Buzzupdate

For everything that happened to him yesterday, the boy is doing pretty well. Both of his incisions (for bump removal) are dry and happy-looking. (I did not pry open his mouth to inspect the devastation therein..... I don't know how carefully I'd have been inspecting the incisions if I hadn't been instructed to do so. Yes, I'm a wimp when it comes to destruction of my critters' flesh..... Even for a good cause.)

I thought he would be groggy yesterday, but he was antsy. I suspect one of the drugs he was given (anesthetics and analgesics....).

He was wandering around, every couple of hours, all night long........ Let's hope he sleeps better tonight, as I will if he does.

This morning he had more canned food with all of his pills, and tonight he had watered-down kibble (with fish oil on top), which he thought was delectable.

He felt good enough to chase a ball several times, though I think it made his mouth hurt. I know just opening my mouth hurts, after they've worked on it a long time, so I would think that opening it enough to hold a ball might not really be all that comfortable.

I've tried to take his lead on exercise/play throughout this whole "sick dog" thing, and I mean to continue to do that. I don't urge him to do more, or to begin. It's all up to him.....

I have him on a three-tramadol-a-day schedule (I suppose I should re-think my behavior, described in the above paragraph, in light of this....). I'm allowed to give him 2 or 3 a day, and for now, it's 3. When his morning one was about to wear off, he was holding his face in his paws (lying on his side)..... As long as I'm seeing anything like that, I'll keep him on 3 a day! (That was before he chased the ball.)

I went to the UM (people) cancer center pharmacy today to pick up some more Leukeran ('script faxed there by our vet). There was a 13-week-old German shepherd guide dog in training outside the door. Big puppies who are training to be guide dogs need to be left alone, but little ones can usually be talked to. I got some puppy scritches both coming and going. Wilbur is far more interested in smells I bring home for him than Buzz is or Sophie was. Sophie took a minor interest, and Buzz couldn't care less. Wilbur (his houndy heritage, perhaps) is very interested indeed when I have touched a dog. Not quite so much when I've touched a cat.....

That was the first time I've taken the new car out by myself, and I'll say it is an excellent vehicle to take to a parking garage. It turns on a dime, and slides right into a parking space that I'd have to be much more careful of with, say, the Voyager.....

This is my second trip to the U for Leukeran, and the second time they didn't charge me for parking. It seems that perhaps they don't charge you when you just need to dash in and out for pills............ That's nice, if true.

Last night when we picked Buzz up at the vet, there was a woman there who said she was an oncology nurse (for people) and she was interested in what drug I needed to pick up at the U. (The person who was checking us out mentioned that the 'script had been faxed over.) Buzz is getting the same drugs that people get. Not a surprise.

She was there with a fat elderly dog that had what I thought was a hideous weeping tumor. She said it was a hot spot. "Lady, it's the size of a dessert plate! That's no 'hot spot', that's an erupting volcano!" Of course I only thought it, didn't say it. If that was her dog, and she doesn't have an excuse like being out of the country for the last 6 months, I surely hope she's never *my* nurse........ I would hope for someone more ... observant. !!!