Nervous wreck ...

The last few weeks have been such a rollercoaster.

Between Hoss holding up a leg, then getting better, his tumor diagnosis, the removal of his stitches without bloodshed or even attempted bloodshed, and then his tearing of the incision, my stomach has pretty well been on a constant vomit-watch.

I was so frazzled last night. Beyond frazzled.

Not just because my dog continues to have problems, but also because those problems cost money.

That's not to say I wouldn't pay whatever I had to and could to get him better, because I would. And I am.

There's no way to know if he finally started chewing on the leg after the stitches were out, but the other thought was that the placement of it - along side his knee - combined with the way he sits - he flops his legs to the side when he sits - probably weakened the incision and it just split open on its own.

So these stitches stay in for 3 weeks. And he has an Elizabethan collar in case he decides he wants to chew them.

And even though I never once saw him even try to chew that leg before, the fear that he would had me all wonky. Because, of course, I didn't want his first wearing of the collar be when I'm in bed. Ya know ... in case he managed to choke himself with it.

On the plus side, the vet he saw last night wasn't the ugly woman he'd been seeing. And this vet made the comment that Hoss is actually a really friendly dog. To which I said "That's what I've been trying to tell everyone!". He seriously showed his ass, growling and lunging, during his first visit and was labled a problem patient. Since then, though, he hasn't so much as made a rumble.

And last night he was tail waggy. And they didn't make me go get him like they did after his surgery. The vet tech looked at me and said "oh, Hoss" and was out with him, minus his muzzle, just a few minutes later. He didn't even protest when she fitted the collar on him.

So that's a definite plus. They're finally getting to see the dog I know.