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La Faula Diary
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Monday, December 31 2007
We really passed a pretty tiring Christmas with Barty - one of the Maremmano sheepdogs. On Christmas Eve noticing that she wasn't well, I took Barty to the vets expecting to leave with nothing more than an antibiotics prescription. Instead, the vet told me that Barty was hours from death as her uterus was infected & her kidneys were at risk of packing-up. By midday Barty was on the operating table.
In the evening of Christmas eve we took Barty home. On Christmas Day we took her again to the vets (good service eh? - our bank balance has taken a hit!) & she seemed OK but by boxing day she was declining fast. On the 27th we took her again to the vets & they found a very large tumour under her tail that was blocking everything. She was effectively being poisoned by her own body wastes.
This time, the sugeon told us there wasn't much hope - that they would operate & if there was something to be done they would do it but if not they would call us (& obviously we would agree to her being put down). After a large operation the tumour - which turned out to be benign - was removed & Barty returned to us with catheter, tubes etc & strict instructions that the catheter was not to be pulled because if it broke-off in the bladder that was effectively it for the dog.
For one day Barty was too destroyed to even move but this morning she got out of her bed pulling & separating the catheter tube. Luckily, it didn't break but then in my confusion reconnecting the catheter-bag I deflated the balloon that closes the bladder & holds it all in place so it was another trip to the vets.
Tonight everything seems OK but the dogs weighs 47 kilos, moving her around, holding her still when the vets are prodding & probing plus always wondering if the story is going to have a happy ending (& wondering if everytime there is an operation whether the money is being spent in vain!) have rather exhausted us!
Christmas dinner was nice but we ended up having an argument about politics with Luca's parents (who are staunch Italian communists of the old school) so, overall, we feel that it might be a christmas to recollect & recount but not to experience (at least not again)!!
Otherwise, things here have been very nice. The weather is sunny & warm & to be outside working is a real pleasure. It has also been a good time for dinners & drinks with friends (& sleeping-in in the moring when one feels like!).
By New Years Eve Barty seemed to be progressing well & we, ourselves, were able to look forward to a fine dinner (no politics, however!) with friends.
Happy New Year!