Why Lily is the Best Dog Ever!
So! Lily has a skin tag on her knee. It's growing. When I asked the vet about removing it, the estimate they put together was in the $900 ballpark. Ouch!
We went in again today so the vet could look at it, hoping it had no sensation and I could use liquid nitrogen to take it off slowly. No such luck: there's sensation. Then this happened:
Vet: You know... and I would never ever ever suggest this for anyone but you, ever, but... well, do you think she'd let us use a local and just take it off in the back? I could do it between appointments... The lidocaine stings, is the only thing.
Me: How bad?
Vet: Like a bee sting, maybe.
Me: *remembers having lidocaine shots* Well, the worst she'd do is lick you. If I were there, I could stop her from even doing that.
Vet: Oh yes, you'd have to be there. Like I said, I wouldn't do this with anyone else's dog.
Me: *dies quietly* Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. (Except the internet, that's different, shuddup.)
Vet: *relieved* I can't believe I'm even suggesting it, really. You want me to have them write up an estimate?
Me: Yeah!
A little while later, the estimate came back: $400 instead of $900. WOO HOO. I said, "Let's do it!"
Lily and I headed to the back surgical area. I told her to lay down and flop over, and I gave her treats while she got the lidocaine injections (which was a fair trade off, given her totally ignoring the injections in favor of treats), and then we hung out while it took effect. Then they use a little hole-punch looking thing to grab the skin tag, the area around it, and the skin under it and cut it all out. (It wasn't that easy; the first tube thing was too dull and they had to swap it out for another after trying to make it work. It probably took 5-10 minutes in which Lily had to be PERFECTLY STILL. She was! Well, except a couple of times her little tail gave a little wag, but that was okay.) They took out all the skin, too, and you could see right down to the subcutaneous layer underneath. I got a really good look. It was pretty cool. >.>
After that it was two stitches (Vet: Normally I have nice, neat stitches... but bent over and pregnant, these won't be. I'm not putting my name to these ones! Me: Don't worry, I'll tell everyone I did them. Vet: Good!), during the last bit of which Lily kindly rolled over to get her belly rubbed, and the vet could stitch easier.
At some point we had this conversation:
Vet: Normally I give pretty detailed post-surgery instructions, but... well, just keep an eye out for infection.
Me: *nodding* Swelling, ooze, heat.
Vet: Exactly. *grins* Keep her calm.
Me: For how long?
Vet: A few hours.
Me: ...for how many days?
Vet: *brightens* Oh! Two, if you can.
Me: No chasing squirrels.
Vet: *dies* No, none of that.
By that time Lily had halfway fallen asleep.
THEN it was bandaging time! (Keep in mind, it was her knee.)
Tech 1: Hmm, I'm not sure how well this will stay...
Me: Tape it on.
Tech 1: Oh, well, she'd probably chew on that.
Me: No, she won't. Tape it on.
Tech 1: But that will pull her fur! Maybe this vet wrap...
Me: I tape things on her all the time. I put band-aids on her when I trim her nails too short. She's used to it. Just tape it on.
Vet and two techs: *stares, dies*
Tech 2: And she LEAVES THEM?
Vet: *highly amused* If Jenna tells her to, I'm sure she does.
Me: *nodding*
Tech 1: Well...
Me: I'm just going to take her home and put a band-aid on it.
Tech 1: Okay, we can just tape this here... but we'll put vet wrap over it!
Me: *mental headdesk*
Tech 1: *takes ten minutes to wrap it*
Lily: *stands up. Vet wrap slides off.*
Me: I saw some medical tape in there. That would stick. TAPE IT ON.
Tech 2: *laughing*
Tech 1: Well... okay.
Vet: *laughing*
Tech 1: Do you need a cone?
Me: Nah.
Tech 1: *warningly* She can't lick it or chew on it.
Me: It's okay, I'll just tell her to stop.
Vet: It's really okay. Jenna can make her do that.
Tech 1: We have some nice ones here..
Me: I'll be with her all night. If there's a problem, I can pick one up at any store.
Tech 1: *dubious*
Out in the waiting room...
Me: Lily, leave it.
Lily: *stops nosing at it and sighs. Doesn't go back to it.*
Techs: Oh my gosh, she's so good.
Lily: *lays on my foot*
Me: *pets* Yes, she is. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
And that, folks, is the story of how Lily was the first dog to ever have surgery without sedation at that clinic (or any other my vet had worked at, or any I've heard of), and how she saved me $500.
My dog is the MOST AWESOME DOG EVER.
My vet is pretty damn awesome, too, and thinks I work miracles. (She's one of my clients, and she's seen other almost-impossible things, like when I tell Cash, "Hold," and even his eyes stop moving while they draw blood from his neck and he doesn't flinch AT ALL. Also, when she sends me biologically aggressive cases and I send them back significantly better.)
Poor Tech 1 is a relatively new tech who keeps trying to treat me like most owners, while the vet keeps overriding her. She hasn't figured out yet that my dogs are A) actually better when I'm around, B) I really do know a crapload about dog behavior and body language and C) I can do what I say I can do, even when it sounds impossible. She'll get there. ;) (I can't blame her. I'm always skeptical, too. I only believe other trainers.)
