way to the open can. She didn't see where she was stepping and ended up stepping right on the jagged lid of the can. Doggie was in pain and we needed to bandage her up and clean the blood on the floor that was now resembling a small crime scene. While I cleaned blood off the floor, Lovie took Doggie and bandaged her up. She taped up the paw and used the smallest ankle socks she could find to protect the wrap. A small booty protected everything when the dog needed to go outside. Dr. Doolittle would be so proud,

We all knew Doggie would still have to go to the vet to be looked at despite Lovie's work. I called the vet and told them of the situation. We made an appointment for our beloved canine to be seen. I asked Lovie, who loves to tell everyone that the dog is her own, if she would like to come and accompany our (her) pet to the veterinarian. She declined. She had things she needed to do.

Taking the Dog to the Vet

Doggie and I made the trip to the vet. It was a little chilly out, but I put the window down enough for her to stick her nose out and feel the wind in her face. The vet looked at Doggie's paw, impressed with Lovie's tape job, and gave us the bad news. The slice was on the soft part of the dog's paw and will require them to sedate the dog. It's a simple enough procedure, but it will take some time and I won't be able to pick her up for a few hours. Wife was still at work. If we had other people with driver's licenses who could drive in our family, this would not be a problem. However, since our beloved teens don't drive and The Boy has his parkour class coming up, the procedure would have to wait until the next morning. Doggie was bandaged back up and we returned home. The Boy went to Parkour class, and Wife was at the house by the time we got back. I briefed her on the rest of the excitement that happened and what was waiting for us the next day.

The next day was soon upon us. I had my morning coffee. Doggie got a piece of cheese so she could take pain medication she got the previous day, but that was all she could have to eat. She was going to be put under, and the doctor's orders called for no feeding until after the procedure.

The Cone of Shame also
doubles as a container for the
necessary tools during recovery.

Another Visit to the Vet

I took Doggie to the vet. She returned with a bandaged paw and the Cone of Shame. All of the needed meds weren't ready when I got her. Said medication was ready when I was at a lecture two towns over. They call as the lecture was wrapping up and the office was closing soon.

I made it to the vet just in time. The medications were picked up. Some were for healing, others were to fight off infection. The excitement didn't stop there. We need to return to the vet every two or three days to examine the wound and make sure nothing else happens to her. This is her paw, after all. She uses it to stand and walk. She is constantly licking and cleaning her paws. Doggie is a little confused when she's about to clean the injured paw and it doesn't feel the same as the other three. It's also a little hard for her when she has an itch behind her ear and she needs to scratch. That stupid cone is there, and she keeps forgetting every time she has an itch. This is going to be our life for the next three weeks. Meds and vet visits. Lovie told me Doggie has worms now. So, more meds, I'm sure. Our vet is going to love us.

The grand total (so far).