Some parties end well, and some don’t. Oliver’s had a “ruff” time of it since he returned from puppy camp to an empty house. When he left, Wookie wasn’t feeling well. He couldn’t begin to understand that in one week’s time, she delivered six wooklets and took a trip across the Sierra’s to California. Heck, he was off enjoying his own party.
The first two days at home, HHH and I wrote off Ollie’s depression to loneliness. The house IS pretty quiet now. We feel her absence, as well. But he continued to be very somber.
Monday morning, while enjoying my coffee, I caught a glimpse of him from the side. Ollie missed his last visit to the groomer, so his fur is longer than usual, hiding the true curve of his neck.
Oy.
Vey.
A huge lump covered his entire lower jaw. Tennis ball sized, the first thing I suspected was a bee sting. First, we tried was a dose of Benadryl, which works on pets as well as humans. As the morning went on, the lump was growing, not affected by the medicine in the least bit.
By 1:30, it was obvious Oliver needed the immediate help of a vet. HHH got right to work and called Wookie’s vet, who practices one hour to the east. Thankfully, we were granted a small miracle, as there was a cancellation at 3 pm. We were off.
After looking at Oliver, the vet concluded that the most probable cause was an abscessed tooth. He’d start him on pain meds and antibiotics. He advised us that Oliver needed his teeth cleaned, ASAP. If there were any bad teeth, they’d be pulled under anesthesia.
It just so happened they had a cancellation for the next day. How lucky we were to be taken in so quickly by a vet that had never seen Oliver. Oliver had been overweight for some time, so he’d been dieting for weeks. We found that he’d lost five pounds to put him at a mean and lean 23 pounds.
After hours of waiting for news, Ollie returned home minus three abscessed teeth. The swelling will take some time to go down. After an afternoon meal, settled right into his very own bed. HHH bought him some wonderful canned food to enjoy until his wounds heal.
Although we all miss Wookie tremendously, things worked out for the best. Ollie will need this time to heal and rest. He’ll be ready for her when she returns to us in June.
During the exam, two puncture wounds were discovered from his time at the kennel. Those didn’t help either. Sometimes Oliver is too mouthy for his own good. While we were at the vet, he didn’t bark or growl at anyone. Maybe he learned a good lesson.
After everything was said and done, we needed to settle the bill.
Dental Cleaning, three extractions by a veterinary surgeon, pain meds, antibiotics, anesthesia, and micro-chipping. Medical services from 7:30 am – 2:30 pm. No IV’s.
Total due — $568.
We did what any dog owner and lover would do. Thank the wonderful staff, pay up, and take our precious pup home. Thank goodness it wasn’t more serious or expensive than it was.
So, that’s the latest news from Winterpast. I may need to change Oliver’s name to Gummer. For now, he remains the prestigious Sir Oliver of Antworth Hall. Just don’t ask him to smile for pictures any time soon.
More tomorrow.