It was a good night. :D
J
We went in again today so the vet could look at it, hoping it had no sensation and I could use liquid nitrogen to take it off slowly. No such luck: there's sensation. Then this happened:
Vet: You know... and I would never ever ever suggest this for anyone but you, ever, but... well, do you think she'd let us use a local and just take it off in the back? I could do it between appointments... The lidocaine stings, is the only thing.
Me: How bad?
Vet: Like a bee sting, maybe.
Me: *remembers having lidocaine shots* Well, the worst she'd do is lick you. If I were there, I could stop her from even doing that.
Vet: Oh yes, you'd have to be there. Like I said, I wouldn't do this with anyone else's dog.
Me: *dies quietly* Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. (Except the internet, that's different, shuddup.)
Vet: *relieved* I can't believe I'm even suggesting it, really. You want me to have them write up an estimate?
Me: Yeah!
A little while later, the estimate came back: $400 instead of $900. WOO HOO. I said, "Let's do it!"
Lily and I headed to the back surgical area. I told her to lay down and flop over, and I gave her treats while she got the lidocaine injections (which was a fair trade off, given her totally ignoring the injections in favor of treats), and then we hung out while it took effect. Then they use a little hole-punch looking thing to grab the skin tag, the area around it, and the skin under it and cut it all out. (It wasn't that easy; the first tube thing was too dull and they had to swap it out for another after trying to make it work. It probably took 5-10 minutes in which Lily had to be PERFECTLY STILL. She was! Well, except a couple of times her little tail gave a little wag, but that was okay.) They took out all the skin, too, and you could see right down to the subcutaneous layer underneath. I got a really good look. It was pretty cool. >.>
After that it was two stitches (Vet: Normally I have nice, neat stitches... but bent over and pregnant, these won't be. I'm not putting my name to these ones! Me: Don't worry, I'll tell everyone I did them. Vet: Good!), during the last bit of which Lily kindly rolled over to get her belly rubbed, and the vet could stitch easier.
At some point we had this conversation:
Vet: Normally I give pretty detailed post-surgery instructions, but... well, just keep an eye out for infection.
Me: *nodding* Swelling, ooze, heat.
Vet: Exactly. *grins* Keep her calm.
Me: For how long?
Vet: A few hours.
Me: ...for how many days?
Vet: *brightens* Oh! Two, if you can.
Me: No chasing squirrels.
Vet: *dies* No, none of that.
By that time Lily had halfway fallen asleep.
THEN it was bandaging time! (Keep in mind, it was her knee.)
Tech 1: Hmm, I'm not sure how well this will stay...
Me: Tape it on.
Tech 1: Oh, well, she'd probably chew on that.
Me: No, she won't. Tape it on.
Tech 1: But that will pull her fur! Maybe this vet wrap...
Me: I tape things on her all the time. I put band-aids on her when I trim her nails too short. She's used to it. Just tape it on.
Vet and two techs: *stares, dies*
Tech 2: And she LEAVES THEM?
Vet: *highly amused* If Jenna tells her to, I'm sure she does.
Me: *nodding*
Tech 1: Well...
Me: I'm just going to take her home and put a band-aid on it.
Tech 1: Okay, we can just tape this here... but we'll put vet wrap over it!
Me: *mental headdesk*
Tech 1: *takes ten minutes to wrap it*
Lily: *stands up. Vet wrap slides off.*
Me: I saw some medical tape in there. That would stick. TAPE IT ON.
Tech 2: *laughing*
Tech 1: Well... okay.
Vet: *laughing*
Tech 1: Do you need a cone?
Me: Nah.
Tech 1: *warningly* She can't lick it or chew on it.
Me: It's okay, I'll just tell her to stop.
Vet: It's really okay. Jenna can make her do that.
Tech 1: We have some nice ones here..
Me: I'll be with her all night. If there's a problem, I can pick one up at any store.
Tech 1: *dubious*
Out in the waiting room...
Me: Lily, leave it.
Lily: *stops nosing at it and sighs. Doesn't go back to it.*
Techs: Oh my gosh, she's so good.
Lily: *lays on my foot*
Me: *pets* Yes, she is. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
And that, folks, is the story of how Lily was the first dog to ever have surgery without sedation at that clinic (or any other my vet had worked at, or any I've heard of), and how she saved me $500.
My dog is the MOST AWESOME DOG EVER.
My vet is pretty damn awesome, too, and thinks I work miracles. (She's one of my clients, and she's seen other almost-impossible things, like when I tell Cash, "Hold," and even his eyes stop moving while they draw blood from his neck and he doesn't flinch AT ALL. Also, when she sends me biologically aggressive cases and I send them back significantly better.)
Poor Tech 1 is a relatively new tech who keeps trying to treat me like most owners, while the vet keeps overriding her. She hasn't figured out yet that my dogs are A) actually better when I'm around, B) I really do know a crapload about dog behavior and body language and C) I can do what I say I can do, even when it sounds impossible. She'll get there. ;) (I can't blame her. I'm always skeptical, too. I only believe other trainers.)
It was a good night. :D
J