Define: Dejected

I have a poorly doggy, and while it's not as bad as it looks, she is the very definition of dejected at the moment.

A couple of weeks ago, she had a funny patch of skin on top of her head.  Like a Good Dan, I cleaned and bathed it, put some cream on it, and after a week or so, it disappeared and the hair grew back.  Skip forwards another week, and it appeared to come back a bit.

Over the space of the next five days, it came back, spread and covered the top of her hair.  And it was gross.  And smelled a bit funny.  Then the skin around her eye started going too, and started to swell closed.  Being that she is a Boxer, she really did look like someone had smacked her good and proper.  BUT she seemed OK, so I called the vet and made an appointment for them to have a lookie see.

Over the next few days, it started to look really evil.  EVIL, in fact, and then by Tuesday it was "leaking" or weeping or whatever the term might be.  Only two days for the vet, I thought.

Wednesday morning, her other eye started swelling.  When I say "eye" I do mean the skin around her eye, just to clarify ;)  Wednesday afternoon, I decided enough was enough and called the vet for an emergency appointment.  The woman was a bit snotty, but compared to the bitch in my previous post, we shall let that one live...

Wednesday evening, the vet opened her door, and her first words were "Oh my goodness that's disgusting..."  YES she was talking to the dog you smart arse ready with the comment aimed at me!  She even referred to her as Frankenstein at one point.  Bless her heart, I love Sally to bits, but she looks VILE.

She checked her over and while she was sure she wasn't in pain or danger, she wanted it sorted out, and asked me to bring her back first thing in the morning so they could knock her out, give it a really good clean, dose her on antibiotics, and check her over.  Fair enough.  For the night, however, she wanted to give her body a kick start, so gave her a big fat injection of antibiotics.  And Sally being, well, Sally, stood there, not a mutter nor a murmer while the vet stuck her with a needle.... Wagging her tail, no less.

I had a bit of a palava getting some forms completed (see previous post...) but eventually she was in and being sorted.

All day, she was at the vets - and eventually I got the call to collect her...  Well, if she looked crap this morning, this evening she looks like she just wants some anti-depressants.

As usual, they've done a great job (No, not sarcasm) and given her a good going over.  They suspect she has some sort of autoimmune problem, the name of which escapes me, but manifests in the joints and the face of dogs.  Ie, my dog, who last year could barely walk thanks to her funny joints, and this year has a face like Hannible Lechter had a snack.  So, makes sense.

She's also got calcification of a tendon on her right shoulder, which explains the funny limp she has on and off when she's been asleep for a while.  Apparently, it's similar to our tendonitus as people.  She's also incontinent (still).  So, her funny face has an infection in it, her leg is a bit sore, and she pees a lot.

Oh, they also took a chuck of flesh for a biopsy, and a load of bloods, just for good measure.

So, as of today, she is on a truck load of Antibiotics (for the infection in her skin), some Anti-inflammatories (for the sore leg), some Anti-Peeing Herself Meds (er... for the pee), and she has a special wash I have to apply once a week (to help her skin heal all the funny stuff going on).  I have to apply the wash outside, mind you, because the fumes might knock me out.

The main thing is, and I double checked with the vets, is that she is not in pain, she is not suffering, and she is not ill per se,  just a bit under the weather.  She compared Sally to her nan - a bit doddery, smells, pees herself, but does her own thing on her own terms.

Not sure I'd like to meet her nan, to be honest.  But, Sally is fit, healthy, and - for a white boxer - has a really good heart...  I think I mentioned before, but Boxers are prone to congenital heart defects.  But not this one.

However, due to her skin being really sore, and that she nibbles and licks and itches and rubs anything annoying her, they've given her a Collar of Shame.  So aside from looking like some sort of serial killer victim, she looks like a serial killer victim with a comedy collar on.

But she is soooo unimpressed, and I think her expression says it all...

Poor Sad Doggy

On the bright side, when the assistant bought her in to me, she gave Sally a glowing report.  Apparently they don't get many dogs that are constantly friendly, but Sally was wagging her tail to everyone - even when they were putting her under anesthetic it was still going - and all day while she was recovering, she was all groggy and tottering around with her tail banging on the cage, happy to see everyone.

So, this evening, she is snuggled down on her bed, she's just eaten and made a mess, but I don't mind.  She's had her meds too, and I suspect with the amount of drugs banging around in her system, she should sleep well tonight.

I'll keep you posted on her!

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2 Responses to “Define: Dejected”

Posh Totty said...

Awwww poor Sally dog, I hope she is better real soon, give her a big huggle from me Xxxx

Kim said...

Aww poor Sally, I could cry for her. She looks an absolute sweetie. At least she's not in pain so that's a blessing. Hope she heals quick. Our dogs have just cost us best part of £50 for their yearly anti flea drops and worming tablets. We are on the "wrong" benefits for the PDSA, more's the pity. You never see a poor vet do you?