Anaesthetic

Because some of you really care about Ollie, and I know you do, because you comment, or e mail me about him, here is an update.

He went in for his ‘partial amputation’ this morning, at 8.30. He was excited to get into the car, no doubt expecting to be taken somewhere new and different. When he saw the Vet’s car park, his enthusiasm dampened, and once inside, he was visibly uncomfortable. There were lots of other dogs, and a cat, already there. The morning surgery list was long, and the staff were very busy. He was weighed (26 kilos) and then taken in for a health check, to ensure he was fit enough for surgery. He hadn’t had anything to eat after 8pm last night, so that wasn’t an issue. The nurse reappeared, to tell me that he was going to be operated on, and I had to sign the consent form. They told me to telephone after 2pm.

When you have had a dog around, the house feels strangely empty if they are not there. I arrived home, feeling a bit guilty, and more than a little worried. I had asked them not to cut too much off his tail, if it could be done like that, and I was assured that only the smallest amount would be removed. I had some breakfast, and occupied myself with some routine household chores, one eye on the clock. Just after 2pm, I rang as requested. I was told that the operation had gone well, but he was too drowsy from the anaesthetic, to be collected before 4pm. I washed a bag of his toys, so that they would be fresh for his return home, and carried on with jobs, until leaving to collect him.

He finally emerged around 5pm, looking very dopey. Julie had finished work, and had met me at the Vet. Before they went to get him, they presented the bill; not much change from £400, as expected. At least the Vet will be having a good night tonight. As they said, only a tiny part of the end of his tail had been removed, and the wound closed with a couple of tiny stitches. It was so small, it was hard to tell the difference, before and after. It wasn’t dressed, and there were no tablets of any kind to take home. We were told that he had to have lead-only walks for ten days, and bland food for a couple of days. He was still very groggy, and had trouble getting in and out of the car, having to be lifted out, when we got home. He slept most of the evening, but did wake up long enough to eat some chicken and rice. About 20 minutes ago (10.55pm), he took himself off to his bed, and will hopefully sleep it off.

He has to go back for a check-up on the 27th January. I am hoping that will be that last part of this tale of a tail. Thanks to everyone who expressed concern, and sent good wishes for him.

As I know (from comments and e mails) that many of you are interested, here is a short update on the condition of my poorly dog, Ollie. I felt it was necessary to take him to the Vet this morning, even though my dealings with any Vet in the past have always left me uneasy. I cannot justify the huge costs, for what is often a very short visit, and for what is sometimes the most minor treatment. I understand that to be a Vet, is an expensive proposition. Years of study, post-graduate qualifications, and acceptance into a busy practice, often for a large fee. It all adds up. They probably don’t start earning a decent salary (by Vet standards, of course, not by normal ones) until they are into their late twenties. This leaves them with a fair bit of catching up to do, at our expense.

Don’t get me wrong, I want the best care for my dog, and I don’t want him to suffer, or to be in any discomfort. But this is probably the closest we ever get, to seeing private healthcare as it really is, in countries where it is often the only decent option. As we only have the Vet’s word for what is wrong, we pay up, listen to the necessary medications prescribed, and return as instructed, for follow-up treatments. I just have a niggling doubt that a lot of it is unnecessary, and done to increase the bill at the end. If you question the charges, they rattle off the cost of all the tests and anaesthetics, making you feel guilty about not wanting the best for your pet. In extreme circumstances, they invite you to take your pet off their books, and start all over with a different Vet. Same prices though. Maybe it is just me, but I would like to see them looking a bit more worried about the dog, and less worried that I have the means to pay. Of course, I don’t expect them to work for free, just for a little less.

I digress. Ollie was kept in, to have a general anaesthetic. He was unlikely to sit still for a proper examination and treatment, even if muzzled. Even before she agreed this, the Vet immediately began to estimate future costs, should her initial treatment prove to be unsuccessful. With only a cursory glance at the dog, she began to quote me hundreds of pounds for future surgery, that might be needed, to create a proper stump on his tail. After three hours had passed, I went to collect him. I had to pay before even seeing him, and it was a hefty bill, for treatment lasting less than an hour, then letting him sleep somewhere, for two more. He has a huge bandage on his tail, which was shaved and cleaned. Antibiotics have been administered, and I had to buy more, as well as pain killers, to take home. He has slept all the rest of the time, feeling most sorry for himself.

We have to go back on Wednesday, to have the dressing changed, and to see if more surgery will be needed. I hope that I am proved wrong, I really do, but I have the feeling that he will be requiring that extra surgery, after all.

If you have a child, bright and studious, but unsure of the path to take in life, recommend being a Vet.