A Week of Pet Drama

The week started off with a trip to the vet for Jackson. He had been battling a bit of a cough for a while and we got a little paranoid that it was turning into pneumonia so we thought it would be best to bring him in. Thankfully he just has bronchitis, so we got some antibiotics and now little Jackson is on the mend and his cough is almost completely gone.

Jack man loves his bed!
Jack man loves his bed!

At lunchtime on Monday I took Jackson out in the backyard to play. I was hanging out with him and Mr. Henry strolled up. Immediately I could tell that something was wrong with Henry – he just looked like he didn’t feel well. Ultimately I ended up bringing him inside, not knowing what was wrong, but when I went to check on him up in our bedroom a few minutes later I noticed there were a few blood spots on the mattress {the sheets were in the washing machine}. It took a few minutes to figure out where the blood was coming from but I was able to notice a pretty substantial gash on his back leg.

Henry hanging out outside before I realized he was injured.
Henry hanging out outside before I realized he was injured.

Not knowing what to do, I called the vet and they just said to keep an eye on it and to come in if it’s swollen or if his injured leg feels hot to the touch. Henry kept to himself for the rest of the day and ended up making himself comfortable under our bed. We figured that was so he didn’t have to jump up onto the bed or off of the bed, but the next day when he emerged I realized that his injured leg was more than twice the size of his other leg. Thankfully we were able to get him into the vet that afternoon.

Our little gimp!
Our little gimp!

The vet found an abscess and was able to drain some liquid and give him a shot of antibiotics. He sent us home with some pain killer and instructions to keep Henry inside for the week. We got Henry set up in his own little cat condo downstairs to make sure he was kept comfortable and away from Jackson.

His gigantic leg!
His gigantic leg!

Since his trip to the vet he has been recovering remarkably! His wound is now closed and the swelling is completely gone. Whew! We have plans to visit the vet again on Thursday for a re-check.

He wants to go outside SO bad!
He wants to go outside SO bad!

Alex and I have been through a lot of pet drama in the last year, but we are so thankful for our vet clinic. Four Paws Vets is absolutely fantastic. It’s so comforting to have a vet we can trust for the little things, but more importantly, for the big things.

Making himself comfortable on our bed.
Making himself comfortable on our bed.

In other exciting pet news, Jackson is a puppy school dropout! We got halfway through our third round of puppy classes (Puppy Junior High) and this class has been horrible for Jackson. There is something about the other puppies in the class that makes Jackson crazy. Because of that, and because we regularly work on training our dog, we didn’t feel like we were getting anything out of the class, so we’re done.

Jackson wearing Aspen's Franken Weenie costume - he HATED it!
Jackson wearing Aspen’s Franken Weenie costume – he HATED it!

We finished off the week with a quick puppy playdate with Berkeley, Ryan and Mary’s 4.5 month old wheaten terrier, and we’re hoping to join them at the dog park tomorrow.

Best buds!
Best buds!

We are very thankful for our animals and for the ability to provide adequate care and attention to them. It sure is a lot of work to raise a puppy, but our cat and dog make our lives so, so, so much better, more fulfilling and more enjoyable. Honestly, I don’t know what we’d talk about half the time if we weren’t talking about Henry or Jackson, or remembering silly memories with Oliver or Aspen. Even with the drama, the never ending visits to the vet and the frustrations and stress they cause us, we are so happy they are in our lives. They’re well worth the effort and investment.

 

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