A day

[ksmith]

I was moving Gaby's bed this morning when I noticed a couple drops of blood on the cushion. If this had been a couple of weeks ago, I wouldn't have been alarmed--she was in heat and spotting would have been expected. But she was supposed to be well past that stage, so I was a little concerned. Sore spot? Infection?

King was due for his Lyme disease vaccination, so I made a appointment for the both of them. Came home from work--it was raining lightly, yea!--bundled my two happy little campers into the truck, and took them in.

King wanted Out as soon as he entered the exam room--that was fun. He got his shot, after which the vet checked out Gaby. I was hoping that it was some weird stress response to regular feedings and a new home, etc, but it turned out that she is in heat again. The reason is likely something called "cystic ovarian disease," which can result in Gaby being in almost constant heat. This could be the big reason why she is so damned active, and why her appetite is so ravenous and why she has trouble putting weight on. The only treatment is spaying, so in about three weeks, I will take her in and get it done. The other vet, who usually treats King and who is responsible for introducing Gaby into my life, thinks it possible that the condition is what led to Gaby being left at the vet hospital. Whoever had her before either got sick of her always being in heat, possibly didn't want to (or couldn't) pay to have her fixed, and so let her go.

We're home now. The kids are sleeping. I'm going to skip the debates and work. I will only say that if life is just, and sometimes it is, the karmic payback will be a stone bitch. You betcha.

Comments

[affinity8.livejournal.com]

I hope the karmic payback is indeed a bitch!

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

Oh, poor Gaby. Poor you, too. And I...cannot wrap my mind around the idea of owning a female dog and not having her spayed pet and not having it fixed. Just, wtf, over?

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I had wanted to wait until after the first of the year, for selfish reasons--I didn't want to have to try to keep her relatively quiet for ten days post-op and work on the book at the same time. But it appears that she can be boarded 3-4 days post-op, which is when the bulk of the healing occurs. Things are usually fine after that.

The vet who treated Mickey, who is no longer at the practice, said that it's not a happy profession. They see too many animals that just don't get care until it's too late, or that aren't treated properly even after the owners are told what to do. It seems impossible to believe, given all the care that folks here on the lists give their pets, but that attitude isn't the one that prevails, apparently.

[barbarienne.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry you have to do this on an awkward time schedule. Alas, pets are not convenient all the time. (Still, they're better than kids in that respect.) (ETA: I realize this first paragraph could sound condescending. I mean it sincerely. I do wish you had been able to wait until your schedule worked out better.)

And though no one should abandon a dog, much better that those people abandoned her so someone like you could give her a better life.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Yup--I know.

[(Anonymous)]

Poor Gaby! That would be no fun at all. I hope her surgery goes easily.

Adrianne