Saturday, January 24, 2009

Veterinarian Drama Part 1

So, if I weren't Christian, today's experience would be one more indicator to me that Ranger was a Delta Force operator in a former life. Just a thought too, another fitting name for him would have been Hannibal the Cannibal.

Ranger has a urinary tract issue that just started on Thursday. Luckily he pees in the bathtub. He was due for his annual exam and rabies vaccination anyway and I was able to get him in for an appointment.

Now, Ranger has stickers on his file that say "I BITE". And those don't mean "I suck". They mean he bites. With his teeth. I once made my mom laugh when Ranger was being a pain and I snapped at him, "Oh bite me!" and the SOB did!

A vet tech that has never handled Ranger asked if he'd be able to take Ranger out and take blood and give him his shot before the vet came in.

"Um, Ranger is very combative and I didn't plan ahead with this trip, so I wasn't able to give him any sedatives before we got here."

To put an exclamation point to what I had just told the vet tech, Ranger stuck his paws out through the spaces in the carrier, started grabbing and clawing at my clothes and started growling.

The vet tech looked at that and said, "O.k. lets hold off taking him out until the Dr. can see him."
Good idea.

Just to give you an idea - - here is a short video from one of Ranger's escape attempts this past summer.

The vet remembered him right away, sort of. She asked if they could take him into the treatment area, away from me so that they could perform the physical exam and get a urine sample.

"Just so you know, you will have to sedate him to do that."

The vet said, o.k. but they wanted to see if they could do it back in one of their treatment rooms without having to sedate him.

5 minutes later she comes back in to the examining room to tell me that Ranger was being very combative through the carrier and for everyone's safety, she wanted my permission to sedate him.

"Go right ahead."

15 minutes goes by and the vet rushes back in with Ranger in his carrier and sets him down on the examining table. She was a little out of breath.

"O.k., he escaped and was running amok through the animal hospital." (maybe that Marine Corps pilot I dated a few years ago was on to something when he swore he thought Ranger had been through SERE school - - that is Survival, Escape, Resistance and Evasion)

"But good news is, he peed so we were able to get a sample without having to sedate him and do a catheter."

I asked, "Did you give him his rabies shot?"

"Oh, shoot. We forgot that in all the drama."

She looked at him and then at me, "Will he let you hold him while we give him the shot."

Are you kidding me? "No."

I was honest with her, I've had Ranger now for 6 years, I know him. I know what he is capable of. No way in hell I'm going to hold him while she give him a shot. To handle him when you are trying to make him do something he doesn't want to do - - you practically have to put body armor on.

So, they took him out to a treatment room and with lots of thick towels they were able to hold him down while she gave him a shot.

When she brought him back she said, "He is so lucky to have a nice home where you love him. He's very lucky."

So we are home now and he's being all lovey-dovey now. (rolling my eyes). Only 365 more days to go before we have to do this all again.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Oh My Goodness....he is a sweet little demon, isn't he!

Salem heard me playing your video and came in here to investigate what that sound was. He was not happy!