Ponder this:

Sunday, July 25, 2010

The animals are breaking down

One day long ago, we noticed that Max was paying rather too much attention to his private parts. When we investigated as to why that should be, we noticed(!) that almost anybody would pay a lot of attention to his private parts, since a particular part was out waving in the air in a way that, in a neutered dog, it was never meant to do. In addition, Max's mood was Very Bad.
Off to the vet, who put it back inside all nice and cozy. Max seemed happier. A couple of weeks passed, and it was out again, in all its glory. And Max was, once again, unhappy. Unbearable, in fact. Back to the vet who said, "I've never done this before, and neither has Dr. M., but this is what we can try." So the doctor, using local anesthetic and tranquilizers, tucked up the misplaced part and put in a little stitch or two, and sent Max home with a cone on his head to keep him from disturbing the surgical site. Within four days, Max had learned to maneuver his spine so that he could, once again, pay attention. It was OUT again.  I made an appointment, three days hence, with the veterinarian, and took off the cone: "Enjoy yourself, boy."
The day before Max's appointment he was ill. So ill that he hardly knew if he was walking or riding a horse. Husband and I thought that we would wake up to find him dead. We did not.
And off we went to the vet.
"The penis is not the problem," I said to the doctor. It had retracted. Mostly.
The doctor and I agreed that we needed to see if there was something internal that was causing the extrusion.
X-rays followed, and showed all internal organs where they should be, and all of the proper size. Patellas, however, luxating badly. The doctor could pop both hind legs' patellas around quite easily. Tramadol was prescribed, and Max has been living happily ever since. I don't care if he's high; he isn't growling, his parts are all mostly where they're supposed to be, and he isn't falling down the stairs because he doesn't want to flex his hind legs. The only problem remaining is that Tramadol apparently tastes very very bad. My powers of invention are twice daily tested: how to hide a bitter pill in something that Max loves enough to gobble instead of chew. So far I'm batting about .500.


MiMau has been living high on the hog, enjoying her country life. For a week, we daily found a murdered rodent on the front walk. She's been a little off her food, but it's been hot, and there are all those rodents out there. We supposed she was dining al fresco. Yesterday I said to Husband, "Have you seen the cat?" 
"No," he said. 
"I haven't seen her since yesterday afternoon, when she was sitting on the patio."
He went in search and found her sleeping in his workshop, carried her inside, where she moved cautiously and seemingly painfully, drank a little water, and reclined for most of the day.  We concluded that she had gotten drenched in the heavy rain, had gotten chilled and was a little sore. Perhaps, we thought, she had encountered another animal and had been on tense high alert all night. No wounds, no specific sore spots.
Tomorrow I shall make an appointment with the vet for MiMau.  I feel a certain obligation to get all these animals in order before I myself am temporarily incapacitated.


Angus, who was almost killed by a fisher, is beginning to look like Superman next to his siblings.

23 comments:

rachel said...

What an unpleasant experience for all of you! Poor Max. I find that a little blob of cheap supermarket Brussels pate covers a pill very well and is usually wolfed down without touching the sides. A cat would know it was there, though!

Hope all goes well with both animals. And you too, of course - when is it your turn for medical intervention?

June said...

Rachel, what the heck is Brussels pate? If I could find it, I would try it. At this point, I'll try anything.
My turn is on August fourth.

June said...

Oh. I see. It's like liverwurst. Hm.

Wanda..... said...

This has been a stressful summer with health woes and hot humid weather. Perhaps August brings better times all around. Wishing you and yours the best June!

June said...

Thanks Wanda. It's all part and parcel of the pet-owning life, woeful or not. If it ain't one, it's the other.

English Rider said...

Animals are a joy and a burden, aren't they? Peanut butter has always been a good solution to get pills into a dog. Even if they don't like it, it's really sticky and hard to spit out.

Friko said...

More poorly pets. At least they are still with you. English Rider is not so fortunate.

I too go for pate (needs an accent on the e) or a processed cheese triangle. Both are soft, very creamy, smell good and taste good. To humans as well as dogs.

When Benno is allowed no food, when he has one of his many attacks of pancreatitis, I shove his pill in through the side of his mouth, between the teeth, hold his mouth shut and stroke his throat to make him swallow. Works every time.

Could the babies be ill in sympathy with you?

Autumn Mist said...

Oh dear, your poor pooch, that sounds dreadfully uncomfortable for him. All good tips for things to try above, I think. And your poor moggy, too. Will be thinking of you in forthcoming days.

Jinksy said...

