Due to a complicated series of events, I’m taking public transport to work today.
Samantha needs my soon-to-be-ex Tesla to take Ratdog to the vet this morning. Actually her new name is Flaps, for reasons that will become evident. She and Goofy were running around like mad things in the floodwaters on Saturday, and she got injured. Yes, I know floodwaters can be dangerous, but my intention had just been to take them for a quiet walk along the river, until we were overtaken by events. I’ll only say, I’m glad I was wearing waterproof boots.
I only noticed the injury when I got home, so I took a photo and sent it to the nearest equivalent I have to a vet – Simon, a GP. Yes I’m also a doctor but wound care is out of my remit. Look away now if you are squeamish.
His advice, as so often, was to wash it out with water and liquid soap. This done, it was BAU, until yesterday afternoon. As you won’t know, the dogs go to daycare on a Tuesday, in a vain but expensive attempt to get them better socialized. They usually get taken for a walk on those days, where apparently they are both perfectly behaved. I thought perhaps they may want Ratdog to sit out her walk, but when I sent a photo to help with my explanation, the doggy daycare owner rang me back straight away.
Basically her advice was to take her to the vet immediately, do not pass go, do not collect $200. (Does anyone understand the reference here in this day and age?) Chastened, I made an appointment at the vet, and that is why I’m on the bus…Samantha is taking Flaps to the vet while I’m at work, and will pick me up later after my dance class so we can head out to a French film together (my life is very complicated).
Public transport is generally very good in Wellington. It’s been years since “Busaggedon”, when every third bus was a ghost bus that never actually appeared. Our house is only minutes away from the central bus station, so I should really take the bus more often. The reason I don’t is that it’s faster on my scooter or even on a bicycle, the latter having the added benefit of taking me along the waterfront, with a non zero possibility of seeing some sort of aquatic wildlife if I’m lucky. These have included dolphins, penguins, and stingrays, but not whales or orca – yet.
Still, catching the bus was easier than I expected, mostly because I recognised one of the nurses from work in the queue, so I knew it was the right one. I’m unfortunately not yet accustomed to the process enough that my bus pass is easily accessible, but if I managed to drop my purse on the floor as I made my way to the upper level (we have double decker buses), someone was kind enough to chase me up the stairs with it. People watching is also easier when you don’t have to worry about traffic trying to kill you.
….
Well, the vet was quite rude about Flaps and her wound, which apparently didn’t match the timeline I’d given him over the phone, like I was some sort of dog abuser trying to cover up my crimes. Anyway, the delay to treatment meant a full GA to enable wound debridement and closure. On the plus side, plastic head cone technology has come a long way, even since Flaps was spayed. Here she is in a cute modern version. It’s a very unflattering picture; I promise you Flaps is nowhere near as porky as this photo suggests.
