Sunday, March 18, 2007

Luck of the Irish???

St. Patrick's Day is a big event in our family. We get all dressed up in our best layers of green, help out with the local parade, then celebrate with our fellow Irish friends. This year was to be no different, but halfway through my second glass of Guinness I got a phone call.

It was my parents. The boys and I were staying at their house this weekend, and they had stayed behind while I was at the festivities. Apparently a romp around the yard had turned dramatic. Somehow Bud caught his side on a branch which put a big gash down his right side. The phone call was to let me know that my parents had loaded him in the car and where on their way to the E-Vet. Car-less, I found someone to give me a ride home so that I could meet up with them. When I got home, I loaded up Hoss and we took off.

When I first spoke to my mom I misunderstood her description of the wound. I heard "a half inch" and assumed she meant length. Not so. It was a good 3.5" long by the time I arrived, and had spread to about 2-2.5" wide. Ouch!!! If you want to see it, you can click here. (I don't want to gross anyone out unexpectedly.)

Since we weren't at home I was unfamiliar with the E-Vet. I asked her lots of questions to see what her knowledge was on greyhounds and their special needs regarding anesthesia. She seemed knowledgeable and claimed she had plenty of experience, so I let her go through with the procedure. About 4 hours and $500 later, I was able to pick Bud up - 12 staples and stitches that were too numerous to count. He had done very well and was just a bit wobbly as he was still just feeling the affects of the anesthesia.

He slept pretty well through most of the night - just re-adjusting to get comfortable every so often. Sunday morning he seemed to be feeling a bit better, but was still moving slow. As time went on, he became more and more mobile. The 2 hour ride home was uneventful, and now he is just resting on the floor.

3 comments:

Iowa Greyhound said...

That is a big gash on Bud! He must have been doing some wild St. P. celebrating too. Grey's do like Guinness.

I think cut repair is the most expensive part of greyhound ownership. Our count is three vet visits, $250, and 1/2 inch in total lacerations.

Friar Tuck said...

I hope both you and Bud are doing okay.

Anonymous said...

that's huge! i'm glad someone was home. poor bugger.

that scar will give him bragging rights.