The Invalids

1. Brynna

We took Brynna to the Manchester Health Department today for her 6 month shots. I have been trying hard to get her set up with a local doctor, and in fact have submitted the new patient paperwork, but it was clear that it was going to take awhile to get her an actual appointment, so we went this alternative route. She was such a trooper, only crying for a minute or so after her 4 shots (for a total of 8 vaccines: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae b, Strep pneumoniae, hepatitis B, influenza) and oral rotavirus drops. But she is really off her game tonight, despite doses of Tylenol every four hours. It may have nothing to do with the shots, though—it's a very similar meltdown to Friday night's. For now she is tucked up in bed, and I am hoping that a good night of sleep will do wonders.

Also, tomorrow I will not let her topple over like a felled tree and hit her head on the side of her crib.

2. Jasper

Yesterday, Dad was just leaving the house with Brynna and Jasper for a walk when Jasper spooked at something, pulled free, and took off. The big problem was that when the heavy plastic handle of his leash started banging along the street behind him, it freaked him out even more. He ran out of sight, and may have actually dashed all the way around the block, before he reappeared from the opposite direction and ending up cowering against the door, tangled in the leash. He hid under the table all day, and was limping noticeably after his evening walk with Dad. The problem seemed to be his right front leg, and I checked his paws and felt each leg carefully for swelling or a lot of tenderness or an inability to bend. I even wiped a washcloth over him to see if there was residual bleeding coming from anywhere, since he was licking that leg a lot. (Keep in mind that Jasper has 3-4 inches of dense hair all over, which meant I couldn't see his skin anywhere.)

He was limping but not in dire straits, so we decided he didn't need a nighttime visit to the pet emergency room. I took him out for a walk this morning—still limping, and had to carry him down the long flight of stairs—and then called a local vet as soon as they opened and got him an appointment to get checked out. I thought he probably had some sort of sprain or strain, but didn't want to overlook anything. 

Then, as I was below him on the stairs, trying to coax him down to the car to go to the vet, I saw it. The ENORMOUS GASH on his right shoulder. Well, maybe not enormous, but a couple of inches long, anyway. Surrounded by matted hair where he had been licking for 24 hours. It was just under the point of his shoulder, which I guess is how I missed it, in combination with the volume of hair and lack of good light in the apartment. But, jeez. I know my patients aren't going to be quite as hairy as Jasper, but it sure made me feel terrible that I had missed this cut!

The vet tech and the vet were very gentle with our terrified pup. His shoulder was shaved and cleaned, but no stitches since it has been more than 24 hours and the cut doesn't go into the muscle (this would be the same for humans, too). He also had an x-ray just to make sure that his tenderness wasn't due to a fracture. All clear, thank goodness. And then we were sent home with a week's worth of antibiotics and a week's worth of the doggie equivalent of ibuprofen, which Jasper happily gobbled down in big chunks of Cabot cheese (no, not the clothbound, $20 a pound stuff. Hunter's extra sharp.) He is limping a little less and did some trotting on our evening walk, so I think he'll make it. 

3. Dad's car

This one was not my fault. And it's been fixed now. Yay for the local Subaru place!

So, as you might imagine, between the baby doctor, the doggie doctor, and the car doctor, I haven't gotten much done today. Productivity is also apparently diminished by feelings of extreme guilt re: dog and baby. Back to the grind!