Back to the writing board

It's been a while since I've written. It isn't because nothing's been going on. Au contraire...I've been putting in lots of extra hours. Routinely it's been 10 or 11 hours a day, sometimes 12! Mainly it's because the vet clinic cut hours. Doesn't make sense? Well, it means there's less people to do the same amount of work. And some things just have to be done before the close of the day. Also one of my two kennel assistants went to only being able to work weekends because she's doing an internship at a vet clinic. All this means I often have to do kennels at 5:00  which can take a couple of hours. Needless to say I'm quite exhausted at night at simply fall asleep on the sofa...
What's funny is I'm often writing the days blog in my head while at work...just can't stay awake long enough to put it in the computer. Oh well, I'll try to be better.
Today was actually fairly boring by the usual standards. EVERYONE decided to take the day off so Megan and I opened up at 7:00. Between 7 and 8 I had 2 surgery dogs to walk, eye ointment to put in the boston terrier's eye that had a melting ulcer, antibiotics to put in his food, charges to put in the computer for the exploratory/foreign body surgery I got to help with yesterday, meds to get ready for that dog, instructions for Tony my kennel guy, biplates with cultures set up to look at, checkins to do for the day,sterilize more surgery packs from yesterday, answer the phone...Whew! Makes me tired again.
I'll tell you a little about the surgery yesterday. This border collie cross, "Lyric" had disappeared Tuesday with her buddy lab. They came home at 11:00 at night but Lyric soon started throwing up. The owner, a practicing nurse, got upset the next day when Lyric vomited up thread.When the owner tried to pull the thread out of her mouth it wouldn't come. She left to get some scissors, and while gone, the dog swallowed the thread again. That's a clear danger sign that thread is caught in the stomach or intestinal area. We put Lyric on fluids for the day on Wednesday to rehydrate her and watch her. Thursday then we did exploratory surgery and ended up removing a clump of plastic or rubber with threads and grass all wrapped up from her stomach. Mike also cut into her intestines in 4 places and eventually found this 2 foot long piece of black thread. The intestine had already started 'telescoping' in on itself and the dog would have been in serious trouble within days.


The dog was doing really well this morning and I sent her home with a list of instructions and a very happy and grateful owner. The Boston Terrier "Snuffy" went home with his owner too. His eye had been sewed shut by Mike yesterday to allow the ulcer to heal. I really hope the owner can figure out how to insert the tip of the ointment tubes into the corner of his eye  three times a day. Snuffy wasn't real thrilled when I showed  his owner what to do.
Coco the wirehaired pointer went home from the boarding kennel, thank goodness. That dog spends the whole time jumping and barking. It's nerve wracking for the people who go back there, but its worse for the other dogs who have to listen to it.
I said good by to Bridget, the black and white pitbull boarding with us from the Humane Society. I'm hoping Krista will pick her up tomorrow and take her to the shelter. No one can see her here where she's been since February. The shelter's been full and Bridget's the last of the three that stayed with us for a while. We spayed her yesterday (it was obvious she had already had puppies). Bridget's a good girl but she IS a pitbull and a powerful little thing. We've taught her to sit and tried to teach her a little self control. Pitbulls are nothing if not enthusiastic and that's how Bridget views life. When I went in her kennel to give final hugs, she kept pushing her big broad head against me, wriggling her whole body. I hate to see her live in a small kennel but I can't take a dog like her home. Chances are good that she'd eventually kill one of my cats or even one of my small dogs. And there's no way I could tempt her like that. When I took her to Dennis yesterday to put her under though, I had to muzzle her so she wouldn't bit Dennis. She growled at him and I know she scared Megan, Pam, Emily, Dennis. But she really likes me and is so grateful for the slightest attention. Please help her to find a good loving home...