Nursing the hound/.//

[weedguru_animal]

Finally, after much deliberation over the last few years I led my beloved hellhound to the vet last Friday, and left him there, with a tear in my eye, to be...de-balled. My anxiety levels were already running at fever pitch due to a horrendous series of nightmares the morning before this deed of dishonour, nightmares which had no direct link to Oscar, but nonetheless can easily be seen as my soul crying out in pain, and using other imagery to show its desperate unease.

Eager to collect him from the beastly butchery of those ballcutters, I was unsurprised to find him almost punch drunk, unable to walk more than a few yards without sitting down. The staff had told me that the operation was a complete success and laughed as they explained how after the anaesthetic had worn off, they tried every mild tranquillizer they had on the premises to calm him down, but couldn't...'high spirited boy you have there!'...which gave me a caress of pride. Once home, he was mainly drowsy and desperate for rest. And what I didn't notice was how much he was licking his wounds, just let him curl up and be as he pleased really, assuming it was for the best not to bother him too physically.

On the following day, Saturday, he was sad, less than eager to move around much, if at all, despondent. I fed him some chicken and painkillers then went for a ride to my florist's new den, to procure my first 1/8th for many weeks. Upon returning, no change in the hound, who hardly even looked up when i came hurtling through the door. With my brother visiting in the evening, I was happy to at least see some sparks of life in Oscar, but he soon settled down near us and spent the whole evening licking the same sore areas. I was attempting to stop him, scold him, but obviously not well enough...With my beloved queen returning from a camping trip over the weekend, to head near enough straight to us, I guess I may have been somewhat distracted from his traumas. We walked him, but ever so awkwardly, as he would hardly move a yard or more before sitting down, refusing to move on without a tug of the leash...that night, I was drinking, and cooking and loving, but neither my queen nor myself slept very well at all as Oscar was frantically licking himself all night...I couldn't leave him at home alone the next day for fright of his condition worsening, so visited the vets and arranged to take him IN to be fitted with an Elizabethan collar and examined at 6pm, spending the rest of the day trying to soothe him, mainly just with love, affection and chicken.

This time around, he had to be carried most of the way to the vet, as walking was causing him too much discomfort. I felt so fucking worried, but improving in heart and mind with every step closer to those who could heal him (i hoped). The examination showed that he had licked himself very sore indeed, not to the point of causing an infection, but well on the way to that extremely unwanted stage which could lead onto far more sinister issues. Another day and night of licking would have put us there. The strange plastic collar was put in place, cold cream applied to his wounds and i carried him home. He was sullen to begin with, but then started to plot his escape from this new contraption around his neck...Soon enough I heard him growling and thrashing around, ran into the lounge to find him literally pulling the thing off his head, as you would expect a small child to do, with their hands...I managed to get it back on, but then he became berserk, proper rabid wolverine, fangs bared, jumping attacks through the air...zero chance of soothing the trauma site with the cream. Even stepping near him caused more savagery to well up in his body and spirit.

we hardly slept better last night, but at least he was forced to leave his wounds alone. Still...no appetite, zero interest in play, a stone like inertia rooted to his spot on the bed, even the chicken had to be brought to his snout for him to be interested enough in eating. Another trip to the vet was all I could think of. If i could cure him with love, he would have been better several days ago. This is a job for the Pros...Stepping out of the house, he sat straight down in the garden, desperately didn't want to walk. More carriage in my arms, and then back to that horrible metal table with the gingerman standing by, ready to inflict more torture, and the pretty lesbian smiling all the way through the screams, hound tears and roars...They fitted a better collar that he will not be able to remove, managed to rub some cream on his wounds then agreed with me, that he was not recovering anywhere near as quickly as they had expected and i had hoped and assumed. Pain management was the next ploy, so they prescribed Metacam. The poorly prince had to be carried home, even to the bed...My hopes lay in the Metacam, and as advised, I delivered a double dose sweetly covering a chunk of chicken breast. Soon after, Oscar finally relaxed, calmed down palpably. Still no sparkle in his eyes or behaviour, no desire to play, BUT...he has managed to sleep peacefully for a few hours for the first time since returning home last Friday, and is seeming somewhat more alert.

Now that his collar is secure and I have some method for lessening his constant, debilitating pain, I can return to work tomorrow, dashing home at lunchtime to check his state of heart and body. Yet of course, I remain troubled, and also suffering from a pointless hellbroth of guilt and impotence.

Hearing him cry is the worst sound my soul can hear, other than my mother doing the same. It cuts right to my core, like lightning, searing me with angst and deep rooted horror...Science and common sense and expertise all suggest that what is needed is what he has now; no chance of licking the wounds and pain relief...but how long, for fucks sake, before I see and more importantly, he feels, improvement????

Has anyone else run such a wretched gauntlet????Any vets around????

[cutthecashflow]

Dan that was one of the most enjoyable things I've read in a while. If I had more than a cell phone to communicate with the guru I would give you the praise you deserve for that post. I hope to converse with you via it be o. Here or another program, take well Dan.

P.S. my dog instills pride in me as well..

[Ikku]

I like how you talk about it like it's so dishonorable to neuter him haha. A dog does not really know what his testicles are for and by removing them you are preventing a possible increase in the pet population (shelters and the streets are crowded already) and you are preventing him from ever getting testicular cancer. Doing him a favor really. Now I'm surprised they let him go home and lick his wounds, in my experience they are supposed to put the cone on his head to begin with to prevent that, surprised he didn't chew out his stitches.

His lack of activity was probably residual anesthesia, especially if he's a little guy, it can take a day or two for that to fully wear off. Now he might still be in a bit of pain, I would hope they provided painkillers for him more than just the cream. But I imagine he'll be completely fine by midweek, definitely by a week later unless something really is wrong.

[zERo~Chronic]

I don't think chopping a dogs balls is exactly "doing him a favor"...I've actually seen a handful of dogs come back in a depressed funk after deballing. Most troubling was a friends dog that was very playful and energetic, so much so that his sick mother made him neuter it. The dog has been lazy and lethargic ever since, years later, and it still makes my buddy sad to talk about it

[AbbyRoad]

sometimes the individual pets have to "suffer" for the greater pet population as a whole

[zERo~Chronic]

Sounds like something doggie Hitler would say

[JokersAce]

Well, teh nuts are responsible for producing various hormones that regulate how a male acts, so I do believe it does fuck with them... just like how human eunuchs like to wear dresses and shit. But IDK, it's not like the dogs are going to be abstinent... same goes for homo sapiens... remember to neuter your pet humans folks!

[WeedGuru_Flow]

Once again an enjoyable read Dan, as you didn't mention him suffering last time we spoke I take it he has recovered or is recovering well from this ordeal?

And in suit with Jokersace : is he on some sort of diet to keep his hormone levels somewhat the same ?