Thank you for all of your plaster well wishes. It was an absolute shocker in many ways, but as I always aim not to make you feel ill (pretty much my tagline) I shall not go into all, or indeed any, of the gory detail. Suffice to say, you may want to avoid them like the plague. And they are not like other plasters when you come to peel them off, they are more like some incredibly thin second skin that sticks like the devil so that you can't even find the edge.
The dog was a little bit sick the other morning (sorry, a touch of grossness there, but bear with me, I have yet another cautionary tale) and was being very dramatic, as is the way with pretty much everyone in this house. He sat down sadly on his walk, gazing into my eyes as though he was trying very hard to communicate something. He kept stretching oddly and when we got home he went and laid out flat on the patio in the manner of roadkill.
We all immediately panicked that he'd swallowed something else and that it had become lodged somewhere, so he was whisked off to the vet, where he sat shaking under the fire extinguisher - he does not have happy memories of them now. When he was a puppy it was all tasty treats and cuddles, but now it's more a question of squeezing and inserting and quite frankly he does not like them any more.
They decided his tummy was tender and they'd give him an ultrasound. He was slid off across the floor as he won't walk anywhere there. To cut a long story short, they weren't quite happy with the ultrasound, so they did an x-ray too for good measure, but in the end decided they couldn't see anything and it was probably an upset tummy. They'd given him painkillers, then a sedative, then a drip, plus some medication to bring home AND IT ALL CAME TO SIX HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FOUR POUNDS. Needless to say he is all back to normal now and happy as a clam.
I bought him a new basket (see vomit above) which he does not care for at all. It is big and thick and bouncy with an adverse camber that he can't get used to. To be fair, I have slippers which are exactly the same. They're too thick and I feel as though I am constantly rolling off of them and being as I'm fairly clumsy as it is I've only worn them about twice all winter and one of those times I fell on the stairs in them.
The Easter hols so far have been all about things on wheels. Boys really do love things on wheels don't they. The littlest boy is scooting everywhere, while the middle boy is biking. And if they're not actually doing it, they're talking about it. It is all far too dangerous for my liking, but I am trying to be laidback about it all. The littlest boy would like a bmx bike really. I was watching someone on one the other day, thinking they're quite nice, maybe I should allow him one. Then someone knocked their tooth out. And today I saw a someone with several front teeth missing. I have gone back to my normal and natural state of high anxiety and nobody is allowed to do anything.
Blimey, I hope you have dog insurance.... but I am glad that Bertie is ok, the most important thing really. James has a BMX bike and had some spectacular crashes on the BMX track. He still has all his teeth. For now. I very much hope that the rest of your spring holiday is completely accident free. I also hope the littlest boys knee is heeled and dressing free x
ReplyDeleteOh, CJ, I feel your pain. I am in the clutches of my own vet at the moment, with one of my miscreants, and as the costs are racked up, well, its downright scary, and I'm not a woman who frightens easily. Having six dogs, I can't afford insurance for them all, and although my intention is to regularly put some money away each month for a rainy day with them, (regular and torrential, actually), we have never really got into double figures. We also seem to time crises particularly well, (ie Sunday evenings, when we not only have to pay for on-call services, but travel to another town, in the darkness, rather than the one up the road). By the time we have had all the excitement of the nocturnal dash, we generally reach the surgery only to find that all evidence of impending doom has disappeared, (you still have to pay for call out, consult, and owner sedation), then get home to find that the other five, furious at missing out on the excursion, have vented their spleen as only they can. But what can you do ? You and they both know that you'll do exactly the same next time it happens, as they hold all of your heart in their grubby little paws.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the BMXing goes, it is an Olympic Sport these days, if you'd like the littlest boy to aspire to great things. But before you start cultivating a deep and meaningful relationship with your dentist, just in case, have a look on You Tube at the actual courses riders are let loose on. Blood curdling is the adjective that comes to mind.
Any one for ping pong ?
