Our Problem Child

 

Many of you know Ben. He's OUR (more on this in a minute) adorable Cavalier, who up until recently, has been extremely low maintenance. (This doesn't count the first year of his life where he ruined about a half dozen pairs of my shoes, ate Maddie's poop and barfed it up all over the house and on furniture, and ruined a practically new coffee table by chewing all four corners down to nubs while he was teething.)

Before we got Ben, we had MY dog Maddie, and TY's dog Snoopy. Ben is OUR dog. We got him together. We split the cost of him right down the middle when we found him about three months before we got engaged. (I can't believe I bought a dog with Ty before he put a "ring on it".) His, mine, and ours.

About 6 weeks ago I got a call at work...

Ty: Hey Babe. We have a problem. (Never good.) 

Me: OK - what's up?

Ty: I was walking the dogs this morning and noticed that Ben's butt hole is really red and swollen. I think something is wrong with his anal glands. (Two words I have always hated - "anal" and "glands".)

Me: Oh man. That sucks. When are you taking him to the vet. (Obviously.)

Ty: Babe, I can't. I have to be in Tacoma in an hour. (In other words, "Can you help for once?")

Me: Umm.......... uhhhhhhhhhhh..... (as I see that I am in back to backs for five hours straight) OK, I will make it work. I will clear my calendar for the afternoon and head home.

The short of it is this. About 2 hours (and $120) later I was at the vet with the poor kid as Dr. Kanahwhahshsahdjasa tended to an infected anal gland. Luckily the thing burst while she was eye to eye with it and not me. (I did however get a good look at it after wards. I know, that's disgusting.)

Spring forward to this past Sunday. I'll set the scene. It's about 70 degrees out, sunny and lovely. We took Maddie and Ben (Snoopy was at the Beach with Grandma and Grandpa Jensen) to a near by park in our neighborhood. Ben is absolutely addicted to fetch. Addicted may just be an understatement. After about 20 minutes of constant ball throwing and fetch, we decided it was time to go. Just then we noticed Ben's back foot bleeding. Ty scooped him up and I saw it. A dangling, bloody nail almost completely pulled out of the quick. UGH! We made our way home in a haze. I was practically in tears over this. I know Ty was too. We both just felt so bad for our baby. 

The next 30 minutes are ridiculous after reflecting on the events. We get home. Ty sits down on the garage floor with Ben. I run inside with Maddie to get a bowl of water and a first aid kit. I come out to the garage and I don't know who's panting/sweating more - Ty or Ben. Ty still has the "diaper bag" on (that's what we call the backpack we take on walks because it holds all our dog related items like water / water bowl, balls, and poop bags - with three dogs we Ty has to tote around a lot of crap) so I take it off of him. We go back and forth for a minute trying to figure out what to do. Ty then sends me on a wild goose chase to find some nail clippers - because obviously human nails are just like a dog's. Um, no. (If you recall from an earlier post, Ty doesn't appreciate where I choose to clip my nails so he has to hide these from me.) After a long 20 second search in the kitchen I go back out to announce that they are no where to be found. While I am out there he tells me he is going to go check to see if a nearby pet clinic is open but that he needed his keys. I walk inside and can't find them on the counter because they are actually upstairs in "his room" (the spare bedroom where he houses his clothes). We swap spots back outside in the garage. I take Ben and sit on the ground while he speeds off to check the pet clinic. 

Problem #1 - He DRIVES to go check to see if it's open. It's almost as if we live in Amish Country and he has to get the wagon ready to go to Merle's for a cup of locally grown barley. 

Problem #2 - He leaves without the dog. 

10 minutes later he gets home to tell me what I already know but didn't have enough common sense to realize before he left. They are closed. Weird. 

In the meantime, I have since texted our fantastic friends (and neighbors - how convenient) Jay & Lisa in my haze. They had this really great idea. Google a local emergency vet clinic and CALL to see if they are open. 

We try this and learn that only one is open and it's in Lake City and costs $98 just to get in. We look at each other and go back and forth and decide we should wrap it up since it's stopped bleeding and wait until the morning to get him into our vet in Kirkland. I then drive (my turn) to Bartell's to get some items to wrap his little foot. Note picture below.

- Ben with his poorly wrapped paw -

Needless to say, the evening was eventful. Ty and I even squeezed in a little fight. Good times. (We obviously made up an hour later, as usual.)

Ty took Ben to the vet yesterday morning first thing. Both he and Ty walked out of there with less than what they walked in with. Ty was out $200 and poor Ben was minus a nail. 

In the end, all is fine and good. We have a puppy on pain meds and a professionally wrapped paw.

- I might work out tonight -