My cousin Betty was wont to say "Kids, Cats and Dogs!!!" And I think she spoke a lot of sense.

Will you have to take out a second mortgage to pay the vet bills, is the question?! :0)

Joey said...

When my babies hurt, I hurt. I would go to any lengths to help them feel better.

They are part of our family. Maddie is my oldest dog. She will be 12. I pray she will live through the winter. She's on Cortizone shots and Arthritis medications. She eats very little. Dr Hefner, my Vet looked at me when I cried and says she is getting very old.

I think... the blessing of them is the love we receive, with no expections from them at all.

June said...

Peanut butter did the trick, ER. It doesn't, usually. Apparently I need to mix up my subterfuge a bit to keep it interesting. Max spit out a chunk of peanut and swallowed the pill. We're good, now, until tomorrow morning.

Friko, processed cheese was my go-to for a long time, but they're all wise to it now. Pate might be the way to go if peanut butter fails tomorrow morning. Through the side of the mouth would be handy since Max is missing teeth there now, but Tramadol is apparently SO bitter that it becomes slippery with the immediate release of much saliva, flung hither and yon by the shaking head of the dog.
And thank you for the heads up on ER's sadness.

Autumn Mist, thanks for the good wishes. When I think of poor Max's discomfort I feel quite guilty for having been annoyed with his bad temper...I thought he was just getting old and cranky(er).

Oh Jinksy. I stopped counting the cost long, long ago. I could have had a second house if I'd had no pets. But they would have been empty.

Joey, I hear you loud and clear. MiMau's thirteen. The poodles are fourteen. We are near to borrowed time.

Von said...

Oh dear our poor animals! Em's had 'women's problems" and Max is having blokey problems.Let's hope they both recover very soon as well as your feline who's obviously been overdoing things.

Vicki Lane said...

Three of our dogs are elderly -- one pretty much ancient. It's a matter of keeping them where they enjoy their life.

Best wishes for all your furry friends speedy recovery!

Susan said...

Whew, what a week you have had. As much as I miss my fur babies (3 kitties that all lived to be 16) I don't miss the worry and difficulty that came with trying to medicate them. Hang in there and give everyone kisses and hugs from us all.

Barb said...

Poor treasured pets and poor (literally) you with all the trips to the vet. When we acquire that unconditional love, there must be a price. I always used creamy peanut butter though a bit of soft, smelly cheese also usually worked to get the pills in and down (for the dog). Cats are a bit wiser to that kind of trickery.

Anonymous said...

Goodness gracious, June. You've definitely got your hands full.

Here's to hoping that things and parts get back to normal for you all soon. We're thinking positive thoughts for you.

Bossy Betty said...

You are a busy and involved pet owner! I admire people like you. I have a dog around here somewhere....I think....

Lord Wellbourne said...

Lord Wellbourne and his all-feline orchestra are sending positive get-well energy your way! I love dogs but with my mom--having a dog would be confusing--trying to remember which one needs a walk and which one needs a pill. Not to mention finding designer flea collars to go with the wardrobe. I suppose they could share a leash.....I have the notion the pooch is less likely to need one......

June said...

Von, I'm considering Max "recovered" from the "out" issue. Pilling him for pain for his knees is the ongoing trouble. sigh.

Vicki, my thinking has chnaged over the years. I am less needy myself and (I think) I'm better able to judge when it's time to give up and stop being a heroine. Not yet with any of them. Perhaps soon.

Susan, hugs and kisses received and delivered with gratitude.

Barb, I can't say my dogs are wiser, like cats, but they're just as suspicious. NOTHING goes down without chewing/checking for unknowns. I guess, in most cases, that's good...

MB Farm, well...you know..."normal" is a relative thing...

BossyBetty, I am less "a busy and involved pet owner" than a crazed and frantic pet owner. There's a difference.

LW, I suspect you don't need a dog; you have enough barking going on as it is. :-P

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Hi June, Poor little doggie... Glad you took him to the vet (several times) --and glad that he is feeling better now. I have never heard of that happening...

Hope the kitty is okay too... I know you want your animals healthy....

What sort of medical work are you having done?

Hugs,
Betsy

Inay said...

I hope the kitty is not sick. I hope not poisoned by something she accidentally chewed.

Carolynn Anctil said...

Oh boy. It's so hard when our furbabies are sick. Good work finding the source of the problem with Max, poor fella. I do hope Miu Miu is just having an off day or two.

Hugs all 'round.

Heidi-"Heidi in Real Life" said...

Poor Max. I enjoyed the story though, and am now a follower.