My next-door neighbor was just telling me that her son wants her 10-year-old grandson to play baseball this spring and summer, but the grandson has decided instead to continue with his piano lessons and a robot designing class. I thought that sounded so nice and safe. Baseball could lead to football (American-style) and all manner of injuries. Why do children have to put us through all this worry? We're in the same boat as Linda, above, with our animals. We have 6 dogs and 5 cats and insurance would be astronomical. We've had some huge bills, including a $1,000 bill for a blood transfusion, but so far we've been able to pay. We are friends with our vet, and usually ask her what she would do if it was her dog or cat. As she knows us, she has always given us good advice. Animals bring so much joy to our lives - when they're not vomiting!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear that Bertie has perked up but ouch, those vet bills can hurt can't they. Our Patch has just returned from a jaunt to a cattle property and has come back with cuts, sores and prickles in his paws. He is miserable and then we topped it off with bath day....xx Susan
ReplyDeleteOuch.. that is quite the vet bill.. but it does sound like they used a lot of big ticket procedures on him. Maybe next time wait 24 hours to see if he gets better.. :-) Yes, boys love their wheeled things. My two had little 3 wheeler dirt bikes and were always zooming around. Then of course they had cars and each one of my 3 totaled a car. Raising teens is frightening. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDelete£664?! I'm not usually one to recommend insurance, but maybe it's worth it for pets. We don't have any for Hamish though - R says that a shovel is cheaper! :0) How about gum guards for anything racier than tiddlywinks? xx
ReplyDeleteYes ver’s bills soon skyrocket. We have had several £1000 bills over a few years for various operations.
ReplyDeleteOh dear CJ, I really feel your pain. I would love a cat or dog in my later years, but frankly, I prefer to travel now, as I can't afford both. I've always had pussy cats but after the last 2 died within 5 weeks of each other, my husband said, "no more". I must admit it costs an awful lot to have them looked after when you are away. One beautiful cat I owned had to have its back leg amputated, and back then I never let my husband know the final bill amount at the vets. I took a few of my teaching earnings in and paid the bill without him knowing. I was too shocked by the numbers to let him know what it had finally cost. Back then there was no insurance for pets, so you just had to pay the bill. I'm glad that Bertie is now O.K.
ReplyDeleteAs for the boy goings on, I am glad that our household had an equal amount of feminity. Our son did get up to mischief at times but I can't remember any broken bones which were caused by outdoor or biking activities. Books are so much safer..... He still enjoys his books.....
Enjoy it all as they grow up so quickly and before you know it, the nest is empty.
Regards, Robyn
Goodness CJ what an eventful time you are having. Glad Bertie is on the mend even if your poor bank balance is feeling his pain. Vet bills are never cheap are they bit like cars nothing ever just £50 is it. Hope the rest of the hols go a head uneventful in the nicest possible way.
ReplyDeleteMx
Lovely pictures. I'm glad to see that Bertie is okay, but goodness what an expense. That's a familiar story about not liking the new basket.
ReplyDeleteAs for boys and wheels I hope that all remains intact over over the weekend. xx
I'm glad Bertie is ok ... but what a huge bill. Wishing you a lovely ..and trauma free - Easter weekend.
ReplyDeleteOh Bertie!! I read "ultrasound" and immediately heard the "cha-ching" of the cash register going.....ye gods!...never mind the rest of it. Touch of gas, perhaps? Given his history of ingesting foreign objects though, one can never be too careful. The imagine the Bertie Wing of the vet hospital is under contract by the architects already....:O
ReplyDeleteI somehow missed the plaster episode...but am caught up now....the removal is just as bad as the original wounding sometimes, I think.
I once looked out the window in time to see Sebastian careening down the hill on his bicycle, heading straight for the pond...feet off the pedals, head thrown back in utter delight. I averted my eyes and when I didn't hear a splash I opened them again and saw that he'd swerved at the last moment. It was his favourite thing to do for the entire summer. I've earned every grey hair on my head, I can tell you. :D xo
Exorbitant! I wonder what the actual cost to the practice was? I’m always appalled by vets fees but that seems beyond expensive. Very glad the lad is ok though. Also glad the plaster is gone 😁. Hope you can relax a bit now (wheeled things permitting) xx
ReplyDeletePleased that Bertie is okay... Hector managed to hurt his foot trying to climb into a flower pot. He limped around looking sad and pathetic so we took him to the vet where we paid an extortionate amount for a pain killing injection (less than our excess) with instructions to bring him back for an x ray if he was still limping the folllowing day. Turns out he was right as rain by the next morning! Wishing you all a happy Easter free from any wheel related disasters x
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry for your wallet, if you recall my dogs cost me $640 at the emergency vet and the batteries I thought they swallowed were found outside my house. These fur babies cost us so much! Yet we sure do love them. To make you feel better Hank ate my favorite pair of flip flops yesterday, well I did leave them outside. He looked very pleased with himself.
ReplyDeleteYikes – flipping vet bills. I made my husband come with me recently because he always complains about the cost after the event. I insisted he experience the whole shebang and hand his credit card over instead. Worrying about our pets and our offspring is not good for our blood pressure or hair but life would be too quiet without them. Hope you had a lovely Easter. S x
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