Sophie is still a little 'groggy' but is making good progress. Despite a midnight thunderstorm she sleeps solidly from seven at night until six thirty in the morning. Her appetite is 'robust'. Antibiotics swallowed enthusiastically.
Readers of the blog will not be surprised to learn that Sophie was not an easy in-patient. After the operation she made it clear that the staff at the clinic weren't going to get near her again - ever again. The female PON ' if in doubt howl ' approach to life. Faced with an 18 inch tall dervish, the surgeon, the night nurse and the anaesthetist thought it prudent to wait for 'The Font' to arrive and put on the harness. Sophie glared at them as she was carried out.
Bob is getting lots of long walks.
His drooling symptoms aren't getting any worse ( and he's not bothered by them ) but they're also not getting any better. No halitosis and no pain on his gums or swelling on his jaw so we don't think it's an abscess. However, one side of his face seems frozen which means he has to chew on his 'good' side.
The bakers in the little market town is starting to get into a seasonal spirit. The cake designs have taken on a 'cheerful' demeanour. Bob gets some choux pastry crumbs.
The central heating engineer never showed up. He calls to apologize ( half heartedly ) and says that he'll be at the house to look at the boiler on December 21st.
The village odd job man with the missing front tooth has started to decorate his balcony railings with a variety of flashing lights. He informs me that they '' won't be switched on yet ". This years colour scheme incorporates last years orange and red reindeer tableaux but adds three sets of Eau de Nile bulbs bought at a 'good price'. He shouts to his wife to turn them on. They surge into life. Angus once again wonders why the French have managed to convince the world that they are a sophisticated nation. '' Remarkable. Quite remarkable " I say truthfully.
18 comments:
I shouldn't laugh, but the image of Sophie glaring at all the clinic staff was so funny. She's such an independent little girl, and it sounds as though she's already well on the way to recovery.
Poor Bob - I do hope the vet can find the cause, and cure, for the drooling.
You're right Angus - we have been convinced that the French are a sophisticated nation, when everything points to the opposite.
It sounds as though the Old Farmer will have serious competition this year !
Dec. 21? Might as well be for June. Way too close to Christmas. And then there's New Year. And then he will be busy with breakdowns and have no time for maintenance calls until things settle down. Then Easter and the holiday month of May. Good luck!
Sophie as grande dame makes me laugh. Maybe she's secretly been watching old Joan Crawford movies as her model.
The competition to the Old Farmer's light display should make for an interesting season. Will there be pictures?
A long list of people, headed perhaps by the staff at the veterinary clinic, will be delighted that Sophie is home and in good heart. Fingers crossed that things at the ROF will start to settle down in the run up to Christmas. It would be good to get to the bottom of Bob's wonky face issue.
Cheers, Gail.
I wonder how often the Vets are faced with less than grateful patients, must be an occupational hazard......with teeth!
Bob seems like such a sensitive wee soul. So I think it really could be related to Sophie's current challenges. Some type of stress induced palsy as previously suggested. In which case, hopefully with time and normal service resumed, it will clear up of it's own accord.
Come the Spring, they'll both be up to their old tricks.
x
A quick scroll through the archives reveals that Sophie has been incapacitated since mid-September. Who can blame the poor girl for being thoroughly fed up and letting the vet staff know about her feelings?
I too laughed at the "glaring Sophie" comment. Poor darling - I am sure she will never be happy going to the vet's again. Poor Bob - perhaps it is all totally stressed induced. At any rate, I do hope both get better fast. Our two darlings send their love your way....with tails wagging.
I too wonder if Bob's symptoms won't disappear when life returns to "normal." And I wouldn't be surprised if Sophie greets her friends at the veterinarian clinic with affection on her next visit. I also take on a cheerful demeanor when viewing the cakes.
Go get em, Sophie!
An exuberant spirit being the best aid to healing I know of.
Sending good thoughts and love from us all.
We get the feeling Sophie won't cooperate for future vet visits.
Yeah Sophie: you tell those (mean) vets who's the boss! Is the drooling worse since Sophie went to the vets this 2nd time? I still think it might be related to his perceived stress. But, I'm not a vet, nor do I play one!
Hope both recover quickly.
Poor Sophie! She's had a time of it, hasn't she. Her post operative behavior leads one to think of incomplete analgesia, which I expect , with the quality of medical services , is not the case, or the effects off general anesthesia which can produce some rather drastic behavioral changes especially with the deep level of anesthesia maintained almost until discharge from the operating room. Also, the patient can be given the exact same anesthesia for each surgery and each recovery can be drastically different. Diva behavior aside, anesthesia is not a benign process. Sophie was probably completely NOT herself. She just needed more time to "clear" the anesthesia. And Bob! Are we sure there is no inner ear infection? All in all, sounds like a canine version of the human Bell's palsy. Love and prayers for both dear dog friends.
I've been keeping up with Sophie using my phone, and as you no doubt know, we are cheering her on! We've had a bit of a set-back with Max's next surgery, but I'm hopeful in a couple of weeks, he'll be back on track and having his next surgery.
I'm also cheering Bob on to recover as well. I've googled his symptoms more than once, and come up with nothing worth noting. Could it be some kind of nerve damage? Have the vets tried/suggested giving him a steroid (like prednisone) to see if that would help?
Sorry to hear about Max. That enforced inactivity in the first month is a difficult thing to get right. It looks as if the inactivity is going to be even more difficult to get right the second time round.
Thanks for your thoughts on Bob. The vets are of the opinion its either a glandular thing , a mild stroke ( even though he's young ) or a tumour. He's the sort of dog who would be seriously upset by going into hospital for 48 hours for a battery of tests that might be inconclusive. I'm more and more coming round to the viewthat he got stressed by his sister and had a mild stroke.
By the way everyone who has seen the harnness has raved over them. Even the hospital in Toulouse which is the major orthopaedic centre had never seen the make before. I can't tell you how often your name is parised for introducing us to the device. Without it both our backs would have gone !
Yes - it certainly is.... the gratitude of the owner's is all we have to get by - and hopefully, the full recovery of the ungrateful patient. The next visit to the vet will be an interesting experience.... temporary immobilising drugs are sometimes worth their weight in gold.
Nerve damage/strokes is not always age related - my Poppy was only five when she had something similar. Scary for us - but I am sure there's hope it will also return to normal with time -- and a good speech therapist.... and yes, perhaps prednisone.
Can dogs get Bell's palsy because that is what it sounds like? Some sort of stress related facial paralysis which hopefully will pass with time.
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