Back to the vet...

Hansel was able to chew off his scab, revealing a rather large puss center than wouldn't stop draining. Perhaps this is what made his testicles so swollen and sensitive to the touch? I thus made another appointment to have him seen after work.  Luckily, with the holiday break now ahead of me for two weeks, I got off at 10:30am and took off soon thereafter to have lunch, relax, and get Hansel ready for another vet visit.  This was an additional $75 walk-in fee because I didn't give the office their five-day notice.

Today's DVM was Dr Cristian Arivaca, who three years ago helped sedate Sammy before he was euthanized.  He has a gentle touch and a calming voice with both people and animals. He told me he had to work as a vet tech before he could be certified in Arizona as a DVM, having studied animal medicine in Mexico and working primarily with horses.

My appointment was for 1pm but I waited in a room for 30 minutes before I was seen, then left just before 2pm.  Hansel stayed behind for surgery at 4pm after I insisted he get the premium treatment of a deep cleaning and sutures.  "Stay by your phone" said the blonde vet tech, as I would be called when he was ready for pick-up.  I've head those words before!

At 4pm, anxious hearing about Hansel's progress, I went back to the clinic with Gretel for company.  She and I walked around the area near the clinic again, along the same route I took Hansel last week.  She sniffed, she peed, but wasn't too excited about walking in the chilly air.  After just an hour of slo-mo walking, we then waited in the Honda for that phone call telling me that Hansel was ready to go home.

And waiting we did.  I'm getting tired of this treatment from this clinic, but again I bit my tongue.  There is only so much one can do in a small car with a dog while waiting to pick up another dog. I enjoy playing Toon Blast on my smart phone, but that is just "Zeitvertreib" as they say in German, something to idle time away with.  Gretel was bored, too, resting her head on the dog bed I have in the back of the Honda.  NPR news was all about the covid numbers, and how the vaccine will be ready to ship out on Sunday for first responders across the country.

At 5:30pm I called the clinic to see how Hansel was doing.  Again I got blown off, saying an emergency has kept the doctor from getting to Hansel.  "I've been waiting outside the clinic since 4pm" I told the receptionist.  And miraculously, 20 minutes later (!!!) I got a call to pick up Hansel.  The infection was deeper than expected, and my bill was thus even higher than the "high estimate" I was given.  Again I bit my tongue.  Hansel's neutering has now cost me over $700.

I walked out of the clinic just before 6pm, thirty minutes before the clinic's posted closing hours.  But as soon as I walked out the door, the "open" lights were turned off and the windows went dark.  The clinic had closed for business thirty minutes early .Damn, I thought, I should have made everyone wait an additional 30 minutes just to let them know what it feels like to wait unnecessarily. I was the last client of the day.

Hansel was deeply medicated when I walked out with him.  While conscious, I had to hoist him up in the back of the Honda because he was too out of it to jump up and lay behind the driver's seat.  He wasn't even happy to see Gretel.  And when we got home, I had to wake him up to get him inside, where he quickly went to sleep but whimpered on and off all night.  That poor dog has not had an easy nine months so far, with parvo and now a botched neutering behind him.  He's taking it all like a champ, though, and I will be right there with him through it all.

I am seriously thinking of finding a new veterinarian office just because the front office treatment is terrible.  The service I get at the clinic is below par, but I do like what Dr Moffett does to her animals.  I do not want Gretel getting spayed at this clinic as I fear the same kind of infections to linger.

***

Global cases: 76,261,267

Global deaths: 1,692,857

US cases: 17,888,301 (+254,599)

US deaths: 320,845 (2923) 

AZ cases: 442,671 (+7635) #14

AZ deaths 7819 (+142)

CA cases: 1809,469 (+46,141); #2

CA deaths 22,437 (+292)

IN cases: 453,139 (+5949) #12

IN deaths: 7265 (+85)

PA cases: 544,853 (+9124) #8

PA deaths 13,705 (+229)